I.
Musicians
Q. I have a friend who would like to sing at my wedding.
Is that OK?
A. Guest soloists are welcome to sing one selection
during your wedding. Guest soloists should provide an appropriate keyboard
score of their piece (in the key in which they wish to sing) and should
arrive 1/2 hour before the wedding to run through the piece with our
organist. If they require a rehearsal at a different time, an additional
fee of $75 is required to compensate the organist for the extra time.
On rare occasions we may permit a singer who is a professional cantor
at another Catholic parish to sing more than one selection—usually
no more than 2 selections. This must be approved by the Music Director
in advance. In all cases when guest singers are allowed, the fee for
your wedding is still the same, as our staff cantor must also be paid.
If you have any questions, please contact the music director as soon as
possible.
Q. I have a friend that would like to play an instrument
at my wedding. Is that OK?
A. Guest instrumentalists are welcome to play one or
two selections during your wedding. If they wish to be accompanied by
our organist, they should provide an appropriate keyboard score at least
one month in advance. Guest musicians should arrive 1/2 hour before the
wedding to run through the music with our organist. If they require a
rehearsal at a different time, an additional fee of $75 is required to
compensate the organist for the extra time.
Q. I don’t want to hire a trumpet player, but our
favorite piece on your site uses trumpets. Can you still play it?
A. Yes! The organ is known as the “king of instruments”because
it has so many sounds and tone colors. Every piece on our site, and almost
every other piece, can be played on the organ to great effect. Even pieces
called “Trumpet Voluntary” may be played without a trumpeter. Some selections
(such as Purcell's Trumpet Tune and Trumpet Voluntary) are demonstrated
here with and without trumpets. If you are unsure about a specific piece,
please let us know.
Q. I want a bagpiper to play at my wedding. Is that
OK?
A. Yes. But because bagpipes are a very loud instrument,
it works best if the bagpiper plays outside on the steps of the church
before and after the ceremony, not inside the church.
Q. Will the musicians be at the wedding rehearsal?
A. No. The rehearsal coordinator (who is provided by
the church as part of the fee) is very familiar with the musical part
of the wedding, and will be able to instruct you about the timing of the
music for the wedding, and when to walk down the aisle.
II.
Selections
Q. I heard a
lovely piece on the radio (or on a CD), and I would love to have it played
at our wedding. Can you do that?
A.
We will make every effort to play your favorite pieces. There are a few
things to keep in mind:
• if the piece is to be sung, the words must
be sacred/religious in nature. Most show tunes, pop songs, love ballads,
or opera arias are not appropriate. If you are uncertain, just send
us the words of the piece and we can advise you. Remember that just
because a piece is included on a wedding CD from a music store does
not mean it is appropriate for a Catholic sacrament.
You may even have heard it many years ago at St. Mary's—but please
do no assume that we can play a piece simply because it has been done
before.
• if we do not own the music
in our library, you must provide an keyboard score at least one month
before the wedding. We can recommend music stores or online sites that
may be able to help you order the music.
• the piece must be of an appropriate
length if it is to be including during the wedding, or else you must be
willing to let us “cut” the piece as needed
Q. At another Catholic wedding I heard a piece that
your guidelines said was inappropriate. Why did they allow it?
A. Some churches do not enforce the guidelines set forth
by the church in the “General Instruction of the Roman Missal.” Some musicians
will also bend the rules sometimes and not at others. Instead of bending
the rules for some couples, we feel that it is most fair to everyone to
follow the regulations set forth by the bishops.
You may even have heard such a piece played for a liturgy
at St. Mary's a few years ago.
However, even if the rules about appropriate music in the Catholic liturgy
may have been bent or ignored in the past, it may not be possible or advisable
to do so again. In order to be fair to the dozens of couples who get
married at St. Mary's every year, we need to apply the guidelines consistently.
Above all, remember that the church portion of your
wedding is a sacrament, not a concert or a time to hear your favorite
songs. Just as the readings done are your wedding need to be scriptural
readings appropriate for a Catholic wedding liturgy, the music must be
appropriate for the sacrament.
Q. May I play a CD at the wedding instead of having
your musicians perform?
A: Pre-recorded music is not permitted during the wedding,
as it is not consistent with the guidelines of the church about the solemnity
of a wedding sacrament. The purpose of the musicians is not simply to
entertain the guests, but to lead them in the sung parts of the liturgy
and to inspire them. The church feels that that this is best done by live
musicians.
Q. With all these guidelines, I’m afraid my wedding
music won’t reflect my personal style. Can you help?
A. Yes! Don’t be put off by the various rules and regulations,
you still have a lot of choices open to you. Consider that even as late
as the 1970’s, some churches did not give couples any choice of music—you automatically got the “standard”
wedding.
Today you can choose from the dozens of pieces on our website, or find
appropriate pieces on your own. You can choose from a variety of styles,
you can choose to have a lot of vocal music or very little, and you can
choose to add additional instruments. The mood of your wedding music can
be exuberant and majestic, or quiet, reflective, and romantic. The only
thing that the church asks you to remember is that your wedding is a sacrament of the church performed by a priest or deacon. You
are not renting the church to “put on your wedding.” Instead the church
is inviting to you participate in one of its sacraments, and in return
there are some guidelines to follow.
Q. I don’t want any singing at my wedding. Is that
possible?
A. Most of the selections at your wedding can be instrumental
only. However the liturgy requires that a few places be sung—the Responsorial
Psalm, the Gospel Acclamation, and the Ordinary of the Mass (the “Mass
parts.”) These are considered part of the prayers, and they need to be
led by the cantor.
III.
Payments
Q. What’s this about a refund for starting on time?
If your wedding starts within 15 minutes of the scheduled
time, you will receive a refund of $100. Recently some weddings have
started more than an hour late,
and this rebate is to thank those couples who are considerate enough
to start on time. To receive your refund, please be sure to send us
your current mailing address after the wedding.
Q. When is my payment due?
A. A non-refundable deposit is due as soon
as you book your wedding with the church, in order to confirm the date.
If you decide to hire an additional instrumentalist (trumpet, etc) an
additional $225 is due as soon as that musician is hired by the Music
Director. The balance is due one month before your wedding.
It is very important that we receive your final check one month before
the wedding—it
is not acceptable to pay at the rehearsal or have the best man pay on
the day of the wedding.
Q. Where should I send the check?
A. Make the check out to St. Mary’s Weddings
and send it to
St. Mary of the Assumption
5 Linden Place,
Brookline MA 02445
attn: Susan Crapo
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