With all the decisions brides have to make when planning their wedding ceremonies, selecting the songs for their ceremony can be one of the most difficult but also the most fun. Couples get to decide:
- Live ensemble or recorded music
- What style of music
- What exact songs
Once a couple selects who will play the music and what style, they get to decide on music for the wedding party, the bride’s processional and the recessional.
Below are some of the most common songs for each of these portions of the wedding, both classical style and contemporary.
TOP 10 PROCESSIONAL SONGS
A Thousand Years, Christina Perri
Autumn, Vivaldi
Ave Maria, Schubert
Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Verve
Canon in D, Pachelbel
Clair de Lune, Debussy
I’ll Be There, Jackson 5
Make You Feel My Love, Adele
Marry Me, Train
Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Of these songs, we have had requests for A Thousand Years, Canon in D and Somewhere Over the rainbow. While this music is often used for the wedding party, they are also great choices for other parts of the ceremony.
The music for the bride’s entrance is perhaps the most important choice. This is the moment that everyone is waiting for, so it must be the most memorable! Below are the top choices of brides around the country.
TOP 10 BRIDE ENTRANCE SONGS
And I Love Her, The Beatles
Can You Feel the Love Tonight?, Elton John
Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop, Landon Pigg
Glasgow Love Theme, from Love Actually
Hoppipola, Sigur Ros
The Luckiest, Ben Folds
Landslide, Fleetwood Mac
Water Suite, No. 2 in D Major, Handel
Wedding March, Mendelssohn
What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
Of these songs, our brides have selected What a Wonderful World and the Wedding March. We also have had requests for A Thousand Years, Canon in D, Bridal Chorus (“Here Comes the Bride”) and Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran.
Recessional music is generally lively music with a celebratory message. Below are some top choices.
TOP 10 RECESSIONAL SONGS
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Marvin Gaye
All You Need is Love, The Beatles
Home, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Hymne, Vangelis
Love on Top, Beyonce
Lucky, Jason Mraz & Colbie Callait
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Stevie Wonder
Spring, Vivaldi
You Are the Best Thing, Ray LaMontagne
You Make My Dreams Come True, Hall & Oates
While these may be popular songs in some areas of the nation, here in Phoenix, we’ve never gotten a request for any of these songs for recessional music. The most popular recessional songs we have are You’ve Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story, Rondeau, Jean-Joseph Mouret (this is by far the most frequent request we’ve gotten from couples), and the Wedding March by Mendelssohn.
While there is a reason these songs are so popular, and it’s because they are such classics, we also encourage our couples to choose songs that are most meaningful to them. For a complete list of our wedding music repertoire, click here. We have had some unusual requests but are always happy to make arrangements for flute and guitar so couples will have just what they want to hear on their wedding day.
