It’s the time of year when we round up the best wedding songs for 2020! At the beginning of every year, we sit down (and let’s be real, dig through TikTok to see what dance crazes are about to hit us) and pull together a list of the songs that will get your dance floor moving for the year.
Sometimes we hit the nail on the head a little too hard. There was one year where we led our list with a Bruno Mars song I wasn’t super fond of… and every wedding I went to that year started the dance party with it. At one point I turned to my husband, sighed, and said, “I may only have my self to blame.”
Our advice for picking wedding songs is this: Mix new music with old music. Remember that people like to dance to music they know (not bands so cool they don’t exist yet). Know your crowd—if your people like Country, hit them with Country. If they want to sing along in Spanish, play that Latin music. And if there are children, play Old Town Road (at least four times—for kids, that IS the best wedding song of 2020). Plus, Beyoncé. Here at APW, she is a rule in and of herself. Beyoncé first, last, and with Lizzo. Because Lizzo basically is best wedding songs 2020, in a nutshell.
When it comes to getting your party started, set the bar low, with easy to dance to numbers everyone knows. The cheesier the better. This is when The Wobble, The Cupid Shuffle, and yup, The Electric Slide will get people up and moving. You might think they’re dumb, but everyone knows them, and knows how to dance to them. And if there is one thing we know for sure, it’s that bodies in motion tend to stay in motion. Plus, TikTok tells us that the Macarena seems to be… back #sorry. So feel free to add that to your “don’t play” list for your DJ… or just give up and give in (and make sure your DJ plays the clean version).
And as our friend—and best wedding DJ—Michael Antonio of The Flashdance says, “Don’t worry about the words. Some songs that are really fun to dance to aren’t about how in love you are, and that’s okay! When we’re talking about wedding dance songs, the words don’t really matter.” (And if you’re looking for all-time best wedding dance songs, head over to check out 75+ The Flashdance’s go-to favorite songs.)
Also in Logistics
So here is to best wedding songs 2020: the first dance, last dance, and every dance in between. (And no, we didn’t edit these to be all sappy love songs. We picked for stuff that’s gonna make you wanna bust a move.)
The Best Wedding Songs 2020
- Before I Let Go—Beyonce
From The Album: Homecoming: The Live Album
Fav Lyrics: “I thank God sun rises and shines on you / You know there’s nothing, nothing, nothing I would not do” - Truth Hurts—by Lizzo
From the album: Cuz I Love You
Fav Lyrics: “Best friend sat me down in the salon chair, shampoo press get you out of my hair…” - Señorita—by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello
From the album: Shawn Mendes
Fav Lyrics: “But every touch is ooh lala, It’s true ooh la la…” - Higher Love—by Whitney Houston, remixed by Kygo
From the album: I’m Your Baby Tonight
Fav Lyrics: “I could light the night up with my soul on fire, I could make the sun shine from pure desire. Let me feel that love come over me, let me feel how strong it could be, bring me a higher love…” - Let It Roll—by Midland
From the album: Let It Roll
Fav Lyrics: “Baby, love’s a pistol darlin’ And you’re a round And I pull the trigger Just to hear the sound…” - Me!—by Taylor Swift
From the album: Lover
Fav Lyrics: “But one of these things is not like the others, like a rainbow with all of the colors, baby doll, when it comes to a lover, I promise that you’ll never find another like me…” - Sweet But Pyscho—Ava Max
From the album: Sweet But Psycho
Fav Lyrics: “You’ll be coming back, back for seconds. With your plate, you just can’t help it” - Old Town Road—Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
From the Album: Seven
Fav Lyrics: “I been in the valley, You ain’t been up off that porch, now.” - 10,000 Hours—Dan + Shay, Justin Bieber
From the album: DS4*
Fav Lyrics: “I’d spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more, Oh, if that’s what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours…” - Don’t Give Up On Me—Andy Grammer
From the album: The Good Parts
Fav Lyrics: “I’ll reach my hands out in the dark, and wait for yours to interlock, I’ll wait for you.” - Dance Monkey—Tones And I
From the album: Dance Monkey
Fav Lyrics: “And you just beg to see me dance just one more time.” - Cool—Jonas Brothers
From the album: Happiness Begins
Fav Lyrics: “I’m feelin’ high like a late night summer of last year, yeah – standin’ there with the red dress on you, a Killer Queen like a young Jane Fonda, Is it me, or am I just havin’ a good year?” - Beautiful People—Ed Sheeran, Khalid
From the album: Beautiful People
Fav Lyrics: “And they wanna know what you’re about, me in the middle with the one I love and, we’re just tryna figure everything out…” - Don’t Start Now—by Dua Lipa
