Best Postlude Songs
What are the best songs for the wedding postlude?
The postlude is any music that is played at the ceremony site after the recessional music is over. It should set a pleasant atmosphere as guests are leaving. Since guests can be known to linger, expect it to last anywhere from ten minutes to an hour. In general, the music used during the postlude will not vary that much from the music used during the prelude, except that postlude music tends to be livelier with a faster tempo, but not as lively as the recessional.
If your ceremony and reception are being held in the same location, the postlude will serve as an interlude between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception. The music will serve as entertainment while photos are being taken and while guests go through the receiving line.
Musically, many different styles are appropriate for the interlude, from soft jazz, popular love songs, classical selections or other favorites of the couple. The postlude can be more informal than the wedding ceremony because it serves as a transition between the ceremony and the reception.
Listed below are the best songs for the wedding postlude. Please note, rather than repeat all of the songs listed on our Best Processional Songs page and Best Recessional Songs, we have tried to select what we believe are the best ones for the postlude. If you cannot find something you like on this page, check out those two pages for more songs that will work for the postlude. For your convenience, we have compiled the songs in a playlist, making it easy for you to listen to a sample or purchase a download. A detailed listing of the songs is provided below the playlist.
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Best Songs for the Wedding Postlude
- “A Whole New World” (Aladdin’s Theme) performed by Peabo Bryson and Regina Bell
- “Alleluia” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- “All My Life” performed by K-Ci & Jojo
- “At Last” performed by Etta James - Extremely popular for weddings and receptions, it works well anywhere you place it.
- “Beautiful in My Eyes” performed by Joshua Kadison
- “Because You Loved Me” performed by Celine Dion
- “Eine Klein Nachtmusik,” Serenade No. 13 in G major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- “From This Moment On” performed by Shania Twain
- “Allegro Moderato” from Harp Concerto in B Flat Major performed by George Frideric Handel
- “How Sweet It Is” performed by James Taylor
- “I Got You Babe” performed by Sonny & Cher
- “I Knew I Loved You” performed by Savage Garden - A very popular rock song that works well anywhere during the ceremony or afterwards.
- “It Had To Be You” by Harry Connick, Jr.
- “Kind and Generous” by Natalie Merchant
- Mandolin Concerto in C Major, “Allegro” by Antonio Vivaldi
- “Ode To Joy” from The Ninth Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven
- The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi - Consider using “Spring” from this piece.
- “Overture from Music for the Royal Fireworks HWV 351 by George Frideric Handel - Lengthy song good for processional or the recesssional.
- “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” Op. 43, by Sergey Rachmaninov