Journal
A Guide To Finding the Best Beach Wedding Music for Your Coastal Wedding
It’s hard to imagine a wedding day without music. From the romantic grand entrance and first dance to a fun reception and bouncing disco. But if you’re planning a beach wedding, finding the right music can be tricky. There are so many options out there but they don’t all work with your location. So here’s our guide to choosing beach wedding songs for your big day:
Beach Wedding Music Guide and Inspiration
When it comes to picking out music for your big day, there are a few different ways to go about it. You can create a Spotify playlist or put together a YouTube video of all your favourite tracks, or even hire someone else to do it for you!
Take a look at our Beach Wedding Music Guide for inspiration to ensure you have the perfect songs ready for all the key moments.
Do You Have Music at a Beach Wedding?
Wedding ceremonies on the beach are beautiful. Getting married to the sounds of crashing waves and seagulls is one of the most romantic and breath-taking ways for couples to tie the knot. But if you’d like to have music during your beach ceremony this is possible too. Just ensure your guests are going to enjoy it, too!
How Does Beach Wedding Music Differs From Any Other Wedding?
With seaside wedding planning you really are free to choose songs as you wish. That’s because beach wedding venues music does not usually have any restrictions, unlike when you get married in a secular venue like a church which may not allow your favourite song.
From “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers to “Falling In Love With You” by Elvis you can really make your wedding playlist your own!
How to Match The Music With the Beach Wedding Theme?
If you’re getting married at the beach, you might be wondering how to match the music with your beach wedding theme.
There are lots of wedding songs available to set the mood for your beach wedding. From creating a tropical destination wedding vibe with some Bob Marley or a steel drum band, to adding a dash of retro fun like The Monkees, upping the feel good factor with Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars, or creating an elegant atmosphere with heartfelt classical music by Beethoven.
How to Pick The Right Music According to the Season?
You need to consider the season when picking the music for your coastal wedding. Beach wedding songs that suit summer and spring tend to be more uplifting pop music, think Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles as the type of upbeat song you might choose. Whereas in autumn and winter your can play moodier and more dramatic music to mirror the emotions of the more dramatic weather for example Mumford & Sons – Winter Winds.
What is the Most Played Music as the First Dance Song?
“Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers and “What a Wonderful World” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole are some of the most popular first dance song choices. But other popular classics by Etta James, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley make good song choices for your first dance too.
What Background music is Best for Beach Weddings?
Classic love songs like “Ave Maria” or “Sunrise, Sunset” (from Fiddler on the Roof), or more upbeat choices like John Legend’s “All of Me” or Coldplay’s “Yellow” are great background music choices.
If you are going with a elegant and dramatic theme, you could opt for something grand like a string quartet to play acoustic versions of popular songs.
What Music to Play at a Destination Wedding?
Depending on the location of your destination wedding, you could choose traditional music from that country, for example Caribbean steel drums.
Before you have your heart set on a specific track to walk down the aisle though, remember that not all venues have the capability to play music especially when you choose to get married outdoors.
What Music to Play During the Cocktail Hour?
Wedding cocktail hours are a great opportunity to create an atmosphere of fun and relaxation. The goal is to get everyone excited about the wedding and ready to party, so it’s important to choose music that will help set the mood.
If you’re looking for something light and upbeat, consider including popular songs from recent years and classic dance hits from the 1950s through the 1980s.
If you want to keep things more low-key, try playing jazz music during the cocktail hour for a more sophisticated feel or some soulful R&B – Otis Redding lyrics for ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’ will be sure to get your guest in the mood for romance!
If you don’t want something too loud or too soft, try light rock! It’s upbeat enough that people will get excited about the party, but not so loud that it’ll distract from conversations happening around them.
Whatever music you choose, just make sure there aren’t any words in the songs that are inappropriate for children or teens—or anyone else who may be offended by them!
What Are the Best Beach Wedding Songs?
