The wedding reception is a momentous celebration, a time when loved ones come together to share in the joy of the newlyweds’ union.
One of the key elements that can truly elevate the atmosphere of a wedding reception is the choice of music. Whether it’s creating the perfect ambiance during dinner or getting everyone on the dance floor, the right music can make all the difference.
Wedding Reception Music Playlist
Here are 57 Must Have Wedding Reception Tracks on your Music Playlist.
“All of Me” – John Legend
Snippet: “Cause all of me loves all of you, love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections.”
“A Thousand Years” – Christina Perri
Snippet: “Darling, don’t be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more.”
“Marry You” – Bruno Mars
Snippet: “It’s a beautiful night, we’re looking for something dumb to do, hey baby, I think I wanna marry you.”
“Perfect” – Ed Sheeran
Snippet: “Darling, just hold my hand, be my girl, I’ll be your man, I see my future in your eyes.”
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” – Elvis Presley
Snippet: “Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can’t help falling in love with you.”
“At Last” – Etta James
Snippet: “And here we are in heaven, for you are mine at last.”
“Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran
Snippet: “So, honey, now, take me into your loving arms, kiss me under the light of a thousand stars.”
“I Will Always Love You” – Whitney Houston
Snippet: “And I will always love you, I will always love you.”
“Unchained Melody” – The Righteous Brothers
Snippet: “Time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much, are you still mine? I need your love, I need your love, God speed your love to me.”
“All You Need Is Love” – The Beatles
Snippet: “All you need is love, all you need is love, all you need is love, love, love is all you need.”
“Stand by Me” – Ben E. King
Snippet: “So darlin’, darlin’, stand by me, oh, stand by me, oh, stand, stand by me.”
“Your Song” – Elton John
Snippet: “And you can tell everybody this is your song, it may be quite simple, but now that it’s done, I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is while you’re in the world.”
“Make You Feel My Love” – Adele
Snippet: “I could make you happy, make your dreams come true, nothing that I wouldn’t do, go to the ends of the Earth for you.”
“Isn’t She Lovely” – Stevie Wonder
Snippet: “Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderful? Isn’t she precious?”
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” – Aerosmith
Snippet: “I don’t want to close my eyes, I don’t want to fall asleep, ’cause I’d miss you, babe, and I don’t want to miss a thing.”
“Wonderful Tonight” – Eric Clapton
Snippet: “And I say, ‘Yes, you look wonderful tonight.'”
“Just the Way You Are” – Bruno Mars
Snippet: “When I see your face, there’s not a thing that I would change, ’cause you’re amazing just the way you are.”
“Love Me Like You Do” – Ellie Goulding
Snippet: “You’re the light, you’re the night, you’re the color of my blood, you’re the cure, you’re the pain, you’re the only thing I wanna touch.”
“You Are the Best Thing” – Ray LaMontagne
Snippet: “Baby, we’ve come a long way, and, baby, you know I hope and I pray that you believe me when I say this love will never fade away.”
“L-O-V-E” – Nat King Cole
Snippet: “Love is all that I can give to you, love is more than just a game for two.”
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” – Queen
Snippet: “This thing (this thing) called love, I just can’t handle it.”
“Chasing Cars” – Snow Patrol
Snippet: “If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?”
“I’m Yours” – Jason Mraz
Snippet: “So, I won’t hesitate no more, no more, it cannot wait, I’m yours.”
“How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” – James Taylor
Snippet: “With sweet love and devotion, deeply touching my emotion, I want to stop and thank you, baby.”
“Everything” – Michael Bublé
Snippet: “You’re a falling star, you’re the getaway car, you’re the line in the sand when I go too far.”
“Endless Love” – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
Snippet: “Two hearts, two hearts that beat as one, our lives have just begun.”
“Stand by Your Man” – Tammy Wynette
Snippet: “Stand by your man, give him two arms to cling to, and something warm to come to when nights are cold and lonely.”
“What a Wonderful World” – Louis Armstrong
Snippet: “I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom for me and you.”
“I Say a Little Prayer” – Aretha Franklin
Snippet: “Forever and ever, you’ll stay in my heart and I will love you forever and ever, we never will part.”
