We asked our friends at Hank Lane Music and Productions to give us the inside scoop on all things bridal music. Here's what they had to say:
What is the most requested wedding song?
A song that we get a lot of requests for is the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. Whether during the ceremony, cocktails, or dinner, couples love to incorporate this updated classic and it always works.
What is your favorite wedding song?
As different couples have different styles, our favorite wedding songs are songs that are special to them. We know what songs will make the party great, but our favorite are those that are custom picked by our bride and groom to make their night extra special. Whether a special request from the groom that loves Pearl Jam, or the bride being able to get up and sing a surprise song with the band, it’s the little personalizations that we love. If couples have trouble picking something, we can always guide them!
What is the most bizarre wedding song requested?
We recently had a bride walk down the aisle to the “Wonder Woman” theme song. She later entered the ballroom with her new husband to Sam Cooke’s “Chain Gang”, as she escorted him in on a ball and chain! Good sport!
What is the best upbeat wedding song?
There are the ever-popular classics like Michel Jackson’s “PYT”, but recent pop hits like Rhianna’s “We’ve Found Love, Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling”, or Maroon 5’s “Moves like Jagger” really get everyone excited and on the dance floor!
What is the best first dance song?
We get requests for everything from Sinatra to Taylor Swift. You can never go wrong with timeless classics such as “Have I Told You Lately” [Van Morrison] or “To Make you Feel My Love [Bob Dylan], often performed in the style of Adele's cover. We also love newer up-tempo songs such as Ray LaMontagne’s “You Are The Best Thing” and Michael Buble’s “Everything”.
What is the best song to walk down the aisle to?
Traditional pieces such as Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” are always beautiful. This piece also has the advantage of being able to continually “loop” quite easily, providing for lots of musical length for large bridal parties or a particularly long aisle. While the majority of couples still choose to go with traditional Classical music, more and more are choosing to go more modern. Going the more contemporary route can really make for a memorable ceremony. We have a lot of requests for our Hank Lane Rock Orchestra who perform rock and contemporary classics. Couples who choose to go with this have recently walked down the aisle to Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir”, Coldplay’s “Clocks”, Train’s “ Marry Me” as well as songs by Kanye West and even Jay-Z!