25 Love Songs for the Perfect Wedding Playlist
My fiancé and I have been writing an ongoing love letter to each other for two years—but not how you might think.
A few years ago after we both emerged from the fog of divorce, we were a little jaded when it came to love and romance and marriage. By “a little,” I mean completely.
And then Cupid or God or whoever you want to call it took a look at those brand spankin’ new brick walls we’d just worked so hard to build up around our poor shriveled hearts—and he thought he’d have a bit of fun.
“I don’t believe in anything but myself
Ingrid Michaelson, “Soldier”
I don’t believe in anything but myself
But then you opened up a door, you opened up a door
Now I start to believe in something else”
Suddenly, all those rom coms and sappy love songs made TOTAL sense.
So we started a playlist. We called it—get ready for this—”Love Songs.”
Every time one of us came across a song whose lyrics came close to describing the intensity of what we were feeling, we’d send the song title to the other and add it to the playlist.
More than two years later, we’re still adding to the playlist. We’ve curated more than 100 of the best unknown love songs out there.
But you won’t find Celine Dion or “When a Man Loves a Woman” on our Love Songs playlist. Sappy need not apply. These are modern, upbeat tunes about real love—not heartbreak or temporary infatuation or stalking.
Now that we’re planning our wedding, it dawned on us we’ve got ourselves a ready-made wedding playlist on our hands.
25 Unknown Love Songs for Your Wedding—Or Just Because
Today, I’m sharing my top 25 favorite unknown love songs.
If you’re getting married, save money on a DJ and use this playlist at your wedding reception. Otherwise, just listen to a few of these love songs and call your honey to share your favorite. Bonus: Research shows doing that will give you a better energy boost than a cup of coffee.
Enjoy!
Get Your Copy: The Best Conversation Starters for Couples
1. The Lucky Ones† by Tim Myers
Lately I’ve been smiling outside
I feel good, I feel light as a feather
Open up the window look out at the sky
Everything’s better
Ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah
We’re the lucky ones
Listen: Apple Music
2. Fine By Me by Andy Grammer
I’m just saying it’s fine by me
If you never leave
And we can live like this forever
It’s fine by me
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
3. I Never by Rilo Kiley
So let’s take a loan out, put it down on a house
In a place we’ve never lived
In a place that exists in the pages of scripts
And the songs that they sing
And all of the beautiful things
That make you weep, but don’t have to make you weak
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
4. Oh, It Is Love by Hellogoodbye
Oh say, wouldn’t you like to be older and married with me?
Oh say, wouldn’t it be nice to know right now that we’ll beSomeday holding hands in the end
All our broken plans will have been
I will kiss you soft so you knowIt is love from the first
Time I pressed my lips against yours
Thinking, “Oh, is it love?”
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
5. All Smiles by Jess Penner
Hands full of lemon drops all disappear
All lips like children, the voices we hear
They’re all smiles, they’re all smiles, they’re all smiles
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
6. Rhythm of Love by Plain White T’s
My heart beats like a drum
A guitar string to the strum
A beautiful song to be sung
She’s got blue eyes deep like the sea
That roll back when she’s laughing at me
She rises up like the tide
The moment her lips meet mine
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
7. Reasons to Love You by Meiko
I wanna fall asleep with you tonight
Wanna know that I am safe when you hold me tight
Wanna feel how I wanna feel, forever
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
8. Sweeter Than This by Katie Herzig
I’ll feed you ramen and you’ll braid my hair
Anything goes when you don’t even care
When you’re this far in loveIf it gets any sweeter than this
I don’t want to know
If it gets any sweeter than this
I don’t want to know
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
9. Parentheses by The Blow
And when you’re holding me
We make a pair of parentheses
There’s plenty space to encase
Whatever weird way my mind goes
I know I’ll be safe in these arms
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
10. You Are the Best Thing by Ray LaMontagne
And baby, the way you move me it’s crazy
It’s like you see right through me
And make it easier
You please me you don’t even have to try
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
11. Life Less Ordinary by Carbon Leaf
The night you came into my life
Well it took the bones of me, took the bones of me
You blew away my storm and strife
And shook the bones of me, shook the bones of me
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
12. Toothpaste Kisses by The Maccabees
Lay with me, I’ll lay with you
We’ll do the things that lovers do
Put the stars in our eyes
And with heart-shaped bruises
And late night kisses
Divine
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
13. You Make Me Happy by Lindsey Ray
It’s the heart on your sleeve never making me wonder
It’s the bond that we tie up and over and under
You’re the sun and the rain and my grass is always green
With a kiss on my cheek, always letting me know
I’m the birds and the bees, I’m the apple in your eye
I know that you know that I know you’re all I need
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
14. Question by Old 97’s
She’d had no idea, she started to cry
She said in a good way
He took her by the hand, walked her back home
They took the long waySome day somebody’s gonna ask you
A question that you should say yes to
Once in your life
Maybe tonight I’ve got a question for you
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
15. Everyday by Vetiver
I say it all the time
You don’t pay no mind
When I tell you that I love you
Now do ya?
