Wedding Organist and PianistClick on the dropdown button to translate. Translate this page: You can translate the content of this page by selecting a language in the select box. |
How to Book Me for your Wedding
Booking me Choosing music Paying me Liturgy and Law Orders of Service and online service planners Performers' rights legislation and recording Suggestions for Wedding Music Organ music for the ceremony Piano music for the ceremony Piano music for the reception WEDDING MUSIC CHOICE FORM Alan's Wedding Collection (Vimeo channel) |
'I would just like to say thank you for your wonderful organ playing last week at C. and D's wedding. At the reception afterwards we had a great many compliments regarding the high quality of the music, and I am very much aware that most of the credit should go to you.'
'I wanted to drop you a note to say a huge thank you for being the organist at our wedding. The music was wonderful and it sounded so lovely in the church, it really couldn't have been better. We had several comments from our guests about how much they enjoyed the music. J. and I had the most wonderful day and those moments in the church will stay with us forever. Thank you for your skilled playing and helping create such a wonderful experience for us both.'
'We'll never forget our wedding day, and you and F. certainly created some real magic!'
'Thank you so much for last Saturday. We had a perfect day and music was fantastic'
'All of our guests commented on the beautiful ceremony and the fantastic organ playing'
'Thank you all so much for making our wedding in December so special. It was a beautiful service and the music and the decorations were amazing.'
'So uplifting and beautiful and joyful. Thank you again for your great talent'
With many years of playing for weddings in England, Scotland and Norway, and with nearly 500 of them to my credit, I am well experienced in all types of weddings. In addition to playing the organ for weddings in church, I also play the piano for weddings and receptions in hotels and other venues.
'I wanted to drop you a note to say a huge thank you for being the organist at our wedding. The music was wonderful and it sounded so lovely in the church, it really couldn't have been better. We had several comments from our guests about how much they enjoyed the music. J. and I had the most wonderful day and those moments in the church will stay with us forever. Thank you for your skilled playing and helping create such a wonderful experience for us both.'
'We'll never forget our wedding day, and you and F. certainly created some real magic!'
'Thank you so much for last Saturday. We had a perfect day and music was fantastic'
'All of our guests commented on the beautiful ceremony and the fantastic organ playing'
'Thank you all so much for making our wedding in December so special. It was a beautiful service and the music and the decorations were amazing.'
'So uplifting and beautiful and joyful. Thank you again for your great talent'
With many years of playing for weddings in England, Scotland and Norway, and with nearly 500 of them to my credit, I am well experienced in all types of weddings. In addition to playing the organ for weddings in church, I also play the piano for weddings and receptions in hotels and other venues.
How to Book Me for your Wedding
Booking me
Please contact me directly at least eight weeks before your wedding to book me as your organist/pianist. I will immediately enter you into my diary to avoid double bookings.
Please contact me directly at least eight weeks before your wedding to book me as your organist/pianist. I will immediately enter you into my diary to avoid double bookings.
Choosing music
As each ceremony is as different and personal as the couple concerned, it is good to get your wedding music sorted well in advance of the Big Day – please send me your choice at least six weeks beforehand. There is a handy form at the bottom of this page for you to submit your choice directly to me. I will get back to you at your designated email address if I have any queries.
I give below suggestions for both organ music and piano music, which represent the core repertoire which I normally bring with me to the wedding venue. However, I am always happy to accept special requests, as long as you send me the sheet music (hard copy or legible scan) well in advance.
If you are having an order of service printed, please leave a copy for me on the organ or piano at your rehearsal for me to find on arrival.
Please note that I do not bring a keyboard with me, so there should be a recently-tuned grand piano already at your wedding venue, with good lighting so I can see to read the music!
Music before the Ceremony
Music is played while the guests gather and wait for the bride to arrive. Usually, I will choose this myself from the list below, but I am open to additional suggestions!
