Choosing appropriate wedding songs for your wedding can be something of a headache. For many couples it is finding songs which are appropriate to the occasion and which are a reflection of their own style and personality.

Of course the more popular wedding songs are love songs and traditional music compositions. But much can depend on the style of your wedding. A civil wedding ceremony should not have music with any kind of religious reference to it, whilst a religious ceremony may have restrictions placed upon it as to the style of music which can be played.

Love songs are often the most popular choice, as long as they are not sad or somber. Many couples will choose a song which has some particular significance to them, perhaps the song that played when they first met or when he proposed! Typically the song which has the most significance to them personally will be saved for the first dance.

Classical music is popular for religious weddings and also as recessional music when the couple walks back up the aisle after the ceremony. It is also a good choice for your cocktail hour or as background music during the wedding breakfast.

Hymns are the music of choice for a religious ceremony and your wedding officiant will likely direct you to favorite hymns or a list of those approved for weddings. You may have favorite hymns yourselves, but it is important to make sure the venue are happy with them and that your guests are likely to know them. Choosing a hymn which no one knows can make your ceremony sound a little flat!

Instrumental music is a good choice for your cocktail hour and wedding breakfast and is an ideal alternative to classical music. There are a lot of instrumental covers available of popular tracks and many compilation albums to choose from.

Finally, when it comes to your evening entertainment many couples will choose a DJ and disco combination or a live band. Your evening entertainment can be different in style to that of the rest of your wedding, it is after all a party so you can let loose with your choices! But one tip is to try to include something for everyone. If you have a particular taste in music which may not be everyone’s cup of tea then it is best to play only a couple of tracks and choose sings from popular genres for the rest of the playlist.

You will want all your guests to have a good time and to stay and dance the night away. A good DJ will know what to play and when, to keep everyone in the party mood, whilst hiring a cover band who can play music from across a range of genres is a better idea than hiring one who can only play one type of music.

Typically wedding songs will fall into one of two categories – traditional and modern. These day’s couples like to opt for a mixture of the two, however choosing the right blend of songs for a wedding can be a time consuming and overwhelming task!

Typically you will need to choose wedding songs for the following elements of your wedding:

• The ceremony – recessional, processional, during the service, signing of the register and background music as guests enter and leave the venue
• The cocktail hour – background music
• The wedding breakfast – background music
• Cutting of the wedding cake
• First dance
• Father/daughter dance
• Mother/son dance
• Evening entertainment
• Last dance

How you choose to play this music depends on your venue, your budget and your choice of wedding songs, but it is always worth talking to your ceremony and reception venues about your choices and how the can best be played.

Popular wedding songs include some of the following titles:

Traditional Wedding Songs:

• Adagio for Strings – Samuel Barber
• Air on a G String – J S Bach
• Sheep May Safely Graze – J S Bach
• Bridal Chorus – Richard Wagner
• The Prince of Denmark’s March – Jeremiah Clarke
• Trumpet Voluntary – Jeremiah Clarke
• Hallelujah Chorus – George F Handel
• Ode to Joy – Beethoven
• Wedding March – Felix Mendelssohn
• Ave Maria – Schubert
• Clair de Lune – Claude Debussy
• Romanza – Beethoven
• A Groovy Kind of Love – Phil Collins
• All the Way – Frank Sinatra
• Love Me Tender – Elvis Presely

Contemporary Wedding Songs:

• Angel Eyes – Jim Brickman
• Circle of Life – Elton John
• Evergreen – Barbara Streisand
• Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison
• Take My Breath Away – Berlin
• Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
• Beautiful Day – U2
• From This Moment On – Cole Porter
• Lovely Day - Bill Withers
• Annie’s Song – John Denver
• Grow Old With Me – John Lennon
• The Prayer – Andreas Bocelli and Celine Dion
• Ain’t No Stopping Us Now – Mcfadden and Whitehead
• Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
• Just the Two of Us – Grover Washington Jr

And if you want wedding songs that will keep the evening party going all night long, then look for tracks by the following:

• Abba
• Barry White
• The Beatles
• The Bee Gees
• Elvis Presley
• Frank Sinatra
• Gloria Gaynor
• Kylie Minogue
• Lionel Ritchie
• Madonna
• Michael Jackson
• Robbie Williams
• Rolling Stones
• Scissor Sisters
• Take That
• Tom Jones
• UB40