The wedding day is an eventful one from when you wake up till you close your eyes at night. Throughout this day, couples go through a lot of emotions that can only be expressed through wedding music. From the waking moment through the procession to the reception. Every stage needs appropriate wedding songs.
Creating a marriage song list with the right genre of songs makes your wedding truly unforgettable. So if you’re not sure about how to curate your playlist, get inspired by the greatest wedding songs in the post.
Brides Often Ask
What is the number 1 wedding song?
The number one wedding song, which is also a great song for a bridal procession, is “All of Me” by John Legend. It can also be played during other parts of a wedding.
Top Picks
- Perfect by Ed Sheeran – A perfect romantic song for a wedding that would be great for a first dance or background music. ‘Perfect’ by Ed Sheeran is an ode of love popularly chosen as a good wedding slow dance song.
- All Of Me by John Legend – One of the most popular modern wedding songs, ‘All of Me’ is a vow all on its own, and this is why it is perfect to play at weddings. A great first dance song if there ever was any.
- Marry Me by Train – The lyrics of this song make it one of the classic rock love songs for a wedding. The tempo and words ‘marry me’ alone, are enough to make it a popular choice for a wedding day.
- Love On Top – Beyoncé – A song that makes your partner the complete focus, ‘Love on Top’ is a contemporary number that can give you the perfect wedding first dance.
- Marry You – by Bruno Mars – This fun and feel-good song is one of the best upbeat love songs for a wedding. It has the right words and tempo to pull anyone to the dancefloor.
Getting Ready Songs
- Kelsea Ballerini – I Think I Fell In Love Today
- Frank Sinatra – Get Me To The Church On Time
- Beyonce – Halo
- Meghan Trainor – Me Too
- Taylor Swift – Love Story
- Florida Georgia Line – Get Your Shine On
- Fergie ft. Ludacris – Glamorous
- Darius Rucker – History in The Making
- Florida Georgia Line – Cruise
- Josh Turner – Time Is Love
- Shaggy ft. Rayvon – Angel
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
- Taylor Swift – Shake It Off
- Collin Raye – Love, Me
- Rihanna – Only Girl (In the World)
- Pink – Raise Your Glass
- Together forever – Rick Astley
- Diana Ross & The Supremes – Can’t Hurry Love
- Letters to Cleo – I Want You To Want Me
- Trisha Yearwood – She’s In Love With the Boy
- Nicki Minaj – Your Love
While creating a playlist of wedding songs, it might be easy to forget the need for getting ready songs. The right wedding love songs can help set the mood while getting ready for such a big day. From upbeat wedding songs to R&B wedding songs, what’s important is that you choose songs that mean something to you and your significant other.
Wedding Ceremony Songs
Wedding Prelude Songs
- Diana Ross & Lionel Richie – Endless Love
- Pink – Raise Your Glass
- Michael Buble – Crazy Love
- The Dixie Cups – Chapel of Love
- Randy Travis – Forever & Ever Amen
- Taylor Swift – Fearless
- Brad Paisley – Two People Fell In Love
- Mark Wills – I Do (Cherish You)
- Elvis Presley – Love Me Tender
- BebeRexha and Florida Georgia Line – Meant to Be
- Starley – Call On Me
- Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwoʻole – Over The Rainbow
- Michael Buble – L.O.V.E.
- Beatles – With A Little Help From My Friends
- Blue Swede – Hooked On A Feeling
The very first on the list of wedding ceremony songs are the wedding prelude songs. The songs for this part of the day should be chosen carefully as they will set the tone for the rest of the wedding. Wedding prelude music should be slow and calming background music that would create a romantic atmosphere and not distract guests.
