# Registrar Approved Wedding Songs for Civil Ceremonies > Civil ceremonies in the UK must be non-religious. That applies to readings and to music. Registrars usually ask to see (or hear) your choices in advance and will refuse anything with religious content or connotations. Here is a clear, safe list of registrar-approved wedding songs with simple rules,… Published: 2025-11-11 · Author: Dan Willis Civil ceremonies in the UK must be non-religious. That applies to readings and to music. Registrars usually ask to see (or hear) your choices in advance and will refuse anything with religious content or connotations. Here is a clear, safe list of **registrar-approved wedding songs** with simple rules, cue points, and wording you can send to your local office. ## What do registrars look for? * **No religious content.** Lyrics, titles and associated works must be secular. Hymns and worship songs are not allowed, even as instrumentals in many districts. * **Instrumentals are safer.** [Piano](https://encoremusicians.com/hire/pianists), strings or acoustic covers of secular songs are widely accepted. * **Family friendly.** Avoid explicit lyrics and references that feel out of place in a formal ceremony. * **Short and tidy.** Registrars prefer 60 to 90 second edits for entrance and exit, and 6 to 8 minutes total for signing. * **Approval in advance.** Send titles and links. Some offices will want audio files ahead of time. > Tip: If you love a borderline track, provide the **instrumental version** or a [**string quartet**](https://encoremusicians.com/hire/string-quartets)** cover** and include a link so the registrar can verify. --- ## How to submit music for approval? Email your local register office with: * Ceremony date, venue and time * Music plan: entrance, signing, exit * Artist and title for each track, plus links to clean versions * Who is playing the music (venue, live musician, or your device) **Template line you can copy:** > “We are planning secular music only. Please confirm the following are acceptable for entrance, signing and exit.” --- ## Safe choices for the **Entrance** Upbeat options that start strong and avoid religious references. Use a 60 to 90 second edit. * **Kina Grannis** – Can’t Help Falling in Love (acoustic cover) * **Ludovico Einaudi** – Nuvole Bianche (piano) * **Ellie Goulding** – How Long Will I Love You * **Ed Sheeran** -Tenerife Sea * **Christina Perri** – A Thousand Years (piano or strings instrumental) * **Sleeping At Last** – Turning Page (instrumental) * **The Piano Guys** – Beethoven’s 5 Secrets * **Explosions In The Sky** – Your Hand In Mine (instrumental edit) * **Joe Hisaishi** – One Summer’s Day (instrumental) --- ## Gentle, secular **Signing the Register** music Aim for 2 to 3 songs, 2 to 3 minutes each, while photographs are taken. * **Tom Odell** – Grow Old With Me (piano) * **John Legend** – All of Me (piano or strings instrumental) * **Norah Jones** – Come Away With Me * **The Beatles** – Here Comes The Sun (acoustic or strings instrumental) * **Etta James** – At Last (instrumental or soft vocal) * **Jóhann Jóhannsson** – Flight From The City (instrumental) * **Yiruma** – River Flows In You (piano) * **Michael Giacchino** – Married Life from Up (instrumental) * **Elbow** – One Day Like This (strings instrumental) --- ## Joyful **Exit** songs Keep it celebratory. Start at the chorus and fade as you reach the aisle. * **Stevie Wonder** – Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) * **Hall & Oates** – You Make My Dreams * **George Ezra** – Paradise * **Florence + The Machine** – Dog Days Are Over (clean edit) * **Whitney Houston** – I Wanna Dance With Somebody * **Jackie Wilson** – (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher * **ABBA** – Dancing Queen (clean, chorus start) * **The Lumineers** – Ho Hey * **James** – Sit Down (instrumental strings for a quirky exit) --- ## Classical and film music that stays secular Registrars accept classical pieces that are not liturgical in purpose. * **Clarke** – Trumpet Voluntary * **Vivaldi** – Spring from The Four Seasons * **Pachelbel** – Canon in D * **Mendelssohn** – Wedding March (Recessional) * **Debussy** – Clair de Lune * **Yann Tiersen** – Comptine d’un autre été * **Max Richter** – On The Nature of Daylight (consider an edit) * **Alexandre Desplat** – The Shape of Water (Love theme) > Note: Avoid pieces explicitly written for masses, hymns or sacred works. --- ## What to avoid? * Hymns and worship songs such as **Amazing Grace**, **Ave Maria**, **How Great Thou Art** * Tracks with religious references in the title or chorus * Explicit versions of pop songs * YouTube-only rips with adverts that can interrupt playback --- ## Live musicians vs playback? * **Live musicians** are ideal. Ask them for secular set lists and to provide **instrumental options** of any borderline songs you love. * **Playback** is fine. Confirm the venue has a reliable speaker, a clean input and someone to press play. Bring files downloaded in advance rather than streaming. --- ## Cue points you can email to suppliers * **Entrance:** “Start at 0:00. If the aisle is short, jump to the chorus at 0:48.” * **Signing:** “Three tracks, 2 minutes each. Fade under photos if needed.” * **Exit:** “Start at the chorus at 0:28. Fade after 75 seconds.” --- ## Quick licensing notes * The **ceremony** is a private event. The venue normally covers background music licensing. * **Filming with music** may require a small licence handled by your videographer. Ask them to supply cleared or library versions if needed. * Always use **legal, purchased** audio files for playback.