Last week, I lamented that weddings aren’t great for popular culture. Movies and TV shows about weddings are often the worst examples of the form.
The big exception, though, is music. Wedding-related songs are often fantastic. They’re full of emotion—either upbeat and celebratory, or romantic and longing. And they’re not tacky like over-the-top Hollywood weddings.
Again, just as with movies/TV shows, I’m not talking about songs played at weddings. Some of the worst songs on Earth are wedding-playlist staples. (“Chicken Dance,” “Cha Cha Slide,” and “Macarena, I’m looking at you.) But there are tons of songs about weddings and about getting married that are perfectly lovely.
My favorite wedding song of all time is definitely “Somebody’s Getting Married,” done by one of the most important bands of our time, the Muppets. This should not be left off any self-respecting wedding song list. From The Muppets Take Manhattan:
I understand, though, that not everyone is into the vocal stylings of Miss Piggy. If you’re trying to make a wedding mix—after all, the mix, more so than rings, is still the universally recognized symbol of love (at least to High Fidelity geeks)—and want to go beyond the obvious “Chapel of Love” choices and mushy love songs, try throwing some of these songs on there:
“Polyester Bride” by Liz Phair
“The Bachelor and the Bride” by The Decemberists (“The Crane Wife” also works.)
“January Wedding” by the Avett Brothers
“I Was Married” by Tegan & Sara
“A Punchup at a Wedding” by Radiohead
“A Wedding” by the Oxford Collapse
“The Book of Love” by the Magnetic Fields
“Love Is Eternity” by They Might Be Giants
“Click Click Click Click” by Bishop Allen
…or anything by the band The Wedding Present (“Box Elder” is my personal favorite)
What’s your favorite wedding song? What was your wedding song? Let me know in the comments.