Bridal Procession
Music played while the bride and her party process in at the beginning of the ceremony. The piece chosen should last just long enough for all to reach their positions at the front.
Music during the Signing of the Registers
This is a quiet interlude in the ceremony, an opportunity for relaxing, meditative music to cover the legal formalities of signing the marriage register, and for photographs to be taken. It is also an ideal moment for a soloist or choir to perform.
Recessional (Wedding March)
A celebratory piece played as the newly-weds leave. At a military wedding, the relevant regimental march could be appropriate here. Please send me a copy if you wish to have this.
As each ceremony is as different and personal as the couple concerned, it is good to get your wedding music sorted well in advance of the Big Day – please send me your choice at least six weeks beforehand. There is a handy form at the bottom of this page for you to submit your choice directly to me. I will get back to you at your designated email address if I have any queries.
I give below suggestions for both organ music and piano music, which represent the core repertoire which I normally bring with me to the wedding venue. However, I am always happy to accept special requests, as long as you send me the sheet music (hard copy or legible scan) well in advance.
If you are having an order of service printed, please leave a copy for me on the organ or piano at your rehearsal for me to find on arrival.
Please note that I do not bring a keyboard with me, so there should be a recently-tuned grand piano already at your wedding venue, with good lighting so I can see to read the music!
Music before the Ceremony
Music is played while the guests gather and wait for the bride to arrive. Usually, I will choose this myself from the list below, but I am open to additional suggestions!
Bridal Procession
Music played while the bride and her party process in at the beginning of the ceremony. The piece chosen should last just long enough for all to reach their positions at the front.
Music during the Signing of the Registers
This is a quiet interlude in the ceremony, an opportunity for relaxing, meditative music to cover the legal formalities of signing the marriage register, and for photographs to be taken. It is also an ideal moment for a soloist or choir to perform.
Recessional (Wedding March)
A celebratory piece played as the newly-weds leave. At a military wedding, the relevant regimental march could be appropriate here. Please send me a copy if you wish to have this.
Paying me
Payment should be made by PayPal (see 'Fees and Checkout' page) at least four weeks before the date of the wedding. For my own current wedding fees, see the 'Fees and Checkout' page.
Payment should be made by PayPal (see 'Fees and Checkout' page) at least four weeks before the date of the wedding. For my own current wedding fees, see the 'Fees and Checkout' page.
Liturgy and Law
Orders of Service and online service planners
Roman Catholic - Traditional
Roman Catholic – Novus Ordo (Vatican II)
Service planners
Roman Catholic - Traditional
- Latin Mass Wedding – the best source of information about getting married in the traditional pre-Vatican II rites. Many helpful links to original sources and full details of the music proper to this rite. References are to the 1962 Missal, i.e. the ‘Extraordinary Form’ of Summorum Pontificum.
- Traditional Catholic Priest – contrasts the traditional rites with the Novus Ordo (Vatican II) rites.
Roman Catholic – Novus Ordo (Vatican II)
- An English translation of the Order of Celebrating Matrimony was published in January 2016, a new translation of 2nd edition of the Latin Ordo Celebrandi Matrimonium, and replaced the original Rite of Marriage first published in 1969. It came into use at Easter 2016. Resources for this rite are offered online by the Liturgy Office of England and Wales. A bewildering array of alternatives is available! The Catholic Truth Society publishes The Complete Order of Celebrating Matrimony which contains the music for the Mass and can be purchased on their website.
Service planners
- Visit the Royal School of Church Music's very comprehensive guide 'Music for Church Weddings', which has a huge downloadable list of suggested music, and a wealth of useful information, including copyright and performers' rights. (UK)
Performers' rights legislation and video/audio recording (UK)
Until a few years ago recordings could be made for ‘private and domestic purposes only’. This was altered by law and there are now no circumstances under which a performer may be recorded without their consent. It follows, therefore, that permission must be obtained from the organist/pianist, the officiant/celebrant and any other performers before any video recording, however informal, is taken at a wedding. Consent of all the performers is also required to make, copy and distribute any video or audio recordings of the ceremony. This is covered by Section 182 (all parts) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. and is not optional. It is the law in all current parts of the UK, including Scotland. Most modern mobile phones have a video recording facility, which means that private live recording is now almost impossible to stop. Because of this, the performers' rights supplement is always included in my fee to automatically cover this.