Whether it’s a slow jam love song for your first dance or a dance-worthy tune for your reception, finding the right music for your big day is an important part of planning.
If you’re looking to get hitched at the beach, then you’ll want to pick songs that will fit the season and vibe of your theme. You should also ensure you have a nice mix of music for different parts of the day – from the ceremony through to the reception.
How to Pick the Live Band for a Beach Wedding?
A live band is one of the best ways to get guests on the dance floor but it is vital you read reviews, watch past performances and ideally see them live before committing to hiring a live band.
What is the No. 1 Beach Wedding Song?
Your wedding playlist will be absolutely personal to you, you will always remember your bridal party entrance song, the first song you danced to as a couple and the song that was playing when you exit your wedding party.
There is no one song that is the number one song, but some classics include Somewhere Beyond the Seaby Frank Sinatra, Wouldn’t It Be Nice by The Beach Boys, and Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Wave.
Do I Need to Hire a DJ For My Beach Wedding?
It depends on the situation. If you’re planning on having a lot of people at your reception and want to make sure everyone’s dancing, then yes. A DJ can take control of your wedding playlist, getting that dance tune on at the right time without anyone having to worry about queuing music.
If you’re looking for something more laid back, then maybe not. If you’re just going to have a small group of friends and family members over, there are plenty of ways to play music without hiring an outside professional—and it’s easy, as you can always assign the task to a friend that is good at entertaining people with music.
Beach Wedding Ceremony Music
When you’re planning a wedding ceremony you want everything to be perfect. But with so many song options to choose from, it can be hard to find just the right music for your beach wedding. That’s why we’ve compiled a list the best song choices for your beach ceremony. Whether you prefer something classic from music history, romantic instrumentals, or contemporary beats, we have the perfect wedding song for you!
Top 10 Classical Music Songs for Beach Wedding Ceremonies
- Bridal Chorus (‘Here Comes The Bride’) – Wagner.
- Wedding March – Andrew Grossman, Lana Ross, and Anna Moor
- Cello Suite No. 1 – Bach
- The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba – George Frideric Handel
- Pavane, Op. 50 – Gabriel Fauré
- Radetzky March, Op. 228 – Johann Strauss I
- Symphony No. 5: Adagietto – Gustav Mahler
- Toccata – Charles-Marie Widor
- The Swan – Camille Saint-Saens
- Ode to Joy – Ludwig van Beethoven
Top 10 Instrumental Music Songs for Beach Wedding Ceremonies
- Here Comes the Sun – by United Guitar Players
- Sky Full of Stars – The O’Neill Brothers Group
- Can You Feel the Love Tonight – Costantino Carrara
- Fast Car – The O’Neill Brothers Group
- Beautiful Crazy – Guitar Tribute Players
- Love Me Anyway – KPH
- Best Day of My Life – American Authors
- You Are the Best Thing – Ray LaMontagne
- The Four Seasons: Spring 1 – Vivaldi
- Define Dancing – Thomas Newman
Top 10 Contemporary Music Songs for Beach Wedding Ceremonies
- I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
- Ho Hey – The Lumineers
- Truly, Madly, Deeply – Savage Garden
- Golden – Harry Styles
- Truly, Madly, Deeply – Savage Garden
- Somewhere Beyond the Sea – Bobby Darin
- Grey To Blue – Xavier Rudd
- Forever – Ben Harper
- Falling Like the Stars – James Arthur
- Spend My Life with You – Tamia & Eric Benet
Beach Wedding Reception Music
When choosing your Beach wedding songs for the reception you can ask your Bridal party for love song recommendations such as Perfect by Ed Sheeran.
If you’re looking for wedding songs without lyrics there’s a fair share of instrumental versions of popular tracks and greatest hits that fit the bill perfectly. Harry styles lyrics for example can speak to the soul, but the instrumental versions of his song can be something magical, perfect for a relaxed wedding reception. Jason Mraz lyrics can be stunning but the instrumental versions will make you appreciate this artist all over again. And of course, Beatles lyrics that are so ingrained in many of us that just hearing the chords evokes the songs meaning.
