R&B wedding reception music is, like all wedding reception music, admittedly a little sweet and sappy, but, to paraphrase 1980s one-hit wonder Oran “Juice” Jones, a wedding reception without a soaring love song or three is like cornflakes without the milk.
Love songs—particularly R&B love songs—have traditionally played a significant role in weddings, be it during the actual ceremony, at the reception, or on the honeymoon. Here are some of the better wedding-themed R&B songs, featuring tracks by artists like Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, Brian McKnight, Jill Scott, and other vocalists known for evoking warm emotions in their music.
Eric Benet - “Real Love”
Brian Stukes/Contributor/Getty Images
As the title implies, Eric Benet’s “Real Love” is a celebration of genuine emotion between two people. Or as Eric puts in in the song: “We’ve got something real, real love, real love, real love, In a world full of make-believe, We got something real good/Real love, Yes, real love, I bet everything on you and me.”
Boyz II Men - “On Bended Knee”
Stephen J. Cohen/Contributor/Getty Images
Some may consider this Boyz II Men song a little sappy and a tad bit too melodramatic, but when it comes to bringing tears to a woman’s eyes during a wedding party, few songs can do it better than “On Bended Knee”.
Kem - “Share My Life”
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
This song, which is on Kem’s third album, is about a man who tells his woman that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. For the men out there who are getting ready to propose marriage to your lady and need a little inspiration, this just might be the perfect song for you.
Stevie Wonder - “Ribbon in the Sky”
WireImage/Getty Images
This soaring Stevie Wonder classic is one of the most beautiful, romantic songs of all time. You may not usually cry at weddings—unless this song is played.
Anthony David feat. Algebra - “4Evermore”
Paras Griffin/Stringer/Getty Images
This sweet romantic duet between Atlanta-based singers Anthony David and Algebra Blessett encapsulates what it’s like to be committed to a loving, thriving relationship.
Ruben Studdard - “Together”
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
This song, which is on Ruben Studdard’s 2009 album Love Is, is a bold yet tender declaration of a man’s love for a woman and his desire to make her a permanent part of his life.
Brian McKnight - “Back at One”
Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night/Getty Images
This is another one of those Brian McKnight songs that’s considered melodramatic out in the real world, but within the setting of a wedding party, it fits in as naturally as a bouquet of flowers. This should be played during a slow dance at a wedding reception.
Anita Baker - “Lately”
WireImage/Getty Images
This love song from Anita Baker’s seventh studio album is a tune that should already be familiar to devoted R&B fans: it’s a remake of “Lately,” the beautifully lush love song that was originally a hit for model-turned-singer (turned actor) Tyrese Gibson in the late 1990s.
Jill Scott and Anthony Hamilton - “So in Love”
Getty Images for Jazz in The Gardens Music Festival/Getty Images
So In Love, a fun, romantic duet between Philadelphia poetess Jill Scott and southern Soul crooner Anthony Hamilton, was the first official single from Jill’s The Light of the Sun album in 2011. It’s basically a honeymoon song, with the lyrics reflecting a couple that’s still basking in the afterglow of matrimony.
Jaheim - “Never”
WireImage/Getty Images
This song, which is on Jaheim’s fourth album, The Makings of a Man, is about a man who stops being a player and settles down with his one true love.
Luther Vandross - “Here and Now”
Paul Natkin/Getty Images
This is a classic wedding song by a classic vocalist. R.I.P. Luther.
Stacy Barthe - “To Be Loved”
Timothy Hiatt/BET/Getty Images
Stacy Barthe’s mellow “To Be Loved” is about how a positive relationship between two people can make you a stronger person, both mentally and spiritually.
Boyz II Men - “More Than You’ll Ever Know”
Natasha Moustache/Getty Images
“More Than You’ll Ever Know,” features the three remaining members of the group Boyz II Men singing alongside the legendary Charlie Wilson (of the Gap Band) on a track that practically sounds like it was custom-made for a wedding reception.
R&B wedding reception music is, like all wedding reception music, admittedly a little sweet and sappy, but, to paraphrase 1980s one-hit wonder Oran “Juice” Jones, a wedding reception without a soaring love song or three is like cornflakes without the milk.
Love songs—particularly R&B love songs—have traditionally played a significant role in weddings, be it during the actual ceremony, at the reception, or on the honeymoon. Here are some of the better wedding-themed R&B songs, featuring tracks by artists like Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, Brian McKnight, Jill Scott, and other vocalists known for evoking warm emotions in their music.
Eric Benet - “Real Love”
Brian Stukes/Contributor/Getty Images
As the title implies, Eric Benet’s “Real Love” is a celebration of genuine emotion between two people. Or as Eric puts in in the song: “We’ve got something real, real love, real love, real love, In a world full of make-believe, We got something real good/Real love, Yes, real love, I bet everything on you and me.”
