Every wedding ceremony tells a story — and in 2025, couples are choosing music that feels deeply personal while still honoring timeless tradition. This year’s ceremony music trends blend classical elegance with modern love songs, creating moments that feel emotional, meaningful, and unforgettable. Live harp music remains a favorite for couples seeking a refined, immersive experience that elevates every moment of the ceremony.
As a harpist, I’ve had the joy of performing at ceremonies ranging from intimate garden weddings to grand cathedral celebrations, and these are the ceremony selections couples loved most in 2025. Each list has the most popular pieces at the top, and the numbers in parentheses tell you how many times I have played that song for that particular moment of a ceremony.
If you are looking for a musician for your wedding, contact me to discuss the harp music for your ceremony, reception, and rehearsal dinner!
Seating of Family
The seating of family marks the ceremonial shift from gathering to intention. For the seating of parents and special family members, couples often choose music that is warm and meaningful without being overpowering.
This year, couples chose:
To Make You Feel My Love (2)
Ancient Stones from Skyrim (1)
Because You Loved Me (1)
Blessed be the Tie that Binds (1)
City of Stars (1)
Dodi Li (1)
Falling Slowly (1)
Hallelujah (1)
Harvest Moon (1)
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (1)
Love Me Like I Am (1)
Marry Me (1)
Sky Full of Stars (1)
The Only Exception (1)
This is a lovely place to include a song with personal significance to your family members while maintaining a smooth flow into the processional.
Wedding Party Processional
Processional music in 2025 continues to blend tradition with modern romance. Many couples choose one piece for the wedding party and another for the grand entrance, creating a clear emotional build.
This year’s wedding party processional choices:
Canon in D (2)
Can’t Help Falling in Love (2)
All of Me (1)
Autumn Leaves (1)
Cherry Wine (1)
Concerning Hobbits from Lord of the Rings (1)
Despacito (1)
Fields of Gold (1)
From this Moment On (1)
Harvest Moon (1)
Have I Told You Lately (1)
Here Comes the Sun (1)
Holy, Holy, Holy (1)
Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing (1)
Love Me Tender (1)
Nothing Else Matters (1)
Video Games (1)
Grand Entrance
The walk down the aisle is the emotional centerpiece of the day. In 2025, couples are gravitating toward music that feels intimate, expressive, and deeply personal — often modern love songs interpreted through classical instrumentation.
The 2025 grand entrance selections were:
Can’t Help Falling in Love (3)
Canon in D (2)
Ave Maria (1)
Chemtrails Over the Country Club (1)
Dreams (1)
For the Beauty of the Earth (1)
I Choose You (1)
In My Life (1)
Married Life (1)
Merry-Go-Round of Life (1)
Perfect (1)
Ribbon in the Sky (1)
Stand by Me (1)
Storybook Love from The Princess Bride (1)
Tenerife Sea (1)
Video Games (1)
What a Wonderful World (1)
Wind Forest from My Neighbor Totoro (1)
Ceremony Interludes & Unity Moments
During unity ceremonies, candle lightings, or moments of reflection, couples are choosing gentle music that enhances the emotion without distracting from it. Notably, there were no repeats this year—each couple selected something entirely unique!
This year, my couples chose:
A Thousand Years from Twilight: Breaking Dawn
Amazing Grace
Aniron
Ave Maria
Can’t Help Falling in Love
Dance with My Father
Dreamland Express
Edelweiss from The Sound of Music
Good, Good Father
Hallelujah
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
LoveSong
One Bread, One Body
Stand by Me
Taste and See
Recessional
The recessional marks the joyful transition from ceremony to celebration. In 2025, couples chose music that felt bright, upbeat, and unmistakably celebratory.
Their 2025 recessional selections:
Here Comes the Sun (3)
This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) (3)
Ode to Joy (2)
All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera (1)
Birds of a Feather (1)
Bless the Broken Road (1)
Great Fairy Fountain from Legend of Zelda (1)
I’m Yours (1)
Livin’ on a Prayer (1)
Love Me Like You Do (1)
Marry You (1)
Spring, Mvt. 3, from The Four Seasons (1)
Theme from Super Mario Bros.
This Must be the Place
You are the Best Thing
This is a wonderful opportunity to end the ceremony on a joyful, energetic note.
Your ceremony music should feel as intentional as every other element of your wedding day. When thoughtfully chosen and beautifully performed, it becomes part of the memory itself — something you feel as much as you hear.
Couples are prioritizing music that reflects who they are, while still honoring the beauty and significance of the ceremony itself. Your ceremony music should feel authentic, meaningful, and timeless — something that brings you right back to that moment every time you hear it.
If you’re planning your wedding ceremony and would like help selecting music that fits your style, venue, and vision, I’d love to help you create something truly special. Please reach out via my website – The Classic Harpist – to start planning your wedding music!
