Photo by Chaz Cruz
If you're looking for the best indie songs to round out your wedding day playlist, you're in luck. We've curated a mix of 100 indie and alternative tunes sure to get your guests pumped up for a night of dancing and celebrating. With sweet Ingrid Michaelson tunes and swoon-worthy Bon Iver wedding songs, this indie playlist reads more like backyard bash than a formal ceremony, but will still have your friends and family on the dance floor all night.
Daniela Andrade's acoustic version of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" and Jack Johnson's live version of "Angel/Better Together" make the sweetest indie first dance songs. David Gray's "This Year's Love" gives all the feels as you share a sweet moment with your father on the dance floor.
After the traditional dances, it's time to open the floor for you and your besties. And we think the best way to signal a dance-off is with Haim's "The Wire," because no one can resist that guitar opener, right? Next, get couples paired up to the utterly romantic "Sweeter" by Awake or Sleeping and "You and I" by Ingrid Michaelson. Finally, whether your send-off is through a sea of waving sparklers or riding off in a getaway car, make a grand exit to an epic closer like "The General Specific" by Band of Horses or "My Body" by Young the Giant.
From processional songs to cocktail hour tunes—first dances to the last call—we've rounded up the 100 very best indie wedding songs.
"Sleepwalking," by Modest Mouse
Lyrics of Love: "I fell in love and I needed a road map/To find out where you lived so excited, now"
"Walking on a Dream," by Empire of Sun
Lyrics of Love: "On and on and on we are calling out and out again/Never looking down I'm just in awe of what's in front of me"
"Everything has Changed," cover by Jasmine Thompson and Gerald Ko
Lyrics of Love: "'Cause all I know is we said, "Hello"/And your eyes look like coming home"
"Thinking Out Loud," by Ed Sheeran
Lyrics of Love: "Oh me I fall in love with you every single day/And I just wanna tell you I am"
"California Daze," by Peace
Lyrics of Love: "She tastes like sunlight/And she's always gonna be there in the back of your mind"
"You Really Got a Hold on Me," cover by She & Him
Lyrics of Love: "You've really got a hold on me/You've really got a hold on me, baby"
Jackson," cover by Florence & The Machine featuring Josh Homme
Lyrics of Love: "We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout,/We've been talkin' 'bout Jackson, ever since the fire went out."
"There Will Be Time," by Mumford & Sons featuring Baaba Maal
Lyrics of Love: "And in the cold light, I live to love and adore you/It's all that I am, it's all that I have"
"500 Miles" cover by Sleeping at Last
Lyrics of Love: "And when I'm dreamin', well I know I'm gonna dream/I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you."
"Only You," by Joshua Radin
Lyrics of Love: "All I needed was the love you gave/All I needed for another day"
"Sweeter," by Awake or Sleeping
Lyrics of Love: "I don't wanna wake up without you by my side/I don't wanna fall asleep until you say goodnight"
"This Year's Love," by David Gray
Lyrics of Love: "When ya kiss me on that midnight street/Sweep me off my feet/Singing, 'ain't this life so sweet?'"
"Can't Help Falling In Love," cover by Ingrid Michaelson
Lyrics of Love: "So take my hand, and take my whole life too/Cause I can't help falling in love with you"
"Turning Page," by Sleeping At Last
Lyrics of Love: "I've waited a hundred years/But I'd wait a million more for you"
"Skinny Love," by Bon Iver
Lyrics of Love: "Come on skinny love just last the year/Pour a little salt we were never here"
"Say You Won't Let Go," cover by Boyce Avenue
Lyrics of Love: "And I wanna stay with you/Until we're grey and old/Just say you won't let go"
"Angel/Better Together," by Jack Johnson
Lyrics of Love: "She gives me everything I could wish for/She gives me kisses on the lips just for coming home"
"Colors," by Amos Lee
Lyrics of Love: "'When you're gone all the colors fade/When you're gone no New Year's Day parade"
"Home," by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Lyrics of Love: "Well, holy moley, me oh my/You're the apple of my eye/Girl, I've never loved one like you"
"The General Specific," by Band of Horses
Lyrics of Love: "In time I'd find a little way to your heart/Down to the general store for nothing specific"
"Stuck On You," by Meiko
Lyrics of Love: "You are so dreamy/Feel like im in the movies/I feel so happy I'm stuck on you"
"Electric Feel," by MGMT
Lyrics of Love: "I said ooh girl/Shock me like an electric eel/Baby girl/Turn me on with your electric feel"
"Silver Lining," by Rilo Kiley
Lyrics of Love: "Hooray hooray/I'm your silver lining/Hooray hooray/But now I'm gold"
"Primadonna," by Marina and the Diamonds
Lyrics of Love: "'Got you wrapped around my finger, babe/You can count on me to misbehave/Primadonna girl"
"You've Got The Love," by Florence + The Machine
Lyrics of Love: "Sometimes I feel like saying 'Lord I just don't care'/But you've got the love I need To see me through"
"Maps," by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Lyrics of Love: "Wait, they don't love you like I love you/Wait, they don't love you like I love you"
"First Day of My Life," by Bright Eyes
Lyrics of Love: "Yours was the first face that I saw/I think I was blind before I met you"
"Closer," by Tegan and Sara
Lyrics of Love: "All I want to get is a little bit closer/All I want to know is, can you come a little closer?"