Boyz II Men - “On Bended Knee”
Stephen J. Cohen/Contributor/Getty Images
Some may consider this Boyz II Men song a little sappy and a tad bit too melodramatic, but when it comes to bringing tears to a woman’s eyes during a wedding party, few songs can do it better than “On Bended Knee”.
Kem - “Share My Life”
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
This song, which is on Kem’s third album, is about a man who tells his woman that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. For the men out there who are getting ready to propose marriage to your lady and need a little inspiration, this just might be the perfect song for you.
Stevie Wonder - “Ribbon in the Sky”
WireImage/Getty Images
This soaring Stevie Wonder classic is one of the most beautiful, romantic songs of all time. You may not usually cry at weddings—unless this song is played.
Anthony David feat. Algebra - “4Evermore”
Paras Griffin/Stringer/Getty Images
This sweet romantic duet between Atlanta-based singers Anthony David and Algebra Blessett encapsulates what it’s like to be committed to a loving, thriving relationship.
Ruben Studdard - “Together”
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
This song, which is on Ruben Studdard’s 2009 album Love Is, is a bold yet tender declaration of a man’s love for a woman and his desire to make her a permanent part of his life.
Brian McKnight - “Back at One”
Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night/Getty Images
This is another one of those Brian McKnight songs that’s considered melodramatic out in the real world, but within the setting of a wedding party, it fits in as naturally as a bouquet of flowers. This should be played during a slow dance at a wedding reception.
Anita Baker - “Lately”
WireImage/Getty Images
This love song from Anita Baker’s seventh studio album is a tune that should already be familiar to devoted R&B fans: it’s a remake of “Lately,” the beautifully lush love song that was originally a hit for model-turned-singer (turned actor) Tyrese Gibson in the late 1990s.
Jill Scott and Anthony Hamilton - “So in Love”
Getty Images for Jazz in The Gardens Music Festival/Getty Images
So In Love, a fun, romantic duet between Philadelphia poetess Jill Scott and southern Soul crooner Anthony Hamilton, was the first official single from Jill’s The Light of the Sun album in 2011. It’s basically a honeymoon song, with the lyrics reflecting a couple that’s still basking in the afterglow of matrimony.
Jaheim - “Never”
WireImage/Getty Images
This song, which is on Jaheim’s fourth album, The Makings of a Man, is about a man who stops being a player and settles down with his one true love.
Luther Vandross - “Here and Now”
Paul Natkin/Getty Images
This is a classic wedding song by a classic vocalist. R.I.P. Luther.
Stacy Barthe - “To Be Loved”
Timothy Hiatt/BET/Getty Images
Stacy Barthe’s mellow “To Be Loved” is about how a positive relationship between two people can make you a stronger person, both mentally and spiritually.
Boyz II Men - “More Than You’ll Ever Know”
Natasha Moustache/Getty Images
“More Than You’ll Ever Know,” features the three remaining members of the group Boyz II Men singing alongside the legendary Charlie Wilson (of the Gap Band) on a track that practically sounds like it was custom-made for a wedding reception.
R&B wedding reception music is, like all wedding reception music, admittedly a little sweet and sappy, but, to paraphrase 1980s one-hit wonder Oran “Juice” Jones, a wedding reception without a soaring love song or three is like cornflakes without the milk.
Love songs—particularly R&B love songs—have traditionally played a significant role in weddings, be it during the actual ceremony, at the reception, or on the honeymoon. Here are some of the better wedding-themed R&B songs, featuring tracks by artists like Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, Brian McKnight, Jill Scott, and other vocalists known for evoking warm emotions in their music.
Eric Benet - “Real Love”
Brian Stukes/Contributor/Getty Images
As the title implies, Eric Benet’s “Real Love” is a celebration of genuine emotion between two people. Or as Eric puts in in the song: “We’ve got something real, real love, real love, real love, In a world full of make-believe, We got something real good/Real love, Yes, real love, I bet everything on you and me.”
Boyz II Men - “On Bended Knee”
Stephen J. Cohen/Contributor/Getty Images
Some may consider this Boyz II Men song a little sappy and a tad bit too melodramatic, but when it comes to bringing tears to a woman’s eyes during a wedding party, few songs can do it better than “On Bended Knee”.
Kem - “Share My Life”
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
This song, which is on Kem’s third album, is about a man who tells his woman that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. For the men out there who are getting ready to propose marriage to your lady and need a little inspiration, this just might be the perfect song for you.
