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Popular Ceremony and Reception Songs

Choose wedding songs for every element of your wedding, from the bride’s entrance to the father daughter dance to the last dance.

These categorized lists of popular wedding songs will help you get started making your ceremony and reception playlists.

Popular Wedding Songs - Prelude Songs

• Adagio from Sonata in E-Flat - Mozart
• Air (From Water Music) - Handel
• Air On The G String (from Orchestral Suite No. 3) - Bach
• Allegro from Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G - Bach
• Nocturne In E Flat, Op. 9 No. 2 - Chopin
• Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun - Debussy
• So This Is Love (Instrumental “Cinderella”) - David, Hoffman, Livingston
• Waltz (From Sleeping Beauty Act 1) - Tchaikovsky

Popular Wedding Songs - Pre-Processional Songs

• Trumpet Voluntary - Jeremiah Clark
• Air (From Water Music) - Handel
• Sunrise, Sunset - Sheldon Harnick & Jerry Bock (Fiddler on the Roof)
• Emperor’s Hymn - Haydn Canzon V - Giovanni Gabrieli
• Son. No 3 Detta Del Niccolini - Girolamo Fantini
• “Winter” Largo, Four Seasons - Vivaldi

 

Popular Wedding Songs - Processional Songs

• “Winter” Largo, Four Seasons - Vivaldi
• Oboe Concerto - Handel
• Bridal Chorus - Wagner
• Canon in D - Pachabel
• Overture (From Royal Fireworks Music) - Handel
• Air (From Water Music) - Handel
• Trumpet Voluntary - Jeremiah Clark
• To A Wild Rose - MacDowell
• Pathetique Sonata - Beethoven
• Gymnopedie, No. 1 - Satie

Popular Wedding Songs - Bride’s Entrance Songs

• Bridal Chorus - Wagner
• Canon in D - Pachabel
• Guitar Concerto in D Major - Vivaldi
• “Winter” Largo, Four Seasons - Vivaldi
• Trumpet Voluntary - Jeremiah Clark
• Air (From Water Music) - Handel
• Overture (From Royal Fireworks Music) - Handel
• Canzon V - Giovanni Gabrieli
• See The Conqu’ing Hero - Handel
• Larghetto (From Xerxes) - Handel
• Oboe Concerto - Handel
• Toccata - Monteverdi
• Te Deum - Charpentier
• Sonatas For Organ, OP. 65, No. 3
• Trumpet Tune - Purcell
• Trumptet Concerto in D - Telemann
• Promenade - Mussorgsky
• To A Wild Rose -MacDowell
• Pathetique Sonata - Beethoven Gymnopedie, No. 1 - Satie

Popular Wedidng Songs - Recessional Songs

• Hallelujah Chorus - Handel Ode To Joy - Beethoven
• Autumn - Four Seasons - Vivaldi
• First Movement from Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F - J.S. Bach
• Hornpipe (From Water Music) - Handel
• La Rejouissance (From Royal Fireworks Music) - Handel
• Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (From Soloman) - Handel
• Sonata in G - Tartini

Popular Wedding Songs - First Dance Songs

• Amazed - Lonestar
• From This Moment - Shania Twan & Bryan White
• At Last - Etta James
• When You Say Nothing At All - Allison Krause
• All My Life - K-Ci & Jojo
• I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You - Savage Garden
• Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
• It’s Your Love - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
• My Best Friend - Tim McGraw
• You’re The First, The Last, My Everything - Barry White
• Cross My Heart - George Straight
• Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra
• Could Not Ask For More - Edwin McCain Messenger
• Spend My Life With You - Eric Benet & Tamia
• When I Said I Do - Clint Black & Lisa Hartman-Black
• Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith/Mark Chestnutt
• True Companion - Marc Cohen
• Here and Now - Luther Vandross
• Everything I Do - Bryan Adams
• What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
• I Finally Found Someone - Barbra Striesand & Bryan Adams
• Truly, Madly, Deeply - Savage Garden
• You Had Me At Hello - Kenny Chesney
• Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers
• Could I Have This Dance - Anne Murray
• It Had To Be You - Harry Connick, Jr.
• I Do, Cherish You - 98 Degrees/Mark Wills
• Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion
• To Make You Feel My Love - Garth Brooks
• Unforgettable - Natalie Cole
• Keeper Of The Stars - Tracy Byrd
• Endless Love - Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
• Breathe - Faith Hill
• You and I - Eddie Rabbitt & Crystal Gayle
• Love of a Lifetime - Firehouse
• All The Way - Celine Dion & Frank Sinatra
• Valentine - Martina McBride & Jim Brickman
• For You - Kenny Lattimore
• In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
• When I Fall In Love - Natalie Cole
• You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
• Always & Forever - Heatwave
• Love Of My Life - Jim Brickman
• Give Me Forever - John Tesh & James Ingram
• Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart
• I Swear - John Michael Montgomery
• Just The Way You Are - Billy Joel
• Love Of My Life - Sammy Kershaw
• Angel Eyes - Jeff Healy Band
• Into The Mystic - Van Morrison

First Dance Songs - Something Different

• You Are the Best Thing - Ray Lamontagne
• Trouble - Ray Lamontagne
• Question - Old 97’s

Our list of R&B Wedding Songs has even more great first dance songs!

