An article written by ‘Mike Collins’ the singing minstrel.
The music at your ceremony is very important. Many people like the idea of having a spiritual element to the ceremony without actually having an organist playing hymns. For a lot of people attending the wedding this might be their only visit inside a church. Perhaps you have decided not to have your wedding in a church but you feel that you still want a christian element to the service without feeling too religious.
I would like to suggest an alternative that would add the christian element but in a very contemporary way.
Firstly, the worship styles in many churches have moved on. In some churches the organ has long since made way for the acoustic guitar. You may even find full bands playing christian songs for the congregration to sing. There are now hundreds if not thousands of christian songs in this very contemporary music style. They are singing about God but in pop and rock songs. I am guessing that as you think about the needs of different members of your wedding guests, that you may feel that this is a compromise that most people would be comfortable with.
You can find these musicians in the churches. More often than not in the pentecostal churches, like Elim, and assemblies of God, but in some church of England churches too. When I moved to Glasgow, and was getting married, I found a lovely vocal group in a baptist church in Rutherglen where we lived. This group even offered to play the music at our wedding for free. In the end I put something in an envelope for them, and we were both very happy.
Many of our guests had very different ideas as to what church music sounded like, but both the traditionalists and those who were not used to being in church all said how wonderful this music was.
This group were not professionals but these days there are professional musicians who also offer this service.
While I am the man behind The Wandering Minstrel, who you can find in the speciality acts section of music and events I am also an experienced worship leader, who regularly plays the music in a Yorkshire church. I have developed a number of special ideas for music within a wedding ceremony.
Some couples choose to have a reading from the Bible that is all about love. You can find it in 1 corinthians 13 in the new testament. Having a reading from The Bible might be a bit too full on for many wedding ceremonies today. However, to have it sung in a modern contemporary pop song that is a different matter. I have also written other pop songs like this based on The Lord’s Prayer, Psalm 139 and The serenity prayer. These can easily be incorporated into the service along with the songs that the whole congregation can sing.
I often ask the couple to choose the songs themselves, and while some do like to do this, some also are happy to leave the choices to an experienced worship leader.
Also it doesnt have to mean that the hymns are out. Some of the most well known and most favourite hymns work well with an acoustic guitar.
Amazing grace of course, thanks to Willie Nelson and others. And can it be, How great thou art and To god be the glory all work very well with an acoustic guitar.
With the Christian Rock and pop market, mostly in America, being quite prolific the amount of choice out there is immense, from traditional hymns to out and out rock songs.
Of course, today couples do like to have other music in their ceremony not just christian music. An experienced worship leader will be happy to learn any special song if it means something to the couple.
The services that I offer as The Wandering Minstrel are more around a surprise for the bride and groom. I arrive in full medieval minstrel costume, into the reception, usually after the speeches, and sing a specially written song all about the couple. they get a special audio CD and a Music video of their song too. It works quite well if when I make my entrance they say, oh look it is the guy who was singing in the ceremony.
I always do a special deal when the worship leading and the minstrel greeting are booked together. The Wandering Minstrel can even be the master of ceremonies too. Many people keep the personalised song a secret from the bride and groom for dramatic effect, while other times the couple have ordered the song to entertain their guests. The good thing is that you can always give the full audio track to your wedding videographer to create a music video using the best of the wedding footage.
Getting the music right is very important, whether it is in the ceremony or part of the reception. So if you would like any help in this area don’t hesitate to contact me, via my The Wandering Minstrel – Speciality act listing on this site.