"Towers," by Bon Iver
Lyrics of Love: "In the towers of your honeycomb/I'd have tore your hair out just to climb back, darling"
"Are You Gonna be My Girl," by Jet
Lyrics of Love: "Take my hand and come with me/Because you look so fine/And I really wanna make you mine"
"Rhythm of Love," by Plain White T's
Lyrics of Love: "We'll watch the world from above/As it turns to the rhythm of love"
"I Will Follow You Into the Dark," by Death Cab for Cutie
Lyrics of Love: "Love of mine, someday you will die/But I'll be close behind and I'll follow you into the dark"
"You and I," by Ingrid Michaelson
Lyrics of Love: "Don't you worry, there my honey/We might not have any money/But we've got our love to pay the bills"
"The Way I Am," by Ingrid Michaelson
Lyrics of Love: "If you were falling, then I would catch you/You need a light, I'd find a match"
"Everybody," by Ingrid Michaelson
Lyrics of Love: "Trying to make your heart fit like a glove/What it needs is love, love, love"
"January Wedding," The Avett Brothers
Lyrics of Love: "I understand because my heart and hers are the same/And in January we're gettin' married"
"Toothpaste Kisses," by The Maccabees
Lyrics of Love: "So with toothpaste kisses and lines/I'll be yours and you'll be"
"Do You Realize?," by The Flaming Lips
Lyrics of Love: "Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face/Do you realize we're floating in space"
"Still Together," by Mac De Marco
Lyrics of Love: "In time she'll see that her and me/Were meant to be, together"
"Video Games," by Lana Del Rey
Lyrics of Love: "It's you, it's you, it's all for you/Everything I do"
"Stubborn Love," by The Lumineers
Lyrics of Love: "It's better to feel pain, than nothing at all/The opposite of love's indifference"
"Ho Hey," by The Lumineers
Lyrics of Love: "I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart/I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet' (ho)"
"Ophelia," by The Lumineers
Lyrics of Love: "Oh, Ophelia, you've been on my mind girl since the flood/Oh, Ophelia, heaven help a fool who falls in love"
"Young and Beautiful," by Lana Del Rey
Lyrics of Love: "Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?/Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul?"
"Falling Slowly," by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
Lyrics of Love: "I don't know you/But I want you"
"Dying Day," by Brandi Carlile
Lyrics of Love: "How I miss you and I just want to kiss you/And I'm gonna love you 'til my dying day"
"Dog Days Are Over," by Florence & The Machine
Lyrics of Love: "Leave all your love and your loving behind you/Can't carry it with you if you want to survive"
"All This and Heaven Too," by Florence & The Machine
Lyrics of Love: "And the heart is hard to translate/It has a language of it's own"
"I'll Follow You," by Jon McLaughlin
Lyrics of Love: "As long as you're around I'll follow you/You won't ever be alone"
"The Wire," by HAIM
Lyrics of Love: "Always keep your heart locked tight/Don't let your mind retire"
"Crazy in Love," by Daniela Andrade
Lyrics of Love: "Got me looking so crazy right now/Your love's got me looking so crazy right now"
"Boom Clap," by Lennon & Maisy
Lyrics of Love: "Boom clap/You make me feel good/Come on to me come on to me now"
"Tongue Tied," by Grouplove
Lyrics of Love: "I loved you then and I love you now/Oh yeah/Don't take me tongue tied/Don't wave no goodbye"
"Houdini," by Foster The People
Lyrics of Love: "Well you got whatcha want you never knew/Perfect gift from me to you"
"My Body," by Young the Giant
Lyrics of Love: "My body tells me no!/But I won't quit/'Cuz I want more, 'cuz I want more"
"Marry You," by Bruno Mars
Lyrics of Love: "'Cause it's a beautiful night, we're looking for something dumb to do/Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you"
"Little Talks," by Of Monsters and Men
Lyrics of Love: "I don't like walking around this old and empty house/So hold my hand, I'll walk with you my dear"
"Poison & Wine," by The Civil Wars
Lyrics of Love: "Oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise/I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you"
"Eyes," by Rogue Wave
Lyrics of Love: "I can handle a lot/But one thing I'm missing is in your eyes"
"The Power of Love," by Huey Lewis & The News
Lyrics of Love: "Make a bad one good, mmm make a wrong right/Power of love will keep you home at night"
"Oh, It Is Love," by Hellogoodbye
Lyrics of Love: "Oh, it is love/From the first time I set my eyes upon yours/Thinking, 'Oh, is it love?'"
