Music is an important part of any wedding ceremony. It helps set the mood and get your guests ready for the event to come. But what to choose? There are plenty of traditional songs, or you can go for music that's more contemporary or completely unexpected. Some houses of worship have strict rules about what songs can and can't be played (nothing secular, for example), so be sure to check before making your final picks. You can sample just about anything online, so make a list, and start listening.

THE PRELUDE

As guest are filing in, greeting one another and taking their seats, it's nice to have some quiet music playing.

If you've decided to stick with traditional music, here are some tried-and-true choices:

Air on the G String, Johann Sebastian Bach
Ava Maria, Franz Schubert
Canon in D, Johann Pachelbel
Greensleeves, English folk song
Sonata in E Flat, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Toccata in E Minor, Johann Pachelbel
Trumpet Tune and Air, Henry Purcell
Trumpet Voluntary, John Stanley
Violin Concerto in A, Franz Joseph Haydn
Water Music, George Frideric Handel

Contemporary choices may include:

Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion
Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Elton John
Caribbean Blue, Enya
Chapel of Love, The Dixie Cups
Come Away With Me, Norah Jones
Here, There and Everywhere, The Beatles
L-O-V-E, Nat King Cole
Morning Has Broken, Cat Stevens
What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
When I'm Sixty-Four, The Beatles

Colbie Callait

Jack Johnson

Michael Buble

Jason Mraz

THE PROCESSIONAL

The music should feel momentous and full of joy. It's perfectly fine to stick with Here Comes the Bride, but there are plenty of other possibilities as well. As you consider your options, think about the tempo of the music: You don't want the bridal party to be racing down the aisle or dragging their heels. Choose something that allows everyone to walk at an even pace.

Traditional Music

Air, George Frideric Handel
Cantata No. 29, Johann Sebastian Bach
Coronation March for Czar Alexander III, Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Te Deum, Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Promenade, Modest Mussorgsky
Romeo and Juliet (Love Theme), Peter I. Tchaikovsky
The Prince of Denmark's March, Jeremiah Clarke
Rigaudon, André Campra
Toccata (from L'Orfeo), Claudio Monteverdi

Contemporary Choices

A Day Without Rain, Enya
Annie's Song, John Denver
Groovy Kind of Love, Phil Collins
Here I Stand, Usher
I Will, Alison Krauss
I'll Be There for You, Bon Jovi
My Love for You Is Real, Ryan Adams
One Hand, One Heart (from West Side Story), Leonard Bernstein
Sea of Love, The Honeydrippers
The Vow, Jeremy Lubbock

THE RECESSIONAL

You're married! As you walk back up the aisle as husband and wife, do it to music that reflects your elation, be it the classic Mendelssohn's Wedding March, Beethoven's Ode to Joy, or something a little more sassy.

Traditional Music

Allegro (from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto Grosso in D Minor (from The Four Seasons), Antonio Vivaldi
Hornpipe, George Frideric Handel
Grand March (from Aida), Giuseppe Verdi
Prelude in C, Johann Sebastian Bach
Rondo, Ludwig van Beethoven
Spring Allegro (from The Four Seasons), Antonio Vivaldi
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, George Frideric Handel
Triumphal March, Edvard Grieg

Contemporary Choices

Ain't That Love, Ray Charles
All You Need Is Love, The Beatles
Beautiful Day, U2
Cherish, The Association
Happy Together, The Turtles
How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You), James Taylor
I Got You (I Feel Good), James Brown
I Got You Babe, Sonny & Cher
This Will Be (An Everlasting Love), Natalie Cole
Once in a Lifetime, Keith Urban
Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours), Stevie Wonder