Processional Wedding Songs
- Mary Chapin Carpenter – Grow Old With Me
- The Beatles – All You Need is Love
- Pachelbel – Canon in D
- Haley Reinhart – Can’t Help Falling in Love
- Evan Duffy – Clarity
- Traditional – Amazing Grace
- Van Morrison – Have I Told You Lately
- Sara Bareilles – I Choose You
- Beyonce feat. Jay-Z – Crazy In Love
- Blake Shelton – God Gave Me
One or two wedding processional songs are often necessary to accompany the entry of the wedding party and sometimes family members of the couple down the aisle. These can be classic wedding songs or dance wedding party entrance songs, depending on the mood you’d like to maintain for the ceremony.
Bride Entrance Songs
- Elvis Presley – Love Me Tender
- Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling in Love With You
- Israel Kamakawiwoʻole – Somewhere Over the Rainbow
- Audrey Hepburn – Moon River
- Shania Twain & Bryan White – From This Moment On
- Ingrid Mapson – La Vie En Rose
- Bruno Mars – Just the Way You Are
- Ronan Keating – When You Say Nothing At All
- Rod Stewart – When I need you
- Lifehouse – You and Me
- Ingrid Michaelson – The Way I Am
- Bruno Mars – 24K Magic
- Chris Brown – Forever’
- Brian Crain – Butterfly Waltz
- Carter Burwell, Dan Redfeld and Elizabeth Hedman – Bella’s Lullaby
- Eva Cassidy – Songbird
- Ronan Keating – This I Promise You
The wedding songs which accompany the bride walking down the aisle should be different from the general procession. One special song to signify the bird’s entrance would make an impact on the wedding ceremony. This is the most important song pick for a wedding, so finding the perfect song is vital.
Recessional Wedding Songs
- Rhett Akins – She Said Yes
- Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours
- Andrew Maze – Knock, knock
- Aretha Franklin – You Send Me
- Alicia Keys – No One
- Coldplay – Sky Full of Stars
- Katrina & The Waves – Walking On Sunshine
- Gretchen Wilson – Here For the Party
- American Authors – Best Day Of My Life
- B-52’s – Love Shack
- Beach Boys – God Only Knows
- Brandon Heath – Love Never Fails
- Dave Matthews Band – You & Me
Less sentimental and more upbeat tunes are often chosen for recessional wedding songs. The end of the wedding ceremony and the exit of the bride and groom is a joyful moment, so these should be lighthearted, celebratory, and fun wedding songs that reflect the joy of everyone there.
Classic Wedding Ceremony Songs
- Johann Pachelbel, Edward Brewer and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra – Canon in D, P.37
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Christian Rainer – The Prince of Denmark’s March (Trumpet Voluntary In D Major)
- Mado Robin, Libero De Luca, Agnes Disney, Jean Borthayre, Claudine Collart, Simeon LeMaitre and Léo Delibes – Lakmé: El Dúo de la Flor
- Andrew Grossman, Lana Ross, and Anna Moor – Wedding March
- The O’Neill Brothers – Ode To Joy
- the Latvian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra – Serenade, Eine kleineNachtmusik, K 525: II. Romanza – Andante
- J.S. Bach Orchestra – Canon And Gigue In D Major: Canon (Pachelbel’s Canon)
- Felix Mendelssohn, London Symphony Orchestra and Peter Maag – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 61: IX. Wedding March
- Georg Friedrich Handel by Bela Banafalvi& Budapest Strings – Solomon, HWV 67: The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
- Johann Sebastian Bach, Charles Gounod, Nora Shulman and Judy Loman – Ave Maria
- Antonio Vivaldi, Alberto Lizzio and Musici di San Marco – Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, “La Primavera” (Spring): I. Allegro
There are lots of popular wedding songs to choose from for a wedding ceremony. Some couples love the classics while others prefer songs closer to their heart. During the ceremony, these interlude songs can play lightly in the background, or during special moments such as hand binding, candle lighting, and other wedding rituals.
