We’ve selected 100 of the best pop songs and Classical pieces from the String Musicians London repertoire for a wedding string quartet, including music for walking down the aisle, signing the register, your grand exit from the ceremony, and your drinks reception.
Choosing your wedding music can be surprisingly difficult – you’re spoilt for choice with our extensive repertoire list! Perhaps you want something romantic, but maybe not too predictable. Or something your guests will recognise, but that still sounds elegant and special. It’s totally down to your personal taste.
A string quartet, string trio, violin and cello duo, London Two Cellos or solo violinist or cellist is a wonderful way to bring a fresh sound to familiar songs and Classical pieces. From classical wedding faves to modern pop hits, film soundtracks and Disney tunes, Bollywood and more, there are hundreds of possibilities.
Classical Wedding Music for a String Quartet or String Ensemble
Classical music has long been associated with weddings, and for good reason. Our most popular Classical pieces create an elegant and timeless atmosphere and work very well for wedding ceremonies.
- Canon – Pachelbel
- Air – J.S. Bach
- Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring – J.S. Bach
- Trumpet Voluntary – Clarke
- Claire de Lune – Debussy
- Flower Duet – Delibes
- Salut d’Amour – Elgar
- Spring Recomposed – Max Richter
- Meditation from Thaïs – Massenet
- Wedding March – Mendelssohn
- Queen of Sheba – Handel
- Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – Mozart
- O Mio Babbino Caro – Puccini
- The Swan – Saint-Saëns
- Ave Maria – Schubert
- The Blue Danube – Strauss
- Waltz of the Flowers – Tchaikovsky
- Spring from The Four Seasons – Vivaldi
- Wedding March – Wagner
- Air in D – Handel
These pieces are particularly well suited to a traditional or elegant wedding ceremony, although many also work beautifully as background music during a drinks reception or wedding breakfast.
Romantic Songs for Walking Down the Aisle
Modern songs arranged for strings can be especially personal for a wedding. Choose your favourite song as a couple – here are a few favourites of our clients.
- A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- Can’t Help Falling in Love with You – Elvis Presley
- All of Me – John Legend
- Make You Feel My Love – Adele
- Young and Beautiful – Lana Del Rey
- Lover – Taylor Swift
- Wildest Dreams – Taylor Swift
- Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
- Your Song – Elton John
- How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding
- Just the Way You Are – Bruno Mars
- Stand By Me – Ben King
- God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
- All You Need Is Love – The Beatles
- Halo – Beyoncé
- Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
- What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
- At Last – Etta James
- All of Me – John Legend
These songs can work very well for the bride or groom entrance, signing the register or also as background music during your drinks reception.
Modern Pop Songs for a Wedding String Quartet
One of the best things about hiring our string quartet is that you don’t have to limit yourself to traditional wedding music.
Modern pop songs can sound sophisticated and elegant when arranged for strings, while still allowing you to include music that you feel reflects your taste and style.
- Beautiful Things – Benson Boone
- Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
- What Was I Made For? – Billie Eilish
- Someone Like You – Adele
- Easy On Me – Adele
- If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys
- Thank U, Next – Ariana Grande
- We Can’t Be Friends – Ariana Grande
- Dancing Queen – ABBA
- Mamma Mia – ABBA
- The Winner Takes It All – ABBA
- A Sky Full of Stars – Coldplay
- Fix You – Coldplay
- Feeling Good – Muse
- Starlight – Muse
- L-O-V-E – Nat King Cole
- Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen
- Hey Jude – The Beatles
- Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
- Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
Modern pop is particularly popular for couples who want their wedding music to feel personal rather than overly traditional.
Upbeat Pop Songs for a Wedding Reception
Not every wedding song needs to be slow and romantic!
For your drinks reception or wedding exit, we recommend upbeat songs or pieces of music – it completely changes the atmosphere and help you and your guests celebrate, mingle and enjoy the celebration.
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) – Stevie Wonder
- Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
- I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
- Three Little Birds – Bob Marley
- Is This Love – Bob Marley
- Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
- Valerie – Amy Winehouse
- Rolling in the Deep – Adele
- Happy – Pharrell Williams
- Marry You – Bruno Mars
- Pompeii – Bastille
- Wake Me Up – Avicii
- Love Generation – Bob Sinclar
- Rasputin – Boney M
- Thunderstruck – AC/DC
- I Want to Break Free – Queen
- Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
- You Make My Dreams – Hall and Oates
- Simply the Best – Tina Turner
- Can’t Stop the Feeling – Justin Timberlake
For a wedding exit, something upbeat is a fantastic way to conclude the ceremony and start the party!
Film and TV Music for a Wedding String Quartet
For film and TV buffs, including some music from your favourite movies or series is a must!
What are your favourite films or series? Here are some songs from various movies:
- Bridgerton Theme
- Hedwig’s Theme – Harry Potter
- Now We Are Free – Gladiator
- City of Stars – La La Land
- Concerning Hobbits – The Hobbit
- My Heart Will Go On – Titanic
- A Million Dreams – The Greatest Showman
- I See the Light – Tangled
- Love Theme – Romeo and Juliet
- Married Life – Up
Film music can be fantastic during the marriage ceremony or drinks reception, especially if you want something a little different from traditional wedding music.
Disney Songs for a String Ensemble
Disney music is a lovely choice for couples who want something fairytale-style, nostalgic or playful.
