Ah, weddings...

The bride is looking lovely, smiling with radiance  in her immaculate white wedding gown, as her pretty bridesmaids dote on and fuss over her…

The groom cuts a dashing figure, looking more handsome than ever even as he nervously paces circles around the groomsmen teasing him with a made-up story of how the best man lost the wedding rings...

Of course, it's just to watch him squirm, and they end up laughing with the husband-to-be as they wonder which of them will be next to take the big plunge…

The parents from both sides gather their immediate families around them in small groups, each teary-eyed, sobbing, and smiling all at the same time-- sad over “losing a child”, but also happy for “gaining a new one”...

Family, friends and guests happily chat in small groups, each wedding guest  excited to witness the exchange of vows between two hearts destined to beat as one...

Blooming flowers decorate the aisle, chair backs and the halls...

The champagne chills in shiny silver buckets, just awaiting the toasting to begin…

The scent of a sumptuous wedding feast wafts from the nearby pavilion...

Gifts are piled high on a corner table…

The photographers stand ready, alert for the important job of immortalizing each important moment with candid snapshots…

Everything seems perfect, with everyone in their rightful place just waiting for the coming time when the next step towards the union of two into one will be taken together before all these witnesses.

Everything and everyone in the right place at the right time, and now it's just about getting the mood just right – romantic, joyful, celebratory. There's one important intangible but oh-so-impactful element without which the day just won’t be as special...

Of course, we’re talking about the MUSIC.

No wedding could be complete without the RIGHT music, played at the RIGHT time and meant to convey the RIGHT message.

Whether from a sound system overseen by a disc jockey or played live by a wedding performer, it's a common denominator of most weddings across most cultures, social and economic backgrounds and ethnicities: there's music during the ceremony, after the ceremony, during key moments of the reception-- and often to keep the party going well into the night!

Traditionally, for many years in Western and European cultures “Mendelssohn’s Wedding March" is played as the bride walks down the aisle. As such, this may be one of the most recognizable tunes in history!

Nowadays, however, many couples prefer to play their own meaningful choice of songs during practically every key part of the wedding day events-- including the choice of a less-traditional and more-personal song to be played during the bride's entrance.

A wedding playlist is a chance for a couple to stand out with his and her unique style. That's no trivial matter!

Indeed, as much or more than any element of the wedding planning process, the bride and groom's choices for what songs to play and when-- the "ultimate wedding playlist" so to speak-- will influence the experience of their wedding guests as to what emotions are evoked during various parts of the entire affair.

That’s right...because music has the power to move not just the feet and hips, but the very heart and soul of the listener!

How about this for a wedding song playlist you can copy and make your own?

• Choice pop songs during the waiting period while guests arrive at the wedding venue, waiting for the sacred ceremony to begin…
• The couple’s second favorite love song during the entrance of the entourage…
• One or more gospel songs played softly during the ceremony itself…
• The couple’s most favorite love song (the theme song of their relationship, if you will) erupting just after or even during the “You may kiss the bride” part…
• Soft jazz or upbeat, romantic country music setting the tone during the reception when friends, family and well-wishers are being seated…
• A funny, romantic song playing as the new married couple stuffs each other’s faces with messy handfuls of cake...
• That special slow rock ballad or R&B number for the couple’s first dance…
• A certain significant slow song to provide the backdrop for the groom's dance with his mother...
• The song that will make a grown man tear up when he hears the lyrics while dancing with his daughter and realizes the bride is one and the same as the little girl he bounced on his knee...
• Selection of gettin'-the-party-started, faithful foot-mover favorites-- also known as “group dance” songs (Did someone say “Electric Slide”?)...
• A special, significant song to showcase a public dance of him with her mother and her with his father
• That somewhat naughty ditty the maiden aunt will blush while listening to, as the song provides ambiance when removes her leg garter to toss to the single guys...
• A cheeky, female-power ballad pumping up the crowd and get all the single ladies ready for a flower bouquet toss...
• Some pop songs and even fast dance, hip-hop, reggae, reggaeton, salsa and techno music during the free-for-all dance-party portion of the evening (surely someone needs to remain sober?)…

Though a great musical act or DJ can take a lot of the heavy-lifting and “do it for you”, ultimately we think the choice of music to be played is all up to the newlyweds. How much or how little you want to be involved is up to you. And most musical acts and DJs are totally open to accommodating your needs and wants. Some help and assistance may be offered by a wedding coordinator, but the final say should belong to the special couple.

After all, in a perfect world, your wedding day will come just once in a lifetime!

With this in mind, choosing a wedding playlist may prove quite the daunting task considering the huge amount of musical material to choose from.

It's our goal here at CubicZirconia.com to provide you with information that matters, and not just about jewelry, either! We work hard to provide valuable help for our customers to memorialize the moments that matter: romantic times, anniversaries, courting your special someone, gift-giving occasions, and of course weddings and engagements.

That means we write about about proposal ideas, ways to spice things up in your relationship, finding out her ring size, the choice of engagement rings, how to pick wedding rings, date night ideas, anniversary gift ideas, etc, we strive to provide not just jewelry but a helpful source of information you can trust with regards to your romantic relationship.

That being said, here we’ve endeavored to assist you with an awesome wedding playlist you can take and use as-is, or treat as a starting list from which to create a sound and feel of music that is truly your own.