"When We First Met," by Hellogoodbye
Lyrics of Love: "All I see is where our days repeat/And our love goes on/As our hair grows long"
"Belated Promise Ring," by Iron & Wine
Lyrics of Love: "I once gave to my Rebbecca a belated promise ring/And she sold it to the waitress on a train"
"Tightrope," by Walk The Moon
Lyrics of Love: "Easy now, with my heart/Easy now, oh with my heart/Walk a tightrope, walk a little tightrope"
"True Love Waits," by Radiohead
Lyrics of Love: "And true love waits/In haunted attics/And true love lives/On lollipops and crisps"
"We Both Go Down Together," by The Decemberists
Lyrics of Love: "And oh, my love, my love/We both go down together"
"We Found Each Other in the Dark," by City and Colour
Lyrics of Love: "So bright, the flames burned in our hearts/That we found each other in the dark."
"Yellow," by Coldplay
Lyrics of Love: "So then I took my turn/Oh what a thing to have done/And it was all yellow"
"You and I," by Wilco & Feist
Lyrics of Love: "You and I, we might be strangers/However close we get sometimes/It's like we never met"
"We Could Happen," by AJ Rafael
Lyrics of Love: "And I know we could happen/'Cause you know that I've been feeling you"
"The Luckiest," by Ben Folds
Lyrics of Love: "That I first saw your lovely face/Now I see it every day/And I know/That I am, I am, I am, the luckiest"
"You Make My Dreams," by Hall & Oates
Lyrics of Love: "Oh yeah, well well you/You make my dreams come true"
"Grow Old with Me," by Tom Odell
Lyrics of Love: "Grow old with me/Let us share what we see/And oh the best it could be/Just you and I"
"Turning Page," by Sleeping at Last
Lyrics of Love: "I've waited a hundred years/But I'd wait a million more for you"
"Marry Song," by Band of Horses
Lyrics of Love: "I'll marry my lover in a place to admire, I don't/Have to even ask her, I can look in her eyes and thank God"
"Heartbeats," by José González
Lyrics of Love: "Ten days of perfect hues/The colors red and blue/We had a promise made/We were in love"
"Wedding Bell," by Beach House
Lyrics of Love: "Oh, is your heart still mine to sail?/I've met yours, now meet mine"
"Sweet Disposition," by The Temper Trap
Lyrics of Love: "So stay there/'Cause I'll be coming over/And while our blood's still young/It's so young, it runs"
"A Thousand Years," cover by Jasmine Thompson
Lyrics of Love: "I have died every day waiting for you/Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you/For a thousand years"
"Take Me to Church," by Hozier
Lyrics of Love: "Take me to church/I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies/I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife"
"Somewhere Only We Know," by Keane
Lyrics of Love: "And if you have a minute, why don't we go/Talk about it somewhere only we know?"
"Work Song," cover by Amanda Mustapha
Lyrics of Love: "I just think about my baby/I'm so full of love I could barely eat"
"Issues," by Julia Michaels
Lyrics of Love: "Yeah, I got issues/And one of them is how bad I need you"
"Only Love," by Ben Howard
Lyrics of Love: "Darling you're with me, always around me/Only love, only love"
"Wish I Could," by The Wandering Hearts
Lyrics of Love: "Oh, to break the spell of a lonely heart/I wish I could, but I know I can't"
"Still Falling for You," by Ellie Goulding
Lyrics of Love: "This love got me rolling the dice/Don't let me lose/Still falling for you"
"How Long Will I Love You," by Ellie Goulding
Lyrics of Love: "How long will I love you/As long as stars are above you"
"Your Song," cover by Ellie Goulding
Lyrics of Love: "hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words/How wonderful life is now you're in the world"
"Flightless Bird, American Mouth," by Iron & Wine
Lyrics of Love: "Have I found you?/Flightless bird, jealous, weeping"
"Closer," cover by Boyce Avenue featuring Sarah Hyland
Lyrics of Love: "You look as good as the day I met you/I forget just why I left you, I was insane"
"Fast Car," cover by Boyce Avenue featuring Kina Grannis
Lyrics of Love: "You got a fast car/And I got a plan to get us out of here"
"On My Mind," cover by Boyce Avenue featuring Jacob Whitesides
Lyrics of Love: "But my heart don't understand/Why I got you on my mind"
"If You Ever Wanna Be In Love," by James Bay
Lyrics of Love: "I'll come around/If you ever want to be in love/I'm not waiting, but I'm willing if you call me up"
"Hold Back the River," by James Bay
Lyrics of Love: "Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes/Hold back the river, so I/Can stop for a minute and see where you hide"
"Saw You in a Dream," by The Japanese House
Lyrics of Love: "I saw you in a dream/You came to me/You were the sweetest apparition, such a pretty vision"
"Safe," by Bay Ledges
Lyrics of Love: "We played in the stars when the sun comes up getting to my bed/I don't want to speak too soon but I think I love you"