Sample hymns for a wedding ceremony

There are plenty of beautiful and moving hymns to choose for a wedding, both traditional and contemporary, although if you are not a regular churchgoer you may need a reminder of how some of them go.

The obvious place to brush up on hymns is the church where you plan to marry -which would also help you both feel more familiar with the venue for your special day - but if this is not possible, it is worth looking online for music publishers offering CD compilation of wedding music. To help jog your memory and give you some inspiration, here are the opening lines of a few of the most popular hymns:

All People That On Earth Do Dwell
All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice
Serve him with joy his praises tell,
Come now before him and rejoice.

At The Name of Jesus
At the name of Jesus
Every knee shall bow,
Every tongue confess him,
King of glory now.
Tis the Father's pleasure,
We should call him Lord
Who from the beginning
Was the mighty word.

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways,
Re-clothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives thy service find,
In deeper reverence praise,
In deeper reverence praise.

Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer
Guide me o thou great redeemer.
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak but thou art mighty,
Hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me now and ever more...
Feed me now and ever more

Immortal Invisible
Immortal, invisible, God only wise.
In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes.
Most blessed, most glorious
The ancient of days
Almighty victorious
Thy great name we praise.

Lead Us Heavenly Father Lead Us
Lead us heavenly father lead us,
O'er the world's tempestuous sea.
Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
For we have no help but thee.
Yet possessing every blessing,
If our God the father be.

Love Divine All Loves Excelling
Love divine, all loves excelling
Joy to heaven, to earth come down.
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love thou art.
Visit us with thy salvation
Enter every trembling heart.

Now Thank We All Our God
Now thank we all our God,
With heart and hands and voices.
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom his world rejoices.
Who from our mother's arms
Hath blessed us on our way.
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today.

O Jesus I Have Promised
O Jesus I have promised
To serve thee to the end.
Be thou for ever near me,
My master and my friend.
I shall not fear the battle
If thou art by my side
Nor wander from the pathway,
If thou wilt be my guide.

Praise to the Lord
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation
All ye who hear
Now to his temple draw near
Praise him in glad adoration!

Praise My Soul The King of Heaven
Praise my soul the king of Heaven,
To his feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Ever more his praises sing.
Praise him, praise him, praise him, praise him.
Praise the everlasting king.

The Lord's My Shepherd (23rd Psalm)
The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want
He maketh me down to lie.
In pastures green he leadeth me,
The quiet waters by.

And finally...
Most churches are covered by Christian Copyright Licensing which means you are not permitted to photocopy hymn books, however you can copy out the words by hand and have them printed on to your order of service. For any other copyright queries, ask you registrar or minister for guidance.

Find Bible readings for your ceremony here

Not sure what happens in a traditional church service? Click here to find out

Having a civil ceremony? Click here for inspirational reading ideas

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