Wedding Reception Songs
Cocktail Hour Music
- Ed Sheeran – Shape of You
- Stevie Wonder – Ribbon in the Sky
- Sixpence None the Richer – Kiss Me
- Nina Simone – Here Comes The Sun
- The Police – Every Breath You Take
- Ben E. King – Stand By Me
- Backstreet Boys – I Want It That Way
- Bette Midler – Wind Beneath By Wing
- Chris Brown – Forever
- Sixpence None the Richer – Kiss Me
- Colbie Caillat – I Do
Music is the lifeblood of any event, so every aspect of a wedding would need its choice of music. Cocktail hour is a time of fun, drinks, and photos, so some of the best wedding songs would suffice. About twelve or thirteen songs would be required if the segment lasts a full hour.
Entrance Wedding Songs
- David Guetta ft Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack – Hey Mama (Official Video)
- Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby
- DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber – Let Me Love You
- P!nk – Get The Party Started
- Tom Jones – She’s a Lady
- Shaggy – Angel
- Jon Pardi – Head Over Boots
- Amy Adams, Jason Segel, Chris Cooper – Life’s a Happy Song
- Luther Vandross – Here And Now
- O’Jays – Forever Mine
- Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop the Feeling
- Pitbull ft. Christina Aguilera – Feel This Moment
- Black Eyed Peas – Let’s Get It Started
The beginning of a wedding reception signifies that it’s time to party, so wedding reception entrance songs are usually upbeat. One or two good wedding songs can help set the mood for the start of the celebrations. This way you can walk in dancing to the most important part of your life.
First Dance Wedding Songs
- Ariana Grande – Imagine
- Frank Sinatra – The Way You Look Tonight
- Elvis Presley – Falling in Love with You
- Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
- Nina Simone – I put a spell on you
- Doris Day – Dream A Little Dream of Me
- Frank Sinatra – Fly Me To The Moon
- Frankie Valli and The 4 Seasons – Can’t Take My Eyes off You
- Michael Buble – Sway
- Dooley Wilson – As Time Goes By
- Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle – A Whole New World
- Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet – Love Theme To “Romeo & Juliet
- Diana Ross & Lionel Richie – Endless Love
- The Tango Project – Por Una Cabeza
- Heatwave – Always and forever
- Lonestar – Amazed
- Rod Stewart – Have I told you lately
- Peter Gabriel – In your eyes
- Big and Rich – Lost in This Moment
- Norah Jones – Come Away with Me
- 98 Degrees – I Do (Cherish You)
The first dance is a part of a wedding that you’d want to get right, so it is important to choose the first dance wedding songs carefully. Create a memory with your partner with a song you will want to remember forever. This has to be a personal choice, a song that you both love.
Father-Daughter Dance Songs
- Miley Cyrus – Butterfly Fly Away
- Beyonce – Daddy
- Paul Simon – Father and Daughter
- Billy Joel – Just the Way You Are
- Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Nancy Sinatra’s – It’s For My Dad
- Stevie Wonder – Isn’t She Lovely
- Rascal Flatts – My Wish
- Frank Sinatra – I Wish You Love
- Bob Marley – Three Little Birds
- Michael Buble – Daddy’s Little Girl
- Heartland – I Loved Her First
A wedding is an important day for the father of the bride as well, and this makes father-daughter wedding songs significant. A sentimental number that describes and celebrates the bond that a father shares with his daughter would be a fitting choice for this dance. It can be slow or fast-paced, and joyful.
Mother and son wedding songs
- Paul Todd – The First Lady in My Life
- Whitney Houston – Greatest Love of All
- Carrie Underwood – Mama’s Song
- The Band Perry – Mother Like Mine
- MikkiViereck – A Song for my Son
- Whitney Houston – Greatest Love of All
- Nat King Cole – Unforgettable
- Taylor Hicks – Do I Make You Proud
- Boyz II Men – A Song for Mama
- Scott Keo – All to You
- Bob Dylan – Forever Young
- The Band Perry – Mother Like Mine
Another popular dance at weddings is the mother and son dance. This adorable moment needs to be accompanied by mother and son wedding dance songs that would be meaningful to the groom and his mother. Jazz, ballads, and even rock songs would make the cut.
