Catholic Wedding Hymns

Catholic weddings will vary between dioceses and individual parishes but the parts of the Catholic wedding mass will all likely be the same and the type of music needed to celebrate each part. Below we've listed the parts of the Catholic wedding mass in the order they occur and what types of music are appropriate:

Prelude
This is before the Mass begins and your wedding guests are being seated. The music serves as a nice form of entertainment while they wait and will help keep chatter to a minimum as well. The Prelude does not have to be traditional Catholic wedding hymns and can include any type of music that is appropriate to be played in church.

Processional
The priest will typically begin mass by starting at the altar and the procession will include the wedding party as they enter the church. A wedding march or instrumental piece such as Canon in D are appropriate selections.

Lighting of the Wedding Candle
After the vows, the lighting of the wedding candle can have an instrumental piece or another appropriate song.

Presentation of the Gifts
If the Catholic wedding service will have communion, you will need to have music for the preparation of gifts to be presented at the altar.

Communion
Communion songs tend to be traditional Catholic hymns such as "Bread of Life" or "One Bread, One Body". If you have an exceptionally large wedding of Catholic guests who will be participating in communion, you may want to have a back up song prepared just in case communion runs longer than the first song.

Flower Presentation to the Blessed Mother
In some Catholic weddings, the bride will present flowers to the Blessed Mother statue. Appropriate songs for this part of the mass would be any Marian hymn such as Ave Maria, Hail Mary Gentle Woman, and others.

Recession
At the end of the mass, the wedding party and guests will proceed out of the church. Music here is typically something joyful to celebrate the union of the bride and groom. Songs such as "Joyful, Joyful" can be appropriate for the recession out of the church.

Traditional Catholic wedding music usually includes songs that have been sung in the Catholic church for hundreds of years or at least a few decades.

Below is a list of traditional Catholic wedding music. The church choir director can help you decide which parts of mass they should be used for:

All Hailed Adored Trinity
All That I Am
God Father Praise and Glory
God is Love
Holy, Holy, Holy
One Bread, One Body
Only a Shadow
I Have Loved You
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Like a Seal on Your Heart
Love Divine, All Love Excelling
Love is the Sunlight
Set Me Like a Seal
Sing a New Song
Wherever You Go
Taste and See
The Gift of Love

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Over the last few years, several contemporary Catholic songs have come into the scene. Below we've listed the more contemporary wedding songs that can be used during the Prelude or during the Catholic Mass:

Household Of Faith - Steve Green


Love Divine, All Loves Excelling - Michael Burkhardt

There is Only Love - Michael Gott

You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban

I Will Be Here - Steven Curtis Chapman

You - Hillsong United

Your Love is Extravagant - Matt Maher

Wedding Song (There Is Love) - Peter Paul & Mary

See More Catholic Wedding Hymns

Music during a Catholic Wedding is what brings your guests together to celebrate your special day! Be sure to include a wedding program for your guests so they may participate in the service, especially if they have never attended a Catholic wedding before!

You can see some great examples and even order them online (saves time!) through eInvite.com

Be sure to include the lyrics to songs, parts of mass (and possibly a brief explanation) in your program to help your non-Catholic guests feel as included as possible during the service.