Although the exact figure is not fixed by law, in some churches this has widely become a 100% supplement.
However, the Musicians' Union recommends a fixed flat fee, and this is the professional recommendation which I follow (see my fees page for the current rate).
Until a few years ago recordings could be made for ‘private and domestic purposes only’. This was altered by law and there are now no circumstances under which a performer may be recorded without their consent. It follows, therefore, that permission must be obtained from the organist/pianist, the officiant/celebrant and any other performers before any video recording, however informal, is taken at a wedding. Consent of all the performers is also required to make, copy and distribute any video or audio recordings of the ceremony. This is covered by Section 182 (all parts) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. and is not optional. It is the law in all current parts of the UK, including Scotland. Most modern mobile phones have a video recording facility, which means that private live recording is now almost impossible to stop. Because of this, the performers' rights supplement is always included in my fee to automatically cover this.
Although the exact figure is not fixed by law, in some churches this has widely become a 100% supplement.
However, the Musicians' Union recommends a fixed flat fee, and this is the professional recommendation which I follow (see my fees page for the current rate).
Suggestions for Wedding Music
Organ music for the ceremony
To help you choose your organ music, I have recorded some of these pieces from this list on various organs. Click and enjoy! This collection can also be viewed on Vimeo at Alan's Wedding Collection and also on YouTube (continuous play).
- Prelude to the Te Deum – Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704) (The Eurovision signature tune)
- Canon in D – Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
- The Prince of Denmark's March – Jeremiah Clarke (ca.1674-1707) (also known as 'Purcell's Trumpet Voluntary')
- Trumpet Tune – Jeremiah Clarke (ca.1674-1707)
- Round O (from ‘Abdelazar’) – Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
- Spring (from ‘The Four Seasons’) – Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1740)
- Fanfare en rondeau – Jean-Joseph Mouret (1682-1738)
- Jesu, joy of man's desiring (from Cantata 147) – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
- Sheep may safely graze (from Cantata 208) – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
- Air (from Suite no 3 - 'Air on the G string') – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
- Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (from 'Solomon') – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Ombra mai fu (‘Largo’ from ‘Xerxes’) – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- March (from the Overture to the ‘Occasional Oratorio’) – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- March (from ‘Scipio’) – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Minuet (from 'Music for the Royal Fireworks') – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- La Réjouissance (from 'Music for the Royal Fireworks) – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Hornpipe (from the 'Water Music') – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Air (from the' Water Music') - George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Trumpet Voluntary (Op.6 no.5) – John Stanley (1712-1786) – the trumpet movement begins at 01:39 in the video
- Dance of the Blessed Spirits (from 'Orfeo ed Euridice') – Christoph Willibald Glück (1714-1787)
- Pieces for musical clocks – Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
- Minuet (from String Quartet Op.13 no.5) – Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)
- Romance (from ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
- Sicilienne - attributed to Maria Theresia von Paradis (1759-1824)
- Ave Maria – Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828)
- War March of the Priests (from ‘Athalie’) – Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
- Wedding March (from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream') – Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
- Bridal Chorus (from 'Lohengrin') – Richard Wagner (1813-1883) (aka 'Here comes the bride')
- Ave Maria – Charles Gounod (1818-1893) (based on Bach's well-known Prelude in C)
- Fanfare – Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens (1823-1881)
