The impending rise of Wedding Season is upon us, and we had best be prepared! From interviews and input, we’ve put together the top ten lovey-dovey, ooey-gooey love tunes to make every wedding a romantic tour-de-force.
1. “Marry Me” by Train
The current Lords of Soft Rock, Train’s ode to devotion starts the marriage off right with, “Forever can never be long enough for me…” No commitment issues here!
2. “Brown-Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison
It’s genetically specific, but with 55% of the world’s population having brown eyes, the odds are ever in your favor. Its snappy beginning and easy sing-along chorus make it a reception hit. Pro Tip: Keep “Crazy Love” in your pocket just in case you’re dealing with colored contacts.
3. “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
Delivers. Every. Time. The ’80s are chock full of power ballads and powerful ballads, and this 1983 collaboration beats them all. While its roots are solidly R&B, try to imagine a fresh blues or country setting and make this pop classic your signature hit!
4. “All of Me” by John Legend
The perfect song for the dysfunctional couple. In other words, every couple. Legend’s lyrics perfectly articulate the frustrations of being in love with imperfection and brings even the most cynical love story to the heart of romance. Word to the warning, work on your falsetto. Johnny gets up there.
5. “Hearts are Breaking Across Texas” by Aaron Watson
If you’re gigging anywhere in the Lone Star State, this one’s a necessity. It’s the love song of the conquering cowboy, grabbing the Yellow Rose before anyone else. Everything’s bigger in Texas, and this country tune manages to grab that Texas-sized love story by the horns!
6. “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles
It strays from the conventional Bridal Entrance or Canon in D, but it’s a perfect entrance song for the bohemian bride with flowers in her hair. The opening chords and optimistic tone work together to get the ceremony started off on the right foot. Probably a bare foot.
7. “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson
It’s the only song on this list to mention Rogaine, and it does so masterfully. Ingrid’s lyrics summarize the quirkiness of love, and play the arrangement with a ukulele. You’ll have the millennials and hipsters stroking their beards, raising their glasses of craft beer, and cheering for more.
8. “All of Me (Why Not Take All of Me)” by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons
Every wedding reception needs a great jazz standard to get the party swinging, and this one is a sure winner. It guarantees foot-tapping and smiles with its notable refrain, “You took the part that once was my heart, so why not take all of me?” Genius.
9. “Through The Years” by Kenny Rogers
Marriage isn’t always an easy road, and nobody knows that better than The Gambler himself. Roger’s lyrical epic reminds us that love is a long game, and like a great wine, it only gets better with age.
10. “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts
Sometimes our lives take a different turn, and we find ourselves in the arms of the one we never saw coming. Rascal Flatts’ infinitely singable ballad reminds us that love isn’t about how you start, but how you finish. Just make sure the ex isn’t at the reception. Awkward.
How about it? What are your go-to songs when wedding bells chime? Let us know in the comments below!
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Loves music, reading, and binge-watching TV and eating pizza with his wife. Has three amazing kids. Believes that life is about questions, not answers.