Wedding Entrance Songs: How to Plan a Bridal Party Entrance That Lands

What are the main bridal party entrance styles?

Most bridal party entrances fall into four styles: pairs announced one by one, a group introduction, a dance-in, or a walk-in to the seats. You can mix them, and most couples I work with do.

Entrances come up in nearly every planning meeting I have. The question is rarely whether to do one. It's how much of a show to make it.

Dancing in or walking in is an either/or decision for each pair, not the whole group. If one pair wants to dance and another would rather walk, let them. It reads as personality, not a mistake.

How do you choose a wedding entrance song?

Choose a song with high energy, a clean version and a clear chorus or drop. Then check when that big moment arrives, because that's the part you want to walk in on.

• Energy. The entrance sets the mood for the whole reception. Something guests already know and can clap along to works better than a slow love song.
• A clean version. Ask your DJ to play the radio edit. Lyrics you'd laugh at with friends sound different with your nan in the front row.
• A clear build and a big moment. The best entrance songs build up, then hit a chorus or drop. The build-up is for the bridal party. The big moment is for you.
• The timing of that moment. Play the song and note when the chorus lands. If it's at 54 seconds, your DJ knows the bridal party has about 50 seconds of build to walk in on.

What are some good wedding entrance songs?

Good wedding entrance songs range from party classics like Crazy in Love and Mr. Brightside to recent hits like Espresso and APT. Pick by the mood you want in the room, then check where the big moment falls.

How do you time the entrance so the couple walks in on the chorus?

The DJ lets the song play while the bridal party enters, loops the build-up just before the chorus, then drops the chorus when the MC calls your names. You walk through the door on the drop.

Here's how it worked at one wedding this year. The chorus hit at 54 seconds. The DJ planned to loop from about 45 seconds, so the build-up kept going for as long as the bridal party needed. When the last pair was in and the MC said the couple's names, the DJ let it run into the chorus and the doors opened.

That couple was worried about hitting the chorus to the second. In the end they decided that if they didn't land it exactly on point, it wasn't the end of the world. Guests don't know where the chorus is meant to fall.

For the MC's full script around the entrances, see the wedding MC guide.

How long should a bridal party entrance take?

Most bridal party entrances take 1 to 3 minutes, including the couple. Allow about 5 seconds per pair, and seat guests 10 to 15 minutes before so the MC isn't rushed.

At about 5 seconds a pair, four pairs are in within 20 seconds. One DJ I worked with estimated 10 seconds a pair, which feels long when the room is waiting. Snappy is better.

Housekeeping happens while the bridal party is still in the foyer. Once I tell the MC they're lined up, the MC wraps up quickly and gets guests on their feet.

After the couple sits down, the MC says entrées are coming and that's it. It's not a speech just yet. Speeches usually fit between courses. The wedding speeches guide covers the order and timing, and the sample wedding day timeline shows where entrances sit in the whole day.

What should the bridal party do once they're inside?

Give them a job so they don't walk straight to the table. Forming an arch, firing confetti cannons or dancing on the spot keeps them part of the moment when the couple walks in.

• An arch. The bridal party lines up on either side of the entrance and raises their arms for the couple to walk under. Guests stand and twirl their napkins.
• Confetti cannons. Hide them near the cake table. The bridal party picks them up after they enter and fires them as the couple walks in.
• A dance circle. Pairs stop on the dance floor and keep dancing until the couple arrives, then everyone goes to the table together.

Just before they go in, I give the bridal party a quick pep talk in the foyer: the order, where to stand and what their job is. It takes a minute and makes for a much more confident entrance.

What are the most common wedding entrance mistakes?

The usual problems are two songs where one would do, the explicit version of a track, a long MC introduction while the bridal party waits outside, and nobody knowing where to stand.

• Using the best part of the song too early. If the bridal party gets the chorus, the couple walks in on the second verse.
• The explicit version. Tell the DJ you want the clean edit and put it in writing.
• A long MC preamble. The bridal party is standing outside with drinks in hand. Keep it short.
• No pairing order. Decide who walks with who before the day and write it on the run sheet.
• Props with no owner. Cannons and sparklers need a named person and a set spot, or they stay in a box.

What should go in the run sheet for the entrances?

The run sheet should list the song and version, the time the chorus hits, the pairing order, the MC's lines, any props and who is responsible for each cue.

I put every music cue in the run sheet, and the entrance is the one I check most closely with the DJ. Use the wedding run sheet template as a starting point. Ceremony songs follow a different set of rules, covered in the wedding ceremony music guide.

Frequently asked questions

How we researched this

Written by Sara Ward from coordinating receptions across Sydney and regional NSW, and from planning calls with couples, MCs and DJs about their entrances. Names and details have been left out. Timings are typical figures from her run sheets, not fixed rules. The song ideas are a mix of long-standing reception favourites and recent chart hits that couples have asked about.