How many songs do we need for our ceremony?
Most wedding ceremonies need about 16 to 18 songs, and most of them play before you walk down the aisle.
Plan on about 16 to 18 songs: about 10 prelude songs while guests arrive (starting 30 minutes before the time on your invitation), 1 to 3 processional songs, 1 recessional and about 3 postlude songs. Add one more if you have a unity ceremony. No music plays while your officiant speaks.
The ceremony, part by part
| Part | When | Songs |
|---|---|---|
| Prelude | Starts about 30 minutes before the time on your invitation, while guests arrive | About 10 |
| Processional | Grandparents, parents and the wedding party, then your entrance | 1 to 3 |
| Unity ceremony (optional) | Sand, candle, tree planting or similar | 0 to 1 |
| Recessional | You walk back up the aisle as a married couple | 1 |
| Postlude | Guests leave their seats and head to cocktail hour | About 3 |
| Total | About 16 to 18 |
About a quarter of couples include a unity moment, so it's worth deciding early whether you'll have one.
How many processional songs?
Many couples use two: one for the wedding party and one just for their own entrance, so the moment they appear feels different. Some add a third for grandparents and parents, or for flower girls and ring bearers. If your wedding party is small, one song for everyone before you is enough.
On your planning call, we go over who walks in each group and which song plays for whom, so every cue is set before the day.
Songs couples pick for each part
Every song below is in the Extreme Strings song list.
Prelude
Here Comes the Sun (The Beatles), River Flows in You (Yiruma), Clocks (Coldplay), Love Story (Taylor Swift), Make You Feel My Love (Adele), Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach).
Processional
Canon in D (Pachelbel), Canon in D into Perfect (Pachelbel and Ed Sheeran), A Thousand Years (Christina Perri), Can't Help Falling in Love, Viva La Vida (Coldplay), Mendelssohn's Wedding March.
Recessional
Marry You (Bruno Mars), Viva La Vida (Coldplay), Uptown Funk (Bruno Mars), Pink Pony Club (Chappell Roan).
Postlude
September (Earth, Wind & Fire), Lovely Day (Bill Withers), Stand By Me (Ben E. King), What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong).
Hear a prelude
Tips for choosing ceremony songs
- Pick your entrance song first. It's the one you'll remember. Choose it, then build the rest around its mood.
- Use songs your families know. Couples often mix their own favorites with a song for parents or grandparents.
- Request what's missing. 3 custom songs are included with Extreme Strings, then $25 each.
- Finish about two weeks out. Song picks are due about two weeks before the wedding.
Couples on their ceremony music
★★★★★“I had them play before and during the ceremony and it was FANTASTIC. I received so many compliments on the music...it set the tone perfect - especially with the violin version of many modern pop songs that were recognizable yet sounded divine.”
★★★★★“He was responsive, timely, and really brought our ceremony and first dance to the next level. The first thing our guests noticed was the nice touch the violin brought.”
★★★★★“Your performance on the electric violin was absolutely stunning….both during the ceremony and throughout the cocktail hour.”
Ceremony music questions
Do you play while the officiant is speaking?
No. The violin stays quiet during the vows and readings so every word is heard. Music returns for the unity ceremony, if you have one, and the recessional.
Can the wedding party and the bride have different songs?
Yes, and many couples do. A separate song for your own entrance makes that moment stand out.
Do you need a microphone for the officiant?
If your DJ isn't providing microphones, Jared can bring a lapel mic for the officiant and a handheld mic for readings.
When do we need to choose our songs?
Song picks are due about two weeks before the wedding. You choose them in your BookLive client portal.