day 11: {tuesday tunes} ceremony.

so last tuesday we talked about the music pre-ceremony. this week it's all about the songs that you use during your actual ceremony.

this includes the seating of the mothers (prelude), both the bridesmaid and bridal processional... and then the recessional (when the bride & groom leave together). then there can be special songs at different points in the ceremony, such as after exchanging the rings & vows, or taking communion.

of course, like any aspect of your day, there are a ton of opinions out there. there's the traditional route (you know, canon in d, jesu joy of man's desiring, and of course trumpet voluntary) which is usually classical. and then there's the thinking-outside-of-of-the-box route, which really has no rules, and depends on the couple.

jeff and i both want our wedding to be a worship celebration that God has called us together to be one in marriage, so music that evokes worship and praise is important to us. we're in the process of listening to hymns and songs that stir us and are in the search for what best represents the story God is writing with us.

and being as immersed into the music community in nashville that we are, we are lucky to have our pick of some pretty talented singers & songwriters. it's narrowing it down that's the hard part!

here are a few i've loved for the ceremony the past couple of years...

• "love never fails" by brandon heath
• "my beloved" by kari jobe
• "beautiful" by phil wickham:

*marisa's marks: pick songs with meaning for you as a couple. the music is a great way to personalize your ceremony.

do you have any favorites?