Wedding song list – Part 1 in the series

Music is such an important component to any celebration and to life in general. When planning each wedding ceremony, choosing your wedding song list is always on my list of topics for discussion.

 

Before the ceremony

I actually love the time before the ceremony starts when family and friends are either sitting or mingling. Keeping this time relatively quiet allows people to meet one another and catch up with old friends. There is always an air of expectation in the air as well. It means when the wedding party arrives and the music plays, there is a distinct moment when everyone is aware that the celebration is about to get underway.

Processional

The first song to play is usually when the wedding party is ready to walk down the aisle. For me, it’s really important that it doesn’t stop as soon as the bride, for example, reaches the groom. Every couple is different but there’s usually a period of time (sometimes only a few moments, other times 10 to 20 seconds) before I feel they’re settled and I indicate for the music to be faded out.

Here are some song suggestions for you to consider. They’re all songs with meaning but they’re quite mellow for this part of the ceremony. I know it looks like a long list but everyone has their own taste and these options cover a wide variety of genres so you’ll be able to automatically cross some straight off the list. Most include vocals but, if you’re into instrumentals, I’ve included suggestions for this as well.

If you don’t recognise some of the songs, just go to https://www.youtube.com/ and search for them there.

 

Easy listening

• That Part, Lauren Spencer Smith
• Perfect, Ed Sheeran
• Use Somebody, Kings of Leon
• Arithmetic, Brooke Fraser
• The Wedding Song, Angus & Julia Stone
• A Thousand Years, Christina Perri / Celia Pavey
• I Swear, John Michael Montgomery / All-4-One
• I Won’t Let You Go, James Morrison
• Marry Me, Jason DeRulo
• Perfect Two, Auburn
• Morning Has Broken, Cat Stevens
• Marry Me, Train
• You And Me, Lifehouse
• You and Me, You + Me (Alecia Moore & Dallas Green)
• Beautiful in White, Westlife
• Middle Ground, Mark Wilkinson
• I Wanna Grow Old With You, Westlife
• One Woman, Randy Rogers Band
• I Do (Cherish You), 98 Degrees
• One Step At a Time, Michael Delguidice
• I’ll Be, Edwin McCain
• Magic, Cold Play
• Angel, Jack Johnson
• Heaven, D.J. Sammy (slow version)
• Feel So Close, Calvin Harris
• I Choose You, Sara Bareilles
• At Last, Beyonce Knowles version of the Etta James classic
• I Won’t Give Up, Jason Mraz
• (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Bryan Adams
• Let’s Stay Together, Al Green
• Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran
• The Blower’s Daughter, Damien Rice
• This I Promise You, Ronan Keating
• Tenerife Sea – Ed Sheeran
• The Final Countdown, Europe
• My All, Anthony Callea
• I Wasn’t Expecting That, Jamie Lawson
• The Power of Love, Gabrielle Aplin
• Wanted, Hunter Hayes
• I Do, Derek Gust
• When I Say I Do, Matthew West
• Take My Hand, feat. Will Anderson, by Emily Hackett
• Forever Begins Tonight, The McClymonts
• Princess, Casey Barnes
• Amazed, Lonestar
• It Is Well, Kristene DiMarco & Bethel Music
• Never Seen Anything Quite Like You, The Script
• Love Me Tender, Norah Jones
• You & Me, Pink
• Bloom, Paper Kites
• Dear Future Husband, Meghan Trainor
• Can’t Help Falling in Love, Ingrid Michaelson / Kina Grannis / Haley Reinhart
• Lullaby, The Dixie Chicks
• I Love You Always Forever, Donna Lewis
• Song Birds, Eva Cassidy
• Feels Like Home, Edwina Hayes
• First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack
• Sea of Lovers, Christina Perri
• How Would You Feel, Ed Sheeran
• Sing to Me, Walter Martin feat. Karen O.
• I Get to Love You, Ruelle
• I Do, Morgan Evans
• From the Ground Up, Dan + Shay
• Little Wonders, Rob Thomas
• Another One Bites the Dust, Queen
• Prayed For You, Matt Stell
• That’s Something Beautiful, Jacob Banks
• Speechless, Dan + Shay
• 500 Miles, Jefr Tale feat. Louise Rademakers (female vocal)
• 500 Miles, Sleeping At Last (male vocal)
• I Found You, Iolite
• Beautiful Crazy, Luke Combs
• Biblical, Calum Scott
• Iris, Go-Jo
• Better Today, Coffey Anderson
• Butterflies, MAX & Ali Gatie
• La Vie En Rose, Emily Watts
• Simply the Best, Noah Reid (from Schitt’s Creek)
• I Guess I’m in Love, Clinton Kane
• Yours (Wedding Edition), Russell Dickerson
• Falling Like the Stars (James Arthur)
• Growing Old With You, Restless Road
• Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Frankie Valli
• Love Someone, Lukas Graham

Instrumentals

• All of Me, John Legend, Cover Daniel Jang (Violin & Guitar)
• Story of My Life, The Piano Guys (Piano)
• Perfect, The Piano Guys (Piano)
• “Una Mattina” by Ludovico Einaudi (Piano) 9.25 mins – works well for large bridal party
• I Will Wait, 2 Cellos – (Cello)

Signing the certificates

The next time music is required is when we’re signing the Certificates of Marriage … more on this in Part 2 – April’s Blog.

Recessional

Couples almost always choose to walk back up the aisle on a high … more on this in Part 3 – May’s Blog.

 

Reception

Of course, you’ll need music for your reception too. You could choose to hire a band or a DJ or you may decide to formulate a play list which suits all the traditional moments e.g. arrival of the newly married couple, background music during dinner, first dance, cutting of the cake, farewell etc. For this, you’ll need some sort of amplification.

 

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Happy listening! 🎶🎼🎵

 

 

31/03/2023

100 ~ ©Lindy Cooke Celebrant