A French composer once said, “Love cannot express the idea of music, while music may give an idea for love.” Perhaps this is the reason so many people feel that music is such an integral part of any wedding?

Wedding processional music, if chosen wisely, has the undeniable ability to tell the tale of the bride and grooms weaved personalities, to prompt personal memories into the minds of the wedding guests, or to elicit the emotions necessary to make the wedding exactly what it should be: perfect.

Those who have attended a number of weddings know that the role of music is quite pivotal, especially during the Wedding March, when the bride is marching down the aisle. When the bride makes her debut it is quite possibly the only other moment that embodies the same emotions as the exchange of vows.

Various musical melody trends are notorious for the bride’s march down the aisle, creating a charismatic environment for everyone, but inquisitive minds would like to know, how did the musical tradition of a wedding march begin, and what are some common contemporary trends?

As surprising as it may seem, it wasn’t until the early 1850′s when music was permitted to be played in most church weddings. In modern-times this would have created a euphoria of boredom, but fortunately church professionals allowed music to be played before and after the wedding vows.

However, it wasn’t up to the bride and groom to choose their favorite wedding dance songs. The organist was given the pleasure of choosing the music, which usually centralized on Bach and other classicists. Over a short period of time one particular song emerged that created a tradition that has lasted well over a century, the “Bridal Chorus.”

The “Bridal Chorus” originated in 1848 from Richard Wagner’s famous opera Lohengrin, showcasing the ironically tragic marriage of Elsa and Lohengrin. Despite the unfortunate occurrence in Wagner’s opera, the “Bridal Chorus,” which most people may recognize as “Here Comes the Bride,” has become the standard march played for the bride’s introduction at many formal weddings throughout the Western world.

Feliz Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March,” from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream ( normally accompanies the “Bridal Chorus” as a recessional,after the bride and groom have said their vows.

Being the two most popular choices for wedding march music, recent times have swerved many couples’ opinions on whether or not the pieces are a bit repetitious. And since many churches have become more understanding to love’s passion found in music, many brides and grooms have chosen alternative melodies to invoke and share loving emotions on their special day.

Contemporary music selections have ranged from the infamous Panchelbel’s “Canon D” to the ever-rocking Billy Idol’s “White Wedding”. Other popular tunes that have made couples’ wedding marches so distinctive include Allison Krauss’s “When You Say Nothing At All,” Brian Adams’ “Everything I Do, I Do For You,” and Kelly Clarkston’s “A Moment Like This.”

The beauty of choosing songs such as these is the variety in which to have them played. Some couples choose to have them sung by a vocalist, and others choose to simply have them as instrumentals.

Whoever said that distance actually makes the heart grow fonder, may have forgotten one key thing: in many instances, music has the ability to make the heart grow even fonder. A wedding is a day that most little girls have dreamed about their entire lives. So it is alway important to pick top wedding songs to make it a great as possilbe.

When this momentous occasion finally occurs, music and wedding song lyrics are paramount to setting the moods of the guests and the “Sweet Emotions” of the bride and groom. Whether they choose the traditional “Bridal Chorus,” a floating “Air” from Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, or a pop-cultured “From This Moment” by Shania Twain, the music will say it all.

Perhaps it was a song played on their first date or the couple is incredibly traditional. Either way the music is a blueprint for eternal love.