50 Wedding Songs You Should Think Twice About Playing (And Better Alternatives)

Wedding songs normally fall under beautiful classical music or tried-and-tested love songs. If you’re a couple who loves a laugh, you might be looking for an inappropriate wedding song or at the very least, a funny wedding song.

Perfect for including in a best man’s speech, a funny first dance, or playing as a joke during the wedding reception, we’ve picked out the 50 funniest wedding songs around and even broken them down into categories for you. Whether you want an inappropriate wedding song or something a little bit tongue-in-cheek, these will give your guests a giggle.

Which do you think is the most inappropriate wedding song? Is it Roxette’s It Must Have Been Love or The Ting Tings’ Shut Up and Let Me Go?

Can Shania Twain’s That Don’t Impress Me Much compete with The Righteous Brothers’ classic You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling?

Find out which other funny wedding songs make the cut in our list below – and we’ve even picked out some of the most notable lyrics to showcase what will get the laughs rolling. Below, we've put all the songs into a Spotify playlist so you can sample them for your big day.

TL;DR: The 10 Most Inappropriate Wedding Songs

Short on time? If you're looking for the funniest, most spectacularly inappropriate wedding songs, these are our biggest offenders. From divorce anthems to songs about cheating, break-ups and falling out of love, they're probably not the soundtrack you'd choose for a serious first dance – but that's exactly why they can be so funny for couples who are in on the joke.

1. "D.I.V.O.R.C.E." - Tammy Wynette

It doesn't get much more inappropriate than singing about a divorce becoming final when you've only just signed your marriage certificate. The contrast makes this country classic a particularly bold choice for signing the register or entering your reception.

2. "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" - Paul Simon

A song that quite literally provides instructions for ending a relationship isn't exactly traditional wedding material. Play it immediately after saying your vows, however, and guests should get the joke pretty quickly.

3. "I'm Not the Only One" - Sam Smith

Infidelity is probably one theme best left off a genuinely romantic wedding playlist. This heartbreaking song centres on discovering a partner has been unfaithful, making its gorgeous melody rather deceptive – and its inclusion at a wedding brilliantly awkward.

4. "It Wasn't Me" - Shaggy

Another ode to cheating, except this time the advice is essentially to deny everything despite being caught red-handed. One for couples with a very secure relationship and an equally strong sense of humour.

5. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has plenty of genuinely romantic songs you could play at your wedding; this isn't one of them. A full-blown break-up anthem about being completely done with an ex makes it a hilariously contradictory choice for two people who've just committed to staying together.

6. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" - The Righteous Brothers

It may sound like an epic romantic ballad, but listen to the lyrics and it's actually about desperately trying to save a relationship that's losing its spark. Beautiful song? Absolutely. Ideal sentiment for the first dance? Perhaps not.

7. "It Must Have Been Love" - Roxette

The title sounds promising, right up until the song makes it clear that said love is firmly in the past. A power ballad about a relationship that's over is the kind of brilliantly inappropriate song choice that might take guests a few seconds to clock.

8. "Grounds for Divorce" - Elbow

There isn't much hidden meaning to decipher here – the clue is quite literally in the title. Playing a song called Grounds for Divorce while signing your marriage certificate takes some confidence, but that's what makes it such a good tongue-in-cheek choice.

9. "Unfaithful" - Rihanna

Rihanna's dramatic ballad tells the story of someone cheating on their partner and knowing the devastation it's causing them. It's about as far from a declaration of lifelong fidelity as you can get, which earns it a well-deserved place among our biggest offenders.

10. "I Don't Love You" - My Chemical Romance

When the chorus involves explicitly telling someone you no longer love them, you've got a fairly strong contender for the world's worst first-dance sentiment. Emo fans with a dark sense of humour, however, may disagree.

The 50 Most Inappropriate Wedding Songs

Your first dance will be as memorable and unique as you make it, so why not surprise your guests by busting a move? In a time when fantastic dance videos go viral with the press of a button, your friends and family will delight in seeing you put your own spin on a traditional moment with a funny first dance song.

Funny First Dance Songs

Who knows, maybe this will be your claim to fame. Alternatively, picking a wildly inappropriate song will start a chorus of laughter throughout the room as your guests take joy in sharing this special day with their two favourite jokesters. 

1. Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen

Lyrics for a Laugh: “I just met you and this is crazy / but here's my number, call me maybe”

2. Don’t Cha – The Pussycat Dolls & Busta Rhymes

Lyrics for a Laugh:  “Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?”

3. Wannabe – Spice Girls

Lyrics for a Laugh: "If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends"

4. Easy Lover – Phil Collins

Lyrics for a Laugh: "She will play around and leave you / Leave you and deceive you / Better forget it / Oh you'll regret it"

5. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon

Lyrics for a Laugh: "You just slip out the back, Jack / Make a new plan, Stan / You don't need to be coy, Roy / Just get yourself free"

6. Shut Up and Let Me Go – the Ting Tings

Lyrics for a Laugh: "For the last time you will kiss my lips / Now shut up and let me go"

7. I Can’t Make You Love Me – George Michael

8. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow -  The Shirelles

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Tonight, the light of love is in your eyes / But will you love me tomorrow?"

