So you’ve decided to hold your Christmas nuptials at a Long Island wedding venue. That’s great! Long Island is one of the most ideal places for a holiday-themed wedding, as the seasonal climate lends itself to the cozy atmosphere you want at a winter Christmas wedding.
Ever since the moment you decided on a Christmas wedding, there’s a good chance you’ve been tirelessly planning exactly how you want it to look—we’re talking the most festive decorations possible, bridesmaid dresses that sing with seasonal flair, groomsmen dressed warmly for winter, warm cider and mulled wine at the ready, garland as far as the eye can see, halls decked with boughs of holly (fa la la la la), and every other joyous possibility designed specifically to holiday enhance your Long Island wedding venue of choice.
However, there’s one aspect you might have overlooked—an element so glaringly obvious that it slipped your mind entirely. We’re talking, of course, about Christmas music. Don’t fret! We’ve gathered some of the most popular and fitting wedding songs that can be seamlessly added to your already existing wedding playlist.
Yes, really. If you went through all this trouble to plan a Long Island Christmas wedding, then you owe it to yourself to infuse the spirit of the season into the music you and your guests will be shaking the night away to on the dance floor.
If you’re worried about how your guests will react to hearing Christmas music at a wedding, remember that they will be so enthused to be at your wedding in the first place that those joyous tunes will simply serve to enhance their already jovial mood. What’s more, Christmas music is quite literally everywhere this time of year, so it certainly won’t be out of place or awkward at your Christmas wedding.
Also, these Christmas tunes aren’t going to be the only type of music playing at your wedding—in fact, playing 100 percent Christmas music would be a mistake. The Christmas songs are there to highlight the time of year and match your wedding theme. The rest of the music will be all the usual and most popular wedding songs—from raucous dance hits to romantic slow ballads.
It’s important to remember that your wedding isn’t just one long event—it’s actually multiple separate, smaller events linked together to make one grand gala party. And practically all of these small events that make one giant wedding day are ripe for a Christmas tune or two—as long as you choose the right songs and play them at the most opportune time.
And it all starts when your guests first begin trickling into your Long Island wedding venue. Grab their attention and get them ready for your wedding day!
When your guests arrive at your wedding, they should be greeted with the songs of the season. The music they hear as they arrive should be pleasant, but it should also serve to get them excited to bear witness to you and your partner’s years of love and devotion culminating with the exchanging of vows, the “I Dos” and your first kiss.
Some wonderfully romantic wedding prelude songs of the season include:
“Do You Hear What I Hear?” – Bing Crosby
“White Christmas” – Bing Crosby
“Winter Wonderland” - Bing Crosby
“Christmas Song” – Frank Sinatra
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – Judy Garland
“Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” – Nat King Cole
“Wonderful Christmastime” - Paul McCartney
“Happy Xmas (War is Over) - John Lennon
Naturally, the first step is the wedding ceremony. Now, it might not be appropriate to play a song like “Jingle Bell Rock” here. No judgements if that’s what you want, but you might be better off sticking to church music or classical instruments. However, if it’s Christmas processional music you crave, some of the more refined favorites of the holiday season would be fantastic choices, like “The Nutcracker Suite” or “Christmas Canon,” which, incidentally, is actually the wedding march but in D minor.
Where a wedding processional is refined and reserved, a wedding recessional is joyous and celebratory. And this is precisely where those especially exultant Christmas songs are more than fitting of the moment.
This is the moment after your officiant says “you may now kiss the bride,” which always leads to cheers and an ovation from your wedding guests. As such, playing music that fits that mood can only serve to enhance the moment and open the door to some serious partying.
Some wonderful wedding recessional Christmas songs include:
“Joy to the World” - Traditional Choir
“Hark! The Herald and Angels Sing” - Traditional Choir
“Sleigh Ride” - Ella Fitzgerald
“Deck the Halls” - Traditional Choir
“Jingle Bells” - Michael Bublé
“Holly Jolly Christmas” - Burl Ives
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
And finally, here’s the part of the wedding where your guests can really cut loose on the dance floor. From the moment your wedding guests arrived, they’ve been waiting to down a few drinks and make their way to the dance floor in order to show you exactly how happy they are to witness your nuptials.
Again, these aren’t the only songs you’ll be playing at your wedding ceremony. There’s plenty of room for all the wedding favorites to make their way through the DJ’s speakers. But we think that interjecting these songs from time to time during the reception will make for one heck of a merry wedding day!
Here are some great options for wedding reception Christmas songs:
“Jingle Bell Rock” – Bobby Helms
“Rockin Around The Christmas Tree” - Brenda Lee
“All I Want for Christmas” – Mariah Carey
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” – Darlene Love
“Give Love On Christmas Day” – Jackson 5
“You Make it Feel Like Christmas” – Neil Diamond
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” – Bing Crosby
“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” - Bruce Springsteen
With these Christmas songs in hand, you’re ready to tie a nice bow around your wedding planning! Find the best moments to slip these songs into your wedding playlist and your guests are guaranteed to embrace the seasonal spirit!