- Sous le dôme épais (Flower Duet from 'Lakmé') - Léo Delibes (1836-1891)
- Meditation (from 'Thaïs') – Jules Massenet (1842-1912)
- Toccata (from the Fifth Symphony) – Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)
- Après un rêve – Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
- Bridal March (from ‘The Birds’ of Aristophanes) – Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918)
- Chanson de Matin – Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
- Salut d'amour – Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
- Clair de lune – Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
- A Trumpet Minuet – Alfred Hollins (1865-1942)
- Andantino in D flat (‘Moonlight and Roses’) – Edwin H. Lemare (1865-1934)
- Gymnopédie no.1 – Erik Satie (1866-1925)
- Festival March (from 'The Sleeping Beauty') - Erkki Melartin (1875-1937) (The most popular wedding march in Finland)
- Chorale-Improvisation on 'Nun danket alle Gott' (Op.65 no.59) – Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)
- Love Theme (from ‘The Godfather’) – Nino Rota (1911-1979)
- Gabriel’s Oboe (from ‘The Mission’) – Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)
- For the Love of a Princess (from 'Braveheart') - James Horner (1953-2015)
Piano music for the ceremony
- Prelude to the Te Deum – Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704) (The Eurovision signature tune)
- Canon in D – Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
- The Prince of Denmark's March – Jeremiah Clarke (ca.1674-1707)
- Trumpet Tune – Jeremiah Clarke (ca.1674-1707)
- Fanfare en rondeau – Jean-Joseph Mouret (1682-1738)
- Air ('Air on the G string' from Suite no.3, BWV 1068) - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
- Jesu, joy of man's desiring (BWV 147) - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
- Prelude in C Major (from ‘The Well-Tempered Clavier’, Book 1) - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
- Sheep may safely graze (BWV 208) - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
- Air (from the ‘Water Music’) – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Air and Variations ('The Harmonious Blacksmith', Suite 5) – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (from 'Solomon') – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Hornpipe (from the ‘Water Music’) – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- La Réjouissance (from Music for the Royal Fireworks) – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Ombra mai fu (‘Largo’ from ‘Xerxes’) – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Bist du bei mir – Gottfried Heinrich Stötzel (1690-1749) (once attributed to Bach)
- Plaisir d'amour - Jean-Paul-Égide Martini (1741–1816)
- Andante (from Piano Concerto no.21) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
- Ave verum corpus – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
- Ode to Joy (from Symphony no.9) – Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
- Sonata in C minor (Op.13 'Pathetique': slow movement) – Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
- Ave Maria – Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828)
- Impromptu in G flat (Op.90 no.3) – Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828)
- Song without Words in A flat (Duetto, Op.38 no.6) – Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
- Song without Words in B flat (Op.62 no.2) - Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
- Wedding March (from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream') – Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
- Träumerei (from ‘Scenes of Childhood’) – Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
- Mazurka (Op.7 no.1) – Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
- Mazurka (Op.17 no.1) – Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
- Nocturne in E flat (Op.9 no.2) - Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
- Prelude in D flat - Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
- Waltz in A flat (Op.69 no.1) – Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
- Bridal Chorus (from 'Lohengrin') – Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
- Ave Maria – Charles Gounod (1818-1893) (based on Bach's well-known Prelude in C)
- Panis angelicus – César Franck (1822-1890)
- Nocturne - Alexandr Borodin (1833-1887)
- The Swan (from ‘The Carnival of the Animals’) – Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
