Here are even more ideas for church wedding songs.
Do any of these situations apply to you?
- You’re having a hard time finding a song for your church wedding
- You need a good wedding song that’s appropriate for a church and just don’t have time to search high and low for it
- You’d like an easier-to-sing but still very nice sounding song
- You like the melody of a certain hymn that you want to work into your ceremony
- You like the a certain hymn melody but aren’t sure you want to use a hymn in the ceremony
- You want to give a more traditional wedding “sound”
- You want to balance other parts of your ceremony that aren’t very traditional-sounding with something that does sound traditional
If so, there’s a collection of wedding songs that you should consider.
Ring of gold
The collection is titled “A Ring of Gold” and consists of seven wedding “hymns” by Donald Busarow for solo voice (accompanied by organ).
I put “hymns” in quotes because while the melodies are favorite hymn melodies, the words are written specifically for weddings. “Church wedding songs” might be a better description.
Because of this, you can have church wedding songs that are very appropriate for a church with familiar melodies, and yet have words that sound like wedding songs rather than hymns.
These songs use the same melodies as well-known hymns but have accompaniments that were especially written for these wedding songs. This means that when sung, it won’t sound like your singer is being accompanied by playing out of the hymnal. This allows each song to have its own sound, separate from the hymn melody.
In fact, one thing I think is pretty cool (maybe it’s the musician in me) is that Mr. Busarow wrote a short six-note melody that gets used in some way in each of the pieces. He says in his dedication that this six-note melody is symbolic of his six children. I think this is very classy touch and speaks to the quality of the music and the effort he put into writing it!
As mentioned earlier, the hymn melodies are favorites, or at least well-known to many. They include a couple of Irish and Gaelic folk melodies, the melodies to “The Church’s One Foundation”, the familiar Thanksgiving hymn “We Praise You, O God”, and “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”.
But as I also mentioned earlier, the words are not from these hymns, but written just for weddings.
Here are the songs included in the collection:
- Love Is the Sunlight
- When Jesus to the Wedding Went
- The Lamps That Light This Wedding Day
- The Days of the Summer
- Now With Thanksgiving
- When God Designed Creation
- Within the Arc of Grace
Nice lyrics
Here’s an example of these new lyrics, from the last of the seven songs, including the line upon which the whole collection is based:
Within the arc of love
As vision shall appear
The blessings from above
That crown our changing year,
And as the passing scenes unfold
May we the gifts of love behold
Encircled in a ring of gold.
Nice! And one of my favorites.
One more example, from “Love Is the Sunlight”:
May we in gladness
Grow in Your sunshine,
May we in sadness
Rest in Your shade,
Giving and gaining,
Ever remaining
One in the marriage
Your love has made.
Finding the music
The collection is published by Concordia Publishing House and also available from sheetmusicplus.com.
At this moment, it’s only $12, so there’s little risk in buying it, even if you’re not entirely sure yet of your final choices.
It’s also a fairly well-known collection amongst church musicians, so you might consider asking your church’s musician (even if you won’t necessarily be using him or her for your ceremony).
For another song idea, check out this article: A Wonderful Song for Wedding Ceremonies.
Need to jump start your wedding music? Check out our free Church Wedding Music 101 videos!
Wrapping up
Let me know what you think. Know any other good church wedding songs? Your comments are always welcome and encouraged!
© 2010, Wedding Music Unveiled. All rights reserved.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Is there a place where you can preview the songs?
I wish there were! I searched high and low for recordings of these songs. If anyone knows of some, please let us know. If I run across them later on, I’ll add links.