The Greatest Wedding Love Songs for Every Part of Your Day

The right choice of music can make your wedding day feel like a real-life fairy tale. From the song played as you walk down the aisle to the music you choose for your first dance; the right track can inject a serious dose of romance.

Deciding on those all-important songs can be a daunting task, after all you’ll likely remember those moments – and the music! – for the rest of your life. To make things easier, we’ve curated a list of the 36 most romantic wedding songs for your listening pleasure.

From much-loved oldies to recent chart toppers, there’s something in our edit below for every couple. Each song can be played as you walk up or down the aisle, during your first dance or at any other special moment.

All you’ll need to do next is decide if you’re going to play the original or choose a band to play it live.

This smooth 1965 British number 1 was originally released as a B-side album-filler but has since soared to become one of the most recognisable love songs - and impressive vocal recordings - of the last 60 years.

Written while Clapton waited for his wife Pattie Boyd to get ready for a night out, Clapton's care-free vocals and swooning guitar do the talking on this heart-felt track from his 1977 'Slowhand' album.

Probably the most soulful power couple of all time, Diana and Lionel deliver a yearning duet that featured in the 1981 film 'Endless Love'. With breathy vocals and emotive string sections, you can help but feel the goosebumps.

Originally penned by songwriter Billy Preston as a tribute to his mother, this short but sweet song has become a regular for first dances at weddings since its release in 1974. Cocker's famously raspy vocal impresses every time.

Written by the members of Earth, Wind and Fire and recorded by The Emotions, this is a truly joyful celebration of love and affection delivered entirely via the medium of disco. Wedding love songs don't have to be slow to matter!

This jaunty, persuasive number from 1963 took lead singer Veronica Bennett forty-two takes to get the vocal part right, thanks to exacting producer and future husband, Phil Spector. I think we can all agree it was worth it!

Written by George Harrison and performed in his typically dreamy manner, this track has been covered more than 150 times and referred to as "the greatest love song ever written" by Frank Sinatra. Quite a compliment.

Not to be confused with Louis Armstrong's similarly titled ballad, this uptempo, catchy ditty from 1960 was a big hit at the time and later used for the famous 1986 Levi 501 Jeans advert.

Having featured in numerous films and TV adverts over the years, this song has effortlessly leaked into our shared musical history. As Sledge strains to exclaim and explain his love, we can't help but go along for the ride.

Originally recorded by Eddie Cantor for musical comedy 'Whoopee!', this jazz-infused hit features the queen of soul's effortless vocals, tasty piano solos and a little bit of name-dropping.

Delivering that true big band sound with a heavy topping of smooth vocals - and striking blue eyes - New Orleans' Harry Connick Jr. delivers all the Christmas-in-New-York feels, and who doesn't love that?!

From its dramatic strings start to its epic sax solos, this is a reckless declaration of love which knows no bounds. One for the rock fans out there, this is how to say "I Love You" and get to play the air drums at the same time.

When Peter Gabriel opens the book of love, we all listen. Along with his near-spoken singing, the melodies and string arrangements in this 2004 re-work are almost hypnotic, so approach with caution!

This soulful, pining – and slightly creepy? – 1983 classic from Lionel Richie features a clay bust of his head as the climax of the music video. And it doesn't get much more romantic than that.

This worldwide Number 1 has lived rent-free in popular culture since its release in 1988. Re-worked for a new millennium by Atomic Kitten in 2001, this track is destined to, quite appropriately, burn bright for eternity.

Performed by one of pop's most likeable pairings ever, this track runs for just over a minute but has made a lasting impression in the history of love songs. Having also featured in 'Groundhog Day', it seems likely that we'll be enjoying it again and again and again and again.

Written for Dennis DeYoung's wife's birthday, this 1979 narrative ballad is as heavy on authenticity as it is on synthesisers. A true 80s love dream of a song.

Later covered by Elvis Presley, this self-reflective, apologetic, Grammy-winning song is an intimate reaffirmation of love that speaks to the wistful, aching country singer within us all.

Delivered in The King of Rock and Roll's instantly recognisable rich tone, this truly tender love song plays as a kind of comforting lullaby to sooth the object of The Vibrating Valentino's affections.

This inimitable 1998 Grammy-winning ballad reset the bar for romantic wedding songs after its use in James Cameron's Titanic. Dion's vocal, the cinematic orchestration, the emotive drum fills, THE TIN WHISTLE – is this love ballad perfection?

Released as a single before the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack fully hit the shelves, this declaration of deep love via a high-pitched vocal is some of Barry, Robin and Maurice's most iconic work.

This stripped-back, acoustic ballad pushes past the "I love yous" and, somewhere between the falsetto and finger-picking guitar, speaks to a life of love in action.

This gentle, nostalgic ballad is laced with Flack's sensual vocal and stirring string sections, conjuring up all the memories of love's first meeting. In this case, between songwriter Ewan MacColl and singer Peggy Seeger.

From its whispering introduction to its screaming finale, Iglesias' emotion-filled vocal rocketed the Spanish heart-throb to his debut UK chart Number 1 in the early 2000s.

Written for her British boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn, this waltzing, breathy declaration of love celebrates both the mundane and extraordinary parts of their relationship in perfectly relatable melodic pop form.

As epic today as it was on first listen in 1984, this slow building, sensual classic was, movingly, the last song The High Priest of Pop ever played live.

This honky-tonk-style piano ballad from the Don't Stop Believin' crew shows off their softer side as they declare their love for the women they've left at home as they tour on the road. One for the musicians out there.

From the 1994 original to the 2004 Girls Aloud Children in Need re-recording, this song never fails to send shivers down your spine with it's air-grabbing key changes and affirmative lyrics.

Arguably one of the weirdest songs on this list, we follow lead singer Ann Wilson picking up and seducing a hitch-hiker in order to have a baby her long-term partner is unable to provide her with. It's more of a lust song than a love song, but you can't fault the to-the-point chorus and 80s groove.

Later covered by Frank Sinatra and featured in 1991's classic film My Girl, this simple, doo-wop influenced, Motown-inspired record is ideal for couples looking for a super vintage feel for their first dance.

Written by country favourite Willie Nelson, this was Cline's biggest hit before her tragic death in 1963 and, although it's more about love lost than love found, it still finds its place in most greatest love songs lists to this day.

Not enough love songs include a harmonica but Aerosmith have single-handedly fixed that issue with this 1995 Grammy Award winning, country-inspired anthem. It remains one of the greatest karaoke challenges to date.

This 80s-inspired groove won boy band member turned solo singing heart-throb a grammy for its quirky video of love between a boy and a fish.

Call off the search – after singing this piano-led ballad to his bride, Chrissy Teigen, at their wedding in 2013, Legend may have ended the battle for most romantic music moment ever.

Turn the lights down and add a healthy dose of Bridges' delectable vocals, a soft, R&B groove and a sprinkle of heart-felt lyrics and you have the perfect recipe for a contemporary love song.

This song is definitely not a thinly-veiled attempt at making another Thinking Out Loud. This song is definitely not a cynical reworking of the formula that made Thinking Out Loud an enormous hit. And we definitely don't love this song just as much.