Wedding Music

Congratulations on your wedding! As you plan your wedding at St. Theresa, the information below is intended to thoroughly guide you through the process of arranging music for your wedding.
 

Once you have set a date at St. Theresa and secured your deposit, reach out to Stephen Schad, our parish choir director. Stephen Schad coordinates the music for all weddings at St. Theresa. It is imperative that you reach out to him in a timely manner and not wait until right before your wedding.

As you reach out to Stephen Schad and other staff members at St. Theresa, please be cognizant of when you are reaching out. While many people are off around the Christmas and Holy Week/Easter holidays, these are the busiest seasons for the Catholic Church. Responses may be delayed during these times. 
 

In order to encourage participation and full engagement in the liturgical marriage rites of the Catholic Church, every wedding should have an approved, qualified cantor (singer) and organist/pianist. If your wedding is celebrated outside of Mass, you have the option of whether or not you would like a cantor. Please note, if you choose not to have a cantor because your wedding is celebrated outside of Mass, the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation will not be sung. You will need to designate someone to read the Responsorial Psalm.

Stephen Schad helps arrange your wedding musicians. This helps to avoid disappointment to the couple and their families since it ensures a desirable continuity with the church’s regular worship life and protects the parish’s mission in terms of high-quality liturgy and music. It also helps guarantee the wedding will go smoothly because the presider, cantor, organist, and instrumentalists are accustomed to working with each other, as well as with the specific acoustical demands of the church.

If you wish to have any musicians from outside the parish, Stephen Schad must approve these musicians prior to you contracting them - this includes string quartets, pianists, cantors, other instrumentalists, musician friends, etc. In order for guest cantors and pianists to be considered, they must be currently serving in a Catholic parish or have a solid history of ministry in the role for which they will be serving at your wedding. The parish's organ is not available for use by guest musicians. Also, the use of outside musicians may require a sound minister to serve at your wedding. The sound minister honorarium is $150.
 

Below are links to the music selection form and the music selection samples site. The music selection form guides you through everything you need to choose for your wedding. The music selection samples site can be used to hear choices as you work through the form. After you have completed the form, Stephen will follow up via email to answer any questions and give you information regarding the musicians and payment for your wedding.

Remember, the Sacrament of Marriage is a liturgical celebration, so music selections must reflect the sacred nature of the liturgy and marriage rites of the Catholic Church. Popular songs and secular music are best saved for your wedding reception, while sacred music supports your wedding ceremony.   

The music selection form must be completed six weeks before your wedding date.
 

• Wedding Music Selection Form (English)
• Wedding Music Selection Form (Spanish)
• Wedding Music Selection Samples Site

 

Music Payment(s)

Reach out to Stephen Schad at [email protected] with any questions about the wedding music planning process.