Every bride walking down the aisle is a picture of beauty and grace. The memory of it also becomes one of the most cherished for the bride and their partner. Nothing completes the magical moment more than the right music.
Recorded music or live music?
When it comes to music for the bridal entrance, live music is the gold standard. But that’s not to say that recorded music is a no-go. In fact, many of the songs on the list we will share below already sound great as their recorded versions, with or without lyrics. For recorded instrumentals of modern songs to walk down the aisle to, check out Vitamin String Quartet — they’re awesome. If you choose to go with recorded music, just make sure of the following:
- Use a high-quality copy of the music you want.
- Test if the music sounds great on the audio system at your venue.
- Rehearse! So you’ll know exactly when to start and cut off the music.
If you were to choose live music for only one or two parts of your wedding, we suggest the bridal march being one of them. In addition to making your entrance feel more special, live music adds a tenor of elegance to the event and perfect timing for the actual procession.
Oftentimes, the procession doesn’t go exactly as planned. A flower girl might take her time walking down the aisle. Or you might feel very emotional and want to slow down to savor the moment. A good live musician can watch out for these things and adjust accordingly, preserving the perfection of the day.
Instrumental music for the bridal march
In traditional church weddings in the past, the Bridal Chorus on pipe organ is the norm. Thankfully, there are plenty of options now. Here are some of our favorites:
Pachelbel’s Canon in D is a favorite for a reason. It’s a moving piece of music whether by a string trio or quartet, a solo harpist, pianist, or both. Many musicians also have this in their repertoire so you’ll never struggle to find one who plays it well.
If you’re a Disney fan but don’t want the full song on your wedding ceremony, Beauty and the Beast played by a string quartet sounds beautiful. Another Disney favorite that’s great for the wedding procession is Can You Feel the Love Tonight on piano.
Perfectly sweet and sentimental, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s mashup of Over the Rainbow/Wonderful Word captures what weddings are all about. We love that this song can be played on so many instruments including an acoustic guitar, violin, piano, and others.
Hiring a wedding singer for the processional
If there’s a special song with lyrics you’ll love to hear as you walk toward the love of your life, then you can hire a vocalist to sing your wedding processional song. Wedding singers often have another musician that they closely work with so be prepared to hire a duo or a trio.
Elvis fans or not, plenty of couples request Can’t Help Falling In Love With You. It’s tender and romantic, and everyone loves it.
At Last by Etta James is another favorite for the wedding entrance (and first dance!). If you want male vocals for your walk down the aisle, 8(circle) by Bon Iver and March by Justin Vernon are emotional, raw, and have the perfect tempo.
How many songs do I need for the wedding entrance?
The entire wedding entourage usually takes three minutes to walk down the aisle to their places. That’s about one song. If you decide on instrumentals for your wedding entrance, you can ask your musicians to play the best parts of three or four songs to complete the procession. If you don’t think that’s enough time to hear all the favorite wedding songs that you’ve been curating for years, probably. Don’t worry — you can have the musicians play them at the recessional 😉
Now the fun part — choosing a song! A lot of couples we’ve worked with already have a song in mind before they even come to us. However, they’re not always sure what kind of musician will perform their song best. Or sometimes, they realize that they’re no longer in love with their initial choice.
To help you decide yours, here are 24 songs that have been requested from us quite often (and a Spotify playlist you can tune in to as well!)
At Last – Etta James
Canon in D – Pachelbel
Beauty and the Beast – Celine Dion
Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John
Rainbow/Wonderful World – Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
All of Me – John Legend
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
Can’t help falling in Love – Elvis Presley
Marry Me – Train
Halo – Beyonce
I Choose You – Sara Bareilles
I Get To Love You – Ruelle
Love Me Like you Do – Ellie Goulding
Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
Still Falling for You – Ellie Goulding
How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
Lucky – Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat
I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
Come Away with Me – Norah Jones
You Give Me Something – James Morrisson
Time After Time – Eva Cassidy
Begin Again – Taylor Swift
River Flows In You – Yiruma
Find your wedding musicians at CW Productions
It’s never too early to start planning your wedding ceremony. If you have questions about whether your favorite song will work for the wedding procession, or what kind of music can you play for the recessional and cocktail hour, hit us up! Just fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch with you in 48 hours. CW Productions has transformed hundreds of weddings with incredible live music.