Wedding entrance songs: 38 ideas and advice from a wedding planner
By Oriane S. | November 5, 2026 | Wedding planner in Bordeaux, weddings in Gironde
Photo credit: Amelia from HDAS Records
There are several moments on the wedding day when everyone falls silent and turns around. The doors open, the first notes start, and your guests see the bride, the groom, or the couple making their entrance into the room. These moments barely last two minutes, but they are often the ones people remember most. Choosing the right wedding entrance song deserves a little thought.
As a wedding planner in Bordeaux, I have coordinated dozens of entrances, in Médoc châteaux as well as in Entre-deux-Mers estates. In this article, I share a selection of 38 songs sorted by mood, and above all a method to choose and time your music without stress.
Wedding entrance: which moment are we talking about?
In France, the expression "entrée des mariés" actually covers two different moments, which call for very different music.
- The entrance at the ceremony (symbolic, religious or sometimes at the town hall): the groom arrives first, then the bride walks down the aisle, often on the arm of a loved one. The mood is emotional, the tempo rather slow.
- The entrance into the reception room, at dinner time: the couple arrives in front of all the guests, already seated at their tables. This is the festive moment, when you can choose an upbeat song, or even a little choreography.
Bridal entrance music for the ceremony
The great classics
They never go out of style and suit every kind of wedding, indoors or outdoors, in summer or in winter.
- Canon in D major, Johann Pachelbel
- Bridal Chorus (Lohengrin), Richard Wagner
- Air on the G String, Johann Sebastian Bach
- Ave Maria, Franz Schubert
- Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, George Frideric Handel
- Clair de lune, Claude Debussy
- Gymnopédie No. 1, Erik Satie
Instrumental covers of pop songs
This has been the most requested trend for a few years: a song everyone recognises, played on piano, by a string quartet or on the harp. You keep the emotion of the song without the lyrics, which can sometimes overpower the moment.
- A Thousand Years, Christina Perri
- Perfect, Ed Sheeran
- Can't Help Falling in Love, Elvis Presley
- All of Me, John Legend
- Halo, Beyoncé
- River Flows in You, Yiruma
- Experience, Ludovico Einaudi
French songs
- La Vie en rose, Édith Piaf (or the Louis Armstrong version)
- L'Hymne à l'amour, Édith Piaf
- Je te promets, Johnny Hallyday
- La Javanaise, Serge Gainsbourg
- Ne me quitte pas, Jacques Brel (ideally an instrumental version)
- Dernière danse, Indila (piano version)
Music for the groom's entrance
It's not the first thing people think of, but the groom makes an entrance too, usually just before the bride. This song can be more personal, more offbeat, and it often relaxes the atmosphere before the most emotional moment.
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours), Stevie Wonder
- Viva la Vida, Coldplay (instrumental version)
- The Pirates of the Caribbean or Game of Thrones theme, for film-loving couples
- Sweet Disposition, The Temper Trap
- Somewhere Only We Know, Keane
Songs for the couple's entrance into the reception
Here the goal is simple: get the celebrations going. Your guests stand up, clap, take out their phones. An upbeat song with a clear build-up works better than a ballad.
Safe bets that get everyone on their feet
- Happy, Pharrell Williams
- Marry You, Bruno Mars
- Crazy in Love, Beyoncé
- Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
- Can't Stop the Feeling!, Justin Timberlake
- Love on Top, Beyoncé
- Don't Stop Me Now, Queen
French hits and playful nods
- Les Champs-Élysées, Joe Dassin
- Alors on danse, Stromae
- Tout le bonheur du monde, Sinsemilia
- Le Lion est mort ce soir, Pow Wow (a guaranteed hit with the children)
- Rocky theme (Gonna Fly Now), for a champion's entrance
- The La La Land or Mamma Mia soundtrack, for couples who love musicals
For couples who want something different
- A song linked to how you met (the song playing the night you first saw each other, the soundtrack of your first trip together)
- A mashup prepared by your DJ, combining three extracts in 90 seconds
How to choose your wedding entrance song: 6 tips
1. Time the walk
During the technical visit of the venue, walk the route at ceremony pace. A château aisle is often between 10 and 20 metres long, which means 45 seconds to 1 minute 30 of slow walking. Your music needs to cover that time without being cut off abruptly mid-phrase.
2. Find the right moment in the song
Few songs start with their best part. With your DJ or musicians, decide the exact moment the music starts (often the chorus or the build-up) and when it fades out. This detail makes all the difference on the video, and live for the emotion too.
3. Keep it consistent with your wedding
A string quartet in the chapel of a Sauternes château and an electro track for the entrance into the reception can work perfectly together. What matters is that each piece of music suits the place and the moment. An outdoor entrance among the vines doesn't suit an overly loud sound system, whereas a reception room for 150 guests needs volume.
4. Check the venue's rules
For a religious ceremony, the parish may ask for liturgical music or music approved by the priest: discuss it during your preparation. At the town hall, some municipalities allow entrance music and others don't. For a symbolic ceremony, you are free to choose, and that is one of its great advantages.
5. Have a technical plan B
Download the song locally and never rely on the network in a château deep in the Gironde countryside. Give the file and the timing to your DJ and your wedding planner, but the starting signal should be given by one person only (DJ, officiant or wedding planner). Of course, the file should be tested on site the day before or that morning, but if your DJ is a good one, rest assured it was already on their to-do list before they even met you.
6. Plan waiting music for a symbolic ceremony
Between the guests taking their seats and your entrance, 10 to 20 minutes can go by. A gentle background playlist avoids an awkward silence and makes the start of your entrance song even more striking.
A typical running order for a successful entrance
Here is how we usually organise a symbolic ceremony at Horizevent:
- Waiting music while the guests take their seats.
- Entrance of the officiant, then the groom, on a first song.
- Entrance of the witnesses, bridesmaids and flower children.
- A pause of a few seconds, then a change of music for the bride's entrance: this silence is what makes everyone turn around.
- The music fades out once the bride reaches the altar.
Frequently asked questions about wedding entrance music
What is the most popular song for the bride's entrance?
Pachelbel's Canon remains the great classic in France. Among modern songs, A Thousand Years by Christina Perri and Perfect by Ed Sheeran, in instrumental versions, are also among the most requested.
How long should the entrance music last?
Between 1 and 3 minutes, depending on the length of the aisle and the number of people walking in before the bride. Ideally, time the walk on site, or choose a song long enough that the DJ can easily fade it out once everyone has walked down the aisle.
Should a wedding have different music for the ceremony and the reception?
It isn't compulsory, but it is recommended. The ceremony calls for emotional music, the reception entrance for festive music. Using the same song in two versions (instrumental at the ceremony, the original in the evening) is a lovely way to create a common thread.
Live or recorded music?
Live music (violin, harp, singer, quartet) brings an emotion that is hard to match, especially for an outdoor ceremony. Recorded music is more affordable and lets you choose any song. Many couples combine both: musicians for the ceremony, a DJ for the evening.
Need help orchestrating your entrance?
Choosing your wedding entrance song is only one piece of the puzzle: you also need to set the timing, brief the DJ and the officiant, manage the nerves of the whole wedding party and give the signal at the right moment. That is exactly the role of a wedding planner on the day.
At Horizevent, I support couples getting married in Bordeaux and the Gironde, from finding the venue to coordinating the wedding day. Your wedding deserves the rigour of a project manager, and you deserve the luxury of delegating. Let's talk about your project.
