Wedding Inspiration: Top String Quartet Songs that go with Canon in D

If you are reading this, chances are you have fantasized about walking down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon in D. You have spent so much time (definitely not at work) daydreaming about your perfect wedding ceremony, and it always included a string quartet swelling into that elegant melody right as you reach the top of the aisle. Your almost-spouse wipes away a tear and the guests sigh at how lovely the scene is … ah yes, we all have a streak of hopeless-romanticism, and Pachelbel’s Canon is the quintessential ingredient for wedding day amour.

So, you’re walking down the aisle to Canon in D – easiest wedding decision you’ve made yet. Now, the question is: What other music should you include in the ceremony? How do you set the tone of the wedding from the guests’ arrival to the moment you are pronounced married (woo!)? The great thing about this particular tune is that it is very flexible and can easily be paired anything from traditional wedding pieces to top 40 pop songs.

To get you started, we have put together several unique, string playlists to fit your perfect wedding day vibe, all built around Pachelbel’s indefatigable masterpiece:

Vibe 1: Classically Romantic

This one is all about tradition and white-wedding romance. If you’re looking for a classic string sound, this is for you (and also church-approved if you are hosting a religious ceremony):

Prelude

• Air from Suite No. 3 – Bach

• Ave Maria – Schubert

• Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing – Traditional hymn

• Adagio Cantabile – Beethoven

• La Rejouissance – Handel

Processional

• Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring – Bach

• Air from Water Music – Handel

• Canon in D – Pachelbel

Recessional

• Wedding March – Mendelssohn

• Hornpipe from Water Music – Handel

Vibe 2: Modern Chic

Are you set on walking down the aisle to Canon, but the classical ceremony isn’t really your style? We’ve got a song list for you that includes some of the most beautiful contemporary music we could think of – and also happens to go nicely with Canon in D:

Prelude

• Marry Me – Train

• A Thousand Years – Christina Perri

• I Will Follow You Into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie

• Wildest Dreams – Taylor Swift

• Yellow – Coldplay

Processional

• Perfect – Ed Sheeran

• Falling Slowly – Glen Hasard

• Canon in D – Pachelbel

Recessional

• Viva la Vida – Coldplay

• Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve

Vibe 3: Classical Fusion

Can’t decide between classical and contemporary? Have a relative who would like some traditional music, but you prefer the pop tunes? Not to worry! Thanks to the string quartet’s flexibility in sound and the easygoing nature of Canon in D, we can easily mix the two genres:

Prelude

• At Last – Etta James

• Air from Water Music – Handel

• Entrance from the Queen of Sheba – Handel

• Stand By Me – Ben E King

• Falling Slowly – Glen Hasard

Processional

• Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing – Traditional hymn

• La Vie en Rose – Edith Piaf

• Canon in D – Pachelbel

Recessional

• Brandenburg No. 3 – Bach

• All You Need is Love – The Beatles

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Canon in D by Pachelbel

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