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Our Favourite Acoustic Songs for Weddings (With Performance Videos)

Writer: Andy and Emily Duo
Andy and Emily Duo
Sep 2
8 min read

There are so many songs that can work beautifully throughout a wedding, from walking down the aisle and signing the register to cocktails, dinner and the first dance. So, we’ve put together a selection of our favourite songs to perform as an acoustic duo, along with the moments we think they work particularly well for!

A great wedding song isn’t necessarily just a “wedding song” - it’s about how the arrangement and performance suit the moment. The same song can feel completely different depending on the pace, energy and expression, and that’s one of our favourite things about playing live: we can adapt the feel of a song to suit the moment!


Can't Help Falling In Love

by Elvis Presley

Perfect for: Aisle Entrance | Signing the Register | Canapés & Cocktail Hour | First Dance



There’s a reason this one is such a wedding favourite! Almost everyone knows it, and there’s something incredibly special about hearing such a familiar song stripped back to acoustic guitar and vocals. Our version is slow, intimate and romantic, with a gentle acoustic guitar introduction, warm lead vocals from Emily, and occasional harmonies from Andy.

"Can't Help Falling In Love" is one of our favourite songs to play during a ceremony entrance in particular - there’s something pretty special about watching a bride or groom walk down the aisle to this song, with their family and friends looking on. We’ve seen it bring more than a few tears to the eyes of the people standing by to witness the moment! But it’s just as lovely for a first dance or a relaxed cocktail hour, where that slower, romantic feel makes the moment feel that little bit more special.

Here Comes The Sun

by The Beatles

Perfect for: Aisle Entrance | Signing the Register | Canapés & Cocktail Hour



There's something about "Here Comes The Sun" that feels like pure joy! Andy’s acoustic guitar picking style is reminiscent of the original, while his lead vocals and Emily’s harmonies blend to give our version a warm, intimate feel. The combination of the gentle guitar, beautiful lyrics and vocal harmonies gives the song a lightness and joy that feels so lovely at a wedding!


One of our favourite memories of playing this song was for a bridal entrance on a particularly cloudy, overcast day. Just as we started playing, the clouds literally parted and the sun came streaming through! It stayed that way for the entire time the bride walked down the aisle. It felt like the song had created its own little bit of magic!

Our recorded version above is pretty close to how we usually play it live, although Emily will sometimes add some egg shakers to the mix when playing it during the signing of the register or cocktail hour. It’s a beautiful choice for those moments when you want something uplifting, warm and joyful without being too high-energy.

Isn't She Lovely

by Stevie Wonder

Perfect for: Signing the Register | Father-Daughter Dance | Dinner Music



It's hard to hear this song without instantly smiling and starting to nod along! "Isn't She Lovely" is instantly recognisable, upbeat and full of joy, with a fun, groovy feel that makes it a little different from some of the more traditional wedding song choices. Our version features acoustic guitar and keyboard, with Emily on lead vocals and Andy adding some subtle harmonies.


It’s a particularly beautiful choice for a father-daughter dance, because Stevie Wonder originally wrote the song to celebrate the birth of his daughter. It has all the happiness and heart you’d want for that moment, without being the most obvious or traditional choice - perfect if you want to do something a little different.


We love the rich, jazzy chord progression in this song, with the 7th chords giving it so much character, and the soulful vocal melody is always fun to sing. The recording above is just a taste of our version, but when we play it live we perform the full song. If you wanted to use it during your ceremony, we can also strip it back to guitar and vocals for a more intimate feel.


Everywhere

by Fleetwood Mac

Perfect for: Signing the Register | Ceremony Recessional | Canapés & Cocktail Hour



We love the simple sentiment at the heart of this song:“Oh, I wanna be with you everywhere.” It perfectly captures that feeling of wanting to spend your life with your person, which makes it such a sweet choice for a wedding. And, of course, it’s a Fleetwood Mac song, so everyone knows it, and it always seems to put a smile on people’s faces!

Our version of "Everywhere" is guitar-led, with Emily on lead vocals and Andy adding harmonies in the choruses. Those harmonies give the chorus a gorgeous, lush lift, while the upbeat feel keeps the song light and fun.

One of the things we love about performing live music is being able to adapt each song to suit the moment. Our recorded version is close to how we’d normally play it, but we can slow it down and make it more romantic for an aisle entrance or first dance, or add a little more energy with egg shaker and light tambourine for cocktails, dinner or a ceremony recessional!

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

by Queen

Perfect for: Signing the Register | Ceremony Recessional | Dinner Music



“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” has a funky, playful energy that makes it a little different from your more traditional wedding song choices. There’s a cool groove running through the guitar and piano arrangement, and the lyrics give it a wonderfully carefree feel - from “I gotta be cool, relax, get hip” to taking a long ride on a motorbike! It has an effortlessly cool, slightly cheeky vibe that makes it such a fun song to play, and is an especially fun choice for a wedding, if you want something that feels a little less serious.

