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, 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, 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 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.

FAQs

Can we use a hymn as an instrumental?
Many registrars do not allow hymn melodies at civil ceremonies even without words. Ask your office before deciding.

Can we include one religious song for a relative?
Not in a civil ceremony. Keep the ceremony secular and include religious music later at the reception if you wish.

Will the registrar check every lyric?
They can ask for links or files. Provide a clean version to speed approval.

Can our string quartet play pop covers?
Yes. Give them your titles early so they can confirm arrangements and keys.