Songs for walking down the aisle: processionals, hymns, and choir arrangements
The walk down the aisle lasts a minute or two, and your guests turn to watch it. This guide covers what to walk in to, from an organ processional to a hymn led by the choir, Parry’s I Was Glad, or a choir arrangement of a love song, and the practical side: how long the walk takes, who gives the cue, and how the music ends as you reach the front.
What song do you walk down the aisle to? At a British church wedding most brides walk in to an organ piece: Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary, Wagner’s Bridal Chorus, or Pachelbel’s Canon in D. With a choir you can walk in to Parry’s I Was Glad, to a hymn whose first verse the choir sings alone, or to a choir arrangement of a song such as Can’t Help Falling in Love.
Be Thou My Vision, sung by our full choir. Hear more recordings.
We provide choirs and organists for weddings in London and across the UK. A Small Choir of four with an organist costs £1,400 in Greater London; our pricing page lists every size.
The walk itself: timing, the cue, and the ending
How long the walk takes
Time it at the rehearsal. Walk from the west door to the chancel step at the pace you mean to use on the day, and have someone time it on a phone. Nerves speed people up, so go slower than feels natural. In a small village church the walk can be over in under a minute; a long nave, such as those in our guide to the best London churches for a wedding, can take two. Bridesmaids and page boys walk ahead of you, and each adds time, so give your musicians the whole length: first bridesmaid through the door to you at the front.
The cue
In most churches the verger or an usher waits at the door and signals to the organist when you arrive, often with a nod the organist catches in the mirror above the console. At some services the minister asks the congregation to stand, and that is the signal. Agree who gives it at the rehearsal.
Ending as you arrive
Music that stops mid-phrase sounds like a mistake, and a piece that runs on leaves you standing still while it finishes. Our guide to wedding ceremony music gives the rule: tell your musicians how long the walk takes and agree a signal for the ending. The organist then steers the piece to a cadence, a natural point of rest, timed to your last step.
Pieces built on repeats make this easier: in the Trumpet Voluntary or Pachelbel’s Canon the organist can add or drop a section on the day. Wagner’s Bridal Chorus runs to a fixed length, so a long walk means repeating the introduction or stretching the final chord. With a hymn, the choir sings to the end of a verse.
Before the processional: organ music only
While guests arrive and find their seats, the organist plays soft music they can talk over, such as Bach chorale preludes or a slow movement by Handel. Our choir stays silent until the service begins, then comes in at the processional, the hymns, an anthem, the signing of the register, and the recessional.
Organ processionals
Four pieces cover most church entrances. Our guide to popular wedding organ music covers them in more depth.
Trumpet Voluntary (Jeremiah Clarke, about 1700)
Properly the Prince of Denmark’s March. For decades it was credited to Henry Purcell because of a Victorian organ arrangement, and Lady Diana Spencer walked up the aisle of St Paul’s to it in 1981. The Trumpet Tune in D that organ books still print under Purcell’s name is also by Clarke, from the semi-opera The Island Princess (1699).
Bridal Chorus (Wagner, 1850)
The “Here Comes the Bride” tune from Lohengrin. Some churches discourage it because it comes from the theatre.
Canon in D (Pachelbel)
Slower and gentler, over a bass line that repeats eight notes throughout, which lets the organist stretch or shorten it to fit the aisle. It sounds as good on strings as on the organ.
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Handel)
From the oratorio Solomon: quick and light, for a couple who want a brisk entrance.
Mendelssohn’s Wedding March (1842) and the Toccata from Widor’s Fifth Organ Symphony (1879) turn up on processional shortlists by mistake. Both are recessionals, played as the married couple leave.
Walking in to a hymn, with the choir leading
A processional hymn needs a choir. Guests are turned towards the door, and few will sing a first verse well like that. Our guide to Be Thou My Vision at a wedding gives the answer: the choir sings the first verse alone as you walk in, and the congregation joins from the second verse once you are at the front. Three hymns with a steady tread suit it:
- Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven: Henry Francis Lyte’s 1834 paraphrase of Psalm 103, sung to John Goss’s tune Lauda Anima, and sung at Princess Elizabeth’s wedding in 1947.
- Love Divine, All Loves Excelling: Charles Wesley’s words of 1747 to the Welsh tune Blaenwern.
- Be Thou My Vision: an Irish text sung to the folk tune Slane, the gentlest of the three. Our full choir sings it in the film above.