Our version features Andy on lead vocals with guitar and keyboard, and Emily adding harmonies. The recording above is just a snippet of the song, but we play the full version live, with more vocal harmonies in our current arrangement.

For the ceremony, we can strip the song back to guitar and vocals for a more relaxed feel, while the full guitar and piano arrangement works beautifully for dinner when you want something upbeat, playful and full of personality!

I Get To Love You

by Ruelle

Perfect for: Aisle Entrance | Signing the Register | First Dance



“I Get To Love You” is a popular choice for wedding ceremonies, and for good reason. We were originally asked to learn it for a wedding several years ago, and since then it’s been requested for many ceremonies we’ve played. The lyrics are incredibly suited to the occasion, particularly the chorus: “Whatever may come, your heart I will choose, forever I’m yours, forever I do.” It feels like a love story and a wedding vow all wrapped into a song.

Our version is a slow, intimate arrangement for acoustic guitar and vocals, with Emily on lead vocals and Andy adding harmonies. The long, flowing vocal lines give it a dreamy, emotional quality that works beautifully for an aisle entrance or first dance. The recording above is just a snippet, but when we play it live we can perform the full song, including the second verse and bridge, and play as much of it as the moment calls for. For an aisle entrance, we simply keep playing for as long as needed while the bride or groom makes their way to the front and gets settled before the ceremony begins.

It’s perhaps not as familiar to guests as some of the other songs on this list, but that can also make it a lovely choice if you want something a little less expected. The lyrics tell the story for you, making it particularly well suited to those romantic moments throughout the day.


Home

by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes

Perfect for: Signing the Register | Ceremony Recessional | Canapés & Cocktail Hour



“Home” is one of those songs that manages to be romantic without taking itself too seriously. It’s upbeat, playful and a little bit kooky! With lyrics like “Holy moly, me oh my, you’re the apple of my eye” it has a fun character, while still capturing that feeling of being completely smitten with someone. We also love the warm sense of nostalgia that this song brings, taking us back to the late 2010's when it was first released.

Because the original song was written as a duet, we love sharing the lead vocals and harmonies between us. Our recorded version above features guitar and piano, but we can also play it with guitar and percussion, depending on the moment and the feel we’re after.

This is also a great example of how, as live musicians, we can play around with a songs arrangement to suit the moment. For a ceremony recessional, we often start the song at the chorus rather than the beginning, giving the newly married couple a burst of energy as they make their way back down the aisle. Hearing “Home, let me come home, home is wherever I’m with you” as they walk back up the aisle is pretty hard to beat!

First Day Of My Life

by Bright Eyes

Perfect for: Aisle Entrance | Signing the Register | Canapés & Cocktail Hour



There’s a gorgeous honesty in “First Day Of My Life”. It’s not overtly joyful or traditionally romantic, but it has a warmth and sincerity that feels incredibly fitting for a wedding. The lyrics tell the story of finding someone who makes life feel different, and of choosing to build a life together - not just through the big, exciting moments, but through all the ordinary ones too.


It’s one of our favourite songs to play at weddings for exactly that reason. It’s a bit of an alternative choice for a ceremony, with some guests instantly recognising it while others are hearing it for the first time. Every now and then we’ll spot a little nod or wink from someone who knows the song and loves the choice, but we also get lovely feedback from guests discovering it for the first time.


Our version is guitar-led, with Emily on lead vocals and Andy adding harmonies. The recording above is pretty much exactly how we’d normally play it live, although we’ll sometimes add a little egg shaker or other light percussion depending on the moment. It has a gentle upbeat feel without being overly energetic, which makes it work just as beautifully during the ceremony as it does over canapés and cocktails.


One of our favourite things about the song is the way it captures the less glamorous, more everyday side of committing to someone. There’s a line towards the end about choosing hard work over waiting for a lucky break, and we love how it reflects the reality of building a life together - showing up, putting in the effort and choosing each other through both the good times and the difficult ones. It’s a beautiful sentiment to have woven into a wedding song!


Want us to soundtrack your wedding?!

These are just a few of the songs we love to play, but there are so many more! Whether you’re looking for something romantic for walking down the aisle, relaxed background music for cocktails, or something upbeat to get the celebrations started, we can help you choose songs that suit your day.


And because we’re playing live, we can adjust the feel, tempo and arrangement of a song to suit the moment - or even learn something special if there’s a song that means a lot to you.


If you’re planning a wedding in Adelaide or anywhere across South Australia, we’d love to hear what you’re thinking!


 
 
 

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