Song ideas for your Wedding Ceremony
Picking the song for your Ceremony or first dance at your wedding is a tricky one.
Not only has it got to have the right mood, but you've BOTH got to like it enough to be the song you'll remember most fondly for the rest of your lives! Luckily, there are so many great songs out there, and we wanted to share some of the most requested songs we perform for our wedding clients special moments.
Typically, we will perform the Bridal Entrance song, two songs during the signing of the register and normally the entrance song in full when you and your guests exit from the ceremony, this is known as the wedding recessional song and played after the bride and groom have been announced husband and wife and walk down the aisle after the ceremony is complete.
For the ceremony, we perform acoustic (piano and vocal) in the background during these magical moments, and we utilise a beautiful white piano and white PA system. If you would like a playlist or songs performing ahead of the ceremony, we can organise that too.
Your music choice at a civil or Humanist ceremony must be non-religious (ie not just non-Christian). The 'non-religious' definition is subject to the interpretation of individual Registrars – there's no overall list. Clear your music choices with your Registrar well in advance to avoid any surprises on the day.
PERFECT - ED SHEERAN
Yes, we know Thinking Out Loud is amazing too! These are two totally different songs, but it's hard to pick between them!
Both are beautiful ballads by the modern master, and would work perfectly as a first dance song too!.'Thinking Out Loud' is a tad more funky in the style of Marvin Gaye, while 'Perfect' is a pure love song.
ALL OF ME - JOHN LEGEND
This simple piano-led ballad spells it out perfectly: "all of me, loves all of you".
The song was inspired by John's then-girlfriend Chrissy Teigen, and many couples have found it very special too. It’s one of our most requested songs.
ELTON JOHN - YOUR SONG
"How wonderful life is while you're in the world”.
Such a fantastic ballad about how much someone means to you, even if you can't show it in incredibly huge statements.
A THOUSAND YEARS - CHRISTINA PERRI
“Time has brought your heart to me, and I have loved you, for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more”.
The song was written about the love affair between the characters Edward and Bella from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
MARRY ME - TRAIN
“Marry me, today and every day".
A short, but beautiful song that is huge in the US and the UK.
LITTLE THINGS - ONE DIRECTION
“Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me. But bear this mind it was meant to be”.
Little Things is a mid-tempo pop and folk ballad about the insistence that flaws are what make a person unique and co-written by Ed Sheeran and Fiona Bevan.
SAY YOU WON’T LET GO - JAMES ARTHUR
“I'm so in love with you. And I hope you know. Darling your love is more than worth its weight in gold”.
Another brilliant song, we’ve chosen to feature the acoustic version here for the ceremony blog. However the original would make a great first dance too!
GET HERE - SAM SMITH (OLETA ADAMS COVER)
“I don’t care how you get here, just get here if you can”.
When we heard this version, we knew it was just fantastic. With a change of key, and modernised chord progressions this song just sounds better than ever.
LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO - ELLIE GOULDING
“You're the light, you're the night, You're the colour of my blood. You're the cure, you're the pain. You're the only thing I wanna touch”.
The song talks about the uncontrollable feeling of falling in love and was the soundtrack to Fifty Shades of Grey.
HIGHER AND HIGHER (YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME) - JACKIE WILSON
“And I'll be at your side, forever more”.
Jake and Ian were asked to perform this song at a wedding at Shottle Hall, providing a stripped back version, it turned out so well and not an obvious choice. We slowed it right down you can hear just what a great song this is in any style. It’s one of the greatest songs of all time, it makes people happy and the lyrics are great. We’ve been asked to record this many times, but here’s a snippet of the rehearsal!
YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL - JOE COCKER
“You're everything I hoped for, You're everything I need, You are so beautiful to me”.
Another beautiful piano ballad by Joe Cocker released in 1974, and was utilised in the film Carlito’s Way. Legend surrounding "You are So Beautiful" claims that Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys helped Preston complete it. Wilson received no songwriting credits but he sang this song for many years at Beach Boys concerts. In the video below Jake and Ian are performing it, demonstrating our new PA system for outdoor wedding events.
I WON’T GIVE UP - JASON MRAZ
“I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough, I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up”.
The acoustic folk ballad discusses not giving up on loving someone, loving oneself, and not giving up on one's dreams. It received positive reviews from music critics, who agreed that the song is straightforward, emotional and inspiring.
THE ONE - KODALINE
"The One" is a song by Dublin-based alternative rock quartet Kodaline. The song was released on 12 April 2015 as the second single from the band's second studio album, Coming Up for Air (2015). This has become one of our most requested first dance songs for 2020! We’ve chosen to feature Matt Johnson’s version of this song as we’re focussing on your wedding ceremony in this blog, performing a more laid back version of it like this would be just perfect!