Two favourites sit better elsewhere. Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer, sung to Cwm Rhondda, is loud and confident, and our hymn guides place it at the end of the service. Our guide to Jerusalem puts it first or last among the hymns, after you have arrived or before you leave. Agree the full list with your minister before the order of service goes to print; our guide to wedding hymns covers the tunes guests know best.
Walking in to a choral anthem
Parry wrote I Was Glad, a setting of verses from Psalm 122, for the coronation of Edward VII in 1902, and Catherine Middleton walked up the aisle of Westminster Abbey to it in 2011. It needs a strong organ and a choir that can carry over it. Four singers manage it in a parish church with a good instrument; a large church wants eight or more. The anthem runs five minutes or more, longer than most aisles, so agree with your minister whether you wait at the chancel step for the final bars.
Quieter choral pieces belong at the signing of the register. Ola Gjeilo’s Ubi Caritas has no steady pulse to walk to, which is why our guide to Ubi Caritas at a wedding keeps it for the signing.
A choir arrangement of a love song
A choir can sing a song of your own, unaccompanied or with the organ, in an arrangement written for the voices. Four that couples ask for:
- Can’t Help Falling in Love (Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss, 1961), with a melody taken from Martini’s 1784 song Plaisir d’amour
- A Thousand Years (Christina Perri and David Hodges, 2011)
- Perfect (Ed Sheeran, 2017)
- Make You Feel My Love (Bob Dylan, 1997), a wedding song since Adele’s 2008 cover
Few pop songs hold a walking pace long enough, so we write an extended introduction or repeat a section to match the length of your walk. A bespoke arrangement can carry a small extra charge, agreed upfront. A church can decline a secular song, so check with the minister before we start writing. Our guide to pop songs for a wedding choir covers the arrangements.
Civil ceremonies at licensed venues
At a civil ceremony on approved premises in England and Wales the music must be secular, and the rule covers the music that opens the proceedings, so hymns and I Was Glad are out. Instrumental pieces such as Pachelbel’s Canon work, and a choir can sing a love-song arrangement unaccompanied in a hotel or country house with no organ. Send your registrar the full list beforehand, since the decision is theirs. Our ceremony music guide sets out the regulations.
What a choir for the processional costs
A choir booked for the walk in also leads the hymns, sings at the signing, and joins the recessional. In Greater London, for up to two hours with a rehearsal and no VAT to add, a Small Choir of four costs £1,150, or £1,400 with an organist. A choir of eight costs £2,000, and an organist added to any choir £250. An organist on their own costs £275. Outside Greater London we add travel, quoted upfront with any premium for a longer programme. The pricing page lists every size.
Frequently asked questions
What is the traditional music for walking down the aisle?
At a British church wedding the usual choice is Jeremiah Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary on the organ. Wagner’s Bridal Chorus, the “Here Comes the Bride” tune, and Pachelbel’s Canon in D are the other two pieces couples choose most. With a choir, Parry’s I Was Glad is the grand option.
How long should the processional music be?
As long as your walk, from the first bridesmaid through the door to you at the front. Time it at the rehearsal and give the timing to your musicians. Pieces built on repeats, such as Pachelbel’s Canon, let the organist add or drop a section on the day and finish on a cadence as you arrive.
Can you walk down the aisle to a hymn?
Yes, with a choir. Guests find it hard to sing while they are turned towards the door, so the choir sings the first verse alone as you walk in, and the congregation joins from the second verse once you reach the front. Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven, Love Divine, and Be Thou My Vision all suit this.
Can I walk down the aisle to a pop song in church?
Often, if the minister agrees; in a Church of England service the minister has the final say on music. A choir can sing an arrangement of a song such as Can’t Help Falling in Love, with an extended introduction so it lasts the walk. A bespoke arrangement can carry a small extra charge, agreed upfront.
Is Mendelssohn’s Wedding March played as the bride walks in?
No. Mendelssohn’s Wedding March (1842) and Widor’s Toccata (1879) are recessionals, played as the married couple walk out together. For the walk in, choose the Trumpet Voluntary, the Bridal Chorus, Pachelbel’s Canon, or Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.
What can you walk down the aisle to at a civil ceremony?
Secular music only. On approved premises in England and Wales the rule covers the music that opens the proceedings, so hymns and sacred anthems are out. Instrumental pieces such as Pachelbel’s Canon and choir arrangements of love songs are the usual choices. Send your registrar the full list beforehand, since the decision is theirs.
Plan your walk down the aisle with a choir
Tell us your church, the date, and the piece you have in mind, and we will suggest a processional that fits your aisle, with a price for the choir and organist.
Text us on WhatsApp for the fastest reply, or email office@londonchoralservice.com.