Music for an Outdoor Wedding
“If music be the food of love, play on!” Music has come to form an integral part of wedding ceremonies. It really sets the tone for the event and helps to make the occasion so personal to you. Many people have favourite songs or music that they know they want played at the their wedding; others may need some guidance to choose the perfect pieces. So in this blog we hope to inspire you with some love songs, hymns and classical pieces that we think make ideal music choices for an outdoor wedding.
We’ll cover music that works particularly well as processionals and recessionals (entrance and exit), some beautiful background music, and of course some good old singalongs!
Live or recorded music?
Outdoor weddings are perfectly suited to both live and recorded music. You may choose to hire a musician, singer or band to set up in the grounds and play some or all of your wedding music. Classic choices for outdoor weddings include harpists, string quartets and acoustic singers.
Alternatively you could choose to play recorded music from a phone or tablet hooked up to a speaker system. If your venue specialises in outdoor ceremonies they may well have an outdoor sound system already in place. Otherwise you can source one yourself, or ask your celebrant or master of ceremonies if they have a system you can use.
If using a speaker system outdoors, make sure everything is fully charged – and be sure to give the music-playing responsibility to someone you trust! A run-through with them beforehand may be helpful to make sure they know exactly which pieces to play at which times.
Processional music
This is the piece that will really get the ball rolling, as all the guests get on their feet to welcome the bride or groom. For opposite-sex weddings it is customary for the groom to stand at the front and watch his bride walk down the aisle as the music plays, but some couples like to mix things up and walk in together. For same-sex weddings, many couples like to follow this same tradition of one person waiting and one walking, while some walk in together – hand-in-hand or down two separate aisles. Whatever you choose, great music is essential!
Here’s a few ideas just perfect for weddings in the great outdoors:
- Butterfly Waltz – Brian Crain
- River Flows in You – Yiruma
- Hoppípolla – Sigur Rós
- Nuvole Bianche – Einaudi
- Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring – Bach
- A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
- Songbird – Fleetwood Mac
- The Air That I Breathe – The Hollies
- Oh My Love – John Lennon
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
- Make You Feel My Love – Adele
- All of Me – John Legend
- How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding
- Here, There and Everywhere – The Beatles
- Marry Me – Train
Recessional music
This is the climax of the ceremony when you’ve made your vows and can walk back down the aisle together as a married couple! It’s a time for celebration and is often accompanied with confetti and lots of applause. Here’s a few music ideas that work perfectly – some upbeat and celebratory, others reflective and optimistic (think walking off into the sunset, dreaming of the adventures that lie ahead):
- One Day Like This – Elbow
- I’m On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons
- Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
- A Sky Full of Stars – Coldplay
- Mr Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
- Beautiful Day – U2
- Good Day Sunshine – The Beatles
- Adventure of a Lifetime – Coldplay
- Best Day of My Life – American Authors
- You and Me Song – The Wannadies
- Can’t Stop the Feeling – Justin Timberlake
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours – Stevie Wonder
- This Will Be An Everlasting Love – Natalie Cole
- I’ll Be There – Jess Glynne
- Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
- Hoppípolla – Sigur Rós
- Married Life – Michael Giacchino (from Up)
- You’re so Cool – Hans Zimmer (from True Romance)
- Wedding March – Mendelssohn
- Toccata – Widor
- Arrival of the Queen of Sheba – Handel
Hymns and singalongs
A good old singalong is a lovely way for you and your guests to join together in celebration of your marriage. If you would like to add a spiritual element to your ceremony then you may like to choose one or two hymns to sing. This would not be permitted in a registrar-led wedding as their ceremonies must be entirely non-religious, but if you choose a celebrant to conduct your wedding then they should be more than happy to accommodate this.
Alternatively, you could invite your guests to join you in singing an upbeat love song. This creates such a lovely atmosphere and really helps to get everyone in the celebratory spirit. It’s best to choose a popular song so that your guests will be familiar with the tune. And of course for both hymns and love songs, be sure to have the lyrics printed in an order of service so that everyone will know the words! Here are a few ideas:
Hymns
- All Things Bright And Beautiful
- Amazing Grace
- Be Still For The Presence Of The Lord
- Father, Lord of all Creation
- Give Me Joy In My Heart
- Jerusalem
- Lord Of All Hopefulness
- Lord Of The Dance
- Love Divine All Loves Excelling
- Morning Has Broken
- One More Step Along The World I Go
- Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven
- Tell out my Soul
- The King Of Love My Shepherd Is
- We Pledge To One Another
Singalong love songs
- Love Is All Around – Wet Wet Wet
- Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
- Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel
- Let There Be Love – Nat King Cole
- L.O.V.E. – Frank Sinatra
- Beyond the Sea – Bobby Darin
- Stand By Me – Ben E. King
- Lovely Day – Bill Withers
Background music
Background music is a great way to set the tone for the ceremony as your guests are arriving to take their seats. It’s also a good idea to pick a piece or two to play while you are sitting down to sign your register or certificate. This is a nice opportunity for a 5-minute breather after all the excitement and emotion of making your vows, and a perfect opportunity for photos too.
Depending on your personalities and the type of outdoor wedding you’re having, you may like to choose upbeat and uplifting songs, or relaxed and romantic pieces. Here’s a few ideas to give you some food for thought:
Classical
- The Four Seasons, Op. 8, “Spring” – Vivaldi
- String Quartet in E Major – Boccherini
- Nuvole Bianche – Einaudi
- Wedding Day at Troldhaugen – Greig
- Nocturne No.2 in E Flat Major, Op.9 – Chopin
- Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring – Bach
- Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major – Bach
- Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major – Bach
- Wachet Auf, Ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645 – Bach
- Fur Elise – Beethoven
- Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini – Rachmaninov
- Clair de Lune – Debussy
- On the Beautiful Blue Danube – Strauss
- Salut d’amour – Elgar
- Glasgow Love Theme – Armstrong (from Love Actually)
- Honor Him – Zimmer/Gerrard (from Gladiator)
Love songs
- At Last – Etta James
- What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
- You are the Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder
- Flowers in the Window – Travis
- You Are My Destiny – Lionel Richie
- Flesh and Blood – Johnny Cash
- A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
- Dream A Little Dream Of Me – Ella Fitzgerald
- Everything – Michael Buble
- All of Me – John Legend
- I’m Kissing You – Des’ree
- Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- A Million Love Songs – Take That
- A Groovy Kind of Love – Phil Collins
- Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
- Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel
- How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding
- Here, There and Everywhere – The Beatles
- Can You Feel the Love Tonight – Elton John
- Your Song – Elton John
- High – Lighthouse Family
- I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
- I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz
- You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
- Better Together – Jack Johnson
- She’s the One – Robbie Williams
Love the idea of an outdoor wedding ceremony? Visit the Outdoor Ceremonies Directory to begin planning your perfect day!
