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You may have picked the dress. You may have booked the venue. You may even know what people will eat at the reception. However, when you walk down the aisle, do you know what music will be playing? If not, then you need to peruse our list of the top 50 ceremonial processional songs of 2016.
What Are Wedding Processional Songs?
The processional is the entrance of the bridal party during the wedding ceremony. The nature of the processional can vary substantially. In some cases, the processional is extended with family members, flower girls and groomsmen. Smaller weddings may simply feature the bridesmaids. The culmination of the processional, however, is always the same. It ends with the appearance of the bride. The music that plays during the processional adds interest to the ceremony, setting the tone for the wedding.
Choosing Processional Songs
Ceremonial processional songs are a reflection of the couple’s personal tastes and the overall theme of the wedding. When thinking about wedding processional songs, consider the musicality of each piece. Is it slow? Does it have a strong beat? Are there lyrics? You should pick a song that represents your personality as a couple.
Current Song Trends
Processional choices are as varied as couples themselves! There are newer pieces from artists like John Legend and Adele, but classic favorites from the Beatles and Elvis Presley are also on the list. Some choices are thematically on the nose like Train’s “Marry Me” or “Marry You” by Bruno Mars. Christina Perri’s ballad “A Thousand Years” earned the second spot this year thanks to its breathy style and lyrical content.
You can go country with Rascal Flatts, or you can infuse the ceremony with a bit of hip hop with “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. Even though the Beatles are oldies, their music still resonates. Three songs from the iconic group are on the list this year. John Legend, Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat also made out well with two songs in the top 50 a piece.
Top 50 Most Popular Wedding Processional Songs of 2016
- Marry Me by Train
- A Thousand Years by Christina Perry
- Canon in D by The O’Neill Brothers
- Somewhere Over The Rainbow & What A Wonderful World By Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole
- All of Me by John Legend
- Marry You by Bruno Mars
- All You Need Is Love by The Beatles
- I Do by Colbi Callait
- I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz
- Make You Feel My Love by Adele
- Ho Hey by The Lumineers
- Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve
- I Choose You by Sara Bareilles
- First Day Of My Life by Bright Eyes
- Bless The Broken Road by Rascal Flatts
- Best Day Of My Life by American Authors
- Everything by Michael Buble
- Chapel of Love by Dixie Cups
- So High by John Legend
- You & Me by Dave Matthews Band
- Hey Pretty Girl by Kip Moore
- Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Callat
- Here Comes The Sun by THe Beatles
- Angel Eyes by Jim Brickman
- Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
- Me And You by Kenny Chesney
- Only Time by Enya
- The Luckiest by Ben Folds
- Come To Me by The Goo Goo Dolls
- Better Together by Jack Johnson
- Happy by Pharrell Williams
- The Prayer by Celine Dion and Andrea Boccelli
- How Long Will I Love You (Bonus Track) by Ellie Goulding
- At Last by Etta James
- Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
- When You Say Nothing At All by Alison Krauss & Union Station
- Just Breathe by Pearl Jam
- Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley
- Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers
- Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
- Hoppipolla by The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
- Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap
- Mama’s Song by Carrie Underwood
- Making Memories Of Us by Keith Urban
- Everything I Do, I Do For You by Bryan Adams
- I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith
- God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
- Blackbird by The Beatles
- Beautiful Day by U2
- Love You Madly by Cake
How the Analysis Works
This list was meticulously compiled by going through a database of 250+ wedding playlists created by couples with the help of professional wedding DJs. Then, after looking through all the songs, we ranked each one by how often it was chosen to be part of the processional. The top 50 choices are featured to make choosing processional songs easy.
About the Author
George Wainwright has been a DJ since 1988 and is the owner of Coastal DJ & Video, a team of DJs, MCs, and videographers serving pretty much all of NC. His music favorites include Beach Classics, Old School, Disco, Top 40, and Club.