9. Said I Loved You...But I Lied - Michael Bolton

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Said I loved you, but I lied / 'Cause this is more than love I feel inside"

10. I’m Not the Only One – Sam Smith

Lyrics for a Laugh: "But when you call me baby / I know I'm not the only one"

11. My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder

Lyrics for a Laugh: "You're the only girl my heart beats for / How I wish that you were mine"

Funny Wedding Entrance Songs

You’ve said your vows, smiled for the cameras, and walked hand in hand down the aisle. Now it’s time to make your debut as newlyweds with a tune that will make your guests laugh from the moment the first note plays. This is a perfect moment to play a tongue-in-cheek song that will surprise your guests and ensure a round of applause starts as soon as you enter the room.

12. Don’t Marry Her – Beautiful South

Lyrics for a Laugh: "She's a Ph.D in 'I told you so', / you've a knighthood in 'I'm not listening'"

13. Another One Bites the Dust – Queen

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Hey I'm gonna get you too / Another one bites the dust"

14. That Don’t Impress Me Much – Shania Twain

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Okay, so you're Brad Pitt / That don't impress me much"

15. Break Your Heart - Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Told you from the start / Baby, from the start / I'm only gonna break, break your, break, break your heart"

16. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Elton John ft. Kiki Dee

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Ooh, nobody knows it / When I was down / I was your clown"

17. Tainted Love – Soft Cell

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Sometimes I feel I've got to run away / I've got to get away / From the pain you drive into the heart of me"

18. I Want to Know What Love Is – Foreigner

Lyrics for a Laugh: "I wanna know what love is / I want you to show me / I wanna feel what love is / I know you can show me"

19. It Must Have Been Love – Roxette

Lyrics for a Laugh: "It must have been love, but it's over now / It must have been good, but I lost it somehow"

20. Steal My Girl – One Direction

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Everybody wanna steal my girl / Everybody wanna take her heart away / Couple billion in the whole wide world / Find another one 'cause she belongs to me"

21. It Should Have Been Me – Kim Weston

Lyrics for a Laugh: "You know that it should have been me (it should have been me) / Oh baby how can you do this to me"

Funny Wedding Exit Songs

After all is said and done, it's time to say your goodbyes with a funny wedding exit song. Make your last hurrah something to remember with a wildly inappropriate tune, cementing your place as the funniest duo around. If you're planning on going out with a bang, we have the perfect songs for you.

22. Bad Romance – Lady Gaga

Lyrics for a Laugh: "I want your horror, I want your design / 'Cause you're a criminal as long as you're mine"

23. Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Let's get it on (ooh ooh) / You know what I'm talkin' 'bout / C'mon, baby, hey, hey / Let your love come out"

24. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling – The Righteous Brothers

Lyrics for a Laugh: "I beg you please, please, please, please / I need your love, need your love"

25. It’s Not Right But It’s Okay – Whitney Houston

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Pack your bags up and leave / Don't you dare come running back to me"

26. Please Release Me – Engelbert Humperdinck

Lyrics for a Laugh: "To waste our lives would be a sin / Release me and let me love again"

27. The Break Up Song – Greg Kihn Band

Lyrics for a Laugh: "We had broken up for good just an hour before / Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh / Now I'm staring at the bodies as there's dancin' 'cross the floor"

28. Dirty Love – Wilkinson

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Drop that dirty love / I just can't get enough"

29. Don’t Dream It’s Over – Crowded House

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Hey now, hey now / Don't dream it's over"

30. Paradise By the Dashboard Light – Meat Loaf

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Thought it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night / I can see paradise by the dashboard light"

Funny Songs for Signing the Register

Whilst you're signing the register, your guests may mix and mingle. Why not play some funny music to ease the transition from ceremony to reception? It's a great time to set the tone for the evening of festivities ahead, so pick a tune that lets your friends and family know they're in for a wild night.

31. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2

Lyrics for a Laugh: "I have climbed highest mountains / I have run through the fields / Only to be with you"

32. If You Leave Me Now – Chicago

Lyrics for a Laugh: "A love like ours is love that's hard to find / How could we let it slip away?"

33. Marry You – Bruno Mars

Lyrics for a Laugh: "It's a beautiful night, we're looking for something dumb to do / Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you"

34. Nothing Lasts Forever – Echo & the Bunnymen

Lyrics for a Laugh: "And I want more than I can get / Just trying to, trying to, trying to forget"

35. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift

Lyrics for a Laugh: "I say, "I hate you," we break up, you call me, "I love you."

36. Grounds For Divorce – Elbow

37. Killing Me Softly With His Song – Fugees

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Strumming my pain with his fingers / Singing my life with his words / Killing me softly with his song"

38. What’s Love Got to Do With It? – Tina Turner

Lyrics for a Laugh: "What's love got to do, got to do with it? / Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?"

