Your Comprehensive Guide to Wedding Music: The Songs You Need, How to Choose Them, and Some Musical Inspiration
Finding Your Perfect Wedding Day Soundtrack
When a couple is starting to plan their wedding, there are “firsts” in the planning process. You have to find a venue, you need to decide on catering… the list goes on. Often, couples don’t think about music until closer to the big day itself.
There are, obviously, exceptions. Couples very into music or who already knew they wanted a specific wedding DJ generally consider things like ceremony music towards the beginning of their planning process.
Even if you already know the kind of music you want for your wedding day, there are other factors to consider to make sure you’re getting the best musical experience possible.
Some of those include
What songs are needed for a wedding reception?
What are the most popular wedding songs?
How do I pick the music at my reception?
Luckily, we have some answers. After being in the wedding business for as long as we have, we’ve learned a thing or two.
What Songs Are Needed For a Wedding?
The short answer is: it’s up to you. Some couples don’t want much music at their weddings at all, and would rather their DJ be more in the background. For other couples, the music is the pièce de résistance that the day is centered around. In our years providing the soundtrack to weddings, we’ve seen both and everything in between. So it’s hard to say which songs are absolutely needed in a wedding.
That’s not to say there aren’t songs we would recommend. As a general rule, wedding music is divided between ceremony and reception music. Let’s take a look at what many couples do for their ceremonies.
How Do You Choose Wedding Ceremony Music?
When you’re getting started planning the music for your wedding ceremony, first consider which parts of the ceremony you want music for. For example, we typically see music for the entrances and music after you’re pronounced.
Some couples get a little more creative, and there’s definitely room to add some personal touches in there.
One way to personalize your ceremony music is to have music for the ceremony prelude, transition into music for the family and bridal party or groomsmen, then have a separate song for the bride or groom. That way, each group has something of their own to walk down the aisle to.
The music you pick for your ceremony sets a tone. More traditional couples will go for string music or Canon in D. We see less of that these days, but a high-quality rendition of Pachelbel can (and does) bring many guests to tears.
For other couples, it’s more important to have something unique and individualized for the ceremony. They tend to lean more towards songs that mean something personal to them as a couple. This also typically goes over very well with guests.
In terms of recessional music (when you and your dearly beloved are leaving as a married couple), we also have some advice. Whenever our couples ask us our thoughts, we usually say to pick something upbeat. Being pronounced a married couple is the high point of the ceremony. It should be a moment to celebrate! Find a meaningful song that captures the spirit of the culmination of all your planning. You just got married. Choose a song that exemplifies that!
When it comes to ceremony music, our advice is to choose songs that are personal to you. Whether that’s Canon in D or Little Richard, it’ll be amazing because it’s meaningful.
What About Picking Wedding Reception Music?
Deciding on the music for your reception can be a little trickier. It’s not more difficult per se, there are just more factors to consider. Ultimately, the reception is a celebration of the ceremony that just took place. Consider what a celebration looks like to you.
As we’ve previously mentioned, some couples prefer it low-key. They want a small ceremony and an intimate reception. This usually translates to the DJ being more in the background. Usually the playlist for a reception like that would entail softer music or instrumental covers.
For other couples, celebration is synonymous with partying. In that case, it’s usually smart to go with upbeat tunes throughout the reception, with the party really getting started when it’s time for dancing.
The music you choose sets the tone of your wedding. It’s hard to have a small, personal reception if top 40 hits are blasting. Consider what you want your atmosphere to be, and work from there. If you want a party, then blast those top 40!
Now comes the trickier part: choosing individual songs for the big reception moments. We usually see specific songs selected for the bridal party/groomsmen entrance, cake cutting, bouquet or garter toss, and the grand exit.
An Exciting Grand Entrance Song
If being pronounced wed is the highpoint of the ceremony, the wedding party’s grand entrance is the highpoint of the reception. Choose a song that matches the energy level. If you’re triumphantly entering to thunderous applause, the music should match.
A Perfect Cake Cutting Song
When you’re cutting that beautiful wedding cake, it’s nice to have a song to set the moment apart. It’s also one of the moments of the reception that guests will want to crowd around and take photos of. So having a musical cue makes this easy to facilitate.
Many couples choose something cake-related. Songs like “Sugar, Sugar” or “How Sweet It Is” have been favorites we’ve seen.
A Fitting Garter Toss or Bouquet Song
The garter or bouquet toss is another one of those reception moments that guests want to gather ‘round and witness. For moments like these, it’s best to go with something that will capture guests attention and create memorable moments.
An Ideal Grand Exit Song
Your reception grand exit music should capture the spirit of your day as a whole. If it’s been more of a low-key day, then if your grand exit song is incredibly upbeat, the transition could be jarring. Your DJ will also probably have an extensive collection of suggestions if you need some inspiration.
Note: Choosing your first dance song is an entirely different consideration than other reception music. We have an upcoming blog about how to choose a first dance song. Stay tuned!
What Are the Most Popular Ceremony Songs?
Wedding Processional Songs
We’ve put together a list of the most popular wedding processional songs. Some are more traditional and some are a little more contemporary. Whichever vibe you want for your ceremony, there is a soundtrack for it.
Classic Wedding Processional Songs:
“Canon in D” - Johann Pachelbel
“Bridal Chorus” - Richard Wagner
“Fur Elise” - Ludwig Beethoven
Modern Wedding Processional Songs:
Anything by Vitamin String Quartet
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” - Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole
“At Last” - Etta James
“A Thousand Years” - Christina Perri
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” - Elvis Presley
“Marry You” - Bruno Mars
Wedding Recessional Songs
After you’ve been pronounced a newly-married couple, the celebration begins. Whether you go the traditional route or for a personal favorite jam, it’s all about celebrating.