From the album: Don’t Start Now
Fav Lyrics: “If you don’t wanna see me dancing with somebody, if you wanna believe that anything could stop me” - The Git Up—by Blanco Brown
From the album: Honeysuckle & Lightning Bugs
Fav Lyrics: “Take it to the left now and dip with it / Gon’ throw down, take a sip with it” - Dancing With A Stranger—by Sam Smith, Normani
From the album: Dancing With a Stranger
Fav Lyrics: “I don’t wanna be alone tonight (alone tonight), It’s pretty clear that I’m not over you (over you, over you), I’m still thinking ’bout the things you do (things you do)” - Ring The Bells—by Johnnyswim, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors
From the album: Goodbye Road
Fav Lyrics: “If all is fair in love and war, Then what the hell is loving even for? If we can’t sing it loud enough. We’ll keep on adding voices up.” - Ayy Macarena—by Tyga
From the album: Ayy Macarena
Fav Lyrics: I mean, you know what you’re gonna get. (Make sure your DJ has instructions to play the clean version if they’re gonna play it.) - Put A Little Love On Me—by Niall Horan
From the album: Put A Little Love On Me
Fav Lyrics: “When the lights come up and there’s no shadows dancing, I look around as my heart is collapsing, Cos you’re the only one I need, To put a little love on me” - High Hopes—by Panic! At The Disco
From the album: Pray for the Wicked
Fav Lyrics: “Didn’t know how but I always had a feeling, I was gonna be that one in a million, Always had high, high hopes.” - Lover (Remix)—by Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes
From the album: Lover
Fav Lyrics: “And I’m highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you, I’ve loved you three summers now, honey, but I want ’em all…” - Close To Me—by Ellie Goulding, Diplo, Swae Lee
From the album: Close To Me
Fav Lyrics: “And I don’t wanna be somebody without your body, close to me, and if it wasn’t you, I wouldn’t want anybody…” - Memories—by Maroon 5
From the album: Memories
Fav Lyrics: “Toast to the ones here today, Toast to the ones that we lost on the way, ‘Cause the drinks bring back all the memories, And the memories bring back, memories bring back you…” - I Like It—by Cardi B., Bad Bunny, J. Balvin
From the album: Invasion of Privacy
Fav Lyrics: “Now I like dollars, I like diamonds, I like stuntin’, I like shinin’ (Yeah), I like million dollar deals, Where’s my pen? Bitch I’m signin’ (Signin’)…” - Make Me Feel—by Janelle Monae
From the album: Dirty Computer
Fav Lyrics: “It’s like I’m powerful with a little bit of tender, An emotional, sexual bender, Mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better, There’s nothin’ better…” - Someone You Loved—by Lewis Capaldi
From the album: Breach
Fav Lyrics: “Somebody to heal, Somebody to have, Just to know how it feels, It’s easy to say but it’s never the same, I guess I kinda liked the way you helped me escape…” - I Don’t Care—by Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber
From the album: No. 6 Collaborations Project
Fav Lyrics: “‘Cause I don’t care when I’m with my baby, yeah, All the bad things disappear, And you’re making me feel like maybe I am somebody…” - Sweetheart—by Thomas Rhett
From the album: Life Changes
Fav Lyrics: “Woke up this morning, to your sleepy smile, I realized I haven’t told you in a while, That you’re my life, you’re my dream…” - The Daughters—by Little Big Town
From the album: Nightfall
Fav Lyrics: “And pose like a trophy on a shelf, Dream for everyone, but not yourself, I’ve heard of God the Son and God the Father, I’m still looking for a God for the daughters…” - Lethal Combination—by The Wombats
From the album: Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life
Fav Lyrics: “And if you wake up feeling happy, you’re doing it wrong, You should be in cold water with your best dress on, And me and Niagara Falls adding to all of your missed calls, If you remember this tomorrow then you’re doing it all wrong…” - Your Light—by The Big Moon
From the album: Walking Like We Do
Fav Lyrics: “Sometimes faith just sings to a different tune, Why do you have to take it out so hard on yourself (I don’t wanna lose myself, lose myself), We were promised the world, so was everyone else (I don’t wanna lose myself, lose myself)…” - I Dare You—by The Regrettes
From the album: I Dare You
Fav Lyrics: “That you’re the one that brings the sun, I can’t seem to sleep, And I feel my pulse beating, Don’t wanna keep all my control, But you’re the one that brings the sun…” - Mood 4 Eva—Beyonce
From The Album: The Lion King: The Gift
Fav Lyrics: “I got my cup up to the heavens, Another night I won’t remember, Promise this my mood forever…”
If you had to pick a few of the best wedding songs 2020, what would you pick and why? What are you for sure playing at your wedding this year? And also: who’s getting married in 2020? Let’s do this!
