10 Classical Pieces for a Wedding

Classical music has endured for centuries due to its profound emotional depth, complexity and adaptability, an art form that transcends both time and cultures. Largely since Victorian times, classical music has commonly soundtracked wedding ceremonies, lending a certain romance, regality, and an air of sophistication to proceedings. In the present day, couples might also factor in that their wedding footage won't come to feel dated by a classical piece, as it might do by a contemporary pop song.

There are the obvious go-to's - Wagner's Bridal March (aka 'Here Comes the Bride'), Pachelbel's 'Canon in D', and Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March'. All perfectly good selections, but so often deployed we've decided to look elsewhere. We've selected ten beauties that you might want to consider, whether for pre-ceremony vibes, the aisle walk, or whenever else in the day you might fancy.

Gabriel Fauré - Pavane, Op.50

A piece of immense serenity and elegance by the highly underrated French composer Gabriel Fauré, this is heart-wrenchingly beautiful stuff. It glides along with an airy melody carried by flighty flutes and, while there is an undoubted melancholy about the piece, its romantic beauty is so towering that it makes for a great wedding pick. Magnifique!

Elgar – Salut d'amour

This was written by Elgar as an expression of love, an engagement present for his then-girlfriend, and originally titled 'Liebegruss' (meaning Love's Greeting). It initially sold poorly, and it wasn't until the publisher gave it a new French title that it began to make its mark. Mais oui! It is a piece of music that speaks for itself, and has been melting hearts for almost 150 years.

Ennio Morricone - Gabriel's Oboe

'Gabriel's Oboe' is the iconic main theme from Ennio Morricone's score for the 1986 film The Mission. Widely considered one of Morricone's most beautiful works, the score was nominated for an Academy Award and won both the Golden Globe and BAFTA for Best Original Score. Another piece of almost unfathomable melancholy, it has been used for both weddings and funerals, but such is its beauty it is equally at home at either, with its sense of unbridled romance and swells of emotional crescendos.

Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune

The French composers always had a predilection for romance. Debussy's Clair de Lune is a romantic tour de force, a masterclass in delicate intimacy. If intimacy rather than grandiosity is the vibe you're going for, particularly for a bride's entrance/aisle walk, Clair de Lune is a highly dependable, and gorgeous, selection.

Ruth Gipps - Symphony No. 2 in One Movement, Op. 30: III. Andante

The criminally little-known Ruth Gipps' story is a remarkable triumph over the patriarchy and endless adversity, defying a male-dominated industry who, while jealously noting her talent, simply would not allow her into their little club. She finally prevailed with a stack of wonderful music characterised by its sweeping, pastoral romance. This short movement from her 2nd symphony skates gracefully along until its stirring climax, a piece that gives you the best of both worlds.

Camille Saint-Saëns – The Swan

One you might not recognise by its title, but almost certainly will by the time you've treated your ears to it. A popular wedding pick, and with good reason. Like many great classical pieces, it is both joyful and heartbreaking, almost like the sound of falling in love and the sound of heartbreak at the same time. That's the joy of classical music; it'll move you, but how it moves you is up to you and your heart.

JS Bach – Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring

Yet another classical piece that many don't realise they know until they hear it. A melody so timeless, so burned into all of our minds, that it's as if it has existed since the dawn of time. Delicate, fragile and transcendent, perfect for a bride to float down the aisle to.

Chopin - Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2

Arguably Chopin's most famous work, this is a quintessential piece of romantic classical piano. An exercise in restraint, it is a wonderful choice for arrivals, setting the tone for the day ahead.

Rachmaninov - Symphony No. 2 Op. 27 III. Adagio

This sweeping masterpiece clocks in at over 15 minutes, so if you're bound by time - if, for example, you choose to use this for the aisle walk - you'd be best picking one of the many gorgeous sections and running with that. With a particularly lush string section, it's a deeply romantic piece that drifts into dreamy soundscapes before rising and swelling into something altogether more passionate. A real work of art.

Franz Liszt - Liebestraum No. 3

Liebestraum translates to 'Love dream', an apt title for a hopelessly romantic piece of music that is about unconditional love. The piano swoons and yearns throughout what seems to be a clear emotional arc, as it transitions from a bashful crush to passionate dreams come true, and eventually winding down into sentimental reflection. A masterpiece of love, and a fabulous pick to decorate your wedding.