I'd be fine with it.

My cousin wandered down the aisle at her wedding (which I didn't play at) to an instrumental version of a tune by a band called Paramore, so "How Great Thou Art" is several steps above that.

My cousin wandered down the aisle at her wedding (which I didn't play at) to an instrumental version of a tune by a band called Paramore

Did they name their children "Not-pitied" and "Not-my-people"? Are they fond of raisin cakes?

I would not countenance this, even though, theologically, there is much worse being done at weddings. It is not worthy of being done at any ritual office of the Church. The key in saying 'no' on the grounds that it is appalling musically and utter drivel literarily, is knowing whether or not the pastor will stand behind you. He should, but many have no spine when it comes to brides, and worse, their mothers. If you know that your pastor will back you up (as well as insist that you, as The Parish Organist, have first and final right to all weddings) then say no and kindly offer a few more apt choices. Some brides appreciate that you care and respect your knowledge. Others couldn't care less about anything except what they want and feel entitled to.

You might want to discuss this with your pastor, explaining your judgment about the piece and your justified aversion to it as ritual music. What comes out of such a meeting may determine your course of action. If you know that he will back you up the field is yours.

Maybe the bride is actually devout and wants to emphasize that the wedding is an act of worship. That is a wonderful thing. So how to do that?

There are other hymns of praise that would be better for a wedding entrance procession: e.g., "O God Beyond All Praising". To emphasize that the couple is coming before God for a sacrament, and not just having a princess-fantasy celebration, they can enter together. It makes a great difference!

Tomjaw

"great with child" would be understood by Americans familiar with old usage, which is not many, but that's the only way that usage survives here in any meaningful way.

There are other hymns of praise that would be better for a wedding entrance procession: e.g., "O God Beyond All Praising". To emphasize that the couple is coming before God for a sacrament, and not just having a princess-fantasy celebration, they can enter together. It makes a great difference!

If one day I wed, walking in with my bride to "O God Beyond All Praising" is exactly how I want to process in.

I would tell her, as we have been reminded, that the people are not going to sing for wedding processionals. Other than that, if you have given her other alternatives and that is what she wants, there are really far worse things in the world.

I've never heard 'great' as a descriptor of 'fat'. When wishing to avoid the somewhat unkind 'fat', I have drafted 'adipose', which has always been seemed a great choice.
Often do I use 'great' in reference to a woman who is with child.

About great: Henry the Bad is said to have weighed 400 pounds when he died. This would make him very great, even though there was nothing great about him, except ego. Oh, and he, believe it or not, bequeathed his soul to our Lady of Walsingham!

Has anyone tried to have the groom and the bride enter simultaneously? After all, they are the joint ministers of the sacrament about to be celebrated. (And having the bride be "given away" rather smacks of chattel.)

Additional data point:

At our wedding (EF) the cong relation sang "O God beyond all praising" for the long entrance of the sacred ministers, and then improvisation on that theme for the bride.

IIRC, that's actually the default norm in the rite of matrimony.

Ours was E.F., as well, but the groom entered with the priest, et al from the sanctuary. If I had thought about it at the time, I probably would have attempted having us come in together - not certain that it would have gone over well, though.

This summer I've been surprised by the groom following behind the priest during that part of the processional. I can't recall having seen it before now, but it happened at every single wedding for which I was the cantor.
The last wedding had the priest, the groom, and then the groomsmen; 1 by 1. Random.

Am I a bad person for wanting the traditional Wagner/Mendelssohn sandwich for my (very improbable) wedding?

Yes!
(Almost purple - more purple than not.)

Since it's a wedding Mass, and How Great Thou Art is an acceptable alius cantus aptus (even if it's not something you prefer), there seems to be no real argument against using it as a wedding procession.

However, having said that, the one time this was requested of me I said "Oh that's a good one - we sang it at my grandmother's funeral!" The bride moved on to other options...

Jared, is it not inappropriate for what’s going on in that moment? That and hymns based on the Te Deum seem best suited as recessional hymns, and that's before one considers it’s just the bride.

CGZ, from what I've read on the forum, you have "legit trad street cred", so I will accept this answer.

I was going to posit the question as to whether the extensive use of these pieces outside of their usual context would deprive them of their secular character, but seeming how I'm watching the film version of Midsummer Night's Dream right now with Jimmy Cagney running around in a Donkey's head, I think that point would be moot.

As for the anti-Semitic remark, I kid thee not, CGZ, the comment was made to me about both composers. Because facts are hard.

...I have standards, after all.

Mendelssohn and Wagner for your wedding???
And you said that you have standards????????
How cute!

Now, if you were an (donkey) Mendelssohn's musical fable might make sense.
Or, if you saw your wedding as a pagan ritual and were going out afterwards to commit suicide with your bride, Wagner might be just the thing for you.

Something tells me that you are made of finer stuff.

I think there is a bit of hysteria about the Wagner/Mendelssohn pieces. They were written for the stage of an era long since gone. Perhaps they were the rock stars of their day, but most now would consider their works as old music. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the younger people have never heard of either of them.

I have used the attached for the entrance procession at weddings. It's a setting of the E.F. Prayers at the Foot of the Altar.
What could be more appropriate than "I walk unto the altar of God....my God, everlasting joy, for he is my God."

I've only encountered it (Pachelbel's canon) at weddings in the last several years. For any organist who isn't skilled at improvising it is good music that is very easily 'trimmable' as any number of bride's maids enter, and can then be followed by the bride's march. Since I've only heard it a couple of times I can't assert being sick of it - which a few more times would make me. The same may be said for Purcell-Clarke-Stanley voluntaries, and The Duke of Such and Such's March. Improvisation, for those who are capable, is really the best and most fitting thing for such affairs - even if it's only making a 'trumpet tune' out of an appropriately ornamented hymn tune.

What could be more appropriate than "Let us Go to the Altar" by Schutte?

If "Ordinary People" (1980) hadn't featured Pachelbel's canon, it would have stayed in obscurity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b25utpKYrBs

Who can say how wedding music fads begin? Who would ever have thought of Pachelbel's canon as wedding music - unless he had the reception in mind (it really is not apt as ritual music). It's a very fine piece, right charming, and with a certain mesmerising quality about it. Like nearly every piece of good music, however, it can be done to death. Doing things to death seems to be almost de rigueur in the wedding music 'industry'. Some young woman likely heard it over the PA system whilst shopping at Lord and Taylor's or somewhere and it popped into her mind that that was just the thing she wanted at 'her' wedding. Then all the brides to be who heard it there thought that they had to have it, too. And so.... It's a lovely piece and does not deserve to be done to death to the point that it loses its charm. And, it does have more charm (and couth) than Ravel's horrid and gauche mistake. Do we not get tired of hearing Christmas music at the grocer's from August through Christmas eve? Would we not get tired of hearing our favourite music churned out at every event until we never wanted to hear it again. Most of us would... and sooner than later. Pachelbel's canon does not deserve to be made so commonplace that has all the panache of a capet tack - but, apparently, that's just what is in store for it... if it hasn't already happened. One might suggest a Buxtehude passacaglia or chaconne as an alternative - but then, would we wish that upon Buxtehude? No, we wouldn't, would we!

...too easily.

Ha! It takes money, preferably old, to get jaded.
That lets church musicians out, doesn't it!

Now, our colleague CharlesW may be jaded - he tells us that he doesn't need money.