Acoustic wedding ceremony songs

Guest seating, sometimes called the prelude, usually runs 20 to 30 minutes. Guests are finding seats and saying hello, so the music should be warm and familiar without asking for attention. Mid-tempo songs work better than slow ballads here, which are worth saving for the walk.

• Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles
• Banana Pancakes, Jack Johnson
• Better Together, Jack Johnson
• Harvest Moon, Neil Young
• Fly Me to the Moon, Frank Sinatra
• La Vie en Rose, Édith Piaf
• Moon River, Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer
• Lucky, Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat
• Yellow, Coldplay
• Sea of Love, Phil Phillips (also loved in Cat Power's version)
• Into the Mystic, Van Morrison
• Your Song, Elton John
• You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Stevie Wonder
• River Flows in You, Yiruma (a piano favourite)

For the wedding party

The processional is the walk of your parents, grandparents, wedding party and any flower girls or ring bearers. You want something slow and steady, with a pulse people can walk to without counting. A song with a long, even build works well, because a live player can keep it going until the last person is in place.

• Canon in D, Johann Pachelbel
• Can't Help Falling in Love, Elvis Presley
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
• Bloom, The Paper Kites
• Turning Page, Sleeping at Last
• I Choose You, Sara Bareilles
• Marry Me, Train
• In My Life, The Beatles
• Make You Feel My Love, Bob Dylan (and Adele's version)
• First Day of My Life, Bright Eyes
• Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen (and Jeff Buckley's version)

For your entrance

Your entrance deserves its own song, or at least a clear change in the music, so guests know to stand. This is the moment couples most often choose a song that matters to them personally. Instrumental versions of vocal songs work beautifully here: everyone recognises the melody, and nothing competes with the moment.

• Bridal Chorus ("Here Comes the Bride"), Richard Wagner
• Air on the G String, Johann Sebastian Bach
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Johann Sebastian Bach
• A Thousand Years, Christina Perri
• Perfect, Ed Sheeran
• Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran
• All of Me, John Legend
• At Last, Etta James
• Bless the Broken Road, Rascal Flatts
• Tennessee Whiskey, Chris Stapleton

The signing or unity moment

If your ceremony includes signing the register, a unity candle, a sand ceremony or a handfasting, there's usually three to five minutes of quiet that needs music. Gentle songs with meaningful words suit this moment, since guests are sitting and listening.

• The Way You Look Tonight, Frank Sinatra
• Wonderful Tonight, Eric Clapton
• You Are the Best Thing, Ray LaMontagne
• Ho Hey, The Lumineers
• Just the Way You Are, Billy Joel
• My Girl, The Temptations
• Ooo Baby Baby, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
• I and Love and You, The Avett Brothers

The recessional

You're married. The recessional should feel like a release: bright, upbeat and recognisable from the first notes. It's often the most fun song of the ceremony, and it's a good place for a Motown classic.

• Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours, Stevie Wonder
• How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You), Marvin Gaye
• Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
• You Make My Dreams, Daryl Hall and John Oates
• Home, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
• I'm a Believer, The Monkees
• Mr. Blue Sky, Electric Light Orchestra
• Marry You, Bruno Mars
• Walking on Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves
• Best Day of My Life, American Authors
• Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison
• Wedding March, Felix Mendelssohn

Here are more ideas, sorted by the feeling you want in the room.

Classical

• Clair de Lune, Claude Debussy
• Gymnopédie No. 1, Erik Satie
• Spring from The Four Seasons, Antonio Vivaldi
• Prince of Denmark's March (Trumpet Voluntary), Jeremiah Clarke
• Ode to Joy, Ludwig van Beethoven

Classical pieces were mostly written for orchestra, organ or strings, so on guitar or piano they're arrangements. Most of the pieces in this guide adapt well.

