The musical staff of Alice Millar Chapel will assist you in planning beautiful and meaningful music for your wedding ceremony. One of our Alice Millar Chapel staff musicians provides music (organ and/or piano) for each wedding ceremony and their stipend is included in the total wedding fee. Recorded music is not permitted.
In keeping with the nature of weddings as worship gatherings which are genuinely joyous celebrations before God, the Director of Music and Music Associate have the responsibility of maintaining an appropriate musical quality. We request that all music used during the ceremony be appropriate to the context of a sacred setting and does not carry a completely secular connotation. If you have a favorite secular song, consider having it played during your rehearsal dinner or wedding reception.
The Prelude
Music played prior to the service while guests are being seated. Prelude music generally begins 15 minutes before the Processional.
The Processional
The music to which the wedding party enters the church. One or two pieces may be chosen to accommodate the nuptial party and bride or groom.
The Service
The main part of the ceremony can include quite a bit of music, or none at all, depending on your preferences. Some couples decide to have vocal or instrumental pieces, perhaps a congregational hymn, while others have no music between the Processional and Recessional.
The Recessional
The music to which the wedding party exits the church, followed by the guests.
Pipe Organs
The pipe organ in Millar Chapel is a 100 rank four-manual Aeolian-Skinner, and one of the most magnificent organs in the region. The pipe organ in Vail Chapel is a beautiful two-manual mechanical action organ by Casavant Frères. We have provided musical suggestions on the website which can be nicely realized on either organ.
Instrumentalists and Soloists
The use of other instrumentalists (trumpet, violin, etc.) and vocal soloists is welcomed. Excellent musicians are available from the greater Chicago area.Soloists usually sing one to three selections. In the standard wedding ceremony, solos often come just before the Processional, after the Questions, after the Pastoral Prayer, or at the Lighting of the Candle. Any text that is appropriate for a religious service may be used for the wedding ceremony.
- Explore your musical options on our wedding music sample page.
- Most of your questions may be answered after visiting our Timeline and FAQs page.
Additional Musician Fees
One of our Alice Millar Chapel staff musicians provides music (organ and/or piano) for each wedding ceremony and their stipend is included in the total wedding fee. Vocalists and instrumentalists are available for an additional fee (see table below) and should be coordinated through our office. We are happy to work with you on making sure that the music you select is what you desire and within our guidelines.
Musicians do not attend the wedding rehearsal except through special arrangement (see below).
| Music Needs | Fee |
|---|---|
| Instrumentalist or vocalist | $225 |
| Organist Attending Rehearsal | $125 |
| Organist: personal meeting with couple | $100 |