Help with wedding music needed (priest approved and pipes)!

[PumpkinsAndCoconuts]

Hello, fellow Mumsnetters!

We are planning our (traditional, religious, 60-person) wedding on a lovely estate in Scotland. (I’m not Scottish but we’re getting married in Scotland.)

Everything is planned but we have been stumped when it comes to our music and I am getting quite desperate. So when I saw the other thread currently running I thought: why not?

Requirements:

It needs to sound good on pipes:
smallpipes for the entrance and ceremony, highland pipes for the exit. We had to promise the priest that all ceremonial music (aisle in, aisle out, during the ceremony) will be Christian in nature. AND we need to give him the set list in advance (for approval).

Do you have any suggestions? Our pipers will be accompanied by a drummer (outside the church).

I can’t ask my parents as I’ve done my best to not get them involved in anything wedding related. Although they’ll obviously attend (which I am extremely happy about. I’ve also organised their accommodation, made travel arrangements etc.) I’d simply prefer to not get their input when it comes to wedding planning…

I would be grateful for any suggestions for the following:

Entrance (aisle in)
During ceremony (signing / reflection)
Exit (aisle out)

“It needs to sound good on pipes”.

That’s everything out, then.

Speaking as one half of an incredibly musical couple with a Scottish husband, who did all the music arranging for our wedding.

You mention a Priest. Is it a Catholic ceremony? Must all the music be sacred?

I promise I wasn’t forced to choose pipes 😅
It just needs to translate well. Pachelbel’s Canon on highland pipes would be quite a choice, for example…

I would really appreciate your help (as one half of an incredibly musical couple with a Scottish husband)! 🙏

edit:

Yes, Catholic. And all music must be sacred (and given priestly approval).

Sorry you’ve answered one of my questions: the music must be sacred as you have promised the priest it will be. We also had a Catholic ceremony but our music was all choral - either unaccompanied or with organ accompaniment.

Let me have a think.

When I got married I walked in to Highland Cathedral on the pipes. I'm not sure if it's church approved, but it has cathedral in the name, so maybe! I'm Scottish so naturally I love the pipes!

I'd look into some of the pipe music used for going into battle in WW I.

No malice suggested, it is just that it is quite stirring and moving.

Co Pilot suggests:

🎼 1. Entrance of the Bride (Scottish Smallpipes)

Smallpipes have that warm, mellow, almost contemplative tone — perfect for something sacred and processional without overwhelming the moment.

Top Recommendations

🌿 “Be Thou My Vision” (Slane)

• A traditional hymn with Irish roots that sits beautifully on smallpipes.
• The melody is lyrical, steady, and instantly recognisable.
• Reverent without being somber — ideal for a bridal entrance.

🌿 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” (St. Columba)

• Another Celtic hymn tune that pipes adore.
• Flowing, pastoral, and deeply sacred.

🌿 “Amazing Grace” (New Britain)

• A classic for pipes, but on smallpipes it becomes gentler and more intimate.
• Works beautifully for a slow, graceful entrance.

🌿 “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

• Melodic line fits the smallpipes’ range well.
• Has a hopeful, uplifting quality without being too bold for the entrance.

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✒️ 2. Signing of the Register (Scottish Smallpipes)

This moment benefits from something reflective and prayerful. Smallpipes shine here.

Top Recommendations

✨ “Be Still, My Soul” (Finlandia)

• Sacred, serene, and emotionally rich.
• The tune is slow enough to stretch beautifully on pipes.

✨ “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” (Hyfrydol)

• A joyful but gentle hymn tune.
• Works well as a meditative instrumental.

✨ “Abide With Me” (Eventide)

• A classic hymn with a warm, contemplative melody.
• Perfect for the quiet, intimate nature of the signing.

✨ “The Lord’s My Shepherd” (Crimond)

• A Scottish psalm tune — culturally perfect and liturgically spot-on.
• Pipes love this melody.

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🎉 3. Recessional / Exit of the Married Couple (Highland Pipes)

Now we can go bold. Highland pipes want to celebrate.

Top Recommendations

🔔 “Highland Cathedral”

• Majestic, triumphant, and widely used in Christian ceremonies.
• Not originally sacred, but now deeply associated with solemn and joyful services.

🔔 “Mairi’s Wedding” (if you want something joyful but still traditional)

• Not sacred, but if you want a purely traditional Scottish feel, this is a joyful option.
• If you need strictly sacred, skip this one.

🔔 “Ode to Joy” (Beethoven)

• Recognised in Catholic liturgy.
• Pipes can make it sound grand and victorious.

🔔 “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven”

• The tune Lauda Anima is bold and regal.
• Works surprisingly well on Highland pipes.

🔔 “How Great Thou Art”

• A powerful, soaring melody that pipes absolutely love.
• Feels triumphant enough for an exit.