Modern pop

• Lover, Taylor Swift
• Love Story, Taylor Swift
• Halo, Beyoncé
• Make You Feel My Love, Adele
• A Thousand Years, Christina Perri

Indie and folk

• Flightless Bird, American Mouth, Iron & Wine
• Such Great Heights, The Postal Service (and Iron & Wine's acoustic version)
• Holocene, Bon Iver
• Rivers and Roads, The Head and the Heart
• Bloom, The Paper Kites

Country

• Die a Happy Man, Thomas Rhett
• Speechless, Dan + Shay
• Then, Brad Paisley
• Amazed, Lonestar
• From This Moment On, Shania Twain
• It's Your Love, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

Motown and Michigan

For a Michigan wedding, a little Detroit in the ceremony is a nice nod to home, and the recessional is the obvious place for it. Our Motown wedding songs guide has more.

• My Cherie Amour, Stevie Wonder
• You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Stevie Wonder
• (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Aretha Franklin
• How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You), Marvin Gaye

Lists are a good start, but the right song for your ceremony usually comes down to a few practical questions.

• Does it have the right pace for walking? Play the song and walk to it at a slow, steady pace. If you find yourself rushing or shuffling, it's better suited to seating or the signing. A live musician can adjust the tempo a little, but a song that's naturally steady will always feel easier.
• Do the words fit? Plenty of popular love songs are really about heartbreak, leaving or regret once you read the lyrics. For seating and the processional, instrumental versions sidestep the problem. For a vocal moment, read the words before you choose.
• Does it fit the place? A Bach piece sounds right in a chapel and a Jack Johnson song sounds right on a lawn, but either can work anywhere with the right arrangement. If you're marrying in a church, ask whether there are rules about secular music during the ceremony; some have them.
• Will it still mean something to you? A song with a story behind it, even a slightly unusual one, often means more years later than the most popular choice on a list.
• Are you saving it for later? If a song is your first dance, think about whether you want it in the ceremony too. Some couples love the echo; others want each moment to have its own song. See first dance songs played live.

Most ceremonies use five to twelve songs. A typical song runs three to four minutes, so you can plan from the length of each moment. These are typical lengths; your timeline, wedding party size and the length of the aisle set the real numbers.

A rough rule for the wedding party: allow about 15 to 20 seconds for each person or pair, plus time for the aisle itself. Ten people walking in pairs on a long outdoor aisle can easily take a full song.

Live ceremony music from Menzo Weddings, added to your DJ and MC booking, means guitar and vocals, or piano. Each suits a different feeling.

• Instrumental guitar is gentle and works almost anywhere, from a lawn to a chapel.
• Guitar and vocals brings the words into the room. It's lovely for the signing or for your entrance, if you want the lyrics heard.
• Piano suits classical pieces and big ballads, and fits venues that have one.

Many couples mix them: instrumental for seating and the processional, vocals for one meaningful moment, then something bright for the recessional.

What changes for an outdoor ceremony in Michigan?

Michigan couples love an outdoor ceremony, on a lawn in Chelsea, under the trees, or overlooking Lake Michigan. A few things to plan for:

• Sound carries less outdoors. Without walls, both the music and the officiant's voice need gentle amplification so the back rows can hear.
• Wind and weather. Up north and by the water, wind can be strong. Ask about a rain plan for the music as well as the chairs.
• Power. Find out where the nearest outlet is to the ceremony spot. A lakeside or field ceremony may be some distance from the building.
• Timing the sun. Summer sunsets in Northern Michigan come after 9 pm, so evening ceremonies stay bright and warm. Midday ceremonies can mean direct sun on guests and musicians.

Our outdoor ceremony sound guide goes into detail. If you're marrying up north, see Northern Michigan weddings. For a farm ceremony near Ann Arbor, see Revel Run and Zingerman's Cornman Farms.

Can a song be learned for your ceremony?

Sometimes the song that means the most to you isn't a typical ceremony song: a band you saw together, a song from your first road trip, a hymn from your grandmother's church. Many live musicians can arrange a requested song for guitar or piano given enough notice, but it depends on the song and the musician, so it's always worth asking early.