The few minutes when a bride walks up the aisle are the ones most families remember, and the music carries much of that memory. Choosing it well is less about finding the perfect song than about choosing something that suits the church, suits the choir you have, and suits the fact that this is the beginning of a prayer, not a performance.
Music in a Catholic wedding is part of the liturgy, so the parish has the final say. Many parishes in Kerala have a choir or music director who plays for weddings, and some have clear rules about what may be sung or played inside the church. Speak to them early — ideally when you book the date — and ask three questions: what they usually play for the entrance, what they will not play, and whether you may bring your own musicians.
A piece your parish choir knows well will almost always sound better than an ambitious choice they are learning for the first time.
These are widely used for a bride's entrance in Catholic churches, and most church musicians can play them:
Two pieces need a word of caution. The Bridal Chorus ("Here Comes the Bride") is from Wagner's opera Lohengrin, and Mendelssohn's Wedding March was written for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Because both come from the stage, some parishes ask couples not to use them in church. Check before you plan around either.
A sung hymn turns the entrance into the first prayer of the wedding, and the congregation can join in. English hymns often chosen include:
Most Kerala parish choirs also have a set of Malayalam wedding hymns they sing every season. Ask to hear them. They are familiar to the older members of both families, and a hymn your grandparents can sing along to carries a weight that no imported song can.
Malayalam and Tamil film songs are part of many Kerala weddings, and there is a proper place for them: the reception, the cake-cutting, the entry of the couple into the hall. Inside the church, most parishes will ask you to keep to sacred music, and it is better to plan for that than to be told on the day.
For how the rest of the day runs, see the Kerala Catholic wedding ceremony, step by step.
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