A piano-centered prelude

I've been working on our ceremony for the better part of two months now.  I finally, finally feel like the finish line is in sight, but, of course, there are just enough pieces still to nail down that I can't in full confidence cross "plan ceremony" off the to-do list.  Nevertheless, I have enough of the details figured out to share some with you!

As a quick reminder, we're getting married in a full Catholic nuptial mass, which definitely has its hoops to jump through.  The structure is pretty much set in stone; couples looking to infuse personal details largely do so through readings, music, and unique forms of participation, such as serving the Eucharist.  Even with that being said, the music choices are relatively limited for the ceremony itself, as they are intended to be spiritual and/or liturgical in nature, befitting a Catholic mass.  On the other hand, there's a bit more flexibility for the music leading up the ceremony.  Because the mass hasn't officially begun during the prelude, the music chosen for that component can be a little bit more contemporary and secular, but many brides go with instrumental versions of modern songs to avoid any problematic lyrics, just to be safe.

Given how traditional our ceremony is shaping up to be, I was eager to infuse some music that was more "us" into the prelude.  Our organist is a family friend who is beyond talented, so I decided that I wanted to showcase his talents during the prelude, giving him songs I love to play on the church's piano before transitioning over to the organ for the ceremony itself.  Enough chit-chat; here are the songs that will grace our guests' ears while they wait for the ceremony to begin!

Song 1: "Forrest Gump Suite" by Alan Silvestri

Video via YouTube

Mr. Snow Cone and I love Forrest Gump (and if you don't, we're no longer friends).  The movie seriously has something for everyone - history, love, war, drama, addiction, friendship, and a killer soundtrack.  I casually mentioned that I was interested in using this piece for the prelude, and Mr. Snow Cone was immediately on Team Forrest.

Song 2: "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds

Video via YouTube

I love, love, love this song, and I think it is hauntingly beautiful with or without the vocals.  Plus, it was my brother and sister-in-law's first dance song, so the thought of tossing this song in as a little nod to them was just icing on the cake for me.

Song 3: "Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan/Adele

Video via YouTube

Once again, such a beautiful song with the words, and an equally powerful melody on just the piano.  Upbeat but still soulful, which is such a special sound for a wedding.

Song 4: "For Good" from Wicked (by Stephen Schwartz)

Video via YouTube

Wicked is one of my most favorite musicals, and "For Good" is one of my most favorite songs from the show's score.  Mr. Snow Cone and I saw Wicked in Pittsburgh about five years ago, which makes this song selection extra personal.  I get chills just listening to this song, so I'm confident it fits into our prelude line-up seamlessly.

On a whole, I'm quite pleased with our song selections.  I think all of them are utterly gorgeous songs with the words, and I think they all stand up well even when the lyrics are stripped away (minus Forrest Gump, which obviously never had lyrics).  I'm hoping that, for the guests who are familiar with these songs, they'll enjoy hearing the songs leading up to our ceremony, and for the guests who aren't as familiar with the choices, they'll still be able to appreciate the music's beauty, even as they hear it for the first time.

Any special songs work their way into your ceremony prelude?