Ideas

6 Award-Winning, Wedding-Ready Songs

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Building your “Must Play” list to hand over to your band or DJ can feel more daunting than you imagined. The best way to get started? Take a cue from music experts who have the job of picking the best songs of the year. These award-winning tunes have not only earned gold trophies, but they’ve also stolen the hearts of newlyweds everywhere, which is why they’ve definitely earned a spot on your special playlist. A musician playing on the acoustic guitar Photo by velishchuk/Bigstock. 1. "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran If you can’t decide on the perfect first dance song, look no further than this year’s Grammy winner for song of the year. With plenty of big day themed lyrics (like “I will be loving you til we’re 70” and “Honey, your soul could never grow old, it’s evergreen”), this sweet ballad will hold special meaning in your relationship long after the first dance ends. Disclaimer: you don’t need to mimic Ed’s amazing moves from his music video for your first dance. 2. "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars This may not be ideal for your first song as a married couple, it is the ideal first tune for getting the crowd moving on the dance floor. The first few notes of this Record of the Year will definitely get everyone’s feet tapping, and by the time Bruno Mars starts singing, the whole crowd will be dancing. 3. "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift Tay won took home the Album of the Year award in 2016, and “Shake It Off” earned nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 2015. Save this hit for a little later in the night, when it seems like the crowd could use an extra burst of energy. 4. "All of Me" by John Legend As soon as we heard John Legend’s “All of Me,” we knew it would be an instant "I do" classic. Turns out music experts agreed, too! The song nabbed the 2015 Billboard Music Award for Top Radio Song and was nominated for the Best Pop Solo Performance at the Grammys — but it is the clear winner in Most Popular First Dance Song (if only that were a thing). 5. "Magic" by Coldplay Okay, we’ll admit that this is a bit of a stretch — but Coldplay’s "Ghost Stories" album won Best Rock Album at the Billboard Awards in 2015. “Magic” was definitely one of the most popular tunes from the album, and the mellow tune and sweet lyrics are perfect for background music at the ceremony or cocktail hour. Have you noticed some of the romantic lyrics? We swoon over these lines: “And if you were to ask me / After all that we've been through / Still believe in magic? Well yes, I do.” 6. "Like I’m Gonna Lose You" by Meghan Trainor featuring John Legend This may just be one of the most romantic numbers of the year, so it’s definitely worth a spot in your reception playlist. Plus, who wouldn’t want the voices of Meghan Trainor (this year’s Best New Artist) and John Legend crooning sweet lyrics on their big day? Prepare your wedding playlist with help from Lover.ly: 9 Totally Unexpected Cake Cutting Songs 11 Popular Love Songs That Actually Have Terribly Unromantic Lyrics
Kristin Doherty
About The Author
Writer and Content Strategist. 
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