Occasional Brass and Strings: Planning Your Wedding or Event: Jewish Wedding Music

Jewish Wedding Music

Choosing music for your Jewish wedding ceremony should be a pleasurable experience. In this section, we'll break down the standard facets of a Jewish wedding ceremony and discuss some standard choices from our Jewish and Klezmer repertoire. Even for mixed (ie Christian/Jewish) weddings, it's a nice touch to add a few pieces to the ceremony.

Please note that these are suggestions to get you started. Make sure you consult your Rabbi to determine which piece(s) would be appropriate for specific parts of the ceremony.

Music Selections

Sample Recordings: Those marked as MP3 were recorded in a studio or at a wedding/event. Recordings marked as MIDI have not been recorded live yet but were generated on the computer from the sheet music - they are an approximation of how the music will sound.

Name	Translation and/or Notes	For...	Brass	Strings
Erev Ba	Evening Comes	Prelude
Hana'ava Babanot	The Fairest of Maidens	Prelude
Nigun	"Humming Tune"	Prelude
Ozi V'zimrat Yah	The Lord is My Strength and Song	Prelude	MIDI
Tum Balalaika	Sound Balalaika	Prelude
Yerushalayim Shel Zahav	Jerusalem of Gold	Prelude	MIDI
Dodi Li	My Beloved is Mine, and I am His	Processional		MP3
Erev Shel Shoshanim	Evening of Roses	Processional		MP3
Y'did Nefesh	Beloved of my Soul	Processional		MP3
El Kabir	Mighty G-d	Interlude
S'u Sh'orim	Look up to the Gates	Interlude
V'ha'er E'ne'nu	Enlighten Our Eyes to Your Torah	Interlude
Ki Va Moed	The Apponted Time has Come	Recessional	MIDI
Mazel Tov	Good luck to the Bride and Groom	Recessional
Od Y'shama	The Voice of Gladness Shall be Heard Again	Recessional		MP3
Rabbi Elimelech Medley	Klezmer Standard	Recessional
Siman Tov	Congratulations - Good Luck!	Recessional		MP3
Der Heyser Bulgar	The Hot Bulgar (Klezmer)	Reception	MIDI
Hava Nagila	Let's Rejoice	Reception
Sunrise, Sunset	Classic from "Fiddler on the Roof"	Reception
Waves of the Danube	"The Anniversary Waltz"	Reception

Parts of a Jewish Wedding Ceremony

Preludes

Preludes are the quiet, mood-setting music leading up to the ceremony. Usually 15-20 minutes long, the preludes set the tone for the service. If you're having an informal or non-traditional service, you can opt for some lively pieces. Some temples have specific pieces they will allow and not allow, so make sure you check with them before making final selections. Another idea is to have music at the ketubah signing before the service!

Processional

The processionals accompany the wedding party (rabbi, family elders, groom and his parents, bridal attendants) and bride (and her parents) as they walk down the aisle. On occasion, the Rabbi or cantor will vocalize through their own entrance, and then the music will begin for the rest of the entrances. Once you pick the bridal entrance piece, make sure you go over the specific part of the piece you'd like to walk down the aisle to, as bridal processionals generally only last 30-60 seconds depending on the aisle and how fast the bride walks.

Interlude, Service Music

Interludes are important in both traditional and non-traditional services. Make sure you check with your rabbi when picking service music, as many temples have certain pieces they will allow and not allow. Often, the rabbi or cantor will vocalize most or all of the service music.

Recessional

The recessional is the time to shine for the bride and groom. This is generally the liveliest piece of the wedding. Lots of movement and notes, with a fast, festive tempo. The music should mirror the festive mood that concludes the ceremony.

If there are topics you'd like to know more about, or other topics you'd like to see here, please contact us.