40 Popular Piano Wedding Songs to Compliment Your Day

Details: wedding songs

Piano music is the quintessential romantic accompaniment for any wedding day or civil ceremony. Booking a wedding pianist for the bridal entrance, recessional and processional songs will guarantee to add that little extra sparkle to your wedding ceremony.

Whether it's ceremony music, background piano music during the wedding breakfast or the first dance song, a professional wedding pianist will have the versatility to ensure every base is covered.

Wedding Ceremony Piano Music

Finding the musical genre for your wedding processional music is a great starting point. Popular piano genres include pop, jazz, classical, contemporary, and even modern indie and rock. You can expect your pianist to play during the wedding processional, for the bride walking down the aisle (often a shorter rendition rather than the entire song), and a recessional song as the bride and groom exit.

Once you have a good idea of the music you're after, head on over to our pianist section, where you'll find a whole range of fantastic piano players available to hire for your big day.

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Modern Wedding Songs vs Traditional Wedding Songs

The important thing to remember is that there are no rules to which piano songs you can choose. You can have the best piano songs tailored to suit you. Some couples favour one or the other, but many enjoy a classic-meets-modern approach infusing the very best of old and new.

One of the most popular wedding songs on a pianist's repertoire for ceremonies remains 'A Thousand Years' by Christina Perri, made famous from the Twilight Saga. John Legend is another commonly requested modern song. The Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi is a classic example of contemporary classical wedding music. Other popular songs, 'Glasgow Love Theme' and 'River Flows In You', work perfectly for the big day.

Top 10 Modern Wedding Songs Arranged For Piano

Ludovico Einaudi - I Giorni
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Yiruma - River Flows In You
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Yann Tierson - Comptine D'un Autre Ete Apres Midi
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Christina Perri - A Thousand Years
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Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla
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Craig Armstrong - Glasgow Love Theme (From Love Actually)
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John Legend - All Of Me
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Ludovico Einaudi - Nuvole Bianche
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Traditional - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
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Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling In Love
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Traditional Wedding Songs

Weddings have dated back since BC. They are one of the most traditional mutual agreements of love and togetherness. Johann Pachelbel wrote his famous 'Canon' in 1680 and it's still the most commonly heard piano wedding song (this song soundtracked the bridal entrance of my own wedding day). Marriage is a tradition, and classical music is the perfect fit for a traditional wedding.

Top 10 Traditional Wedding Songs

Johann Pachelbel - Pachebel's Canon
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Claude Debussy - Claire De Lune
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Shubert - Ave Maria
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Mendelssohn - Wedding March
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Wagner - Bridal Chorus
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Bach - Air On The G String
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Erik Satie - Gymnopedie No. 1
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Andrew Lloyd Webber - Pie Jesu
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Handel - Largo from Xerxes
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Jeremiah Clarke - Trumpet Voluntary
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Jazz Piano and Vintage

Jazz piano was the pop music of its era and a genre of music that brought people together to listen, dance, and celebrate. It's often considered a classy and sophisticated choice, especially for background music, drinks receptions and the wedding breakfast.

Jazz has seen a revival with artists such as Amy Winehouse, Norah Jones and Paloma Faith putting a contemporary spin on the style and bringing it back to the forefront. As such, wedding pianists often blend the style or put a jazz spin on modern pop songs.

In a similar vein, the stellar success of Peaky Blinders and bands like Post Modern Jukebox has fuelled a resurgence in the sound of vintage 1920s piano jazz. Again, the fusion of pop music into this genre brings a talking point and a retro sound to a modern wedding.

Top 10 Jazz Piano Songs

Johnny Mercer - Autumn Leaves
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Disney - Someday My Prince Will Come
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Errol Garner - Misty
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Ella Fitzgerand - All The Things You Are
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Justin Hurwitz - City Of Stars
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Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind
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Norah Jones - Don't Know Why
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Scott Joplin - Maple Leaf Rag
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Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon
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Ella Fitzgerald - My Funny Valentine
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Top 10 Vintage Pop Piano Covers

Coolio-Gangsta's Paradise
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Meghan Trainer - All About That Bass
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The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
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The First Dance

Given the piano's natural beauty and romantic soundscape, piano songs are a popular choice for the first dance song. The first dance usually precedes the wedding party when all your guests will join you on the dance floor. The piano has been used in love songs and ballads for the last century, so options for the first dance are endless. Piano versions can often easily be arranged to create an original spin on a modern classic. Choose a popular wedding song that means something to you.

It's not always an easy task choosing your first dance. As a couple, we recommend thinking about your shared musical interests, bands you love, or concerts you’ve been to together?