Prelude Songs: Set the Perfect Tone for Your Wedding Ceremony (2024)

Your wedding time is set. Guest are arriving. What songs do you want to play as guests arrive at the ceremony and take their seats? These are known as the wedding ceremony prelude songs.

When selecting the prelude songs, you must consider the following 3 factors:

1. Do the songs have a special meaning to both of you?
2. What is the tempo of the song (fast or slow) to determine the mood and vibe as the ceremony starts?
3. Do the songs’ genres and meanings match your music tastes?

As an experienced wedding DJ, I’ve assembled a list of prelude songs. Songs are selected by the meaning of the song and popular hits by today’s couples. Besides new hits, additional lists are grouped by genre to match your taste in music.

New Prelude Songs

1. “Love Is Alive” by Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton (Country – 2023)
2. “Enchanted (The Wedding Violin Version)” by Ana Done (Classical – 2023)
3. “Love Story Instrumental Piano” by Roman Tee (New Age – 2023)
4. “Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto: I. Adagio Cantabile” by Joshua Bell (Classical – 2023)
5. “An Evening In Paris” by Paul Cardall (Classical – 2023)
6. “Here, There and Everywhere” by David Leinweber (Folk – 2023)
7. “If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestral)” by Alicia Keys feat. Queen Charlotte’s Global Orchestra (Pop – 2023)
8. “golden hour” by Brooklyn Duo (Pop – 2023)
9. “I’m Yours (Guitar Version)” by Mount Hayes (New Age – 2023)
10. “Faithfully (Instrumental Piano Version)” by Laura Sullivan (New Age – 2023)
11. “Thank God (Spring Symphony Version)” by Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown (Country – 2023)
12. “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Cello Music DEA Channel & Marco Pieri (Classical – 2023)
13. “Enchanted” by Midnite String Quartet (Classical – 2023)

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Instrumental Wedding Prelude Songs

Traditional Classical Instrumentals

1. A Rose Is Gently Blooming – Meral Guneyman
2. Air on G (Arr. for Violin and Acoustic Guitar by Arthur Campbell) – Anne Akiko Meyers, Jason Vieaux
3. Air on the G String – HAUSER
4. Arioso (Adagio in G) from Cantata BWV 156 (Arr. by Lloyd Webber) – J.S. Bach
5. Ave Maria, D.839 – Arr. Hazell – Sheku Kanneh-Mason
6. Bagatelle in A Minor, WoO 59, “Fur Elise” – Ludwig van Beethoven
7. Canon In D (Guitar) – The O’Neill Brothers Group
8. Pachelbel’s Canon in D – Danny Wright
9. Canon In F – The O’Neill Brothers Group
10. Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: I. Prélude – João Kouyoumdjian
11. Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Prélude – Yo-Yo Ma
12. Clair de Lune, L. 32 – Martin Jones
13. Etude No. 2 – Philip Glass
14. Für Elise, WoO 59 – Nelly Kokinos
15. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty (Wedding Hymn) – Robbins Island Music Group
16. Prelude in C Major – Brian Bradley
17. Rockelbel’s Canon (Pachelbel’s Canon in D) – The Piano Guys
18. Romance for String Orchestra, Op. 11 – Academy of St Martin in the Fields
19. Romantic Pieces, Op. 75, B. 150 – 1. Allegro moderato – Akiko Suwanai
20. Salut d’Amour, Op. 12 – Yo-Yo Ma
21. Sarabande, BWV 1007 – Andrei Krylov & Lana Ross
22. Sheep May Safely Graze – Leon Fleisher
23. Sleepers Awake, Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme, BWV 140 – Andrei Krylov & Lana Ross
24. Suite bergamasque, L. 75 – III. Clair de lune – Lang Lang, Claude Debussy
25. The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in E Major, Op. 8 No. 1, RV 269 “Spring”: I. Allegro – Itzhak Perlman
26. The Occasional Oratorio, HWV62 – George Frideric Handel
27. Trumpet Tune in C Major, Z. 697 – The Prague Brass Soloists
28. Trumpet Voluntary in D Major “The Prince of Denmark’s March” – The Clerkenwell Baroque String
29. Water Music Suite, HWV 348-350 – Hornpipe – Wolfgang Meyer, Berlin Philharmonic, Rafael Kubelik

Modern Instrumentals (No Vocals)

1. Beautiful Thing – Old Foes
2. Gymnopédie No. 3 – Erik Satie
3. Kingdom Hearts – Dearly Beloved – Vitamin String Quartet
4. Pachelbel Meets U2 – Jon Schmidt
5. Paris Nocturne – Dan Fogelberg
6. Reflections – Toshifumi Hinata
7. Sally’s Songs – Vitamin String Quartet
8. The Giving – Michael W. Smith
9. Turning Page (Instrumental) – Sleeping At Last

