Beautiful Catholic Wedding Songs to Celebrate Every Moment

When it comes to Catholic wedding songs, you’ll have to look past the latest by Ed Sheeran or Miguel for your nuptials music. As you’re creating your Catholic wedding mass with your officiant, it’s important to remember that you’ll need music for multiple ceremony events (think wedding interlude, recessional music, etc.). Since you won’t be able to play recorded music or use non-religious songs, this guide will help you select other beautiful options. 

Here are some general guidelines for Catholic wedding songs during your ceremony.

Which wedding music will I need?

Catholic wedding songs function much the same way as other weddings songs, but with the additional requirement that they be a prayerful part of the liturgy. Your ceremony will be part of a full Catholic wedding mass, so you don’t want to break up the worship service with anything inappropriate. Talk with the parish music minister about songs for these wedding moments:

• Wedding processional, uplifting mood: You and your attendants file into the sanctuary behind the priest or wedding officiant.
• Pre-homily, more somber mood: Gospels are typically sung before the sermon and the wedding vows, so this song should be more explicitly about your faith.
• Pre-communion, joyful mood: After the Lord’s prayer, but before the Eucharist is served is an opportunity for a more upbeat song.
• Wedding recessional, celebratory mood: As you and your attendants leave the sanctuary, celebrate the end of mass with an uptempo song.

What are the requirements for Catholic wedding songs?

Before scouring the Internet for the perfect processional song, remember that whatever song or arrangement you’ll select will need to be within the range of the church musicians. We recommend working really closely with the music minister at your wedding venue to ensure they are game for potentially learning new music or arrangements to personalize your ceremony.

Additionally, your Catholic wedding songs will need to meet these requirements:

• Prayerful. While your wedding music can definitely celebrate your love, you will need to make sure it is also related to your faith as well.
• Ability to sing along. Since your wedding ceremony is a worship service, everyone in attendance needs to be able to sing along and participate in the prayers of the music.
• Beautiful. This is subjective, of course, but the Church calls for Catholic worship music to be true art and suited to the liturgical occasion.

What Catholic wedding songs am I allowed to use?

That being said, lots of classic Catholic wedding songs are wonderful and suitable additions to any wedding moments. Give these a listen, and see what you think:

I Hear My Love

A downtempo ballad about the love of Jesus Christ works perfectly for processionals or pre-homily songs.

You Are Mine (Instrumental)

A heartfelt instrumental is ideal for processionals or recessionals at Catholic weddings.

O Perfect Love

This soothing hymn is a gorgeous Catholic wedding song for pre-homily or pre-communion music.

Hallowed by Jennifer Knapp

A modern arrangement of The Lord’s Prayer is the perfect pre-communion song.

Bless the Broken Road

A Christian wedding favorite, this sweet and prayerful love song was made even more famous by a popular YouTube couple’s wedding. It’s perfect for a wedding recessional.