So you have spent months planning and creating and buying and booking and as your wedding date draws nearer, you are starting to put together the final touches that will ultimately make your day uniquely you.  Choosing the right music to accompany your ceremony can be both a joyous and arduous task so here are a few tips on how to take on the challenge (and win):

 

1. Don’t Google ‘Love Songs’

Unless you want a bunch of over-used, done-to-death songs that every man and his wife are currently rifling through in search of inspiration, don’t bother. You are better than that.

 

 

2. Choose music you like to listen to together

When you’re driving in the car and ‘that song’ comes on and you both start breaking it down – include that! It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t talk about love, marriage or romance. You both love the song and so it expresses who you are as a couple. Your wedding ceremony should be about you and your love, not some regurgitated version of common love. You are anything but common.

3. Tie your song choices to memories

Remember that time you stood together watching Powder Finger play ‘On My Mind‘ at Big Day Out?  The sun was just setting and your man was behind you with both arms wrapped around your shoulders. You had a freshly cracked (full strength) beer in your hand, and you both swayed and sang along while the breeze tasselled Bernard’s luscious mane. Right there. That’s a song choice.

 

 

 

4. You don’t have to walk down the aisle to a slow song

People seem to be under the misguided preconception that when you walk down the aisle it needs to be to something down-tempo. Guess what? You can do whatever you want. You certainly don’t have to do the right-foot-step-together, left-foot-step-together all the way down the aisle (unless you normally walk like that, in which case, carry on). You can walk, run, shimmy or strut down that aisle however you please. If you want to make it fun and upbeat (because you’re just cool like that), then chuck on some Mark Ronson and Uptown Funk your way to the altar.

 

 

 

 

5. Choose your songs together 

I get that not every couple is going to share the same taste in music and that coming to an agreement on song choices might prove difficult, but at lease try and work on it together. In my experience, most couples tell me that this is one of the most fun exercises they get to engage in before the big day. Go out and buy a bottle of wine, get out all  of your favourite tunes and take it in turns going song-for-song. Make a long list of your favourites, then shorten it. Finally, narrow it down to your must-haves and BOOM! You have the soundtrack to your wedding (and probably your lives, which is kinda the point).

 

 

On occasion, I do get couples who tell me they are just not “music people” and have no idea on where to even start when it comes to music choices. So to them I offer this list of songs, which is by no means exhaustive, but does provide an alternative to the cheesy, over-done ‘love songs’ that come up in your average Google search.

 

 

 

Be Mine – Alabama Shakes

I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash

Dissolve Me – Alt-J

I Wanna Be Yours – Arctic Monkeys

Wedding Song – Angus & Julia Stone

Husky – Forever So

Here Comes Your Man – Pixies

Wonderwall – Oasis

Everlong – Foo Fighters

Don’t Let Go – Weezer

Never Tear Us Apart – INXS

Cinema – (Skrillex Remix) [feat. Gary Go]

Stay Close – Flume

Something About Us – Daft Punk

So Good To Me – Chris Malinchak

I remember – Deadmau5 & Kaskade

Baby I’m Yours – Breakbot

Something About Us – Daft Punk

Young and Beautiful – Lana Del Rey

I found a Reason – The Velvet Underground

Harvest Moon – Neil Young

Damaged – Primal Scream

Straight to You – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

God Only Knows – The Beach Boys

It’s Alright, It’s OK – Primal Scream

Never Gonna Give You Up – Hannah Trigwell

It Gets Better – The Preatures

Marry Song – Band of Horses

Wandering Star – Portishead

This Old Love – Lior

January Wedding – I and Love and You – The Avett Brothers

The Songbird – Fleetwood Mac

Make the World Safe For You – The Whitlams

Agnes Obel – Philharmonics (instrumental)

These Arms of Mine – Otis Redding

First Day of My Life – Bright Eyes

Three Little Birds – Bob Marley

Better Together – Jack Johnson

Peaches and Cream – John Butler

Angels – The XX

Love Shack – The B-52s

Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars)

Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye

What A Man – Salt N Pepa

You’ve Got the Love – Florence and the Machine

Young Folks – Peter, Bjorn and John

Rip Tide – Vance Joy

Get Lucky – Daft Punk

My People – Presets

With You Forever – PNAU

Can’t Do Without You – Caribou

Thinkin’ Bout You – Frank Ocean

Lover – San Cisco

I Need My Girl – The National

Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap

Skinny Love – Bon Iver

Walking On a Dream – Empire of the Sun

Fell In Love With a Girl – White Stripes

Better Man – Pearl Jam