As you walk out
How to round off the perfect wedding ceremony
Here's your one-stop guide to choosing the song that plays as you walk out into the rest of your lives together
The ceremony is over! You have officially tied the knot, the nerves are over (apart from the speeches later, perhaps) and you have created memories in the ceremony that will remain with you forever. Now that the ceremonial rituals are complete, it's time to celebrate your marriage with your loved ones.
But you can't just exit the venue in silence! What song do you want to have playing while you walk out together?
My three main pieces of advice for choosing the walkout song, in order of importance, are as follows - pick something that's:
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related to the theme of love or marriage
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upbeat
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personal to you
In this post I'll go through five of my favourite choices for the end of the ceremony (known as the 'recessional').
1. Wedding March - Mendelssohn
This boisterous and instantly recognisable wedding march is an obvious candidate for the recessional. Revel in the glory of its crushing chords and triumphant melody - you've done it at last!
2. Marry You - Bruno Mars
A fast-paced, catchy and utterly sincere love song, Marry You is just modern enough to be recognised by the younger folk in the congregation, but just old enough to have attained some sentimental value!
3. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) - Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole's 1975 classic should always be a firm contender for a recessional. It confidently speaks of this love lasting for eternity: "You've given me the thrill of a lifetime/And made me believe you've got more thrills to spare". The key change also gives it an extra lift and adds to the atmosphere of success and joy!
4. Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
Although not strictly speaking a love song, this classic penned by "the quiet Beatle" George Harrison is often chosen as a recessional because of its infectious optimism and brightness. This is a good example of a tune that doesn't match all three of my criteria above but can still work fantastically. Don't get too bogged down with the guidelines!
5. Take My Hand - Picture This
We'll round off this list with a home-grown suggestion from Athy, Co. Kildare! This anthemic and heartfelt pop tune makes the ideal soundtrack to your walk down the aisle together, as you take hands and leave the venue as one.
"You're all that I'm needing/You're all that I'm feeling".