“You’re My Best Friend” – Queen
Snippet: “You’re my sunshine and I want you to know that my feelings are true, I really love you.”
“I Just Called to Say I Love You” – Stevie Wonder
Snippet: “I just called to say I love you, I just called to say how much I care.”
“The Way You Look Tonight” – Frank Sinatra
Snippet: “Some day, when I’m awfully low, when the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you.”
“I Do” – Colbie Caillat
Snippet: “It’s always better when we’re together, somewhere in between together.”
“All My Life” – K-Ci & JoJo
Snippet: “All my life, I prayed for someone like you, and I thank God that I, that I finally found you.”
“Kiss Me” – Sixpence None The Richer
Snippet: “Kiss me beneath the milky twilight, lead me out on the moonlit floor.”
“Truly Madly Deeply” – Savage Garden
Snippet: “I wanna stand with you on a mountain, I wanna bathe with you in the sea.”
“Time After Time” – Cyndi Lauper
Snippet: “If you’re lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time.”
“I Will Follow You into the Dark” – Death Cab for Cutie
Snippet: “If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the no’s on their vacancy signs.”
“Melt with You” – Modern English
Snippet: “I’ll stop the world and melt with you, you’ve seen the difference and it’s getting better all the time.”
“You Are So Beautiful” – Joe Cocker
Snippet: “You’re everything I hope for, you’re everything I need, you are so beautiful to me.”
“Bless the Broken Road” – Rascal Flatts
Snippet: “Every long lost dream led me to where you are, others who broke my heart, they were like Northern stars, pointing me on my way into your loving arms. This much I know is true /That God blessed the broken road. That led me straight to you”
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” – The Beatles
Snippet: “Oh, please, say to me, you’ll let me be your man, and please, say to me, you’ll let me hold your hand.”
“Have I Told You Lately” – Rod Stewart
Snippet: “Have I told you lately that I love you? Have I told you there’s no one else above you?”
“You and Me” – Lifehouse
Snippet: “‘Cause it’s you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose.”
“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” – The Proclaimers
Snippet: “And I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, just to be the man who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your door.”
“I Got You Babe” – Sonny & Cher
Snippet: “They say we’re young and we don’t know, we won’t find out until we grow.”
“I Won’t Give Up” – Jason Mraz
Snippet: “I won’t give up on us, even if the skies get rough, I’m giving you all my love.”
“Iris” – Goo Goo Dolls
Snippet: “And I don’t want the world to see me, ’cause I don’t think that they’d understand.”
“When a Man Loves a Woman” – Percy Sledge
Snippet: “When a man loves a woman, can’t keep his mind on nothin’ else, he’d trade the world for a good thing he’s found.”
“She’s Got a Way” – Billy Joel
Snippet: “She’s got a way about her, I don’t know what it is, but I know that I can’t live without her.”
“Stay with Me” – Sam Smith
Snippet: “‘Cause you’re all I need, this ain’t love, it’s clear to see, but, darling, stay with me.”
“The Luckiest” – Ben Folds
Snippet: “And where was I before the day that I first saw your lovely face? Now I see it every day.”
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – Frankie Valli
Snippet: “You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off you.”
“How Deep Is Your Love” – Bee Gees
Snippet: “How deep is your love? How deep is your love? How deep is your love? I really mean to learn.”
“Eternal Flame” – The Bangles
Snippet: “Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling, do you feel my heart beating? Do you understand?”
“Truly” – Lionel Richie
Snippet: “Girl, tell me only this, that I have your heart for always, and you want me by your side.”
“It Had to Be You” – Harry Connick Jr.
Snippet: “For nobody else gave me a thrill, with all your faults, I love you still.”
“When You Say Nothing at All” – Ronan Keating
Snippet: “The smile on your face lets me know that you need me, there’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me.”
“Unforgettable” – Nat King Cole
Snippet: “Unforgettable, in every way, and forevermore, that’s how you’ll stay.”
“All You Need to Know” – Gryffin & Slander ft. Calle Lehmann
Snippet: “It’s all you need to know, that you hold the light, and it’s worth the fight.”
