The Complete Wedding Song List: Processional to Last Dance

A complete wedding song list covers about ten moments: prelude, processional, bride's entrance, recessional, cocktail hour, grand entrance, first dance, parent dances, cake cutting, open dancing and the last dance. You only need to choose a handful of songs yourself, usually the processional, first dance, parent dances and last dance, and give your DJ a short list of must plays and do not plays for the rest. Below are proven picks for each moment, organized so you can scan and choose.

How many songs do you actually need to pick?

Fewer than you think. A four hour reception uses roughly 60 to 80 songs, and trying to pick all of them yourself tends to backfire, because the room changes as the night goes on. Here is what we suggest choosing:

• Ceremony: processional, bride's or second partner's entrance, recessional (3 songs).
• Reception moments: grand entrance, first dance, parent dances, cake cutting, last dance (5 to 7 songs).
• Must plays: 10 to 20 songs you would be sad not to hear.
• Do not plays: as many as you like. This list is just as useful.

Ceremony songs

Prelude (while guests are seated)

Soft, instrumental or acoustic music that sets a mood without drawing attention. String covers of pop songs are popular because guests recognize the melody halfway through.

• "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy
• "Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel
• "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley (instrumental cover)
• "Yellow" by Coldplay (string cover)
• "La Vie en Rose" by Louis Armstrong

Processional

• "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri
• "Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel
• "Bloom" by The Paper Kites
• "Marry Me" by Train
• "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Bride's or partner's entrance

• "Bridal Chorus" by Richard Wagner
• "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran
• "Turning Page" by Sleeping at Last
• "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles
• "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele

Recessional

This is the first celebration moment of the day, so go upbeat.

• "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" by Stevie Wonder
• "Happy Together" by The Turtles
• "Best Day of My Life" by American Authors
• "You Make My Dreams" by Daryl Hall and John Oates
• "Wedding March" by Felix Mendelssohn

Cocktail hour songs

Cocktail hour is background music for conversation. Think mid tempo, warm and familiar: soul, jazz standards, acoustic pop and light R&B.

• "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra
• "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5
• "Valerie" by Amy Winehouse
• "Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson
• "Golden" by Harry Styles
• "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae

Grand entrance songs

High energy and recognizable within the first few seconds, so the room starts clapping before you walk in.

• "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé featuring Jay Z
• "Can't Stop the Feeling!" by Justin Timberlake
• "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
• "Love on Top" by Beyoncé
• "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers

First dance songs

Pick a song you both love, then listen to the whole thing. Some favorites have a long intro or a lyric that does not fit the moment. Most couples dance for two to three minutes, and your DJ can fade the song early.

Parent dance songs

Father and daughter

• "My Girl" by The Temptations
• "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder
• "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw
• "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle

Mother and son

• "A Song for Mama" by Boyz II Men
• "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
• "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban
• "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Some couples combine both parent dances into one song to save time. Halfway through, the MC invites the other parents to join, which keeps the moment short and includes everyone.

Cake cutting songs

• "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies
• "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard
• "Sugar" by Maroon 5
• "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" by Marvin Gaye

Dance floor songs that work across generations

The best dance floors mix eras. Grandparents dance to Motown, parents to disco and 80s, and your friends to throwbacks and current hits. These are dependable crowd pleasers across many age groups:

Your do not play list matters as much as your must plays. If a line dance makes you cringe, say so, and your DJ will steer around it even when a guest requests it.

Last dance songs

Couples split between a slow, sentimental close and an all hands singalong. Both work. Choose the one that matches how you want the night to feel when the lights come up.

• "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey
• "Closing Time" by Semisonic
• "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond
• "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
• "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas
• "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton

How to hand your list to your DJ

Send your song choices before your planning call, labeled by moment, along with the exact version you want (live, acoustic, radio edit or remix). Mention any songs with family meaning, and anything that should only be played clean. At EMP Created, every package includes a planning call where we go through your must plays, do not plays and special moments, then we read the room for everything else. See what each package covers on our wedding packages page.

Once your songs are picked, map them to your schedule with our sample wedding reception timeline.

Frequently asked questions