Cake-Cutting Wedding Songs
- Sugar Sugar – the Archies
- Mariah Carey – Honey
- James Taylor – How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
- DNCE – Cake by the Ocean
- Christina Aguilera – Candyman
- Aerosmith – Sweet Emotion
- Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar on Me
- the Four Tops – I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
- Maroon 5- Sugar
- U2- Sweetest Thing
- Robin Thicke – The Sweetest Love
- Average White Band – Cut The Cake
Cutting the cake is a fun and exciting part of a wedding that can be enhanced by the music chosen to play. This goes to say that cake-cutting songs for a wedding should be fun and light. You can choose any number of songs depending on how long you plan the cake-cutting aspect to be.
Bouquet Toss Songs
- Motley Crue – Girls, Girls, Girls
- Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
- Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink – Worth It
- Amanda Seyfried – Honey, Honey
- Beyonce – Diva
- Jennifer Lopez – Let’s Get Loud
- Natalie Cole – This Will Be…(An Everlasting Love)
- Jason Derulo – Stupid Love
- Survivor – Eye of the Tiger
- Pat Benatar – Hit Me with Your Best Shot
- Beastie Boys – Girls
- Christina Aguilera – Genie In A Bottle
- Abba – Take A Chance On Me
- Bonnie Tyler – I Need a Hero
Some of the best wedding reception songs are played when it’s time to toss the bouquet. This is often a thrilling point in any wedding, and so you need songs that can amp up the guests to get ready to catch the bouquet. These can be anything from songs about female power or upbeat dance numbers.
Garter Toss Songs
- Flo Rida ft. Sia – Cake Wild Ones
- Michael Jackson – Wanna Be Startin Something
- DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne – I’m the One
- Fun ft. Janelle Monáe – We Are Young
- Akon ft. Snoop Dogg – I Wanna Love You
- Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5
- The Beatles – Twist and Shout
- Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
- Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan – This Is How We Roll
The garter toss is for single males and the bouquet toss is for single females. So it’s easy to imagine the type of wedding songs to dance to that would be perfect to play while the groom is pulling off the garter and tossing it to his mates. A cheeky or electrifying number would do.
Love Wedding Songs for Last Dance
- Skylar Grey – Everything I Need
- Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life
- Ed Sheeran – Perfect
- Elvis Presley – Love me tender
- Frank Sinatra – Strangers in the night
- Doris Troy – Just One Look
- Coldplay – Paradise
- Taylor Swift – Today Was a Fairy Tale
- Donna Summer – Last Dance
- Justin Timberlake – What Goes Around…Comes Around
- Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life
- Sister Sledge – We Are Family
- Eagles – Love Will Keep Us Alive
The last dance is often accompanied by slow wedding reception songs. At this point, you can just go with the flow as many guests would have left, and the DJ could choose to play any number that works best with the mood at the moment.
Classic Love Songs
- Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
- Frank Sinatra — The way you look tonight
- Stevie Wonder — Isn’t she lovely
- Seal — Kiss from a rose
- Noel Paul Stookey — There is love
- Celine Dion — Because you loved me
- Dixie Cups — Going to the chapel of love
- Diana Ross and Lionel Richie — Endless love
- Archie’s — Sugar Sugar
- Frank Sinatra — Love and marriage
There are certain classic love songs for weddings that are sure to set the mood for such a day. These traditional wedding songs are often popular favorites and are even easy to sing along to. You can use classic love songs to bridge the age gap among your guests and get everyone in that loving wedding spirit.