Get everyone up and showing off their best moves with a musical classic like Summer Love – Grease. Having music from movies as a wedding song is becoming increasingly popular too as they offer a subtle way to use great music that also speaks to your fandoms.
Here are a selection of our favourite Beach Wedding Reception music.
Top 10 Classical Music Songs for Beach Wedding Receptions
- Venus the Bringer of Peace – Holst
- Piano Concerto in G major – Ravel
- Peace Piece – Bill Evans
- Chanson de Matin – Elgar
- Hallelujah from the Messiah – Handel
- Rêverie – Debussy
- Pizzicato Polka – Strauss
- Divertimento in D – Mozart
- Air on the G String – Bach
- Prelude on ‘Rhosymedre’ – Ralph Vaughan Williams
Top 10 Instrumental Music Songs for Beach Wedding Receptions
- Movie Soundtracks – Lord of The Rings
- Adore You – Harry Styles
- Sixty Summers – Julia Stone
- Walkin’ on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
- Under the Sea – From The Little Mermaid
- Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles
- I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz
- I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
- Simply The Best – Tina Turner
- Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
Top 10 Contemporary Music Songs for Beach Wedding Receptions
- Better Together – Jack Johnson
- Love Story – Taylor Swift
- We Found Love – Rihanna, Calvin Harris
- Beyoncé – Love On Top
- Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
- The Wedding Song – Angus & Julia Stone
- Make You Feel My Love – Adele
- Because Of Your Love – Kenny Chesney
- A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
- Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) – Enya
Top 10 Contemporary Music Songs for Beach Wedding Receptions
- Better Together – Jack Johnson
- Love Story – Taylor Swift
- We Found Love – Rihanna, Calvin Harris
- Beyoncé – Love On Top
- Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
- The Wedding Song – Angus & Julia Stone
- Make You Feel My Love – Adele
- Because Of Your Love – Kenny Chesney
- A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
- Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) – Enya
Beach Wedding Party Music
As the night moves into party mode, it is time to pump up the dance songs! One of the most fun parts of your wedding day is partying with all your friends and loved ones. The Beach Boys lyrics are perfect for getting guests to sing-a-long and get into the party spirit. Weezer lyrics are known for being fun and is a great alternative to disco pop for your afterparty.
Set the mood with an amazing wedding playlist filled with these dance song bangers!
Top 10 Waltz Songs for Beach Wedding Parties
- Little Darling – The Diamonds
- Moon River -Frank Sinatra
- Last Waltz – Engelbert
- Danced All Night Long – William Beckmann
- Crazy For You – Madonna
- Waltz in the Dark – Matt Nakoa
- Love Is All Around – Wet Wet Wet
- Unforgettable – Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole
- When You Say Nothing At All – Ronan Keating
- Endless Love – Diana Ross & Lionel Ritchie
Top 10 Pop Music Songs for Beach Wedding Parties
- Always On My Mind – Elvis Presley
- Let Me Love You DJ Snake ft Justin Bieber
- Marry Me – Train
- Ocean Avenue – Yellowcard
- Marry You – Bruno Mars
- Lucky In Love – Mick Jagger
- I Got You – Jack Johnson
- I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
- One – Love – Bob Marley
- You’re So Good To Me – Beach Boys
Top 10 Dance Music Songs for Beach Wedding Parties
- Despacito – Luis Fonsi feat Daddy Yankee
- Let Me Blow Ya Mind – Eve
- “I Like It” – Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny, J Balvin
- Dancing in The Moonlight – Toploader
- On the Floor – Jennifer Lopez
- My Best Friend – Weezer
- Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Beach Boys
- I Get to Love You – Ruelle
- Juice – Lizzo
- Summer Love – Grease
