Congregational

As a general rule, we have found that congregational singing at civil ceremonies doesn't work, and so we recommend that it is avoided.

There are three main reasons for this:

1. The only possible 'congregational' music acceptable at a civil ceremony is pop, jazz or folk music, none of which is normally sung in a strictly metrical way, unlike a hymntune, which is entirely metrical. This means that it will be hard for guests to sing together, as they will not be completely confident of when they are supposed to sing!
   
   
2. There are very few tunes that are permissible for use at a civil ceremony which will be known to guests of all ages.
   
   
3. The British are very unwilling singers in formal situations anyway.

If you are determined to make your guests sing at the ceremony, the best way to achieve this is to engage professional singers to perform the song, and to encourage your guests to join in with them.

See our guide to performers for more information.