Hymns for every occasion
Hymns for a wedding
A hymn at a wedding turns the congregation from spectators into worshipers. Instead of only watching a couple make their promises, everyone in the room joins in thanking God and asking his blessing on the marriage.
Most church weddings have two or three hymns: a confident hymn of praise near the beginning, a quieter hymn or prayer after the vows, and a joyful hymn to send the couple out. Choose tunes that a mixed crowd of family and friends will know, or that a soloist or choir can lead — a wedding congregation is rarely a practiced choir. Hymns of God's love, of thanksgiving and of his faithfulness through every season of life all fit well.
The list below starts with the hymns couples choose most often, followed by hymns in the library written for weddings. The words are in the public domain, so you can print them in the wedding program without permission. Several have a free play-along accompaniment, which is useful for a wedding without an organist.
Print all lyricsBuild an order of service
Hymns couples choose most
- Love Divine, All Loves Excelling — Love divine, all love excelling,
- Take My Life, and Let It Be — Take my life and let it be
- All People That on Earth Do Dwell — All people that on earth do dwell,
- The Lord's My Shepherd — The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want;
- Now Thank We All Our God — Now thank we all our God
- The King of Love My Shepherd Is — The King of love my Shepherd is,
- For the Beauty of the Earth — For the beauty of the earth,
- Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts — Jesus, Thou joy of loving hearts!
- Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven — Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
- O perfect Love, all human thought transcending — O perfect Love, all human thought transcending,
The full list
Questions about hymns for a wedding
What are traditional hymns for a church wedding?
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven,” “Now Thank We All Our God,” “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” and “O Perfect Love” are long-standing favorites. All are on this page.
Can I print hymn lyrics in our wedding program?
Yes. These hymns are in the public domain in the United States, so the words may be printed freely in a program or order of service.
How many hymns should a wedding have?
Two or three is typical — one near the start, one after the vows or during the signing, and one to close.