This 105-song list includes popular songs encompassing different musical genres, from jazz, to rock ballads, alt-rock, rap, Top-40, country music, R&B and even dance! These hits transcend multiple musical periods from the 1940’s to the present. Some songs are faith-based and some aren't. All are primarily in English since most of our customers speak English....but we've thrown in quite a bit of music from language-transcendant musicians that love to pepper their lyrics with words from around the globe.

Our goal is such that if someone were to use this playlist as-is, no matter who the guests are, there would be at least a couple songs on this list that each guest will love.

We’ve organized these songs according to what our writers thought would be the best time during the entire wedding events to play each song. But feel free to re-arrange and mix-and-match if you want. After all, IT'S YOUR DAY!

And lastly, keep in mind that we're NOT saying all these songs can (or should) be played during each period of the wedding day's key events...in some cases, you might just pick one or two because it's meant to be the backdrop for a brief moment over a few minutes!

Without any further "I do"...ahem...ado...here is CubicZirconia.com’s Ultimate Wedding Playlist: 105 Songs for The Ceremony, Reception, Dinner and Dancing

You can click on each of the titles to listen to each song in YouTube.

During The Bridal Entourage

• Till Death Do Us Part by White Lion
• All Of Me by John Legend
• Angels Brought Me Here by Guy Sebastian
• Runaway by The Corrs
• Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
• Till There Was You by The Beatles
• I Do (Cherish You) by 98 Degrees
• You Were There by Southern Sons
• Because Of You by Keith Martin

During The Entrance of the Bride (besides the traditional Wedding March of course)

• She by Elvis Costello
• I’m Yours by Jason Mraz
• Beautiful In My Eyes by Joshua Kadison
• Perfect by Ed Sheeran
• She’s Mine by Brett Dennen

During The Ceremony (soft background music)

• The Prayer by Josh Groban
• The Rose by Bette Midler
• Sleeping to Dream by Jason Mraz
• Fairytale by Enya
• I’ll Be by Edwin McCain
• Honestly by Stryper
• 18th Floor Balcony by Blue October

“You May Kiss the Bride!”

• God Gave Me You by Brian White
• A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
• From This Moment On by Shania Twain
• I Swear by All 4 One
• When I Fall in Love by Nat King Cole

Miscellaneous Songs to be Played While Waiting For The Ceremony to Begin, While Waiting To Be Seated During The Reception, And During Dinner

• Today Was A Fairytale by Taylor Swift
• I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz
• Might As Well Dance by Jason Mraz
• Marry You by Bruno Mars
• I Miss You by Incubus
• She Don't Know She's Beautiful by Sammy Kershaw
• Fallin’ by Alicia Keys
• Gold To Me by Ben Harper
• Better Together by Jack Johnson
• Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen
• Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
• Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat
• Let The Music Play by Barry White
• Celebration by Kool and the Gang
• More Than Words by Extreme
• The Way You Make Me Feel by Michael Jackson
• How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) by James Taylor

Couple’s First Dance(s)

• It Had To Be You by Tony Bennett
• The Look Of Love by Diana Krall
• At Last by Etta James
• The Way You Look Tonight by Michael Buble
• Misty by Sarah Vaughan
• Groovy Kind of Love by Phil Collins/Genesis
• I Have Nothing Whitney Houston
• Rest Of Our Life by Tim McGraw (with Faith Hill)
• If I Keep My Heart Out Of Sight by James Taylor

Father and Bride Dance

• Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross
• I’ll Be There by Jackson 5
• You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker
• I Don't Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith

Mother and Groom Dance

• A Song for Mama by Boyz II Men
• Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler
• I Say a Little Prayer by Areth Franklin
• Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton

Rock Ballads for Slow Dancing

• Always by Bon Jovi
• Love Of A Lifetime by Firehouse
• Lady by Stryper
• I'll Be There For You by Bon Jovi
• You're All I Need by White Lion
• The Search Is Over by Survivor
• When I See You Smile by Bad English
• Love Will Keep Us Alive by The Eagles

Group Dance Songs

• Electric Slide
• Cupid Shuffle
• Cha Cha Slide
• Shout by The Isley Brothers
• Macarena by Los Del Rio

Party/Dance Songs

• Gasolina by Daddy Yankee
• Under Pressure by David Bowie & Queen
• Be My Lover by La Bouche
• Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira
• Happy by Pharrell Williams
• Angel by Shaggy
• Hot in Here by Nelly
• Single Ladies by Beyoncé
• Cup of Life by Ricky Martin
• This is Good by Ricky Martin
• We Found Love by Rihanna
• Feel This Moment by Pitbull feat. Christina Aguilera
• Love Shack by The B-52's
• Treasure by Bruno Mars
• My Boo by Usher
• Like I Love You by Justin Timberlake
• As Long As You Love Me by The Backstreet Boys
• Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden
• Down The Aisle by LL COOL J
• Lovefool by Cardigans

Slow R&B Dance Songs

• I’ll Give All My Love To You by Keith Sweat
• Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye
• I'll Be Loving You by New Kids On The Block
• Butterfly by Jason Mraz
• All My Life by K-Ci and Jojo
• This I Promise You by Nsync
• Swear It Again by Westlife
• Forever, For Always, For Love by Luther Vandross
• Knocks Me Off My Feet by Stevie Wonder
• When You Really Love Someone by Alicia Keys
• Stand By Me by Ben E. King

Enjoy!

P.S. Planning a wedding and want more good stuff like this? Send us an email and request our wedding planning email series. It's chock full of great tips on how to save money, stay sane and have fun planning the wedding of your dreams!