I wanna be clear
All I wanna hear is your voice
Have your face to see
How happy that would make me
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
16. The Idea of Growing Old by The Features
We can talk all night, we can talk all day
We can play charades when there is nothing to say
You turn me on to the idea of growing oldI can make you angry, you can make me a smile
We can make origami with the kids for a while
You turn me on to the idea of growing old
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
17. Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Hot and heavy, pumpkin pie
Chocolate candy, Jesus Christ
Ain’t nothing please me more than you
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
18. What I Wouldn’t Do by A Fine Frenzy
If we were children I would bake you a mud pie
Warm and brown beneath the sun
Never learned to climb a tree but I would try
Just to show you what I’d done
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
19. Sleepy Tigers by Her Space Holiday
In a week when I fly back home
We’re gonna jump in bed and be all alone
you’ll make biscuits and I’ll make tea
We’ll curl up close and then fall asleep
To the sound of no one else no else around
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
20. Blue Eyes by Cary Brothers
All the lights on and you are alive
But you can’t point the way to your heart
So sublime, when the stars are aligned
But you don’t know
You don’t know the greatness you are
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
21. 5 Years Time by Noah & The Whale
Oh well, in five years time we could be walking ’round a zoo
With the sun shining down over me and you
And there’ll be love in the bodies of the elephants too
And I’ll put my hands over your eyes, but you’ll peep through
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
22. Lost in the Moment by Daniel Lee Kendall
You were wearin’ that pretty white dress
You wore it with your pretty smile
I was trying to do my best
To see you smile your pretty smile at me
Listen: Apple Music
23. Little Romance by Ingrid Michaelson
I see you’ve pressed those pants
I see you’ve styled that hair
There doesn’t seems to be much of it there
You’re in the mood to dance
Can I have this chance
To be your little romance?
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
24. Brand New Day by Tim Myers
Simple things
Is what life’s made of
Happiness
Is not that hard to find
I’m in love
And I’m so unmoving in this sand of life
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
25. All I Want Is You by Barry Louis Polisar
If you were a wink, I’d be a nod
If you were a seed, well I’d be a pod
If you were the floor, I’d wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I’d be a hugAll I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea
Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music
Get your copy now: 150 Conversation Starters for Couples That Will Make You Feel Closer Than Ever
Want More?
Check out 75+ of the Best Unknown Love Songs.
Your Turn
What’s your favorite modern love song? Share your pick in a comment below!
Social media photo by Raúl Santos de la Cámara.
Oh dang, I don’t know any of these songs! I need to get out more or at least step away from the ’80s station. :-( I guess I know what I’m doing this afternoon… Thanks for posting part of the lyrics. I’m definitely a lyrics person. Divorce sucks, and I ‘lost’ friends after mine, some of whom got divorced themselves years later! Ironic. But my life now is better than I could have ever imagined, and that’s no joke! Thanks for sharing. Just reading the lyrics was worthwhile!
Chris, I didn’t realize you were divorced too. I know what you mean on losing friends – divorce is hard enough without losing a ton of friends on top of it all!
It makes me smile to hear you are so happy now. It feels like I’m in the same boat as you…I had no idea life could be this awesome!
Our first dance as a married couple was to, of all people, Adam Sandler. We chose the “Grow Old With You” song from the Wedding Singer. It’s a bit weird and a lot sentimental in the right, real ways. We cut out the part of the song where Billy Idol introduces it – we are also incredibly traditional.
I need to spend some time listening to your choices here, Kelly. Clearly you have better taste in music ;).
Robin, that is SO cool! You know I’ve never watched that movie? Seems like I’ve seen every Adam Sandler film but that one. I need to rectify that! What a fun pick for your first dance song. :-)
I appreciate you saying I have good taste in music, but I’m not sure it’s true…I have entirely too much shameful music on my iPod… :-)
I would like to thank you for the efforts you made in writing this post. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well.