How non-religious is 'non-religious' music for a civil wedding?

[Arch]

NT and I have set a date, and have the bumf from the register office about choosing music and readings for the ceremony. They say that they must not be "religious, or religious by association".

Anyone know how strict it is? It's not that we want anything religious - in fact we don't really have any ideas at the moment - but it seems such a wide ranging restriction. Plenty of songs, and lots of classical music could be said to have religious aspects, even if the classical stuff is more likely these days to be known as 'that tune off that advert, you know the one...' There are song tunes that are also hymn tunes. Poems may well refer to religious ideas, without being explicitly religious.

We might end up with a couple of pages from a Haynes manual** and the Imperial March* from Star Wars - although there are those who list their religion in the census as Jedi....

*I've always thought it would be funny for the bride to enter to that, but I'll just be going in with NT and the rest of the guests.

**has anyone ever written a piece on love (as opposed to sex!) in the style of a Haynes manual? That could be really funny...

 

[Saluki]

Congratulations.

My parents had Throught the Night of Doubt and Sorrow along with Fight the good fight, but I don't suppose that's helpful to you.

Went to a civil wedding not so long back and they had Pachelbel's Canon, which is always lovely IMO and came out to Ed Elleyne-Johnsons Purple Electric Violin Concerto, which is also rather lovely.

 

[colly]

''not religious or religious by association''

In whose opinion? What about classical music, or indeed any music that has had 'words' written to it proclaiming affinity to some God or another? I fail to see how any music can be claimed to be religious 'by association'.
Surely it's in the ear of the beholder. Not much help there Arch sorry.

Just go for what you two like.

 

[Arch]

We're pretty much the same - the ceremony is just the way to get the bit of paper. The real celebration is at the party with friends and family, and we'll be as much married, in our hearts and minds, the day before and the day after.

However, it would be nice to have a bit of music for the seating of the (8) guests, and while we sign on the dotted line, if only to give people something to listen to that isn't us going "Where? There? And which name do I put? Oh damn, I've got it wrong.." etc.

I have suggested asking my elder nephew to read something, he's a confident little chap, but we'd probably end up with a short lecture on dinosaurs...

 

[TVC]

Arch, I just googled wedding readings non religious.

Try it, and forget any other plans for the rest of the evening

 

[TheDoctor]

We could always suggest tunes, if that would help?
'The Locomotion' has got to be in with a shout - you could all dance in the door to that.

 

[cosmicbike]

Going back 13 years, we had an orchestral version of a Phil Collins song, since we were given the guidance of any music but no lyrics at our registry office. I would think most classical stuff would be ok, and any religious links tenuous at best

 

[TVC]

Dinosaurs you want?

A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton

The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice. Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.

Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur's cage with kind words and loving thoughts.
I like this Dinosaur thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny.
He is also quite clever though I will not tell him this for now.

I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur, thought the Dinosaur. She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice.
She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.

But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
He is also overly fond of things.
Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?

But her mind skips from here to there so quickly thought the Dinosaur. She is also uncommonly keen on shopping.
Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?

I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. For they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.

I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping, thought the Dinosaur. For she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either.

Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old.
Look at them.
Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.

And that, my friends, is how it is with love.
Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together.
For the sun is warm.
And the world is a beautiful place

 

[Arch]

''not religious or religious by association''

In whose opinion? What about classical music, or indeed any music that has had 'words' written to it proclaiming affinity to some God or another? I fail to see how any music can be claimed to be religious 'by association'.
Surely it's in the ear of the beholder. Not much help there Arch sorry.

Just go for what you two like.

That's what I was thinking. Not the not much help bit, but the fact that so much classical music was either originally religious, or has had associations impressed on it later.

As I said, we've no real ideas at the moment, but it would be annoying to choose stuff and have it turned down for some reason we don't even know about and have to choose again...

 

[ColinJ]

I found this ...

Some relaxation of this requirement was introduced when SI 1995/510 was replaced by the Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005 SI 3168 in which the equivalent Schedule 2 stated:

“11.(1) Any proceedings conducted on approved premises shall not be religious in nature.

(2) In particular, the proceedings shall not—

(a) include extracts from an authorised religious marriage service or from sacred religious texts;

(b) be led by a minister of religion or other religious leader;

(c) involve a religious ritual or series of rituals;

(d) include hymns or other religious chants; or,

(e) include any form of worship.

(3) But the proceedings may include readings, songs, or music that contain an incidental reference to a god or deity in an essentially non-religious context.

(4) For this purpose any material used by way of introduction to, in any interval between parts of, or by way of conclusion to the proceedings shall be treated as forming part of the proceedings.

These requirements are reproduced as Annex C to the Registrar General’s Guidance for the Approval of Premises as Venues for Civil Marriages and Civil Partnerships, 5th Edition, Revised May 2012

 

[Arch]

Dinosaurs you want?

A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton

The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice. Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.

Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur's cage with kind words and loving thoughts.
I like this Dinosaur thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny.
He is also quite clever though I will not tell him this for now.

I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur, thought the Dinosaur. She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice.
She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.

But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
He is also overly fond of things.
Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?

But her mind skips from here to there so quickly thought the Dinosaur. She is also uncommonly keen on shopping.
Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?

I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. For they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.

I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping, thought the Dinosaur. For she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either.

Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old.
Look at them.
Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.

And that, my friends, is how it is with love.
Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together.
For the sun is warm.
And the world is a beautiful place

But Oli would interrupt to explain that dinosaurs didn't do shopping because they died out 65 million years ago and there weren't any shops....

 

[Arch]

I found this ...

Some relaxation of this requirement was introduced when SI 1995/510 was replaced by the Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005 SI 3168 in which the equivalent Schedule 2 stated:

“11.(1) Any proceedings conducted on approved premises shall not be religious in nature.

(2) In particular, the proceedings shall not—

(a) include extracts from an authorised religious marriage service or from sacred religious texts;

(b) be led by a minister of religion or other religious leader;

(c) involve a religious ritual or series of rituals;

(d) include hymns or other religious chants; or,

(e) include any form of worship.

(3) But the proceedings may include readings, songs, or music that contain an incidental reference to a god or deity in an essentially non-religious context.

(4) For this purpose any material used by way of introduction to, in any interval between parts of, or by way of conclusion to the proceedings shall be treated as forming part of the proceedings.

These requirements are reproduced as Annex C to the Registrar General’s Guidance for the Approval of Premises as Venues for Civil Marriages and Civil Partnerships, 5th Edition, Revised May 2012

That seems sensible.

Shame about the rituals. I have to cancel the goat I ordered...

 

[Lullabelle]

Do you both have a favourite tune that makes you both smile, doesn't matter what it is as long as it is 'your' tune

 

[srw]

http://www.musicroom.com/se/id_no/0395711/details.html
Sadly no recording online.

I played it at the end of the service earlier this year where we recreated much of the music from our wedding, 20 years on.

 

[RedRider]

the Imperial March* from Star Wars

That would be great memorable choice and... Congratulations!