You said yes, you kissed, you’re married. The recessional is the first thing you do as a married couple — and it should sound like it. This is the one ceremony song allowed to be loud, bright, and a little giddy.
Here are recessional songs that send you back up the aisle grinning, plus how to make the exit your own.
What a recessional song is for
The recessional releases the tension of the ceremony. Pick something upbeat and unmistakably happy — the room has just watched you commit your lives to each other, and they want to cheer. Give them the soundtrack to do it.
Upbeat recessional songs
- “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” — Stevie Wonder. Joy on cue.
- “You Make My Dreams” — Hall & Oates. Impossible to frown to.
- “Best Day of My Life” — American Authors. Says exactly what it is.
- “Marry You” — Bruno Mars. A natural exit anthem.
Classic, jubilant recessionals
- “Wedding March” — Mendelssohn. The traditional triumphant exit.
- “Here Comes the Sun” — The Beatles. Warm and bright without being loud.
- “The Power of Love” — Huey Lewis. For the couple who wants the room dancing on the way out.
We walked out to a song written about us, and our whole family sang the chorus on the way — they’d heard it once at the rehearsal and it stuck. I’ve never felt so seen.
— a newly-married couple
Matching the recessional to your ceremony
If your ceremony was formal, a triumphant classic keeps the tone; if it was relaxed, reach for pop joy. Either way, the recessional should feel like a release — a clear gear-change from the vows.
Or: write the song you walk out to
Your exit is the first beat of your marriage. A custom wedding song can make it a song no other couple has ever used — about you, upbeat, with a chorus your people can catch. Hear samples, then have yours written. Plan the rest: processional and first dance.
Timing and logistics
The recessional is short — usually 1–2 minutes, just enough to clear the wedding party. Cue the loudest part to hit as you turn to walk, and let it carry into the receiving line.
