Okay, so my best friend asked me to help plan the music for her wedding ceremony, and she wanted a mix of praise and worship songs. I was like, “Sure, sounds easy enough!” But then I actually started, and boy, it was a journey.
First, I made a list of all the moments during the ceremony that needed music. You know, the usual: when guests are arriving, when the bridal party walks in, when the bride makes her grand entrance, during the ceremony itself, and then when everyone’s exiting. I quickly realized that different songs would fit different parts of the ceremony better.
Then, I started brainstorming songs. I dug into my own church’s favorites, asked around for suggestions from other friends, and even scoured the internet for lists of popular Christian wedding songs. There were so many options! Classic hymns, modern worship songs, even some instrumental pieces. My playlist was all over the place.
I spent hours listening to all these songs, trying to imagine them in the context of a wedding. Some were too slow, some were too upbeat, and some just didn’t feel right for a wedding. I narrowed it down, cross-referencing the tone and tempo with the different parts of the ceremony.
- Prelude: This was tricky. I needed something calm but not boring while guests were finding their seats. I ended up suggesting a few instrumental versions of hymns like “Amazing Grace” and “Be Thou My Vision.”
- Processional: For the bridal party, I thought something a little more upbeat would be good, but still respectful. We considered a few contemporary worship songs.
- Bride’s Entrance: This had to be special! My friend wanted something that felt both worshipful and celebratory. We listened to a bunch of options before she finally chose one.
- Ceremony: We decided to have a couple of songs during the ceremony itself, one before the vows and one after. This was a great opportunity to include some of their favorite worship songs that maybe weren’t traditional wedding choices.
- Recessional: Time to celebrate! We picked a joyful, upbeat song for the couple to walk back down the aisle as husband and wife.
Finally, I put together a sample playlist for my friend to listen to. We went back and forth a few times, swapping out songs here and there until she was happy with everything. It was a lot more work than I expected, but seeing how much she loved the final playlist made it all worth it.
Honestly, planning wedding music is no joke! But it’s such a cool feeling to help create the soundtrack for such an important day. Now, I can’t wait to see it all come together at the wedding!
