Best Wedding Songs

A wedding is a celebration of romance, and the best wedding songs emphasize the connection between two people and two families with rich tones eliciting feelings of love and joy.

When choosing wedding music, the couple needs to be aware of what events will be taking place while the music is played, and there are different parts of the event that require special consideration. The most important songs include:

• Processional: As the bride enters the ceremony site and walks up the aisle to greet her groom.
• Recessional: After the vows are exchanged and the couple leaves the ceremony site.
• First Dance: The newlywed couple’s first spotlight dance.
• Parents’ Dance: Father-daughter and mother-son dances parents and new in-laws share with their newlywed children.

Other songs may be chosen for before the ceremony, during the cake-cutting, as the garter is being tossed, or while the couple leaves the celebration at the end of the evening, but each song is laced with symbolism and helps celebrate the couple’s union as they begin their life together.

1.

 Processional

 This classic “here comes the bride” march is consistently the most popular and recognizable piece of wedding music available. Despite its familiarity, there are many renditions a couple can choose from, including jazz, piano, string quartet, and other variations to suit the specific mood of their ceremony. This time-tested tune is easily one of the best wedding songs ever.

2.

 Processional, Recessional

 The lilting, romantic strains of this classic instrumental piece are perfect for either the hopeful beginning or joyous ending of a wedding ceremony. The uplifting crescendos can easily be timed for significant events such as the bride’s appearance, the couple’s first kiss, or the beginning of their recessional. This song is often substituted for the wedding march by couples who want a less predictable, more contemporary option.

3.

 First Dance

 One of today’s most popular contemporary hits, this wistful song speaks of the joy of a single moment, much like the joy a couple experiences as they first join as a married couple. Other artists have performed the music as well, giving couples different options for the exact tone and nuance they want to convey through their first dance.

4.

 First Dance

 A classic staple of many weddings, the endearing lyrics of this love song speak to the heart of every couple celebrating their love before family and friends. The mild tempo is suitable for a romantic dance but is neither slow nor dull, instead invoking images of true love and sweet romance.

5.

 Parents’ Dance

 Particularly suitable for a father-daughter dance, this heart-wrenching ballad covers a girl’s lifespan from playing with flowers to the flowers in her hair on her wedding day, making it particularly suitable as a wedding song even as it celebrates the close relationship between a father and daughter.

6.

 First Dance, Parents’ Dance

 With phrases about uplifting support and true devotion, this flowing tune is suitable either for a couple’s first dance or the dance they celebrate with their parents. Still popular decades after it was first released, this song continues to grace weddings as couples and parents commemorate the loving support that has helped bring the new marriage into existence.

7.

 Recessional

 The classic crescendos of this instrumental piece are an elegant and poignant end to a wedding ceremony. The fast-paced scales are particularly suitable for couples walking up the aisle together or leaving the ceremony site.

8.

 First Dance

 Enduring from the brief 1980s period when monster love ballads were all the rage, this borderline rock tune has persistently been one of the best wedding songs for a couple’s first dance. The heart-wrenching lyrics celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime love, perfect for the couple celebrating that very same love on their wedding day.

9.

 Recessional

 The bold crescendos and joyous cries of this chorus are the perfect accompaniment as a couple leaves the ceremony site, particularly for a religious ceremony. Available in recordings or a popular choice for a choir’s or soloist’s performance, there is no better way to rejoice in a couple’s new matrimony than with a simple cry of hallelujah.

10.

 First Dance

 The magic and wonder of romance is exquisitely captured in this innocently simple song, perfect for a couple’s first dance as they delight in their new union and experience their first actions in awe as husband and wife. The sweeping notes are reminiscent of a bridal gown and the overwhelming joy of being in love.

11.

 Processional, First Dance

 Available in both instrumental and vocal versions, the poignant strains of this classic romance song exemplify the heart’s joy and longing. Made popular in the movie Ghost, this song has consistently been a favorite at weddings and is suitable for many other events on the wedding day as well.

12.

 First Dance

 Performed by different artists, this innocent duet exemplifies the new life a couple is about to build with hope and celebration. Each voice encourages the other throughout the song, just as a married couple should encourage one another throughout their marriage.

13.

 First Dance

 The subtle sway of this song invites dancing and sensuousness, perfect for the first song the couple will share as husband and wife. Popularized in movies and performed by numerous other artists, this song has many variations available to suit the precise mood of any wedding function.

14.

 First Dance, Parents’ Dance

 With simple lyrics and an easy tune, this piece speaks both of love and beauty, two integral parts of a wedding day. Parents may use the song to express their pride in their children, or the couple could celebrate one another with its classic notes.

15.

 Any

 The very best wedding songs are those that are significant to the couple. It may be a song from their first date, music from their parents’ or grandparents’ weddings, or just a song with special meaning to them. A couple should not choose wedding music based solely on popularity or convenience, but should seek to make memories together with beautiful songs as they begin their life together, whether those songs are traditional wedding choices or not.

Music is an integral part of any wedding, but before finalizing their selections, the couple should be sure to check with their ceremony and reception sites for any guidelines or restrictions on types of music, specific songs, or equipment considerations. With careful planning, the beautiful notes will be the first in a glorious song of love the couple will sing together through many anniversaries.

Related LoveToKnow Channels:

• LoveToKnow Weddings
• LoveToKnow Music