To want a singalong in my (civil!) wedding ceremony?

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

I can't decide if this is weird, or genius!
I'm having a civil wedding ceremony. At a religious wedding, hymns are sung. So, at mine I'd love to choose a song that the vast majority of guests will know (and I'd provide the lyrics anyway!) to sing along to!
If you'd enjoy this, what song would you go with as a fun, but still fitting for a wedding, tune?

Ponoka I blame you entirely for the Rick Astley earworm I now have 🤣

I also think it’s a lovely idea.

You could go really fun and have something everyone knows like Sweet Caroline.

Or something about love or another karaoke type song which is more likely to have people singing along with gusto!

What about crazy little thing called love?

Perfect! Everyone knows it, always gets people singing and it’s romantic!

I like this idea but haven’t liked a single suggestion so it’s a no from me if think

The reason civil weddings are not allowed hymns is that when civil weddings were first brought in in 1837 (it had been church weddings only up till then) the bishops in the House of Lords insisted on this as a condition of voting through civil marriages.

So very dog in the manger.

Nobody actually likes singing hymns and I doubt your guests will want to sing along to a cringey song you’ve picked

If you are of a certain age and have a certain nerd quotient, there is only one answer…

“He’ll make me happy” from the Muppets Take Manhattan.

i think it’s a lovely idea whatever song you choose, but I would have a hard time not picking this even if not everyone would know the words.

I’d love this..
All you need is love, The Beatles
Simply the best, Tina Turner (They did a cover of this in the Schitts Creek wedding and it’s brilliant!)
Marry You, Bruno Mars

I went to a humanist wedding where we all sang "Love is all around" by Wet Wet Wet. It went fine and I think most people got stuck in and enjoyed it.

This was my suggestion too!

It’s funny all the comments bar one are positive but the vote says otherwise…so I’m gonna stick my neck out and say this idea makes me feel sick with cringe.

I hate “forced” joy of this sort. Any good wedding always spontaneously ends up in a sing song at some point anyway, at least it does in Scotland and it’s usually 500 miles or Dignity. But forcing it with written lyrics…oh God I hate it. I hate it. Forced fun is awful.

That’s amazing! But you’ll need to hire someone who is experienced at persuading people to sing. I hope you have a blast!

My friends did this and we all sung I’m a believer, the words were printed in the order of service but most people knew it anyway

I've been to a wedding where we sang L.O.V.E by Nat King Cole, fairly easy, simple lyrics. We'd all been forewarned in the official invitation so if you didn't know the song you had a chance to learn it and the words were included in the order of service.

I don’t think it really works at the ceremony because people haven’t let loose enough at that point. Maybe better later? I’ve been to two weddings were they did a sing along during ceremony and they were both awkward and cringey – and I say this as someone who loves a jolly sing along.

@RhinestoneCowgirl at my mum's funeral we played bits and pieces by Dave Clarke five. Quite a few comments about the rousing music 🎵. It was my mum's favourite song ❤️

I think its a lovely idea ❤️ I would have elbows one day like this or the beach boy's god only knows

I'd also hate it! To be honest I wouldn't sing, I'd just mime as no would need to hear me 'sing'!

I love this idea. Go for something very easy to sing though as some of these suggestions definitely aren't. You want verse chorus verse chous like a hymn really
I think. PP's idea of paying an amateur choir to sing and lead everyone else is a good one.
I Do I Do I Do I Do - ABBA is simple to sing and kind of wedding related.

Sweet Caroline... might not be the most romantic but its a light hearted crowd pleaser that everyone knows 😂

I think it’s a lovely idea - but if you made me sing ‘ Sweet Caroline’ as several people have suggested, I’d go home. I fucking hate that song.

It needs to be something simple and easy, or something designed to be a bit silly.

I was gonna say that

It isn't churches that don't allow hymns to be sung at civil weddings - it is the other way round. Civil weddings won't allow a religious element because they are exactly that - civil not religious ceremonies.

Why not ,it's a civil.ceremony so you can have anything you want
If it was me I think I would have a bit of rock but what are your musical.preferences ?

Love the idea

hate sweet Caroline
only reminds me of rugby, which I also don’t like, and drunk men in shorts singing
my reaction is now worse after the Boris/Carrie video

We had a song for everyone to sing along to at our wedding. We had a musicians to play during the signing of the register, so they accompanied us. We printed the words in the order of service and made sure it was something everyone would know + easy to sing. The registrar let us do it instead of one of the readings.

I liked it and guests said they liked it, although some of course may have secretly hated it. Personally I can't see why anyone would object, as it is perfectly normal to have hymns at church weddings. I have always loved the feel of lots of people singing together, so it was something I I really wants to do with our guest at our wedding.