Congratulations!
We are so honored to help you prepare for the Sacrament of Matrimony here at Prince of Peace, and we look forward to supporting you as you celebrate this special event. The video below offers a brief overview and guide to selecting the readings, prayers, and music for your wedding.
If you have any questions, please email Jorge Nuñez at JNunez@POPHouston.org.
Music Selections for Wedding Liturgies
At Prince of Peace, the wedding liturgies have two processional songs. The first is for the family/court, and the second is for the bride. Each procession is accompanied by two different instrumental pieces (respectively). Please see the playlist below for samples.
The offertory hymn during the preparation of the altar may have themes of the goodness and love of God, offering oneself to God, giving an offering of bread and wine, unity/union, vows to the Lord, or any other liturgically appropriate hymn. Below is a list of suggestions in order of popularity. Click on a title to hear a sample of the selection:
The Communion hymn is sung while the congregation processes to the altar to receive communion. The hymn should be Eucharistic in nature and may include themes of the Body of Christ, communion, unity, the love of God, the goodness of God, and or gratitude.
If you opt to offer flowers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Marian hymn is sung at this time.
The recessional procession is also accompanied by an instrumental piece. Please see the playlist below for suggestions.
What music is appropriate or allowed?
We always have to be considerate of the elements that occur during a celebration in sacred space, but this doesn’t mean you don’t have liberty in your choices. Vocal music must be chosen with the highest level of care because the text is proclaimed inside a sacramental celebration. Any sung music (prayer) must be appropriate for such a setting, and abide in the teachings of the Church. There are no exceptions to this.
What else do we need to consider when choosing music for our wedding?
Musical context is something to keep in mind whether you’re considering classical, Christian/worship music, or even more contemporary music selections. The idea being to consider the ‘context’ in which the music will be performed – generally, that means on either piano or organ. Will the music you’re considering be effective and make sense in those mediums? Likewise depending on what vocal music you’re considering – that might have bearing on the vocalist choice for your celebration. See the above video for more on this.
Can we hire additional instrumentalists for our wedding?
Yes, you can. This is not uncommon, but you need to makes these considerations early so professionals can be contracted. Whether you’re considering a string trio/quartet, trumpet to play with organ, etc. – we have contractors we can refer you to, or work with to secure players. Do know that the costs vary depending on the number of players and the contractor/ensemble.
Can you choose our music for us?
Yes, we can. While we encourage you to make the music for your celebration a personal reflection of yourself as a couple, we can certainly make appropriate selections should you want that. We might ask you a few questions to get a better idea of what direction to go however.
Contact Us
Jorge Nuñez (Bilingual)
Director of Music