Classical Guitar for Weddings



Classical guitar, the most romantic of instruments, is a beautiful choice for weddings with Romance de Amor definitely one of THE most romantic. I've compiled a bunch of awesome songs to pick from for the big day, or simply to listen to if you’re in a romantic mood. Classical guitar for weddings is divided into the key moments of the wedding ceremony: the wedding prelude,

the processional, the bridal march, the wedding recessional and the wedding postlude. A collection of some of the most beautiful classical guitar music has been included. Some music is suitable for more than one category so you can move songs around as you please. This is particularly so for the songs allocated to the Interlude, many of which could be included in the Prelude.classical guitar for weddings

I’ve included a few pieces composed on other instruments which have been transcribed for the classical guitar such as Mendelssohn’s Wedding March and popular songs transcribed for classical guitar. Mostly though I’ve remained true to the classical guitar (without I hope being a fundamentalist) by picking pieces from the standard classical guitar repertoire which I thought would be beautiful for weddings. The renditions selected are my own biases and reflect renditions that are my personal favourites − there are, however, many other renditions of the same pieces and it’s worth listening through a few samples to get a feel.

The theme that I’ve used in selecting this collection is love, endurance, beauty, joy and forgiveness − all essential for a happy and peaceful life together. classical guitar for weddings

Classical Guitar for Weddings - The Prelude

The prelude generally begins about 15 minutes before the bridal party’s entrance. It signals to the wedding guest that it is time to move to their seats as the ceremony will shortly begin. It should be cheerful but at the same time subdued as it sets the stage for the solemnity of the wedding ceremony. Here you need to select about 8-12 pieces of music for the timeframe that you need to cover. You could select from the list of classical guitar for wedding songs provided below and you could also pick pieces from the interlude section below. classical guitar for weddings

Classical Guitar For Weddings - The Processional

The wedding party’s processional marks the official beginning of the ceremony. The mother's of the bride and groom take their seat and the wedding party’s processional ushers in the bridesmaids and ring bearers. It signals to the officiant that the bridal party will soon be entering and to the groom and grooms bestmen that the bride will shortly be entering. The tempo, which should be slow and flowing, marks the speed at which the bridesmaids and ring bearers will walk down the aisle. A classic and beautiful example is Canon in D by Pachelbel. classical guitar for weddings
You could go through the list of songs provided for classical guitar for weddings below and see if anything strikes a chord with you.

Classical Guitar for Weddings - The Bride’s Processional

The bride’s processional is played soon after the wedding party processional. A slight pause in the music between the wedding party processional and the bride’s processional serves to emphasise the bride’s processional and gives the officiant the time to signal to the guests to stand in anticipation of the bride’s entrance. You can use the pause suggested above to signal the bride’s processional or you could use a fanfare which is lively music, usually trumpets, which herald the arrival of the bride.

The bride’s entrance is one of the most incredible moments of the wedding and the memorable moments of the wedding day. You should choose a very special song here. Traditional choices are Wagner’s Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride) or Felix Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.classical guitar for weddings


In my own wedding we picked The Prayer as the Processional song. This was mainly because the words had so much meaning for us. Particularly this bit:

I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go.
And help us to be wise in times when we don't know.
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way.
Lead us to the place, guide us with your grace.
To a place where we'll be safe.

Here you need to select one special piece of music for the wedding party’s processional. You could go through the list of songs played on the classical guitar for wedding marches provided below and see if anything strikes a chord with you.

Classical Guitar for Weddings - The Interlude

The interlude marks any break in the ceremony where there are no words spoken for a minute or more. In most ceremonies the interlude is the unity candle, memorial candle, or rose presentation. These are moments for quiet reflection and the music selected should encourage reflectiveness and stillness. A favourite is Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire by Bach.

