Whether you’re going big with a jazz band, DJ or the always-handy Spotify, our guide to wedding playlists will take you through the most important events of your big day.
Picture this: walking down the aisle in your dramatic, floor-sweeping wedding gown to the uplifting strains of Palchabel’s Canon in D – there’d be no dry eyes left in the room! Setting the mood for your big day is crucial; think of your wedding playlist as the soundtrack to the happiest day of your life. Whether you’re going big with a jazz band, DJ or the always-handy Spotify, our guide to wedding playlists will take you through the most important events of your big day, from the tear-jerking ceremony to dinner and the all-important first dance as Man and Wife.
Beach chic
Relaxed and informal, a beach wedding calls for a chilled out, summery music playlist. A walk down a flower-strewn, sandy aisle needs something a little slower and sombre (like Sleeping at Last’s Turning Page), while your grand entrance as a couple can feature upbeat pop ballads (think along the lines of Jason Mraz or Bob Marley AKA the King of island jams). As guests mingle over dinner, lull them with soothing ukulele-backed tracks, and end the night over sundown cocktails, billboard hits and summery tropical house.
- Sleeping at Last – Turning Page
- Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow
- Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
- Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat – Lucky
- Ingrid Michaelson – The Way I Am
- Zee Avi – Just You And Me
- Bob Marley – Could You Be Loved
- Bruno Mars – Marry You
- Duke Dumont – I Got You
- Kav Verhouzer ft. Cooperated Souls – Good When We’re Together
Rustic & folksy
Offbeat, whimsical and totally charming, the rustic wedding is the stuff of every hipster’s dreams. Often intimate, the theme typically revolves around DIY details and nostalgic touches from a simpler time, including typewriters, antique dressers and mason jars. To complement the woodsy, country theme, stick with folksy, indie tunes – we promise they’re a match made in heaven.
- Iron and Wine – Flightless Bird
- The Paper Kites – Bloom
- City and Colour – The girl
- The Lumineers – Flowers In Your Hair
- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Home
- Cat Power – Sea of Love
- DIIV – Under The Sun
- The Chainsmokers – Inside Out
- Kygo ft. Kodaline – Raging
Old Hollywood
This one’s for the old-school brides. Nothing quite says glam like an over-the-top Gatsbyesque, Old Hollywood theme. After all, a little party never killed nobody! A grand wedding as such deserves a breathtaking entrance to the soulful voice of Ol’ Blue Eyes (Frank Sinatra), a first dance to First Lady of Song (Ella Fitzgerald) and big, jazzy numbers to get guests twirling, hopping and jiving like
- Diana Krall – The Look Of Love
- Vintage Jazz Cardigans ft. Haley Reinhart – Lovefool
- Tony Bennett – The Way You Look Tonight
- Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald – They Can’t Take That Away From Me
- Ella Fitzgerald – I’ve Got You Under My Skin
- Van Morrison – Moondance
- Emeli Sandé & The Bryan Ferry Orchestra – Crazy In Love
- Billie Holiday – The Very Thought of You
- Fred Astaire – Puttin’ on the Ritz (Club des Belugas remix)
- Fergie ft Q-Tip, Qoonrock – A Little Party Never Killed Nobody
Modern glamour
Black-tie ballroom wedding more your thing? Unapologetically lush, this sparkly, glamorous theme is all about quality linens, tuxedo-dressed waiters, chandeliers, and draped fabrics. Serenade guests with the likes of sultry Nina Simone and Natalie Cole over cocktail hour and dinner, then switch up to modern jazz jams as the night continues.
- Wedding string quartet – Canon in D
- J. S Bach – Air On a G string
- Melody Gardot – La Vie en Rose
- Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares For Me
- Norah Jones – Love Me Tender
- Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz – The Girl From Ipanema
- Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman – Somethin’ Stupid
- Natalie Cole – Inseparable
- Al Green – Let’s Stay Together
The romantic classics
We’re all for hip indie tunes and soulful jazz but let’s be real – we’re also suckers for (corny) tried-and-true oldies. Whatever your wedding theme, these romantic ballads have spanned generations of weddings; including them in your playlist is mandatory.
- Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack – Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You
- Shania Twain ft. Bryan White – From This Moment On
- Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie – Endless Love
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
- Etta James – At Last
- Ben E. King – Stand By Me
- John Legend – All Of Me
- Lauryn Hill – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
- Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
- K.C and Jojo – All My Life