Nice instrumental passages for a wedding processional/recessional?

Call me a total cornball, but the Muriel's Wedding Soundtrack has these symphonic versions of ABBA's "Dancing Queen" that were used for identical purposes in the film and I think they're totally amazing (esp. when segued with Eno's "Becalmed" off of Another Green World).

Well, my family are all of Norsk ancestry and so naturally we have a very strong aversion to Swedes. But I'm in no spot to be picky right now, so I will seek it out and keep an open mind. Thanks Steve!

My mom already suggested that song for our dance, by the way, but I shot her down in lieu of a certain Mr. T song I thought would floor her. She countered by rejecting that outright and proffering instead "Time of Your Life" by Green Day. So, needless to say I'm still trying to fill that slot in the program as well.

try the piece "tell her to come home" by john fahey -- really!

Fahey! Of course! I really should have known. I will check it out, thank you.

ooh yeah, that's a great one.

Ok I just had a listen to it -- I like it, but I'm worried it might be too uptempo almost? Too rollicking? Like it might cause aisle descenders to break out into a gallop, and then someone might get hurt and we'll have a lawsuit on our hands. It's the bride's call though. I'll run it by her tomorrow.

What are some other slower, maybe more romantic but equally winsome Fahey songs? I'm not trying to put anyone to sleep or anything, but there will be some elderlies attending the ceremony and I don't want to confuse and disorient them with anything over 30 BPM.

We used Lou Harrison and Virginia Astley at our wedding, if that helps. Very restful.

Mohammed Abdel Wahab: "Inta Omry" The lyrics are very romantic, yes, but it also sounds like it would make good wedding processional/recessional music, to me. (Of course, it will sound best if played by at least a small ensemble of experienced Arabic musicians.)

Brahms Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2.

Here's somebody playing it.

Our processional was Kronos Quartet, something from the "Pieces of Africa" album with nice african drumming in it.

For the recessional, we used a song from Taj Mahal.

For my wedding we used Bill Evans "Peace Piece" but maybe that is too spare.

Thanks for the suggestions. I got the Brahms and the Bill Evans but they felt too formal and too deliberate, respectively. Waited til the morning of to decide on "The Right to Remain Silent" by the Silver Jews for the processional and "Not Sport, Martial Art" by Jim O'Rourke for the recessional. Both sounded good to me!

Our DJ was not so much a professional DJ as he was a friend of the bride's who owned a reliable laptop and a PA. There was a brief moment of panic when the precessional was supposed to begin, because he was MIA. We found him seated among the guests obliviously waiting for the ceremony to begin. I had to walk over and tap him on the shoulder and be all "psst, hey we need you over by your laptop... to play the song... so we can get married now."

Art of Noise "Moments In Love"

Sure, Sean Penn and Madonna didn't last but maybe you have a shot!

Best of luck, btw, not that I know you but... :-)

Anything by WASP, really....

I was in a band once that rented a rehearsal studio from a guy who used to know Blackie Lawless. This guy also had a human skull candleholder and a Jennifer Lopez poster in the studio.

wait, do processionals typically need to be 10 minutes? i just picked one out yo la tengo's "our way to fall" as a leading contender yesterday, but maybe I'll have to reconsider. weddings!