Photo: Lauren/Abby Ross
Is there a song you’ve always dreamed of walking down the aisle to? Your wedding processional song sets the tone for your ceremony as your wedding party members take their places and you make your grand entrance. While instrumental music like Pachelbel’s Canon in D or Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus” (a.k.a. “Here Comes the Bride”) are traditional choices, you might choose something a little different to express your personality. An instrumental version of a song you love is a great way to set the mood. Also consider whether you want a different song for the bridal processional to punctuate your big moment. (If you decide to go that route, instruct your musicians or DJ to insert a brief pause between each song to help build anticipation for your big entrance!)
A couple of things to consider when selecting music for the processional: the length of your aisle (a wedding ceremony in a large ballroom may require a longer song than a small church, for example) and the number of people in your wedding party. If possible, visit your ceremony venue before the wedding and time how long it takes to walk down the aisle, then adjust it for the number of people in the wedding processional (keep in mind that some attendants may need to walk in pairs). Also, if you’re hiring musicians to perform during the ceremony, it’s important to provide them with your processional song selections well in advance so they have time to learn the music if the songs are not already in their repertoire.
Lastly, don’t forget to arrange a playlist of light music (often called the prelude) for the 15 to 30 minutes before the ceremony begins. The background music will help set the mood for your wedding celebration as your guests begin to arrive and take their seats.
To help inspire your own walk down the aisle, we’ve compiled a list of wedding processional songs that covers a wide spectrum of musical styles and genres.
Country
- “Your Love Amazes Me” by John Berry
- “Me And You” by Kenny Chesney
- “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley
Folk
- “I Walk The Line” by Johnny Cash
- “Quelqu'un m'a dit” by Carla Bruni
- “Moon River” by Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's
- “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
- “Sacred Vision” by Iron and Wine
Indie
- “Can't Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley
- “Heartbeats” by Jose Gonzalez
- “For You” by Sharon Van Etten
- “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” by My Morning Jacket
- “Sea of Love” by Cat Power
- “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds
- “Wedding Song” by Bon Iver
Instrumental
- Canon in D by Pachelbel
- “Appalachia Waltz” by Yo-Yo Ma
- “Bridal Chorus” by Wagner
- “A Thousand Years” by The Piano Guys
- “What Makes You Beautiful” by The Piano Guys
Jazz
- “Strangers in the Night” by Frank Sinatra
- “A Kiss To Build A Dream On” by Louis Armstrong
- “Because Of You” by Tony Bennett
- “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones
Pop
- “Everyday” by Buddy Holly
- “Somewhere Only We Know” by Lily Allen
- “Love” by Matt White
- “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran
- “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
- “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey
- “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz
- “I'm Yours” by Jason Mraz
- “I Choose You” by Sara Bareilles
- “Marry You” by Bruno Mars
- “Rather Be” by Clean Bandit (ft. Jess Glynne)
R&B
- “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys
- “No One” by Alicia Keys
- “Adorn” by Miguel
- “Diamonds” by Rihanna
- “Marry Me” by Jason Derulo
Rock
- “Wedding Song” by Peter, Paul and Mary
- “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley
- “Hoppípolla” by Sigur Rós
- “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap
- “Book of Love” by Peter Gabriel
- “Marry Me” by Train
- “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve
- “Do You Realize” by The Flaming Lips
- “Fields Of Gold” by Sting
- “Here Comes the Sun” by George Harrison
- “I Will” by The Beatles
- “XO” by John Mayer
Soul
- “Chapel of Love” by The Dixie Cups
- “I Say A Little Prayer” by Aretha Franklin
- “Just My Imagination” by The Temptations
- “My Girl” by the Temptations
- “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele
- “All of Me” by John Legend
