200 Wedding Ceremony Songs You Need on Your Playlist
- Author: Natali Grace Levine
- Reading time: 7 min 52 sec
- Publication date: 04/07/2023
- Updated: 11/15/2024
So, you're tying the knot, huh? First off, congratulations! Now, let's get down to business and talk about the tunes for your big day. When it comes to wedding ceremonies, there's no one-size-fits-all answer for how many songs you need. But, don't worry, we’ll help you sort it all out.
Typically, you'll need around 4 to 6 songs for the key moments of your ceremony. Here's the lowdown:
The Prelude: As guests arrive and settle in, you'll want some chill tunes playing in the background. Nothing too crazy, just something to set the mood.
The Processional: This is the big entrance for you and your wedding party. You'll need a song that's a real tearjerker - the kind that gives everyone the feels when you walk down the aisle.
The Recessional: Once you've sealed the deal with a kiss, it's time to strut out of there like a boss. Pick a tune that's upbeat and celebratory - something that screams "We just got hitched!"
The Postlude: As your guests file out, have a few tunes ready to keep the good vibes going.
Now, you might be wondering why choosing the right songs is so important. Well, music is the heartbeat of any event, and your wedding is no exception. The right tunes can make everyone feel all warm and fuzzy, while the wrong ones can be a real mood-killer. So, it's essential to pick songs that reflect your love story and set the right atmosphere. So, how do you choose the right songs? Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Go with your gut: Trust your instincts and pick songs that speak to your heart. You know what makes you and your partner tick, so let that guide you.
- Think about the lyrics: While a catchy tune is great, make sure the lyrics are wedding-appropriate too. You don't want Aunt Marge raising her eyebrows during the ceremony, do you?
- Get your partner involved: It's your special day as a couple, so collaborate and choose songs that resonate with both of you.
- Ask for help: If you're stumped, don't be afraid to ask your friends and family for suggestions. They might come up with some gems you hadn't even thought of!
- Consider a live musician or band: Sometimes, having a live performance can add a personal touch to your ceremony. Just make sure they can play the songs you've picked out!
Moving on to the best part - the checklist of the greatest wedding ceremony songs!
The Best Wedding Ceremony Songs Of All Time
Of course, what's "best" can be subjective, so take this list as a starting point and feel free to mix in your own personal favorites!
- "Canon in D" - Johann Pachelbel
- "A Thousand Years" - Christina Perri
- "Marry Me" - Train
- "All of Me" - John Legend
- "Can't Help Falling in Love" - Elvis Presley
- "At Last" - Etta James
- "Make You Feel My Love" - Adele
- "Marry You" - Bruno Mars
- "Thinking Out Loud" - Ed Sheeran
- "I Choose You" - Sara Bareilles
- "Your Song" - Elton John
- "Here Comes the Sun" - The Beatles
- "I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
- "Perfect" - Ed Sheeran
- "You Are the Best Thing" - Ray LaMontagne
- "Just the Way You Are" - Bruno Mars
- "Come Away With Me" - Norah Jones
- "How Long Will I Love You" - Ellie Goulding
- "First Day of My Life" - Bright Eyes
- "Over the Rainbow" - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
- "You and Me" - Lifehouse
- "I Will" - The Beatles
- "Bless the Broken Road" - Rascal Flatts
- "From This Moment On" - Shania Twain
- "Grow Old With Me" - Tom Odell
- "Heavenly Day" - Patty Griffin
- "Latch" (Acoustic) - Sam Smith
- "Amazed" - Lonestar
- "You & I (Nobody in the World)" - John Legend
- "I Won't Give Up" - Jason Mraz
- "By Your Side" - Sade
- "XO" - John Mayer
- "Love Me Like You Do" - Ellie Goulding
- "Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol
- "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" - Landon Pigg
- "Better Together" - Jack Johnson
- "La Vie En Rose" - Edith Piaf
- "The Way You Look Tonight" - Frank Sinatra
- "Hallelujah" - Jeff Buckley
- "Everything" - Michael Bublé
- "The One" - Kodaline
- "Love Never Felt So Good" - Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake
- "Endless Love" - Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
- "Lucky" - Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
- "When You Say Nothing at All" - Ronan Keating
Popular Wedding Ceremony Songs
Choose songs that resonate with both of you and make your big day unforgettable!