Best Wedding Songs for Dancing
Upbeat Dance Songs
- Lovelytheband – These Are My Friends
- Hardwell – How You Love Me
- EXO – Love Shot
- Bob Sinclair – Rock this party
- LMFAO ft. Lauren Bennett, GoonRock – Party Rock Anthem
- Britney Spears – Till the World Ends
- Pink – Get the party started
- Rihanna – Where Have You Been
- Selena Gomez & The Scene – Love You Like A Love Song
- ABBA – Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
- ABBA – Dancing queen
- One Republic – Counting Stars
- ABBA – Voulez-Vous
- Katy Perry – Firework
- Pharrell Williams – Happy
- Rihanna – Don’t Stop The Music
- Beyonce ft. Sean Paul – Baby Boy
- Daft Punk – Get Lucky
It’s no secret that music sets the tone for a wedding, so to create that celebratory mood, you’re going to need upbeat music. Whether it’s upbeat wedding entrance songs for the reception or upbeat numbers for a first dance. Choose the songs that connect with you as well as the songs that are sure to resonate with your crowd.
Slow Dance Wedding Songs
- Frank Sinatra – All My Tomorrows
- John Legend – All of Me
- Lonestar – Amazed
- Etta James – At Last
- Daniel Caesar featuring H.E.R. – Best Part
- Jack Johnson – Better Together
- Angus & Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane
- Thomas Rhett – Blessed
- Christina Aguilera – Bound to You
- Sade – By Your Side
- Elvis PresleyCan’t Help Falling in Love
- Lauryn Hill – Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
- Leon Bridges – Coming Home
- John Legend – Conversations in the Dark
- Musig Soulchild – Dontchange
- Taylor Swift – Enchanted
Lots of modern wedding first dance songs are slow, romantic numbers that set the mood for the couple and guests. When choosing the right songs, it’s important that this ballad or R&B number communicates the right words to your partner, capturing your feelings perfectly while you dance.
Modern Wedding Songs
- Arctic Monkeys – Baby I’m Yours
- Tom Odell – Grow Old With Me
- One Direction – Little Things
- Kane Brown – Good as You
- Rita Ora – Let You Love Me
- Miley Cyrus – Adore You
- Alicia Keys – That’s When I Knew
- Jason Aldean – You Make It Easy
- Bruno Mars – Marry You
- Rewrite The Stars – Zac Efron & Zendaya
- Jonas Brothers – Sucker
- Taylor Swift – Today Was A Fairytale
- Ed Sheeran – Tenerife Sea
- George Ezra – All My Love
- John Legend – All Of Me
Choosing modern songs for your wedding isn’t a challenge as there are many options for every aspect of the wedding ceremony and reception. What matters is choosing the right number for each part of the day. So, whether you need modern processional wedding songs or current parents’ dance wedding songs, you need to find the right fit. For instance, the popular “Marry You” by Bruno Mars would be great background music during the wedding ceremony, and Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years”, is a perfect first dance song.
Wedding Songs To Skip
- Katy Perry – The One That Got Away
- Andra – Cake Love Can Save It All
- Lady Gaga – Million reasons
- Tori Kelly – Hallelujah
While it’s great to know the type of songs that should make it to your wedding playlist, it also helps to know the songs that shouldn’t. So, here are tips on the wedding songs that should be on your ‘No Play’ list.
- Over-the-top violent songs. These should be avoided unless they match your wedding theme.
- Songs about breakups or cheating. You wouldn’t want to unknowingly jinx your big day.
- Overly risqué songs or songs with explicit lyrics. You have guests of different age groups at a wedding and you wouldn’t want songs that would offend the elderly or be insensitive to the presence of kids.
Wedding music cannot be quite overlooked no matter the style of the wedding. But after all, that said, the choice of wedding songs depends on you. It’s your day and your happiness, choices, and needs come first. Yet, we are all about helping you make the best of your wedding day through good music. This post aims to help is curating your playlist for the appropriate music for every wedding stage. Your entire wedding music playlist should be inspired by how you want yourself and your guests to feel. Combine songs that are family-friendly, familiar, and multigenerational and everyone will have a great time.
