Catholic Wedding Songs
Dear Father L.
I’m getting married in the Catholic Church in March next year. I must confess that I haven’t attended church in recent years, so I’m not familiar with the church’s requirements for weddings. I’ve been to some Catholic weddings before and I’m not quite impressed. I found them quite ordinary and even boring. I’ve also witnessed weddings of other Christian denominations as well, and I must say that they are more lively, expressive, and beautiful. I would like to incorporate those elements into our Catholic wedding. Father, my question is: can we choose any songs and readings that we want for our wedding?
Thank you, Father L.,
Soon-to-be Groom
Dear Soon-to-be Groom,
The purpose of any Catholic liturgy, including a wedding liturgy, is to give glory to God and to sanctify (make holy) the worshipers. Your wedding music should reflect that purpose; in other words, it should help the assembly to pray and to give thanks to God for your love. So, if you’re hoping to play Elton John or read from The Secret, you’re probably out of luck. Most Catholic churches are going to insist on nothing but church music during the service, and they’re definitely going to insist that your readings be from the Scripture.
Generally, any of the music widely used in Catholic parishes or issued by Catholic publishers will meet this standard (although some critics of contemporary Catholic liturgical music might argue otherwise). Pop or rock songs, even those with a spiritual theme, are usually considered inappropriate for use in a Catholic wedding ceremony because they were never intended for liturgical use. Even some “classic” wedding music, such as the wedding marches by Wagner and Mendelssohn, are usually not permitted for this reason.
This goes back to remembering that a wedding is not the same as renting a hall: you’re getting married in a church. As such, they’re going to ask that the songs and readings reflect that (also, it’s worth noting, if you choose to get married on a big Catholic feast day like Pentecost Sunday, you’re probably going to have to use the readings and even music for that feast at your wedding).
Now, you might want to argue that this or that song has great spiritual significance for you. However, remember, during the wedding, faith and love are intertwined in the Catholic faith. It is better to choose songs that reflect your devotion to both God and your partner. Hence, for the ceremony, you will likely want to stick with traditional Catholic liturgical music that evokes a sense of worship, solemnity, and religious devotion.
Fortunately, there is a wealth of good liturgical music to choose from, including music written specifically for weddings; the music minister at your parish can point you to some of these possibilities.
If there are really, very meaningful songs that both of you would love to hear as you profess on your wedding day, you need not worry at all; you’ve got a whole reception to come where you can pick some special songs and moments. So, if there are some things that you don’t get to do in the church, whether it’s a song or some special blessing that you want, do it at the reception.
Sincerely,
Father L.
Letters are welcome at: OClarimEnglish2022@gmail.com
Image: toanmda@pixabay.com
Follow