- Sous le dôme épais (‘Flower Duet’ from ‘Lakmé’) – Léo Delibes (1836-1891)
- Love Theme (from ‘Romeo and Juliet’) - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
- Meditation (from 'Thäis') – Jules Massenet (1842-1912)
- Notturno (from ‘Lyric Pieces’ book 5, Op.54 no.4) – Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
- Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (from ‘Lyric Pieces’ book 8, Op.65 no.6) – Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
- Love Theme (from ‘Scheherezade’) - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
- O mio babbino caro (from 'Gianni Schicci') – Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
- Arabesque no.1 – Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
- Clair de lune – Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
- Gymnopédie no.1 – Erik Satie (1866-1925)
- Variation 18 (from 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini') – Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
- Love Theme (from 'The Godfather') – Nino Rota (1911-1979)
- Gabriel’s Oboe (from ‘The Mission’) – Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)
- For the Love of a Princess (from 'Braveheart') - James Horner (1953-2015)
- Butterfly Waltz – Brian Crain
Piano music for the reception
The 33 songs in bold are considered to be part of the Great American Songbook
The 33 songs in bold are considered to be part of the Great American Songbook
- A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes (from Walt Disney’s ‘Cinderella’) – Mack David, Al Hoffmann, and Jerry Livingston
- A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
- A Whole New World (from Walt Disney’s ‘Aladdin’) – Alan Menken
- As Time Goes By – Herman Hupfeld
- At Last – Harry Warren
- Beauty and the Beast (from Walt Disney's ‘Beauty and the Beast’) – Alan Menken
- Because You Loved Me – Diane Warren
- Blue Velvet – Lee Morris and Bernie Wayne
- Caledonia – Dougie MacLean
- Can You Feel the Love Tonight? (from Walt Disney’s 'The Lion King') – Elton John
- Climb Ev'ry Mountain (from 'The Sound of Music') – Richard Rodgers
- Do-Re-Mi (from 'The Sound of Music') – Richard Rodgers
- Dream a Little Dream of Me – Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt
- Edelweiss (from 'The Sound of Music') – Richard Rodgers
- Embraceable You – George and Ira Gershwin
- Emily - Johnny Mandel
- Everything – Michael Bublé, Alan Chang, and Amy Foster
- Fly Me to the Moon – Bart Howard
- Hero – Walter Afanasieff and Mariah Carey
- Home - Michael Bublé, Alan Chang, and Amy Foster
- I Only Have Eyes for You – Harry Warren
- I Swear – Gary Baker and Frank Myers
- I'm in the Mood for Love – Jimmy McHugh
- It Had to Be You – Isham Jones
- Laura – David Raksin
- Love Changes Everything – Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Love Is All Around – Reg Presley
- Love Is Here to Stay – George and Ira Gershwin
- Make Someone Happy – Jule Styne
- Moonlight Serenade – Glenn Miller
- Moon River – Henry Mancini
- More Than You Know – Vincent Youmans
- My Favourite Things (from 'The Sound of Music') – Richard Rodgers
- My Funny Valentine – Richard Rodgers
- My Heart Will Go On (from 'Titanic') - James Horner (1953-2015)
- Oh, What A Beautiful Morning (from 'Oklahoma') – Richard Rodgers
- Open Arms – Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry
- Over the Rainbow – Harold Arlen
- Polka Dots and Moonbeams – Jimmy Van Heusen
- So This Is Love (from Walt Disney’s ‘Cinderella’) – Mack David, Al Hoffmann, and Jerry Livingston
- Someone to Watch Over Me – George and Ira Gershwin
- Somewhere (from 'West Side Story') – Leonard Bernstein
- Summertime – George Gershwin
- That's What Friends Are For – Burt Bacharach
- The Notebook (Main Title) – Aaron Zigman
- The Prayer – Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster
- The Rose – Amanda McBroom
- The Sound of Music (from 'The Sound of Music') – Richard Rodgers
- The Way You Look Tonight – Jerome Kern
- There You'll Be – Diane Warren
- They Can't Take That Away from Me – George and Ira Gershwin
- Unforgettable – Irving Gordon
- Valentine – Jim Brickman and Jack Kugell
- What a Wonderful World – George Weiss and Bob Thiele
- When I Fall in Love – Victor Young
- When You Wish Upon A Star – Leigh Harline
- Where Do I Begin (from 'Love Story') – Francis Lai
- Wild Mountain Thyme
- Wind Beneath My Wings – Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar
- You Raise Me Up – Rolf Lovland and Brendan Graham
- You’ll Never Walk Alone (from ‘Carousel’) – Richard Rodgers