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100+ of the Best Wedding Recessional Songs to Exit Your Ceremony To

Wedding recessional songs are the music played as the newlywed couple descend down the aisle followed by their guests - and it should be triumphant!

Bride and groom exit their ceremony surrounded by friends and family cheering

Wedding recessional songs, better known as wedding exit songs, are played as the couple walk back down the aisle as newlyweds and the guests clap wildly. Happy, celebratory and bursting with love, your wedding recessional song should reflect the excitement you’re feeling inside. You just got married to the love of your life! We promise you won’t stop smiling.

At the top of the aisle, you’ll normally wait with your partner and your guests will gather outside to throw confetti. This means you could get away with choosing a couple of wedding songs to walk out of your wedding ceremony to depending on how long you think it’ll take everyone to congregate.

Tim Sentance, Director of Boujee Music says: "This is a moment of true celebration, when all your guests will be clapping, whooping and cheering, and pairing it with the perfect song will make it even more joyful and memorable for you and your guests. Our most popular wedding recessional song requests from couples are 'Arrival of the Queen of Sheba' by Handel, 'September' by Earth, Wind & Fire, and '(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher' by Jackie Wilson. And of course, the classic 'Wedding March' from A Midsummer Night's Dream by Mendelssohn."

Want even more inspiration? We have over 100 songs to exit your ceremony to, plus, a Spotify playlist with classic wedding recessional songs to help you pick your favourite. Enjoy listening!

108 of the Best Wedding Exit Songs

Tim Sentance of Boujee Music gave us his top wedding recessional song choices no matter what your music taste. Highlighted in bold, there is a song to suit all couples and wedding styles. 

Classical Recessional Wedding Songs

  • Widor's Toccata – Charles-Marie Widor
  • Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah – George Frideric Handel
  • 1st Movement from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – Mozart 
  • Spring – Vivaldi
  • Waltz Of The Flowers – Tchaikovsky
  • Trumpet Tune And Bell Symphony – Henry Purcell
  • One Hand, One Heart – Bernstein 
  • On Wings Of Song – Mendelssohn
  • Sonata in G Major – Giuseppe Tartini 
  • Ave Maria – Schubert

Up-Beat Wedding Recessional Songs

  • Can't Stop The Feeling – Justin Timberlake
  • Love You I Do – Jennifer Hudson
  • How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – Marvin Gaye 
  • Sky Full Of Stars – Coldplay
  • Happy – Pharrell Williams
  • Dancing In The Moonlight – Toploader
  • This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Natalie Cole
  • I'm Yours – Jason Mraz
  • Marry You – Bruno Mars
  • Electric Love – Børns
  • Forever And For Always – Shania Twain
  • Ho Hey – The Lumineers
  • Sugar – Maroon 5
  • Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles
  • Higher Love – Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton
  • Walking On Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves

Non-Traditional Wedding Recessional Songs

  • I Believe In A Thing Called Love – The Darkness
  • Crazy In Love – Beyoncé
  • One More Time – Daft Punk
  • Treasure – Bruno Mars
  • Electric Feel – MGMT
  • XO – Beyoncé
  • Sweet Creature – Harry Styles
  • 10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber
  • Better Together – Jack Johnson
  • Carry Me Away – John Mayer
  • Yours – Ella Henderson
  • Over The Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
  • Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap
  • Call Of The Search – Katie Melua 
  • Everything  – Michael Bublé 

Funny Wedding Recessional Songs

  • Get Lucky – Daft Punk 
  • I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
  • Hakuna Matata – The Lion King
  • Hey Ya – OutKast
  • We Will Rock You – Queen
  • Don't Go Breaking My Heart – Elton John ft. Kiki Dee
  • Gold Digger – Kayne West ft. Jamie Foxx

Classic Recessional Wedding Songs

  • All You Need Is Love – The Beatles
  • Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) – Stevie Wonder
  • Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from “Solomon” – Bela Banafalvi & Budapest Strings
  • It Had to Be You – Harry Connick, Jr.
  • At Last –  Etta James
  • You Make My Dreams – Hall & Oates
  • (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher – Jackie Wilson
  • “Ode to Joy” from Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125: Choral) – Beethoven
  • Beautiful Day – U2
  • I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do – ABBA
  • Love Story – Taylor Swift
  • We Go Together – John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
  • Love and Marriage – Frank Sinatra
  • Salut D’amour – Elgar
  • Walking On Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves
  • Canon and Gigue in D Major: I. Canon – J.S. Bach Orchestra
  • Accidentally In Love – Counting Crows
  • Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
  • Be Our Guest – Angela Lansbury, Jerry Orbach & Chorus – Beauty an
  • Bring Me Sunshine – Morecambe & Wise
  • For Once in My Life – Stevie Wonder
  • Living on A Prayer – Bon Jovi
  • I Was Born To Love You – Freddie Mercury
  • If I Fall to Your Heart – Derwent Hannon
  • Wedding Day – Bee Gees
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 61 Incidental Music: No. 9 Wedding March – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra & George Szell
  • She Is Love – Oasis
  • Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Posthorn-Serenade – Mozart
  • Love Lust – King Charles
  • The Best of Me – Cliff Richard
  • On This Day – David Pomeranz
  • Recessional: Rondeau (Mouret) – Wedding Music Experts: The O’Neill Brothers
  • You’ve Got A Friend In Me (From “Toy Story”/ Soundtrack) – Randy Newman
  • Amazed – Lonestar
  • Any Other Name – Original – Thomas Newman
  • Up Around the Bend – Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • Brandenburg Concerto No.1 in F, BWV 1046: 1. (without tempo indication) – The English Concert & Trevor Pinnock
  • I Was Born To Love You (Extended Version) – Freddie Mercury
  • Oh My Love – The Score
  • Bel Air – Lana Del Rey
  • Best Day of My Life – American Authors
  • Music for the Royal Fireworks – Suite, HWV 351: IV. La réjouissance – Karl Münchinger & Stuttgarter Kammerorchester
  • Rule the World – Take That
  • The Edge Of Glory – Lady Gaga
  • Lovely Day – Bill Withers
  • Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
  • Evergreen (Love Theme from “A Star Is Born”) (Live) – Barbra Streisand
  • Verdi: Aida: Triumphal March & Ballet – Giuseppe Verdi
  • Anything Could Happen – Ellie Goulding
  • What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

How Do You Choose Your Recessional Song?

Songs for recessional at a wedding give you the opportunity to have a little fun, show your personality and break any nerves you may feel walking back down the aisle. Don’t forget classical music choices too, just remember the tone should be triumphant and the tempo relatively upbeat.

What is a Good Song to Walk Out to After We Are Married?

"A good wedding recessional song is joyous, it is up-beat, and it instantly brings a happy feeling. It also needs to stay strong or have an impactful intro, so that everybody's mood is lifted the moment it kick in. Of course, it's also important that the lyrics fit the moment, talking about love or happiness - or at least not about anything inappropriate!" explains Tim Sentance, Director of Boujee Music.

What Does Recessional Mean in a Wedding?

When the wedding ceremony is over, it's time for the recessional. "This is the moment that all the planning, preparations, build-up and excitement has been about - you are finally married! The wedding recessional song is played as you and your partner (and your wedding party) exit your wedding ceremony," explains Tim. 

Make sure you get an amazing photo of your wedding exit with these magical confetti photo ideas