Classic Wedding Recessional Songs:
“Allegro Maestoso” (from Water Music Suite) - Frederic Handel
“Brandenburg Concerto No. 1” (Allegro) - Johann Bach
“Wedding March” - Felix Mendelssohn
Modern Wedding Recessional Songs:
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered” - Stevie Wonder
“I Feel Good” - Little Richard
“Firework” - Katy Perry
“I Gotta Feeling” - the Black Eyed Peas
“You Are the Best Thing” - Ray LaMontagne
“All You Need Is Love” - The Beatles
What Are the Most Popular Reception Songs?
When asked what the best reception music choices are, we usually ask, “for which part?” There are different moments and different moods throughout any wedding reception. So different music choices are needed for these moments.
We’ve said it several times, but music choice comes down to the couple. However, there are some favorites we’ve seen across many weddings. To make things easy, we’ve decided to break it down a little bit.
Reception Grand Entrance Songs
After a cocktail hour, your guests are ready and waiting for your grand entrance. We usually recommend going with an upbeat song to get that energy high.
Best Grand Entrance Tunes:
“You Make My Dreams Come True” - Hall & Oates
“Uptown Funk” - Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars
“Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” - Barry White
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” - Whitney Houston
“Crazy in Love” - Beyonce
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” - Queen
“Party Rock Anthem” - LMFAO
Cake Cutting Songs
You may notice that many of these songs are cake or sugar themed. For cake cutting, it definitely works well, though.
Best Cake Cutting Jams:
“How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” - James Taylor
“Cake By the Ocean” - DNCE
“Sugar, Sugar” - the Archies
“I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” - The Four Tops
“Pour Some Sugar on Me” - Def Leppard
“Sugar” - Maroon 5
“I Want Candy” - Aaron Carter
Garter and Bouquet Toss Songs
While not featured in every wedding these days, there still are many great songs for throwing that bouquet or removing that garter.
Best Bouquet Toss Soundtrack:
“Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” - Beyonce
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” - Cyndi Lauper
“Hit Me With Your Best Shot” - Pat Benatar
“It’s Raining Men” - The Weather Girls
“Man! I Feel Like a Woman” - Shania Twain
“Wannabe” - Spice Girls
Best Garter Removal Songs:
“Pony” - Ginuwine
“Hot in Herre” - Nelly
“Whatever You Like” - TI
“Shook Me All Night Long” - AC/DC
“Who Let the Dogs Out” - Baha Men
“Everybody” - the Backstreet Boys
Reception Grand Exit Songs
After a successful and amazing reception, it’s time for the grand exit. Make your exit in style and leave them speechless.
Best Grand Exit Songs:
“We Found Love” - Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris
(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
“Celebration” - Kool & the Gang
“Can’t Stop the Feeling” - Justin Timberlake
“I’m a Believer” - The Monkees (or Smash Mouth)
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
So How Do I Choose My Reception Music?
It Comes Down To You
In the end, the best advice we can give future brides and grooms is to go with what you like. If you’ve always dreamed of walking down the aisle to a song that isn’t on these lists, then go for it! Your wedding day is a celebration of you and your love. If you want Pachelbel for the ceremony and N*SYNC for the reception, that’s great too.
At first, wedding music selection can seem like a daunting task. But once they got started, we’ve had couples tell us that they had “so much fun” designing their wedding soundtrack. Once you dive in, it absolutely can be an enjoyable experience. Plus, it’s an awesome experience to see it all come to life on the big day.
On a Final Note…
There’s one last thing we wanted to share. When we’re the DJs, we get a lot of song requests. We’ve had requests that range from the good to the bad to the inappropriate. So we wanted to make a final quick list of songs that should be avoided on your wedding day.
Songs Not to Play at a Wedding:
“You’re So Vain” - Carly Simon
“You Give Love a Bad Name” - Bon Jovi
“Suspicious Minds” - Elvis
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” - Joy Division
Anything that doesn’t fit the vibe of the day (for instance, no Metallica if there’s no other metal)
Note: We’re not saying we don’t like these songs. They’re great songs, but much of their subject-matter is not 100% wedding friendly.
“Do Not Play” Lists
Your DJ should want to get a feel for your tastes and preferences before they perform. The most common way they achieve that is with a “Do Not Play” List. With such a list, you’re able to put the songs you would rather not hear on your wedding day.
Common Wedding “Do Not Plays”
Line dances (The Wobble, Cha-Cha Slide, Electric Slide)
Dirty songs (Especially if there will be guests of all ages)
Specific genres (For example, some couples don’t want country music)
Overplayed Radio Hits (Songs that have lately saturated the radio-waves)
Takeaway Thoughts
No matter what music you end up choosing for your wedding day, if it’s from the heart, it’ll be great. You can’t go wrong choosing songs that are meaningful to you and your betrothed. So the best advice we can give is to sit down together and start brainstorming your perfect wedding day playlist.
Just to summarize, when you’re planning out your wedding day soundtrack, it’s a good idea to consider
Which songs you need for a wedding ceremony and reception
Some of the most popular wedding songs (for inspiration)
When to sit down and begin working on your playlists
The most important piece of advice we can give is just to have fun! It’s a celebration, after all.
If you found some inspiration from this wedding blog, we’d love to hear about it! Contact Loyalty Entertainment for Pittsburgh wedding DJs, photography, photo booth rentals, wedding planning, videography, or just to chat about how your big day can be the best day ever.