Photo credit: TopWeddingPros.com
Thanks to movies and TV shows, most of us learned the tune to “Here comes the bride” (Bridal Chorus from “Lohengrin”) at a young age. But if you’ve never actually attended a wedding ceremony, you may not know what other songs to play during your big day. We’re here to help!
After reaching out to some of our top wedding musicians, we’ve compiled a list of both classic staples and more modern tunes that can make your wedding magical. Take a look:
Classic Ceremony Choices
- Canon in D - Johann Pachelbel
- Wedding March (from The Marriage of Figaro) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Grand March (from Aida) – Giuseppe Verdi
- Bridal Chorus (from Lohengrin) – Richard Wagner
- Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring – Johann Sebastian Bach
- Air (from Water Music Suite) – George Frederic Handel
- Te Deum (Prelude) – Marc-Antoine Charpentier
- Ave Maria - Johann Sebastian Bach/Charles Gounod
- Trumpet Voluntary – Jeremiah Clarke
- Procession of Joy – Hal Hopson
Modern Day Music
- Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
- Yellow - Coldplay
- A Thousand Years - Christina Perri
- Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
- I’ll Stand By You – The Pretenders
- Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars
- The Luckiest – Ben Folds
- Make You Feel My Love – Bob Dylan/Adele
- Happy Together – The Turtles
- Flightless Bird, American Mouth – Iron & Wine
While you may opt to stick with the classics for the processional, these more modern tunes are great to have musicians play while guests are being seated, or while they leave. (We personally think “Happy Together” makes the perfect upbeat exit tune!) Having a diverse ceremony music repertoire will certainly bring a unique touch to your special day.
You now have the perfect playlist, so make sure you have a wonderful entertainer to match! Visit GigMasters to find the best string quartet, violinist, harpist and more, for your wedding ceremony.
Suggest any other ceremony songs? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