- "Lover" - Taylor Swift
- "10,000 Hours" - Dan + Shay ft. Justin Bieber
- "Speechless" - Dan + Shay
- "Yours" - Russell Dickerson
- "Say You Won't Let Go" - James Arthur
- "Beautiful Crazy" - Luke Combs
- "Beyond" - Leon Bridges
- "Best Part" - Daniel Caesar ft. H.E.R.
- "Die a Happy Man" - Thomas Rhett
- "Golden" - Harry Styles
- "Tenerife Sea" - Ed Sheeran
- "Never Stop" (Wedding Version) - Safetysuit
- "Take My Hand (The Wedding Song)" - Emily Hackett ft. Will Anderson
- "You Make It Easy" - Jason Aldean
- "Love Someone" - Lukas Graham
- "This I Promise You" - *NSYNC
- "In Case You Didn't Know" - Brett Young
- "Ocean Eyes" (Acoustic) - Billie Eilish
- "Unconditionally" - Katy Perry
- "Always Remember Us This Way" - Lady Gaga
- "Put It All on Me" - Ed Sheeran ft. Ella Mai
- "Adore You" - Miley Cyrus
- "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" - Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend
- "Dancing With Your Ghost" - Sasha Sloan
- "My Love" - Jess Glynne
- "I Get to Love You" - Ruelle
- "H.O.L.Y." - Florida Georgia Line
- "No Matter Where You Are" - Us The Duo
- "Turning Page" - Sleeping At Last
- "Happily Ever After" - Case
- "Stand by You" - Rachel Platten
- "Rewrite the Stars" - Zac Efron & Zendaya
- "Only Love" - Ben Howard
- "Forever" - Lewis Capaldi
- "You Are Mine" - Spencer Combs ft. Holley Maher
Traditional Wedding Ceremony Songs
These tunes have been cherished by couples for generations and are perfect for creating a timeless atmosphere at your wedding:
- "Wedding March" - Felix Mendelssohn
- "Trumpet Voluntary" - Jeremiah Clarke
- "Air on the G String" - Johann Sebastian Bach
- "Ave Maria" - Franz Schubert
- "Bridal Chorus" - Richard Wagner
- "Ode to Joy" - Ludwig van Beethoven
- "Water Music" - George Frideric Handel
- "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" - Johann Sebastian Bach
- "Claire de Lune" - Claude Debussy
- "Gymnopédie No. 1" - Erik Satie
- "The Four Seasons" - Antonio Vivaldi
- "Moonlight Sonata" - Ludwig van Beethoven
- "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" - Sergei Rachmaninoff
- "Panis Angelicus" - César Franck
- "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" - George Frideric Handel
- "Cavalleria Rusticana" - Pietro Mascagni
- "Prelude in C Major" - Johann Sebastian Bach
- "Andante" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- "Lohengrin Prelude" - Richard Wagner
- "Trumpet Tune" - Henry Purcell
- "Meditation" from Thaïs - Jules Massenet
- "Salut d'Amour" - Edward Elgar
- "Concerto in D Major" - Antonio Vivaldi
- "Romance" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- "Liebestraum No. 3" - Franz Liszt
- "Serenade" - Franz Schubert
- "Adagio" - Tomaso Albinoni
- "Morning Mood" - Edvard Grieg
- "Nocturne in E-Flat Major" - Frédéric Chopin
Fun Wedding Songs For Ceremony
Here's a list of fun songs for a wedding ceremony to add a touch of lightheartedness and joy to your big day!
