The Most Popular Wedding Songs & Artists Revealed
We reveal the most popular wedding songs according to real couples - and you won't believe who has taken the top spot this year!
When it comes to choosing the best wedding songs for your big day, it's so important to get it right. There's no better wedding guest entertainment than ensuring your day is filled with great wedding songs from start to finish.
To ensure you have the best wedding songs list for your wedding band or DJ to play, we surveyed over 1,800 couples who got married in 2023 in our National Wedding Survey to discover the most popular wedding songs and artists - you're going to be surprised by the results!
From the best first dance wedding songs (you're not going to be expecting this), and the best father daughter dance songs, to the most popular 90s tunes and the best country wedding music - this list has it all.
The Best Wedding Songs & Artists in the UK
Music plays a huge role in so many parts of a wedding day - it helps tell your story as a couple. It can add to those intimate moments throughout the day, create a warm ambiance and most importantly, get the party started!
Struggling to create your ultimate wedding playlist? Fear not, these Hitched wedding song playlists have you completely covered. With everything from classic 90’s bangers and throwback floor-fillers, to heartfelt first dance songs and singalong belters, there’s something for every style of wedding here.
- The Best First Dance Songs & Artists
- The Best Wedding Songs & Artists
- What Are the Most Popular 90s Wedding Songs?
With everything from last dance bangers and throwback tunes to first dance ballads and general floor-fillers, here is a list of the most popular wedding songs chosen by real couples.
The Most Popular First Dance Songs
Let's take a look at the most popular first dance wedding songs, and the most popular artists that couples choose for that all-important moment.
The first dance is such a pinnacle moment in most weddings and choosing the right song is vital. Here are the top 10 most popular wedding first dance songs according to our survey data.
1. Can't Help Falling in Love - Elvis Presley
2. At Last - Etta James
3. Perfect - Ed Sheeran
4. Amazed - Lonestar
5. Baby I'm Yours - Arctic Monkeys
6. The One - Kodaline
7. Stand by Me - Ben E. King
8. Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran
9. All of Me - John Legend
10. Pointless - Lewis Capaldi
For the first time in FOREVER we are seeing Ed Sheeran drop from the top position. "We are so used to seeing Ed Sheeran dominating the charts and the most popular wedding song lists, so it's actually quite nice to see the Elvis revival creep into weddings," says Zoe Burke, Editor of Hitched.
"From the Elvis movie to the new Priscilla series, the King has been all over mainstream media for the past couple of years, and this is clearly inspiring couples as they plan their weddings.
"For the first time we're seeing quite a variety of songs and artists in the top 10 - including Arctic Monkeys, inspired by their recent comeback, and Lewis Capaldi. It's so important when choosing your first dance song that you go for something special to you, not just what is the most popular for other couples - and we're clearly seeing that here!"
Explaining that you don't have to just choose one, Karlton Rowley from Events DJs says, "As a DJ, I love it when couples make the first dance something special to them, and it doesn't have to be slow, a lively first dance song can set the tone for the evening.
"Occasionally, we're asked to create a special mashup that takes the couple and the guests on a journey. This can be particularly effective where initially a track starts slow and then melds into a faster mix where the guests can join in."
The Most Popular First Dance Song Artists
There are some artists who were just made to write and sing first dance songs, so here we have the most popular first dance song artists, some with multiple ballads that are popular with couples.
1. Ed Sheeran
It’s no surprise to see Ed topping yet another best wedding artist list - it's likely he was put on this Earth purely to write first dance songs, and Perfect, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea and his duet with Beyoncé on Perfect together all helped him get there.
One of the lesser known first dance songs, Tenerife Sea, has to be one of the most romantic and emotional ones he's ever written - we just adore it.
2. Elvis Presley
We are truly seeing an Elvis revival, as 'Can't Help Falling in Love' became the most popular wedding song of 2023, and Elvis the second most popular artist.
3. Etta James
Etta has been a classic choice for a long time, and with good reason. Her song 'At Last' is truly timeless and works perfectly for weddings.
4. Coldplay
Of course the millennials want Coldplay at their wedding! 'A Sky Full of Stars' is a beautiful song, and it also has some cool remixes, meaning you can slow dance to the original then get down on the dancefloor with all your university pals later by playing the remixed version.
5. Tom Walker
The Scottish singer-songwriter has proved popular with couples who married in 2023! His song, 'Better Half of Me' featured at plenty of weddings last year.
6. Kodaline
Irish rock band Kodaline have long been popular with more alternative couples - their song 'The One' is often in most popular wedding song lists, so it makes sense for them to be in the top 10 artists favoured by wedding couples!
7. Frankie Valli
He's old school for sure, but sometimes you just can't beat that old-fashioned charm when it comes to wedding music. Frankie Valli is one of the most popular musicians for weddings thanks to his classic song 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'.
8. Arctic Monkeys
Northern indie rockers Arctic Monkeys have seen a revival since their run of headline gigs in 2023 - it makes sense that nostalgic millennial couples would pick to have Monkeys music at their weddings. 'Baby I'm Yours' is a cover by the band, and newlyweds just can't get enough. Neither can we, to be honest. The sweet 60s style lends itself perfectly to the retro wedding trend.
9. Lonestar
It wouldn't be a wedding music top 10 without a bit of a country feel. American country band Lonestar have long been popular with couples planning their weddings, thanks to their super romantic song 'Amazed', which is consistently featured in wedding music top 10 round ups.
10. Fleetwood Mac
Another retro act seeing a big revival, Fleetwood Mac have become one of the most popular wedding music artists! Couples are looking to add a more retro feel to their wedding days, and the Amazon series Daisy Jones & The Six, which was inspired by Stevie Nicks and co, was a huge hit last year. It makes sense that the popularity of 'Everywhere' has earned them a place in the top 10.
What is the Best Wedding First Dance Song?
According to our data, it's 'Can't Help Falling in Love' by Elvis Presley. This song was the most popular with couples who married in 2023, whether they opted for the original crooned by the King, or went for a more modern cover version.
If you're still itching for more wedding music inspiration, check out our guide to the best wedding songs for every wedding day moment - we've literally thought of everything.
*Survey taken of 1,808 U.K. individuals married in 2023. Survey distributed via email and Hitched social channels. Survey conducted throughout 2023 and January 2024.