“Latch” – Disclosure ft. Sam Smith
Snippet: “Now I’ve got you in my space, I won’t let go of you, got you shackled in my embrace, I’m latching on to you.”
“Fly Me to the Moon” – Frank Sinatra
Snippet: “Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars, let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars.”
“A Moment Like This” – Kelly Clarkson
Snippet: “Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this.”
“Just the Two of Us” – Bill Withers
Snippet: “Just the two of us, building castles in the sky, just the two of us, you and I.”
“You’re Still the One” – Shania Twain
Snippet: “You’re still the one I run to, the one that I belong to, you’re still the one I want for life.”
“I Cross My Heart” – George Strait
Snippet: “In all the world, you’ll never find a love as true as mine.”
“Crazy Love” – Van Morrison
Snippet: “And when you smile, you bring the sunshine, and I can turn the gray skies to blue.”
“Everything I Do (I Do It for You)” – Bryan Adams
Snippet: “Don’t tell me it’s not worth fighting for, I can’t help it, there’s nothing I want more.”
“You’re Still the One” – Orleans
Snippet: “You’re still the one I run to, the one that I belong to, you’re still the one I want for life.”
“I Finally Found Someone” – Barbra Streisand & Bryan Adams
Snippet: “I finally found someone who knocks me off my feet, I finally found the one who makes me feel complete.”
“I’ll Be” – Edwin McCain
Snippet: “I’ll be your crying shoulder, I’ll be love’s suicide, and I’ll be better when I’m older, I’ll be the greatest fan of your life.”
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” – Haley Reinhart
Snippet: “Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you.”
“I’ll Stand by You” – The Pretenders
Snippet: “When the night falls on you, you don’t know what to do, nothing you confess could make me love you less.”
“L-O-V-E” – Michael Bublé
Snippet: “L is for the way you look at me, O is for the only one I see, V is very, very extraordinary, E is even more than anyone that you adore.”
“I Won’t Let Go” – Rascal Flatts
Snippet: “I will stand by you, I will help you through, when you’ve done all you can do, and you can’t cope.”
“Iris” – Sleeping with Sirens (Cover)
Snippet: “And I don’t want the world to see me, ’cause I don’t think that they’d understand.”
“Amazed” – Lonestar
Snippet: “I don’t know how you do what you do, I’m so in love with you, it just keeps getting better.”
“Say You Won’t Let Go” – James Arthur
Snippet: “I knew I loved you then, but you’d never know, ’cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go.”
“The Power of Love” – Celine Dion
Snippet: “And I will always love you, I will always love you, you, my darling, you.”
“A Whole New World” – Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle
Snippet: “A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view, no one to tell us no or where to go, or say we’re only dreaming.”
“I’ll Be There For You” – The Rembrandts
Snippet: “No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me, seems you’re the only one who knows what it’s like to be me.”
“You’ve Got a Friend” – James Taylor
Snippet: “You just call out my name, and you know, wherever I am, I’ll come running to see you again.”
“From This Moment On” – Shania Twain ft. Bryan White
Snippet: “From this moment, as long as I live, I will love you, I promise you this.”
“Just in Time” – Dean Martin
Snippet: “Just in time, I found you just in time, before you came, my time was running low.”
“Love Story” – Taylor Swift
Snippet: “Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone, I’ll be waiting, all that’s left to do is run.”
“Come Away with Me” – Norah Jones
Snippet: “Come away with me, and I’ll never stop loving you.”
“Unchained Melody” – Il Divo
Snippet: “Time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much, are you still mine? I need your love, I need your love, God speed your love to me.”
“You Raise Me Up” – Josh Groban
Snippet: “You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains, you raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.”
“Something” – The Beatles
Snippet: “Something in the way she moves attracts me like no other lover.”
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – Andy Williams
Snippet: “You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off you.”
“Just Like Heaven” – The Cure
Snippet: “You, soft and only, you, lost and lonely, you, strange as angels, dancing in the deepest oceans.”
“Lovesong” – Adele (The Cure Cover)
Snippet: “Whenever I’m alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again.”
