Ceremony

Best & Most Popular Songs for the Recessional & Reception Entrance

Unknown
by Unknown Monday, March 07, 2016
For most people the climax of the wedding ceremony is the kiss followed by the minister presenting the couple by their married names. Immediately after this is the recessional: when the married couple and the rest of the wedding exit the ceremony space. This is the joyous climax to one of the most memorable events in any lifetime.

The reception entrance is the twin of the recessional, the continuation of the climax after a sort of intermission. This can also serve as the first glimpse of the party to come.

Everyone wants to pick the perfect music to match the occasion, the emotion and the applause. While most couples choose songs that are more reserved or traditional for the wedding ceremony, the recessional is most often a departure from that tone and style. Our recommendation is that you choose something jubilant and energetic, which will wake everyone up and inspire some enthusiasm about the reception and dance to come.

Suggestions for Choosing a Song:

  • Choose a song that is familiar to your guests
  • Choose a song that reflects your personality as a couple
  • Choose a song that is not offensive to some segment of your guests
  • Choose something upbeat and energetic
  • Decide if you prefer something unique or popular
  • Decide if you want something contemporary or classic
  • Be sure to have your sound operator or DJ cue the song to start where it has the most energy and to turn it up
The beauty of picking songs for these two parts of your wedding day is that they overlap in purpose. You could even play the second half of the song from your recessional for your reception entrance and it would work seamlessly. Any song you might choose for one can also be used for the other. What is important is that it suits the mood and your particular style and preference.

From our experience, we have put together a list of songs that are popular for these two purposes. It is your choice whether to choose something from the list because it is popular or to deliberately avoid songs on this list because you want your choice to be unique.

10 Most Popular Recessional / Reception Entrance Songs


1. Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars




2. Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours




3. Bruno Mars - Marry You




4. Pharrell Williams - Happy




5. Beyoncé - Crazy In Love ft. Jay Z




6. Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud




7. Kool & the Gang - Celebration




8. American Authors - Best Day of My Life




9. Maroon 5 - Sugar




10. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home



Suggestions


If you’re looking for something a little more unique and aren’t interested in what everyone else is doing, here are a few we think work well, but are a little or a lot less common.

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough




Jackie Wilson - (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher




Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - That's What's Up




 Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla




Chris Brown - Forever



Oddities


Every once in awhile we get an entertaining and sometimes hilarious request for a recessional or reception entrance and we thought it would be fun to share it for those of you who are looking for a fun or obscure selection.


John Williams - Star Wars Main Theme




Green Day - Good Riddance




Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5




Longer List


If you're looking for even more songs to choose from, feel free to hop on over to our main blogsite where there are many music lists including a list of 50 Grand Entrance Songs.