- "Sugar" - Maroon 5
- "I Do" - Colbie Caillat
- "You Make My Dreams" - Hall & Oates
- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" - Whitney Houston
- "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" - Stevie Wonder
- "Happy" - Pharrell Williams
- "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen
- "On Top of the World" - Imagine Dragons
- "Dancing in the Moonlight" - Toploader
- "Ho Hey" - The Lumineers
- "Isn't She Lovely" - Stevie Wonder
- "Walking on Sunshine" - Katrina and the Waves
- "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees
- "Love on Top" - Beyoncé
- "Accidentally in Love" - Counting Crows
- "Home" - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
- "You're My Best Friend" - Queen
- "Lovefool" - The Cardigans
- "The Way I Am" - Ingrid Michaelson
- "Kiss Me" - Sixpence None the Richer
- "Everything Is Awesome" - Tegan and Sara ft. The Lonely Island
- "Dog Days Are Over" - Florence + The Machine
- "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" - James Taylor
- "I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
- "Banana Pancakes" - Jack Johnson
- "Shut Up and Dance" - WALK THE MOON
- "Friday I'm in Love" - The Cure
- "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" - Stevie Wonder
- "Love and Marriage" - Frank Sinatra
- "Stuck in the Middle with You" - Stealers Wheel
Unity Ceremony Songs
Pick any of these songs to add a meaningful touch to your special moment.
- "A Sky Full of Stars" - Coldplay
- "The Book of Love" - Peter Gabriel
- "You and I" - Ingrid Michaelson
- "Better Half of Me" - Tom Walker
- "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" - Death Cab for Cutie
- "To Make You Feel My Love" - Bob Dylan
- "Two Become One" - Paul McCartney
- "Harvest Moon" - Neil Young
- "1+1" - Beyoncé
- "Latch" - Sam Smith
- "You're Still The One" - Shania Twain
- "Annie's Song" - John Denver
- "The Luckiest" - Ben Folds
- "True Companion" - Marc Cohn
- "Stay With Me" - Sam Smith
- "All This Time" - OneRepublic
- "When I Fall in Love" - Nat King Cole
- "The Power of Love" - Celine Dion
- "I Choose You" - Ryann Darling
- "Feels Like Home" - Chantal Kreviazuk
Religious Wedding Songs To Sing At Ceremony
When choosing religious songs for your wedding ceremony, consider the specific faith or denomination, as well as the tone you'd like to set. Consult with your officiant or spiritual leader to ensure the songs are appropriate and meaningful for your ceremony.
- "Amazing Grace" - John Newton
- "The Lord's Prayer" - Albert Hay Malotte
- "How Great Thou Art" - Carl Boberg
- "Be Thou My Vision" - Traditional Irish Hymn
- "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" - Thomas Chisholm
- "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" - Charles Wesley
- "You Raise Me Up" - Josh Groban
- "One Hand, One Heart" - Leonard Bernstein (from West Side Story)
- "Give Me Your Hand" (Tabhair dom do Lámh) - Traditional Irish
- "Ave Verum Corpus" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- "All Creatures of Our God and King" - St. Francis of Assisi
- "O Perfect Love" - Joseph Barnby
- "The Prayer" - Andrea Bocelli & Celine Dion
- "Bind Us Together" - Bob Gillman
- "In Christ Alone" - Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
- "Shout to the Lord" - Darlene Zschech
- "Here I Am, Lord" - Dan Schutte
- "Morning Has Broken" - Eleanor Farjeon
- "Blessed Assurance" - Fanny Crosby
- "This Is The Day" - Scott Wesley Brown
Country Wedding Songs For Ceremony
These songs would make a lovely addition to your ceremony!
- "From This Moment On" - Shania Twain
- "God Gave Me You" - Blake Shelton
- "Amazed" - Lonestar
- "Cowboys and Angels" - Dustin Lynch
- "Carrying Your Love with Me" - George Strait
- "When You Say Nothing at All" - Alison Krauss
- "I Cross My Heart" - George Strait
- "It's Your Love" - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
- "My Wish" - Rascal Flatts
- "When I Said I Do" - Clint Black & Lisa Hartman Black
- "Making Memories of Us" - Keith Urban
- "Raining on Sunday" - Keith Urban
- "I Need You" - LeAnn Rimes
- "Could I Have This Dance" - Anne Murray
- "Breathe" - Faith Hill
- "She's Everything" - Brad Paisley
- "Wanted" - Hunter Hayes
- "To Love Somebody" - The Bee Gees (covered by various country artists)
- "I Don't Dance" - Lee Brice
- "Love Like Crazy" - Lee Brice
Feel free to mix and match these songs with other tunes that reflect your taste and style. The most important thing is to create a wedding ceremony music playlist that resonates with you and your partner and sets the right tone for your special day. Happy planning!