It may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when thinking about weddings -- the music. But you would definitely notice if it wasn't there.

"Here Comes the Bride" -- formally known as Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" -- may not march every bride down the aisle, but there are many other music options. A small sampling can be heard at Old St. Patrick's Church's Wedding Music Fair, held three times a year.

And so, more than 200 people gathered Monday night in the brightly lit Old St. Pat's, 700 W. Adams St. near downtown Chicago. Irish instrumentalists, a string quartet and vocalists took turns performing nearly 50 songs often used in weddings.

Under the watchful eyes of a solemn statue of St. Patrick, couples held hands, listened to Pachelbel's "Canon in D" and planned for their upcoming nuptials.

More than half of the attendees had already signed up to wed at the church. Brides-to-be relied on their mothers to help select wedding music while future in-laws lined pews and deliberated about processional songs.

With the familiar opening chords of "Bridal Chorus," a collective hushed "ooh" swept the crowd, and couples exchanged smiles.

Old St. Patrick's Assistant Music Director Laura Higgins said the fair is a good way to hear wedding music options for the large number of people who get married there. She called it "the easiest part of your wedding planning."

Easy or not, choosing is a serious business -- necessitating note-taking and for some, tape recorders to recall favorite selections.

But it's not just about the perfect hymn. Even in these times of religious division, weddings unite.

Bill Fraher should know. As music director at the church for the past 15 years, he's seen a lot of wedding ceremonies. With nearly 150 weddings per year, Old St. Pat's is a marital hot spot. But only on Saturdays. Weddings are celebrated only on Saturdays, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Old St. Pat's plays host to a number of interfaith weddings, according to Fraher. "We do many Jewish-Catholic weddings," he said, adding that a few weeks ago there was a wedding where the bride had converted from Islam to Catholicism. "There were a lot of Muslims here," Fraher said.

The Wedding Music Fair is in its 15th year. For a five dollar donation, anyone can come and listen to the music, which includes traditional wedding music, contemporary liturgical songs and the occasional Andrew Lloyd Webber song.

Monday night the traditional music reigned supreme. At the end of the almost two-hour program the string quartet played Mendelssohn's "Wedding March." There was a flurry of whispers and once again, the crowd oohed and aahed.

However, Fraher was quick to remind the marriage-minded audience that the musicians' repertoire is extensive. "In addition to what we play tonight, we know a lot of other songs," he said. "If we don't know a piece, we'll learn it."

That worked for Diane Schlamadinger and Vince DiSalvo, Old St. Pat's parishioners, who are to be married next March. After booking the string quartet and a vocalist, they asked if the vocalist could learn a piece from the 1997 movie "Life is Beautiful" for their wedding.

Schlamadinger and DiSalvo were pleased to discover he knew the song. "They really know anything you want," DiSalvo said.

More information about the Wedding Music Fair and about booking wedding music can be found at http://oldstpats.org/worship/weddings/music-fair.html or by calling Bill Fraher at 312-831-9353. The next fair is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2007, at 7 p.m.