That all may sing, and be glad.
Wedding hymns: fourteen your guests can actually sing
A wedding congregation is a mix of people who sing every week and people who have not sung since school. The right hymn carries them all. These fourteen do, and every title links to the full words.
Updated 5 November 2026
The short answer
Most church weddings have two or three hymns: one near the start, one during the signing or after the address, and one to finish. Love divine and Praise, my soul are two of the safest choices in Britain. Choose strong tunes that people know, and print the words of every verse you plan to sing.
Set your hymns in the booklet
Choose your hymns and we will set the words in a finished booklet, ready to print.
Make a wedding order of service£24 for this order. No account needed.
To begin with
The first hymn sets the mood and gets people singing. Choose something strong and well known.
Bright and confident, and a very safe start.
Grand, and a good test of the organ.
Stately, and well known to regular churchgoers.
Strong and simple, and easy to pick up.
The Old Hundredth, the plainest and sturdiest of them all.
Hymns about love and marriage
The great wedding hymn. Blaenwern is the tune most people expect, so check with your organist.
Gentle, and popular with couples.
Beautiful, with a lovely tune by Vaughan Williams.
Quiet and thoughtful, and good in the middle of a service.
To finish
End on something big, so people leave singing.
A rousing favourite, and everyone knows it. Ask first, as some churches prefer not to use it in a service.
Cwm Rhondda lifts the roof, especially with Welsh guests.
Grand and grateful.
Joyful, and a treat if you have a choir.
Light-hearted, and good if there are children.
How to choose
- Ask your organist and minister what the church knows. A hymn the regulars can sing will help everyone else.
- If you have few singers among your guests, choose two familiar hymns and leave it there.
- Check the tune. Some hymns have more than one, and it matters more than you would think.
- Print every verse you plan to sing, and leave out the rest.
Our wedding template shows where the hymns go in the service.
Set your hymns in the booklet
Choose your hymns and we will set the words in a finished booklet, ready to print.
Make a wedding order of service£24 for this order. No account needed.
Questions people ask
How many hymns do you need at a wedding?
Two is common in Britain, and one or two in America. Three is fine, but only if your guests will sing them.
Can you have non-religious songs at a church wedding?
That is up to whoever is taking the service. Many are happy with secular music before the service or during the signing, and less so in the service itself. Ask early.
Are these hymns out of copyright?
Yes. Every hymn on this list is out of copyright, so you can print the words freely. Check before you print any modern song.
What can we sing during the signing?
Most couples have a choir piece, a soloist or organ music rather than a hymn, as people like to watch and take pictures.