Music for my wedding

[Daedalus]

Greetings all,

As I think I mentioned on my recent thread about Chamber Music, I am getting married in the summer and planning to have a string quartet or trio at my wedding ceremony.

I want to avoid all of the usual banal choices that people have at wedding ceremonies. I want to pick something different - some pieces of music that I could fall in love with before, during and after the event. Something that would make the day feel more personalised and special for me and my wife-to-be.

I have a whole heap of suggestions from the Chamber Music thread, many of which have been placed on my future borrowing list from the library and some of which have been ordered (and I am waiting to hear). I'm intending to spend the next few weeks listening to as much music as I can in order to find something that jumps out at me and my fiancee.

So I am asking you, the good people of GMG forum, for your suggestions and ideas to help focus my listening! Particularly interested in anything beautiful, unusual and perhaps some suggestions off the beaten track. Just anything that you would recommend me getting my grubby hands on for a listen! 

All opinions will be gratefully received.

D.

[Florestan]

How about a Funeral March for your lost liberty? 






Just joking... congratulations and may you both live happily everafter!  0:)

[Mozart]

How about OP 132? It certainly would be different, and definitely not banal 

[springrite]

Music I used:

Mozart: Serenata Noturna
Haydn: Quartet (forgot which one)
Folksong arrangements

[lukeottevanger]

We had Ravel's Ma Mere l'Oye (piano duet form, played by friends) - first movement for 'entrance of the bride', last movement, rising to its joyful climax, for recessing. I still think they were perfect choices - still, magical, pristine music, completely lacking in the pomposity and self-importance of all the fanfares and rigmarole that usually go with weddings.

[Daedalus]

How about a Funeral March for your lost liberty? 

 

Just joking... congratulations and may you both live happily everafter!  0:)

Thank you!

D.

[karlhenning]

We had Ravel's Ma Mere l'Oye (piano duet form, played by friends) - first movement for 'entrance of the bride', last movement, rising to its joyful climax, for recessing. I still think they were perfect choices - still, magical, pristine music, completely lacking in the pomposity and self-importance of all the fanfares and rigmarole that usually go with weddings.

Lovely!

[Morigan]

To avoid:

-Canon in D
-That Wagner wedding chorus and the Midsummer Night's Dream march
- Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

[springrite]

To avoid:

- Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

Play Arrival of the Gods instead? 

[Daedalus]

To avoid:

-Canon in D
-That Wagner wedding chorus and the Midsummer Night's Dream march
- Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

Yes indeed! 
I couldn't stand to have Canon in D, in particular. Ugggh!

D.

[Catison]

I had a similar problem, and I am letting Karl figure it out for me.

[op.110]

Beethoven op. 127
Beethoven Ghost trio (first movement)

Or you can get a pianist and have them play Schubert's Trout Quintet!

[karlhenning]

I had a similar problem, and I am letting Karl figure it out for me.

Both privilege and pleasure 

[ragman1970]

Schubert - Der Tod und das Mädchen 

[Norbeone]

There are string quartet arrangments of the Goldberg Variations (on recording, I don't know if the scores can be bought). The Quodlibet from it would be a good 'entrance of the bride' piece. Also, the aria and many of the other movements would suit a wedding perfectly I think. In fact, the idea of having an all-Bach wedding has always appealed to me. Maybe this wouldn't be the case for you, though, I dunno.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Op. 132 is much too heavy for a wedding. The slow movement of Op. 135 could be worked in somewhere, though not a processional/recessional. If you want a trio, Mozart's Divertimento in E-flat, k 563, is worth looking into.

[greg]

How about a Funeral March for your lost liberty? 

lol


Yeah, definitely get something different, wedding music can be irritatingly uninspiring.
Schubert might be a good choice, maybe a couple of songs from some of Mahler's song cycles- though NOT the Songs of the Wayfarer or the Death of Children. 

[hornteacher]

Let's see if I can remember that far back:

The pre-ceremony music was:

4' 33" - Cage (an inside joke for all the music majors that were there)
Clarinet Concerto - Mozart (2nd movement)
Grovers Corners - Copland
Hark the Harald Trumpets Sing - Mannheim Steamroller (it was a December wedding)
Horn Concerto #2 - Mozart (2nd movement)

Processional - Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral - Wagner

Recessional - Promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition - MM

[ragman1970]

Why not the standard Mendelsson wedding music from "a mid summer dream"?

[vandermolen]

I wanted some Vaughan Williams played at my wedding and the organist found Rhosymedre, which I was very happy about.