There is one moment at every wedding reception when the whole room stops talking, turns toward the door, and rises to their feet. It is not the first dance. It is not the speeches. It is the grand entrance, the second you and your wedding party burst into the room for the first time as a married couple. Get the song right and a seated, chatting crowd turns into a standing, cheering, phones-in-the-air party in about four seconds flat.
We have been reading Toronto dance floors since 1989, and we can tell you that the entrance sets the tone for the entire night. So we pulled together the songs that work, organized by vibe, along with the insider tips we give every couple. Steal from this list freely. Your guests will think you spent months planning it.
The two entrances, and why they are different
Most receptions actually have two entrances back to back, and they call for different energy.
- The wedding party entrance: your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and family members come in first, often in pairs. This is your hype moment. It should be loud, fun, and full of personality.
- The bride and groom entrance: the two of you come in last, as the headliners. This is the peak of the room. It can be pure adrenaline or something warmer and more romantic, but it should always feel bigger than everything before it.
You can use one song that builds across both entrances, or a high-energy track for the party and a separate showstopper for the couple. Your DJ and MC will help you time it so the biggest moment of the song lands exactly as you walk in.
How to choose your entrance song: five rules from the booth
Before you fall in love with a track, run it through these five checks. They are the difference between a good entrance and one people talk about for years.
- Lead with the energy you want in the room. The entrance is a promise about the kind of party you are throwing. If you want a packed dance floor later, start loud and celebratory now.
- Find the best twenty seconds. Nobody plays a whole song for an entrance. Pick the drop, the chorus, or the hook, and have your DJ cue it so the peak hits as the doors open.
- Keep it short. Sixty to ninety seconds is plenty for a wedding party, and thirty to sixty for the couple. Long entrances lose the room.
- Decide clean or explicit. Grandma is in the front row and kids are on the floor. Ask your DJ for the clean radio edit if your song has language.
- Match your crowd and your culture. The best entrance songs reflect who you are. A track that makes your family jump is worth more than the trendiest song of the year.
Pro tip from the booth: send your DJ the exact version and artist, not just the title. There are a dozen covers of most popular songs, and the wrong one can turn a hype moment into an awkward one.
Wedding party entrance songs
This is where your bridal party earns its applause. These tracks are built for walking in with attitude, and every one of them has a hook that lands fast.
High-energy hype
- Can’t Hold Us, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- 24K Magic, Bruno Mars
- All I Do Is Win, DJ Khaled
- POWER, Kanye West
- Started From the Bottom, Drake
- Turn Down for What, DJ Snake & Lil Jon
Pop crowd-pleasers
- I Gotta Feeling, The Black Eyed Peas
- Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
- About Damn Time, Lizzo
- Levitating, Dua Lipa
- Shut Up and Dance, Walk the Moon
- On Top of the World, Imagine Dragons
Throwbacks that never miss
- September, Earth, Wind & Fire
- You Make My Dreams, Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours), Stevie Wonder
- Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Country and rock
- Chicken Fried, Zac Brown Band
- Life Is a Highway, Rascal Flatts
- Mr. Brightside, The Killers
- Don’t Stop Me Now, Queen
- Livin’ on a Prayer, Bon Jovi
Bride and groom grand entrance songs
This is the headliner moment. Whatever you choose, it should feel like the biggest thing that has happened all night, because it is.
Bring the house down
- Marry You, Bruno Mars
- Crazy in Love, Beyonce featuring Jay-Z
- This Will Be (An Everlasting Love), Natalie Cole
- Best Day of My Life, American Authors
- Sugar, Maroon 5
Romantic, but still upbeat
- Die With a Smile, Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
- Lover, Taylor Swift
- Adore You, Harry Styles
- Golden Hour, JVKE
- Beautiful Day, U2
Timeless and classy
- At Last, Etta James
- L-O-V-E, Nat King Cole
- Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Diana Ross
- Isn’t She Lovely, Stevie Wonder
Multicultural entrances we love
Toronto weddings are some of the most beautiful in the world because they bring cultures together. A grand entrance is the perfect place to celebrate where you come from. These are a few of our favourite ways to bring the whole family to their feet.
- Bollywood and Punjabi: Kala Chashma, London Thumakda, Nachde Ne Saare, Morni Banke
- Latin: Vivir Mi Vida by Marc Anthony, Danza Kuduro by Don Omar, Bailando by Enrique Iglesias
- Afrobeats: Last Last by Burna Boy, Calm Down by Rema, Essence by Wizkid
- Greek: Zorba the Greek, and any live bouzouki build your DJ can layer under the announcement
- Italian: That’s Amore by Dean Martin, or Volare for a playful, classic feel
The rest of the night, in one glance
Your entrance kicks it off, but a few other songs carry the emotional weight of the reception. Here are quick, reliable picks for the moments that follow.
First dance
- Perfect, Ed Sheeran
- Die With a Smile, Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
- Can’t Help Falling in Love, Elvis Presley
- At Last, Etta James
Father-daughter dance
- My Girl, The Temptations
- Isn’t She Lovely, Stevie Wonder
- I Loved Her First, Heartland
- Landslide, Fleetwood Mac
Mother-son dance
- A Song for Mama, Boyz II Men
- You’ll Be in My Heart, Phil Collins
- Humble and Kind, Tim McGraw
- Simple Man, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Last dance and send-off
- (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life, Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
- Closing Time, Semisonic
- Don’t Stop Believin’, Journey
- New York, New York, Frank Sinatra
Five mistakes couples make with their entrance
- Playing the song from the beginning. Most songs take thirty seconds to get good. Start at the hook.
- Choosing a slow song for a hype moment. Save the ballad for the first dance. The entrance wants momentum.
- Forgetting the wedding party. Give your bridal party their own moment. They will bring the energy that the room feeds off.
- Not telling the MC how to announce you. The words right before the beat drops matter as much as the song. Practice the handoff.
- Overthinking it. The best entrances feel like you. Pick the song that makes you want to dance, and let your DJ handle the timing.
Make your entrance unforgettable
A great grand entrance is about half song and half timing. The song gets the room excited. A DJ and MC who can read the crowd, cue the perfect moment, and hand off cleanly to the party is what turns that excitement into a night nobody forgets.
That is what we have done at thousands of weddings across Toronto and the GTA since 1989. If you want help building an entrance, and a reception, that feels like the best party of your life, we would love to hear about your day.