Diocese of Fall River
Guidelines for Wedding Music

You are about to receive a sacrament. This Sacrament instituted by Christ is a holy and sacred rite. Both of you want the celebration of this sacred rite to be expressive of you in the most beautiful manner possible.

We are sure you want a service that is personal, inspiring and beautiful - for this is your day.

Happily, the revised marriage rite offers any number of options. To explore these, we suggest you view these options in Father Champlin's book, Together for Life.

In addition, an important matter for your consideration is the music:

• Style - traditional or contemporary
• Instruments - organ alone, folk instruments, trumpets, or other combinations
• Individual Selections

It is our intention to maintain a musical standard which will contribute to the dignity and solemnity of the occasion and enhance the beauty of the sacred celebration of your marriage vows.

In the context of the believing community, marriage is both personal and public. It is personal because two individuals pledge themselves to an intimate and lasting union. But the significance of your wedding far transcends yourselves. This public affirmation of the love that has become your life touches the life of the world in which you live and of the Church which you help to form.

On your wedding day you want the ceremony to be meaningful - all the words, gestures and music should visibly manifest what is happening interiorly: a sacramental encounter with Christ.

Every note played, every word sung, should be chosen with these points in mind:

1. Will this particular composition express to everyone present the meaning of this religious event?
2. Do the lyrics present a Christian view of love?
3. Does a particular selection emphasize and enhance that part of the ceremony where it occurs, or is it just a "showcase" piece that has no liturgical justification for its use?
4. Does the music promote further the progress of the ceremony, or does it simply cause a delay?
5. Ideally, during the ceremony the "soloist" should act in the role of cantor, leading the people to sing simple refrains and acclamations, rather than perform. However, before Mass and the preparation rite are appropriate times for the soloist.

Your Wedding Music obviously should be suitable for use in the Church.

Music, by its nature, is neither sacred nor secular. What gives music a 'label' is the psychological process known as connotation. This means that people and societies gradually come to associate certain selections and styles of music with non-musical places and situations.

When you choose your wedding music, therefore, you should ask yourselves: Will this composition be appropriate to the meaning of our ceremony? Or will it cause a 'communication gap' because people associate it with some other place or meaning: opera, film, sorority, football field?

Music worthy of your wedding day should reflect not only good taste (connotation) but good art. To put it succinctly: the judgment about artistic music belongs to the head as well as the heart. Only too often the heart dictates the choice of pieces, principally on the basis of "tradition." Once again, sentimentality triumphs over honest emotion!

True, it is usually difficult to define precisely what makes a selection of music good art. To be of assistance in accordance with the Church's thinking we establish these guidelines pertaining to music used in the wedding rite:

1. Any music that deters from the liturgical action, or calls to mind anything but a religious motif will not be acceptable because the lyrics should celebrate not only human love between two persons, but should also have some reference to God, who indeed is Love. The texts, according to the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy "should be drawn chiefly from Holy Scripture and from liturgical sources.
2. Even more than "traditional" music, some contemporary songs tend toward sadness, opening up the "sacral tear ducts" of everyone pleasant. While this characteristic may be a reflection of the current quest for emotional happiness, this quest can easily result in mere nostalgia. Wedding music should emphasize the theme of joy and happiness in the sacred celebration.

May we suggest that songs and music of a more secular nature be reserved for the wedding reception? The extension of the sacramental celebration is the wedding reception where this type of music is proper.

In the event you desire a more contemporary style of celebration, the use of folk music is perfectly acceptable if it meets the requirements of these guidelines.

We hope that through early planning with the priest, the organist, and other involved musicians, your choice of music will enhance your wedding ceremony... even more than the flowers and other embellishments.

But in the understandable excitement of this event, it is easy to overlook or to forget that the musician makes his living by practicing his art. Professionally trained musicians have acquired their proficiency at considerable time and expense, therefore, adequate compensation is an important factor.

All arrangements for your wedding should be made with your parish priest, allowing ample time for all preparations.

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