Modern Instrumental Covers

1. A Thousand Years – The Piano Guys
2. A Thousand Years (Instrumental Violin & Piano Cover) – VioDance
3. Bittersweet Symphony – Vitamin String Quartet
4. Can’t Help Falling in Love (Adapted for Violin and Acoustic Guitar) – Anne Akiko Meyers, Jason Vieaux
5. Can’t Help Falling in Love (Violin Instrumental) – Alan Ng
6. Come as You Are – The Hipster Orchestra
7. First Day of My Life – Brooklyn Duo
8. Ghost – The Piano Guys
9. God Bless the Broken Road (Acoustic Guitar) – The O’Neill Brothers Group
10. Here Comes the Sun – Benny Martin
11. I Can Only Imagine – The O’Neill Brothers Group
12. In My Life – Kevin Kern
13. Just Give Me A Reason (Piano Version) – Flying Fingers
14. Kiss From A Rose – Vitamin String Quartet
15. Latch – Simply Three
16. Love Me Like You Do – Brooklyn Duo
17. Love Story meets Love Story (Taylor Swift Remix) – Jon Schmidt
18. Lover – Paul Hankinson Covers
19. Marry You (Instrumental Version) – The O’Neill Brothers Group
20. My Gift is My Song – HAUSER
21. Perfect – Brooklyn Duo
22. Perfect (Violin & Piano Wedding Version) – Paul Hankinson Covers
23. Say You Won’t Let Go – Daniel Jang
24. Somewhere Only We Know – Simply Three
25. Stand By Me – Fred Turnquist
26. Sunflower – Vitamin String Quartet ft. ThatViolaKid
27. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Dr. Cover Band
28. Wildest Dreams – Dallas String Quartet
29. Yellow (Piano Version) – Henry Smith
30. You Are My Sunshine (Piano Wedding Version) – Paul Hankinson Covers
31. Your Song – Michael Marc

Instrumentals from Games, Plays, TV & Film

1. A Million Dreams (Piano Version) – Emilie’s Piano
2. A Whole New World – Disney Ukulele & Disney
3. A Whole New World (Aladdin’s Theme) – Peabo Bryson, Regina Belle
4. All I Ask Of You (The Phantom of the Opera) – Andrew Lloyd Webber
5. Ash*taka and San (Princess Mononoke) – CelloKat
6. Beauty and the Beast – Disney Ukulele & Disney
7. Concerning Hobbits – Howard Shore
8. Evergreen (Love Theme from, “A Star Is Born”) – Barbra Streisand
9. Fairy Tail Theme – Taylor Davis, Lara De Wit
10. Game of Thrones (Main Theme) – Vitamin String Quartet
11. Hold My Hand (Piano Arrangement) – Alexandre Pachabezian
12. Legends Of The Fall Theme – James Horner
13. Married Life from Up (Violin & Piano) – Paul Hankinson Covers
14. Reveries – Ramin Djawadi
15. Rewrite The Stars (Piano Version) – Emilie’s Piano
16. Seasons Of Love (RENT) – Stan Whitmire
17. The Princess Bride – Storybook Love – Vitamin String Quartet

New Age Tracks

1. A Day Without Rain – Enya
2. Angel Eyes – Jim Brickman
3. Angelic Voices – B-Tribe
4. Fairytale – Enya
5. Love Story – Luc Serra
6. May It Be – Enya
7. Only Time – Enya
8. Variations on the Kanon – George Winston

Popular Celtic Tunes

1. Hand In Hand – David Arkenstone
2. Nocturne – Secret Garden

Vocal Hits

Country

1. Love Is Alive – Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton
2. Beautiful Crazy – Luke Combs
3. God Bless the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts
4. Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
5. Love Story – Taylor Swift
6. Millionaire – Chris Stapleton
7. Speechless – Dan + Shay
8. The Gift – Jim Brickman, Collin Raye, Susan Ashton
9. Yours (Wedding Version) – Russell Dickerson

Folk

1. Anywhere – Risk & Refuge
2. Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley
3. Heartbeats – José González
4. Hold You In My Arms – Ray LaMontagne
5. Songbird – Eva Cassidy
6. True Companion – Marc Cohn
7. You Are My Sunshine – Kina Grannis
8. Wedding Song (There Is Love) – Noel Paul Stookey

Alternative & Rock

1. Harvest Moon – Neil Young
2. Holocene – Bon Iver
3. June Hymn – The Decemberists
4. Slow And Steady – Of Monsters And Men
5. Someone Like You – Van Morrison
6. Such Great Heights – Iron And Wine
7. Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap

Pop Prelude Songs

1. Can’t Help Falling In Love (Acoustic) – Amber Leigh Irish
2. Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Acoustic) – Paul Canning
3. Feels Like Home – Chantal Kreviazuk
4. Hallelujah – Pentatonix
5. How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding
6. I Choose You – Sara Bareilles
7. I Don’t Know What Love Is – Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper
8. Marry Me – Train
9. Over The Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
10. Songbird – Rita Wilson & Josh Groban
11. Tenerife Sea – Ed Sheeran
12. The Way I Am – Ingrid Michaelson
13. Wedding In Berlin – Pet Shop Boys
14. Wedding Medley (Marry Me, A Thousand Years, All of Me, Bless The Broken Road) – Anthem Lights

R&B

1. All Of Me – John Legend
2. Always and Forever – Heatwave
3. Angels – Robin Thicke
4. Best Part – H.E.R., Daniel Caesar
5. My Boo (Acoustic) – Will Gittens, Rahky
6. Halo – Beyoncé
7. One In A Million – Larry Graham
8. Ribbon In The Sky – Stevie Wonder
9. Truly – Lionel Richie
10. Why I Love You – MAJOR.
11. You and I – Stevie Wonder

Vocal

1. La Califfa – Sarah Brightman
2. Nella Fantasia – Sarah Brightman
3. To Make You Feel My Love – The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra and Voices

Christian

1. I Will Be Here – Steven Curtis Chapman

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