Sometimes the interlude is used to musically reflect the love or intent of the couple and is usually a song dedicated to the couple. Here Paul Stookey, The Wedding Song is a great example or Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On. This can be a song sung by a singer dedicated to the couple or a piece of instrumental music played. It’s a good idea to include the words of the piece in the wedding programme. The officiant can point your wedding guests to these while they listen to the piece of music. I’ve included links to excerpts of these classical guitar for wedding songs so that you can click and get a feel of it.

I’ve also included some really beautiful instrumental pieces written for the classical guitar. Carlo Domeniconiss The Rose In the Garden from his Homage à de Saint-Exupéry:Le Petit Prince is particularly beautiful as it talks of the relationship between Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s:Little Prince and the rose that he grew to love. There is some beautiful text from the book that can be read at the same time (or just before) playing this piece. For example:

AND HE WENT back to the Fox. "Good-bye," he said.
"Good-bye," said the Fox. "Here is my secret. It's quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."
"Anything essential is invisible to the eyes," the Little Prince repeated, in order to remember.
"It's the time you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important."
"It's the time I spent on my rose ..," the Little Price repeated, in order to remember.
"People have forgotten this truth," the Fox said. "But you mustn't forget it. You become responsible forever for what you've tamed. You're responsible for your rose ..."
"I'm responsible for my rose .., the Little Prince repeated, in order to remember.

 OR, another beautiful quote is this one:

It was then that the fox appeared.
The Little Prince: Come and play with me.
The Fox:I can’t play with you, I’m not tamed.
The Little Prince: What does tamed mean
The Fox: It means, ‘to create ties…‘ If you tame me, we’ll need each other. You’ll be the only boy in the world for me. I’ll be the only fox in the world for you. You’ll see the wheat fields over there, they say nothing to me. Which is sad. But you have hair the color of gold. So it will be wonderful, once you’ve tamed me! The wheat, which is golden, will remind me of you. And I’ll love the sound of the wind in the wheat

 Of the samples that I provide one my personal favourites is Miguel Llobet’s Catalan Folk Songs - El testament d'Amelia. Although the song itself has a grim theme which is probably not suitable for a wedding, I enjoy the tension which I feel between melancholy and happiness - both of which are aspects of a shared life.

Another is Tarrega's Capricho Arabe Serenata. Segovia, in his life story, calls this one of the most romantic classical guitar piece of all time and, by his own admission, uses it to serenade one of his early loves. classical guitar for weddings You can click through the samples below to get a feel of the classical guitar for weddings songs that I've selected as examples.


Classical Guitar for Weddings - The Recessional

A time to celebrate!classical guitar for weddings

The wedding officiant pronounces the couple as husband and wife. This is a time for applause and celebration and the music selected for this time should be upbeat, cheerful and joyous as the newly married couple leads the way back up the aisle. The music should last for about 2 minutes and the postlude music follows thereafter. Here you would want to select one or two pieces of music.

Classical Guitar for Weddings - The Postlude

While the prelude marked the entrance and seating of your guests, the postlude marks the exiting of your guests. The music should last for about 10 minutes, so it is best to have enough songs here, but not so much that guests feel that they have to hang around for too long. The postlude should be slightly more upbeat that the prelude and should set a pleasant and celebratory (without being loud) closure to the wedding ceremony. Here you need to select at least 5 pieces of music for the timeframe that you need to cover.

Some final words

As a final word, I wish you a beautiful wedding. A poem by Edmund O'Niel that I love which I dedicate to your day and to your life together:

Marriage is a commitment to life,
the best that two people can find and bring out in each other.
It offers opportunities for sharing and growth
that no other relationship can equal.
It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.Within the circle of its love,
marriage encompasses all of life's most important relationships.
A wife and a husband are each other's best friend,
confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic.
And there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing,
and the love of the other may resemble
the tender caring of a parent or child.Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life.
Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher,
commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly,
and passes away more quickly.Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life
is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life,
new experiences, new ways of expressing
a love that is deeper than life.classical guitar for weddings

When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage,
they create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer
than any spoken or written words.
Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people
who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfill.







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