Best Most Popular Piano Wedding Songs
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. OS, 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.
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
Yiruma – River Flows In You
Yann Tierson – Comptine D’un Autre Ete Apres Midi
Christina Perri – A Thousand Years
Sigur Ros – Hoppipolla
Craig Armstrong – Glasgow Love Theme (From Love Actually)
John Legend – All Of Me
Ludovico Einaudi – Nuvole Bianche
Traditional – Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling In Love
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. 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
Claude Debussy – Claire De Lune
Shubert – Ave Maria
Mendelssohn – Wedding March
Wagner – Bridal Chorus
Bach – Air On The G String
Erik Satie – Gymnopedie No. 1
Andrew Lloyd Webber – Pie Jesu
Handel – Largo from Xerxes
Jeremiah Clarke – Trumpet Voluntary
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
Disney – Someday My Prince Will Come
Errol Garner – Misty
Ella Fitzgerand – All The Things You Are
Justin Hurwitz – City Of Stars
Ray Charles – Georgia On My Mind
Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why
Scott Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag
Frank Sinatra – Fly Me To The Moon
Ella Fitzgerald – My Funny Valentine
Top 10 Vintage Pop Piano Covers
Coolio-Gangsta’s Paradise
Meghan Trainer – All About That Bass
The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
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?
Top 10 First Dance Songs For Pianists
Feel free to browse our list of popular piano requests to help narrow down your perfect first dance song.
Adele – Make You Feel My Love
Elton John – Your Song
Jason Mraz – I Won’t Give Up
Ed Sheeran – Perfect
James Arthur – Say You Won’t Let Go
Ellie Goulding – How Long Will I Love You
Ed Sheeran – Tenerife Sea
Jack Johnson – Better Together
Ben E King – Stand By Me