Popular Wedding Songs - Father/Daughter Dance Songs

Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion

Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle

Daddy’s Hands - Holly Dunn

Daddy’s Little Girl - Al Martino

Daughter of Mine - John McDermott

Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart

Isn’t She Lovely - Stevie Wonder

Hero - Mariah Carey

My Girl - Temptations

My Special Angel - Bobby Helms

Sunrise Sunset - Fiddler On The Roof

The Men In My Little Girl’s Life - Mike Douglas

Through The Years - Kenny Rogers

Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler

Turn Around - Harry Balafonte

Wild World - Cat Stevens

I Wish You Love - Dean Martin

Father Daughter Dance Songs - Something Different

• Forever Young - Bob Dylan
• Sweet Child O’ Mine - Guns N’ Roses (or Cheryl Crow version)
• Changes - Ozzy Osbourne

Popular Wedding Songs - Mother/Son Dance Songs

• A Song For My Son - Bobby Morganstein
• A Song For Mama - Boyz II Men
• Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion
• I Am Your Child - Barry Manilow
• I Wish You Love - Natalie Cole
• Through The Years - Kenny Rogers
• Times of Your Life - Paul Anka
• You’re The Inspiration - Chicago
• What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
• Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler

Popular Wedding Songs - Cake Cutting Songs

• Chapel Of Love - Dixie Cups
• Cut The Cake - Average White Band
• Cuts Like A Knife - Bryan Adams
• Eat It - Wierd Al Yankovic
• Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benetar
• Happy Together - Turtles
 
• How Sweet It Is - James Taylor
• I Got You Babe - Sonny & Cher
• Jaws Theme - John Williams
• Love & Marriage - Frank Sinatra
• Love Me Tender - Elvis
 
• Recipe For Love - Harry Connick, Jr.
• Sugar Sugar - Archies

Popular Wedding Songs - Bouquet Toss/Garter Removal Songs

• Ladies Night - Kool & The Gang
• Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
• It’s Raining Men - Weather Girls
• Another One Bites The Dust - Queen Bad Boys - Inner Circle
• Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood
• Do Ya Think I’m Sexy - Rod Stewart
• I’m Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
• Jeopardy Theme
• Legs - ZZ Top
• Macho Man - Village People
• Man, I Feel Like A Woman - Shania Twain
• Pretty Woman - Roy Orbinson
• Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
• You Can Leave Your Hat On - Joe Cocker/Tom Jones
• You Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate
• Talk Dirty To Me - Poison
• Naughty Naughty - John Parr
• Oh Yeah - Yello
• Mission Impossible Theme

Popular Wedding Songs - Last Dance Songs

• As Times Go By - Jimmy Durante
• Goodnight Sweetheart - Spaniels
• Always & Forever - Heatwave
• Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) - Green Day
• Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles
• I’ve Had The Time Of My Live - B. Medley/J. Warnes
• Joy To The World - Three Dog Night
• Let’s Get It On - Marvin Gaye
• My Way - Frank Sinatra
• Save The Best For Last- Vanessa Williams
• The Last Dance - Frank Sinatra
• That’s What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick
• Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
• Last Dance - Donna Summer
• Na Na Hey Hey - Steam
• Theme From New York, New York (Remastered Album Version) [The Frank Sinatra Collection]
• Taking You Home (LP Version)
• Summer Wind (Remastered Album Version) [The Frank Sinatra Collection]
• What A Wonderful World
• Times Of Your Life

Worst Wedding Songs

You may want to pass by these songs when putting together your wedding playlist.  Not only are most of them cheesy and grossly overplayed at weddings, some contain lyrics that are completely inappropriate for a wedding.  Don’t let these bad wedding songs happen to you!

• Chicken Dance - Our Take: Nothing about a wedding screams “flap your arms and pretend to be a chicken.”  Nothing. No one likes this dance, we promise.
• YMCA - The Village People.  Our Take: Most people look ridiculous attempting to spell out the letters.
• Shout - Isley Brothers. Our Take: One of the most overplayed songs at a wedding reception.  Please be original and leave this off your play list.
• Macarena - Del Rio.  Our Take: As a general rule, songs that promote a form of line dancing should be reserved for bad karaoke bars.
• Electric Slide - Our Take: See previous response.
• Celebration - Kool and the Gang. Our Take: Again, grossly overplayed.
• Hot, Hot, Hot - Buster Poindexter. Our Take: So not hot!
• Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion. Our Take: Leave the Titanic song off the playlist unless you want to leave the impression that your marriage is a sinking ship.
• Gold Digger - Kanye West. Our Take: Jaws drop, the dance floor clears, and the first official fight between the bride and groom commences
• D-I-V-O-R-C-E - Tammy Wynette. Our Take: Seriously?

Got any to add to the list?  Care to defend any of our bad wedding song choices? We’d love to hear from you! Send us an email - (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)