“You Are the Sunshine of My Life” – Stevie Wonder
Snippet: “You are the sunshine of my life, that’s why I’ll always stay around.”
“For Once in My Life” – Stevie Wonder
Snippet: “For once in my life, I have someone who needs me, someone I’ve needed so long.”
“Endless Love” – Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey
Snippet: “My love, there’s only you in my life, the only thing that’s right.”
“Just Breathe” – Pearl Jam
Snippet: “Yeah, I’m a lucky man, to count on both hands the ones I love.”
“Just the Way You Are” – Billy Joel
Snippet: “I said I love you, and that’s forever, and this I promise from the heart.”
“How Would You Feel (Paean)” – Ed Sheeran
Snippet: “How would you feel if I told you I loved you? It’s just something that I want to do.”
“Everything I Own” – Bread
Snippet: “You sheltered me from harm, kept me warm, kept me warm, you gave my life to me, set me free, set me free.”
“I Will” – The Beatles
Snippet: “Love you forever and forever, love you with all my heart, love you whenever we’re together, love you when we’re apart.”
“You’re Still the One” – Shania Twain
Snippet: “Looks like we made it, look how far we’ve come, my baby.”
“Heaven” – Bryan Adams
Snippet: “Oh, thinkin’ about all our younger years, there was only you and me.”
“A Sky Full of Stars” – Coldplay
Snippet: “‘Cause you’re a sky, ’cause you’re a sky full of stars, I’m gonna give you my heart.”
Creating your playlist
Here are some valuable tips and advice on selecting and arranging wedding reception music to make it an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
1. Start with the Basics: Before diving into the selection process, determine the key moments where music will play a role during the reception. These typically include the entrance of the wedding party, the couple’s first dance, the father-daughter and mother-son dances, dinner music, and, of course, the dance party.
2. Consider Your Personal Tastes: The music you choose should reflect your personalities as a couple. Think about songs that hold special meaning for both of you or those that mark memorable moments in your relationship. Including personal touches will make the reception even more meaningful and heartfelt.
3. Read the Room: Remember that your wedding reception is a gathering of family and friends with varying musical tastes and preferences. Mix up the genres to appeal to a wide range of guests, ensuring that everyone feels included and engaged throughout the evening.
4. Hire a Professional DJ or Band: Enlist the services of a professional DJ or live band with experience in wedding receptions. They can read the crowd, maintain the energy, and smoothly transition between different parts of the event. A skilled DJ or band can also take requests from guests, ensuring a lively and interactive atmosphere.
5. Plan a Dance-Floor Playlist: Compile a list of must-play songs that you want to hear during the dance party. Share this list with your DJ or band in advance so they can incorporate your favorites into the playlist. Additionally, let the DJ know of any songs or genres you prefer not to be played to avoid any awkward moments.
6. Embrace the Classics: Certain songs have become timeless wedding classics for a reason. Consider including beloved tracks like “At Last” by Etta James or “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley to create a romantic and nostalgic atmosphere.
7. Create a “Do Not Play” List: On the flip side, make a list of songs you absolutely do not want to hear at your reception. This can prevent any songs with unpleasant memories or meanings from being played inadvertently.
8. Timing is Everything: Ensure that the music choices align with the mood and timeline of the reception. Upbeat and lively songs are perfect for getting guests on the dance floor, while softer tunes set a more relaxed tone during dinner.
9. Incorporate Crowd Favorites: Incorporate popular wedding reception songs that everyone can sing along to, fostering a sense of togetherness and joy. Songs like “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles or “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston are sure to get the crowd involved.
10. Be Open to Spontaneity: While planning is essential, be open to spontaneous moments during the reception. If a particular song strikes a chord with you and your guests, let the DJ know, and they may be able to work it into the playlist.
Remember, the music at your wedding reception sets the tone for the entire evening. It’s an opportunity to create a soundtrack that will evoke cherished memories for years to come. By carefully selecting the right songs and entrusting a professional DJ or band to handle the flow, you can ensure that your wedding reception will be a celebration of love, joy, and unforgettable moments.
