If you're marrying in church, you'll need at least two wedding hymns, and possibly up to four depending on the length of the service. Your minister or the church's music director will be able to make suggestions, but here are some of our favourites! If most of your guests aren't regular church-goers, try to stick to more well-known choices with easy tunes. Remember, some hymns have more than one tune, so make sure if you have a preference, the organist knows which tune you're expecting!
For civil ceremonies, don't forget that you won't be allowed songs or music with any religious connotations. So, if you're not sure whether a certain piece is allowed, check with the registrar beforehand to avoid disappointment on the day!
Popular Wedding Hymns
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- Come Down O Love Divine
- Father Hear the Prayer We Offer
- Give Me Joy in my Heart
- Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
- Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us
- Lord of all Hopefulness
- Make Me a Channel of your Peace
- Morning has Broken
- One More Step Along the World I Go
- O, Praise Ye the Lord
- Now Thank We all our God
- Praise my Soul, the King of Heaven
- The King of Love my Shepherd is
- Lord of the Dance
Wedding hymns bring the service to life and can give your guests a break from the legal side! Similar to wedding readings, the list of possible wedding hymns is endless so it's not difficult to find a few which you and your groom like and which all your guests will know and enjoy!
If you want to print the lyrics in your Order of Service, you need to check whether or not the author of the hymn is protected by copyright. This lasts for 70 years after the death of the author. If the lyrics are protected, consequently you need to contact the copyright holder for permission to print them. For the hymns reproduced in this section, you will find authorship and copyright information (if appropriate) given under each text. Further guidance about copyright can be found at www.cmpa-europe.org.