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⭐ If you want a fully cohesive set…

Here’s a beautifully balanced trio that flows perfectly:

Entrance: Be Thou My Vision (smallpipes)

Signing: Be Still, My Soul (smallpipes)

Recessional: Highland Cathedral (Highland pipes)

It’s Celtic, sacred, emotionally varied, and instrument-appropriate.

I like the pipes as well and my husband (well, in this context technically “fiancé”) loves the drums…

Highland Cathedral unfortunately doesn’t seem to count as sacred. And we probably should not have 10 reiterations of Amazing Grace 😅

Add in a slightly opinionated mother (she’s definitely not a fan of Catholicism) and I’m probably overthinking it. But I’d love to get this right!

You mention Pachelbels Canon, my DS is in a pipe band and they play this!

How about Love divine all loves excelling, which is a very traditional wedding hymn and lovely on the pipes. Abide with me is also good but a bit slow and sad sounding (as I associate with funerals).

From another bagpipe lover!

LOL at your opinionated mother. Not her wedding so she can pipe down. Pun intended.

Thank you for your suggestions!

Ode to Joy, Mairi’s Wedding and Highland Cathedral unfortunately aren’t considered sacred (according to ChatGPT) :(

Amazing Grace and Be Thou My Vision are lovely. But do we risk sounding too funeral-y with Amazing Grace? Or am I overthinking that?

@24hoursaway Pachelbel’s Canon unfortunately isn’t sacred either :( Love Divine All Loves Excelling might be good! Thank you ☺️

I was also going to suggest Highland Cathedral but I see that’s out!

Agree with Love Divine All Loves Excelling.

A Gaelic Blessing might work as well.

That is why I am definitely not asking her!

I’ve convinced her to come to Scotland, which was quite a feat (yes, we are covering all her travel related expenses) 😅

(But I can already visualise her face 😒)

Will it be recorded pipe music or played by a piper? I am only asking because of the volume ss pipes can be very loud at close quarters. It might be worth looking for something that can be played on the chanter part of the bagpipes without the drones. I married in a (CofE) church and our piper was drowning out the church bells!

Played by a piper. But smallpipes during the ceremony and entrance.

Love Divine tune (the Welsh one) is called Blaenwern not Hyfrodol in case it helps you find it.

I would listen to all of the suggestions first, whittle it down to a shortlist for each of the three events and then check with the Priest which are acceptable (just to be sure) before deciding.

Tho I can’t remember having to clear the music with our priest beforehand. Sometimes depends on how bureaucratic/jobsworthy your priest is.

I unfortunately can’t find most of those suggestions on pipes…
Amazing Grace is one I genuinely adore (and not difficult to find on pipes either)! But will that be too funeral-y? 😔

It’s our priest’s first wedding, so that might be why he’s being really thorough. Slightly “precious first born” energy but for priests, I suppose 😆

That’s an interesting suggestion! But I’m not sure our priest would consider those sacred 😅

But I’ll definitely look into it. Thanks!

Highland Cathedral is a hymn tune in the Church of Scotland so is played by pipers here regularly so you should be okay with that.
The choices from @Piglet89are absolutely wonderful! How amazing to hear such lovely music at a wedding.

Just to say that Love Divine set to Blaenwern, Amazing Grace and Be Thou My Vision are all in 3/4 (waltz time), which makes walking to them more interesting (I've done it!) unless you walk very slowly - listen to them and try walking!

It’s our priest’s first wedding.

Yeah he’ll be all over it. You needed more Father Dougal vibes.

Have you asked the priest about Highland Cathedral? It would be a shame if that's a no, as it's the most beautiful piece of music.
I'd walk down the aisle to that, have Amazing Grace or Be Thou My Vision in the middle and come out to something stirring and celebratory like Love Divine? Or something gentle like Morning Has Broken then a banging tune like a Highland Wedding or Heilan Laddie when you're all outside the church and it's too late for the priest to stop you? 😀

When you say “I can’t find most of those suggestions on pipes” do you mean you’ve tried (for example) Spotify and can’t find recordings of them in which the pipes are playing the tune?

If that’s so, it’s unsurprising: pipes are still a pretty niche instrument and your brief is very specific. Just listen to other arrangements of them, check with the priest whether they’re acceptable and once you’ve confirmed they are, find a piper who’ll be able to play them (by ear, if necessary).

I don't personally associate Amazing Grace with funerals (it's about a fresh start really).

John Bell has written hymn words to the tune if Salley Gardens, if your priest would accept that?

Would the Schubert Ave Maria work on pipes? Was the entry music for Mariel/Muriel's wedding so there's precedent 🙂

Edited to add: Lord of the Dance?

A long time ago I had 'The Coolin' played at my wedding .It is a Gaelic tune said to be composed by Carolan . Hauntingly beautiful on the Flute or tin whistle .