As promised, here are few suggestions for Weddings or other Commitment Ceremonies, including same-sex commitments. I have focused on songs that don't demand the production of children or a heterosexual union, simply because I prefer to err on the side of inclusion, and these are the sort of songs I would have been happy to sing at my own wedding.
GA221 / AA25 / CP287 / W&R609 / Come to a wedding (Murray) Good wedding words that are not heterosexist, and simply celebrate love. Sung to BUNESSAN (Morning has broken), so easy for congregations that include lots of non-church-goers. Lyrics and sound sample.
AoV2-086 If I speak in words of wisdom / Love Is The Greatest Gift Of All (Marshall Good) This is not exclusively a wedding song, but is very good for weddings, especially if 1 Corithians 13 is part of the service.
G(II)633 GC870 GC(II)859 RS 941 May God bless you hold and keep you (A Nuptial Blessing) Excellent words with a very community-focused view of marriage. I wish I had known about this when I got married! Simple tune. Lyrics, sheet music and sound sample (search for "nuptial).
G(II)630 / GC867 / GC(II)860 Wherever You Go (Haas) Good words based on Song of Songs / Song of Solomon and Ruth. Needs a cantor. Sound, lyric and sheet music (refrain only) sample here (search for "Wherever you go (Haas)")
TiS 678 / Iona (Love From Below) / CH699 God beyond glory (Bell) Good words and a very straightforward tune. Can only be used for a heterosexual partnership, but is less exclusive than others.
NCH364 God today bless this new marriage (Post) Good simple words celebrating a union of love and service to the tune of "Brother, Sister, Let me serve you". Lyrics and sound sample.
Iona (LFB) / CP288 Lord and lover of creation WESTMINSTER ABBEY Good and sung to a very familiar tune (WESTMINSTER ABBEY). Can be used for any romantic union commitment ceremony. Lyrics here.
TiS 603 / AHB 526 / UMH645 / VU491 / LBW287 / HPP290 / HPSS533 / CP(E) 343 / W&R610 O perfect Love all human thought transcending (Gurney) Sources vary in how old-fashioned the language is. Although this hymn is very old, it is still very relevant and beautiful today. Lyrics (older style) and tune sample.
TiS 654 / NCH362 / UMH643 / VU489 / WoV749 / G(II)628 / GC865 / GC(II)856 / G(3)966 / W&R612 / Cha499 / Lau416 When love is found and hope comes home (Wren) Lovely words to the tune O WALY WALY; wouldn't quite fit for a same-sex union, but it's not far from the mark. Lyrics.
CH696 We come dear Lord to celebrate (Bell) A lovely joyful wedding song, to the familiar tune REPTON. Celebrating love, asking for God's blessings on the new family.
CH697 / AA86 Let’s praise the Creator (Murray) Joyous wedding song. Not appropriate for same-sex unions as the words "husband and wife" make up a critical rhyme, but the words are so lovely, I wanted to list it. "The love that we wish them, the love that we pray for is stronger than storms and more gentle than breath, endures every trouble, is selfless and faithful, more precious than life and more lasting than death".
ATW 507 Where you tread (Beavis) A very simple and beautiful song based on Ruth's commitment to Naomi. A congregation would pick this up very quickly.
VU490 Our God creation's loving source (Patterson) Lovely words celebrating God's love and love for each other sung to the familiar tune O WALY WALY. Lyrics.
MV035 Holy one O Holy one (Farquharson) Gentle blessing song for a marriage or commitment service. Probably not immediately easy for a congregation to join in.
GA221 / AA25 / CP287 / W&R609 / Come to a wedding (Murray) Good wedding words that are not heterosexist, and simply celebrate love. Sung to BUNESSAN (Morning has broken), so easy for congregations that include lots of non-church-goers. Lyrics and sound sample.
AoV2-086 If I speak in words of wisdom / Love Is The Greatest Gift Of All (Marshall Good) This is not exclusively a wedding song, but is very good for weddings, especially if 1 Corithians 13 is part of the service.
G(II)633 GC870 GC(II)859 RS 941 May God bless you hold and keep you (A Nuptial Blessing) Excellent words with a very community-focused view of marriage. I wish I had known about this when I got married! Simple tune. Lyrics, sheet music and sound sample (search for "nuptial).
G(II)630 / GC867 / GC(II)860 Wherever You Go (Haas) Good words based on Song of Songs / Song of Solomon and Ruth. Needs a cantor. Sound, lyric and sheet music (refrain only) sample here (search for "Wherever you go (Haas)")
TiS 678 / Iona (Love From Below) / CH699 God beyond glory (Bell) Good words and a very straightforward tune. Can only be used for a heterosexual partnership, but is less exclusive than others.
NCH364 God today bless this new marriage (Post) Good simple words celebrating a union of love and service to the tune of "Brother, Sister, Let me serve you". Lyrics and sound sample.
Iona (LFB) / CP288 Lord and lover of creation WESTMINSTER ABBEY Good and sung to a very familiar tune (WESTMINSTER ABBEY). Can be used for any romantic union commitment ceremony. Lyrics here.
TiS 603 / AHB 526 / UMH645 / VU491 / LBW287 / HPP290 / HPSS533 / CP(E) 343 / W&R610 O perfect Love all human thought transcending (Gurney) Sources vary in how old-fashioned the language is. Although this hymn is very old, it is still very relevant and beautiful today. Lyrics (older style) and tune sample.
TiS 654 / NCH362 / UMH643 / VU489 / WoV749 / G(II)628 / GC865 / GC(II)856 / G(3)966 / W&R612 / Cha499 / Lau416 When love is found and hope comes home (Wren) Lovely words to the tune O WALY WALY; wouldn't quite fit for a same-sex union, but it's not far from the mark. Lyrics.
CH696 We come dear Lord to celebrate (Bell) A lovely joyful wedding song, to the familiar tune REPTON. Celebrating love, asking for God's blessings on the new family.
CH697 / AA86 Let’s praise the Creator (Murray) Joyous wedding song. Not appropriate for same-sex unions as the words "husband and wife" make up a critical rhyme, but the words are so lovely, I wanted to list it. "The love that we wish them, the love that we pray for is stronger than storms and more gentle than breath, endures every trouble, is selfless and faithful, more precious than life and more lasting than death".
ATW 507 Where you tread (Beavis) A very simple and beautiful song based on Ruth's commitment to Naomi. A congregation would pick this up very quickly.
VU490 Our God creation's loving source (Patterson) Lovely words celebrating God's love and love for each other sung to the familiar tune O WALY WALY. Lyrics.
MV035 Holy one O Holy one (Farquharson) Gentle blessing song for a marriage or commitment service. Probably not immediately easy for a congregation to join in.
1 comment:
I used Lord and Lover of Creation at my own wedding four years ago with Westminster Abbey. It was fantastic. It captured so much of the day in contemporary words but with a familiar tune. It is very difficult to pick new congregational music for a wedding but having an old tune and new words is great. We also used JLB's Bride and Bridegroom which is more specific to marriage but to Slane which was also great.
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