- A Whole New World – Aladdin
- A Tale as Old as Time – Beauty and the Beast
- Can You Feel the Love Tonight – The Lion King
- Circle of Life – The Lion King
- Part of Your World – The Little Mermaid
- How Far I’ll Go – Moana
- You’ll Be in My Heart – Tarzan
- You’ve Got a Friend in Me – Toy Story
- When You Wish Upon a Star – Pinocchio
- Once Upon a Dream – Sleeping Beauty
Disney songs can be particularly lovely for family weddings, fairytale-themed celebrations or couples who simply have a favourite Disney film.
Which Songs Are Best for Walking Down the Aisle?
There are no rules from us when it comes to choosing your wedding music, but some songs naturally lend themselves to particular parts of the ceremony. We’ve written some other blog posts about this too with recommendations so please check them out too!
For a traditional and elegant Classical music themed entrance, you could choose:
- Canon – Pachelbel
- Air – J.S. Bach
- Claire de Lune – Debussy
- Salut d’Amour – Elgar
- Flower Duet – Delibes
For a modern romantic entrance, maybe:
- A Thousand Years
- Perfect
- Can’t Help Falling in Love with You
- Young and Beautiful
- Lover
For something more unique and cinematic, film and TV music can make a wonderful entrance choice, such as Concerning Hobbits, Theme from Bridgerton or City of Stars.
After Bollywood? What about these:
- Tum Hi Ho
- Humko Humise Chura Lo
- Kesariya
- Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai
What Songs Work for Signing the Register?
You might choose something romantic and recognisable, such as:
- All of Me
- Make You Feel My Love
- Your Song
- Just the Way You Are
- Can’t Help Falling in Love with You
- A Thousand Years
Alternatively, this can be a great opportunity to include a favourite film song, Disney song or another piece of music that has a special meaning to you. We think that music chosen for the aisle walk works well here, too – the same kind of style!
What Songs Work for the Wedding Exit?
The recessional is your chance to choose music more upbeat and celebratory!
Some popular choices from our repertoire that we recommend:
- Viva La Vida
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)
- Marry You
- Dancing Queen
- Simply the Best
- Jai Ho (for more Bollywood music, check our Bollywood list!)
You can also choose something completely different. Your wedding music doesn’t have to follow traditional rules, it’s up to you!
How Many Songs Do You Need for a Wedding?
For a typical wedding ceremony, you will be asked to choose music for:
- Guests arriving
- The wedding party entrance
- The bride or groom’s entrance (this can be combined with the wedding party entrance or a separate song)
- Signing the register (we recommend choosing two songs or pieces!)
- The couple’s exit
For the wedding reception, you can either choose a selection of your favourites from our repertoire list or ask our musicians to create a playlist based on your musical preferences. We know what works best and what are crowd pleasers, so if you give us a vibe (eg, Bridgerton, or upbeat pop, or Classical) we’ll roll with it!
We can help you choose music that works for your wedding.
Can You Request a Song That Isn’t on the Repertoire?
Yes.
Our repertoire covers classical music, pop, film and television, Disney, Bollywood, world music, Worship music and many other genres. The full repertoire is available for all our ensembles, including string quartets, trios, duos and solo violinists and cellists.
If you can’t find the particular song or piece you want, ask us anyway. We can check our collection to see whether we already have it. If we don’t, we offer a complimentary song or piece of music of your choice as a special bonus, as long as the sheet music is available!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular songs for a wedding string quartet?
Popular choices include Canon in D, A Thousand Years, Perfect, Can’t Help Falling in Love with You, All of Me, Make You Feel My Love, Viva La Vida and Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours). However, the best choice is usually a song that has personal meaning to you.
Can your string quartet play modern pop songs?
Yes. Our string quartet can perform modern pop songs alongside classical music. Our repertoire includes songs by artists including Taylor Swift, Adele, Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, ABBA and a tonne more.
What songs are best for walking down the aisle?
Classical pieces such as Canon in D and Salut d’Amour are popular choices, while modern songs such as A Thousand Years, Perfect, Can’t Help Falling in Love with You and Young and Beautiful can make the entrance more personal. Check above and also check our other blog posts for more inspo!
What songs are best for a wedding reception?
For drinks receptions, you can choose a mixture of romantic, classical and upbeat songs. Popular choices include Dancing Queen, Valerie, Happy, Viva La Vida and Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).
Can a string quartet play film and TV music at a wedding?
Yes. Film and TV music can work beautifully for weddings, particularly if a particular film or series has special meaning to you. Our repertoire includes music from Bridgerton, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Gladiator, La La Land, Titanic and many more.
Can a string quartet play outside at a wedding?
Yes, provided the musicians and instruments are properly protected from direct sunlight, rain and other weather conditions. If you’re planning an outdoor wedding, it’s important to have suitable shelter and an indoor backup option! Check our recent blog post about this here.
Make Your Wedding Music Personal
There isn’t a single list of “correct” wedding songs, although some registrars in a secular setting ask for no music with a religious connotation.
The best wedding music is usually music that means something to you as a couple. It could be a classical piece you’ve always loved or even one that you love to play yourself, a song from your first date, a favourite film soundtrack or a pop song that reminds you of a particular moment together.
Just let us know what you’re after – it’s your musical story, let us help you write it!
Your wedding music should sound like you!
[Hire a String Quartet for Your Wedding →]
[How Much Does It Cost to Hire String Musicians in London? →]