39. Kiss From a Rose – Seal

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey / Ooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeah"

Inappropriate Wedding Songs

If you're looking for some more funny wedding songs to slot into the soundtrack of your night, look no further. These picks are sure to have your guests laughing as they hit the dance floor.

40. D.I.V.O.R.C.E. – Tammy Wynette

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E; becomes final today / Me and little J-O-E will be goin' away / I love you both and this will be pure H-E double L for me / Oh, I wish that we could stop this D-I-V-O-R-C-E"

41. Don’t You Want Me – The Human League

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Don't. Don't you want me? / You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me"

42. I Don’t Love You – My Chemical Romance

Lyrics for a Laugh: "When you go / Would you have the guts to say / I don't love you / Like I loved you yesterday"

43. Never Ever- All Saints

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Never ever have I ever felt so low / When you gonna take me out of this black hole?"

44. Jar of Hearts – Christina Perri

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Who do you think you are? / Runnin' 'round leaving scars / Collecting your jar of hearts / Tearing love apart"

45. Relight My Fire – Take That ft. Lulu

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Relight my fire / Your love is my only desire"

46. Love Is a Battlefield – Pat Benatar

Lyrics for a Laugh: "We are young / Heartache to heartache / We stand / No promises / No demands / Love is a battlefield"

47. It Wasn't Me - Shaggy 

Lyrics for a Laugh: "Honey came in and she caught me red-handed / Creeping with the girl next door"

48. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me – Culture Club

Lyrics for a Laugh:"Do you really want to hurt me? / Do you really want to make me cry?"

49. IDGAF - Dua Lipa

Lyrics for a Laugh: "You say you're sorry / But it's too late now / So save it, get gone, shut up"

50. Unfaithful – Rihanna

Lyrics for a Laugh:"'Cause I know that he knows I'm unfaithful / And it kills him inside / To know that I am happy with some other guy"

See more of our favourite inappropriate, cheeky and just plain funny wedding songs here in our Spotify playlist.

What Songs Should You Avoid at a Wedding?

There aren't really any songs you have to avoid – if a track means something to you both, your wedding is the place to play it. That said, it's worth checking the lyrics before adding a seemingly romantic song to your playlist. Tracks about break-ups, cheating, toxic relationships or regretting your partner might raise a few eyebrows during the first dance, even if the melody sounds suitably loved-up.

Why Are Some Wedding Songs Inappropriate?

Context is everything. A song can be an absolute banger while still having lyrics that are wildly inappropriate for two people who've just promised to spend their lives together. Songs about infidelity, divorce, one-night stands or wanting to escape a relationship can all fall into this category – although, for couples with a particularly dry sense of humour, that's precisely what makes them funny wedding songs.

What Songs Have Misleading Lyrics?

Plenty of songs sound romantic until you actually listen to what they're saying. "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, for example, is frequently mistaken for a love song despite Sting explaining that it's about obsession and control, while "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton – later made famous by Whitney Houston – is actually a goodbye song. Even "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette sounds suitably romantic until you reach the rather important line, "but it's over now". The lesson? Always give your wedding playlist a proper lyrical once-over before committing.

What Songs Should DJs Avoid?

It's less about having a universal banned list and more about giving your wedding DJ a do-not-play list tailored to you. Include songs you can't stand, tracks associated with exes or difficult memories and anything you know will make you cringe when someone inevitably requests it. It's also worth discussing explicit songs and potentially divisive floor-fillers with your DJ beforehand – although if The Cha-Cha Slide is your idea of a perfect night, we certainly won't judge.

Prefer Something More Romantic? Try These Alternatives Instead

Love the songs but not so sure about the lyrics? If you'd rather your wedding soundtrack celebrate staying together than breaking up, cheating or calling your divorce lawyer, there are plenty of crowd-pleasers with much more wedding-friendly meanings.

"You Make My Dreams" – Daryl Hall & John Oates

Fun, instantly recognisable and practically impossible not to dance to, this is a brilliant alternative if you want the reception to feel upbeat without any awkward lyrical surprises.

"You Are the Best Thing" – Ray LaMontagne

Soulful, romantic and still lively enough to get people moving, this is a great first-dance option for couples who don't want anything too slow or sentimental.

"This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" – Natalie Cole

The title says it all. Joyful, celebratory and full of optimism about lasting love, it's basically the polar opposite of D.I.V.O.R.C.E.

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" – Stevie Wonder

If you want a cheeky song for signing the register, you can't do much better than this. The title provides the joke, while the lyrics are considerably more wedding-appropriate than most of the songs on this list.

"You're My Best Friend" – Queen

A feel-good classic about loving the person who also happens to be your best friend. It's sweet without being saccharine and works just as well for a first dance as it does later in the reception.

Sorted out your funny wedding songs? Now it's time to find the perfect last dance song to end your wedding to.