Stevie Wonder - “Ribbon in the Sky”
WireImage/Getty Images
This soaring Stevie Wonder classic is one of the most beautiful, romantic songs of all time. You may not usually cry at weddings—unless this song is played.
Anthony David feat. Algebra - “4Evermore”
Paras Griffin/Stringer/Getty Images
This sweet romantic duet between Atlanta-based singers Anthony David and Algebra Blessett encapsulates what it’s like to be committed to a loving, thriving relationship.
Ruben Studdard - “Together”
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
This song, which is on Ruben Studdard’s 2009 album Love Is, is a bold yet tender declaration of a man’s love for a woman and his desire to make her a permanent part of his life.
Brian McKnight - “Back at One”
Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night/Getty Images
This is another one of those Brian McKnight songs that’s considered melodramatic out in the real world, but within the setting of a wedding party, it fits in as naturally as a bouquet of flowers. This should be played during a slow dance at a wedding reception.
Anita Baker - “Lately”
WireImage/Getty Images
This love song from Anita Baker’s seventh studio album is a tune that should already be familiar to devoted R&B fans: it’s a remake of “Lately,” the beautifully lush love song that was originally a hit for model-turned-singer (turned actor) Tyrese Gibson in the late 1990s.
Jill Scott and Anthony Hamilton - “So in Love”
Getty Images for Jazz in The Gardens Music Festival/Getty Images
So In Love, a fun, romantic duet between Philadelphia poetess Jill Scott and southern Soul crooner Anthony Hamilton, was the first official single from Jill’s The Light of the Sun album in 2011. It’s basically a honeymoon song, with the lyrics reflecting a couple that’s still basking in the afterglow of matrimony.
Jaheim - “Never”
WireImage/Getty Images
This song, which is on Jaheim’s fourth album, The Makings of a Man, is about a man who stops being a player and settles down with his one true love.
Luther Vandross - “Here and Now”
Paul Natkin/Getty Images
This is a classic wedding song by a classic vocalist. R.I.P. Luther.
Stacy Barthe - “To Be Loved”
Timothy Hiatt/BET/Getty Images
Stacy Barthe’s mellow “To Be Loved” is about how a positive relationship between two people can make you a stronger person, both mentally and spiritually.
Boyz II Men - “More Than You’ll Ever Know”
Natasha Moustache/Getty Images
“More Than You’ll Ever Know,” features the three remaining members of the group Boyz II Men singing alongside the legendary Charlie Wilson (of the Gap Band) on a track that practically sounds like it was custom-made for a wedding reception.
R&B wedding reception music is, like all wedding reception music, admittedly a little sweet and sappy, but, to paraphrase 1980s one-hit wonder Oran “Juice” Jones, a wedding reception without a soaring love song or three is like cornflakes without the milk.
Love songs—particularly R&B love songs—have traditionally played a significant role in weddings, be it during the actual ceremony, at the reception, or on the honeymoon. Here are some of the better wedding-themed R&B songs, featuring tracks by artists like Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, Brian McKnight, Jill Scott, and other vocalists known for evoking warm emotions in their music.
Eric Benet - “Real Love”
Brian Stukes/Contributor/Getty Images
As the title implies, Eric Benet’s “Real Love” is a celebration of genuine emotion between two people. Or as Eric puts in in the song: “We’ve got something real, real love, real love, real love, In a world full of make-believe, We got something real good/Real love, Yes, real love, I bet everything on you and me.”
Boyz II Men - “On Bended Knee”
Stephen J. Cohen/Contributor/Getty Images
Some may consider this Boyz II Men song a little sappy and a tad bit too melodramatic, but when it comes to bringing tears to a woman’s eyes during a wedding party, few songs can do it better than “On Bended Knee”.
Kem - “Share My Life”
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
This song, which is on Kem’s third album, is about a man who tells his woman that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. For the men out there who are getting ready to propose marriage to your lady and need a little inspiration, this just might be the perfect song for you.
Stevie Wonder - “Ribbon in the Sky”
WireImage/Getty Images
This soaring Stevie Wonder classic is one of the most beautiful, romantic songs of all time. You may not usually cry at weddings—unless this song is played.
Anthony David feat. Algebra - “4Evermore”
Paras Griffin/Stringer/Getty Images
This sweet romantic duet between Atlanta-based singers Anthony David and Algebra Blessett encapsulates what it’s like to be committed to a loving, thriving relationship.
Ruben Studdard - “Together”
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
This song, which is on Ruben Studdard’s 2009 album Love Is, is a bold yet tender declaration of a man’s love for a woman and his desire to make her a permanent part of his life.
Brian McKnight - “Back at One”
Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night/Getty Images
This is another one of those Brian McKnight songs that’s considered melodramatic out in the real world, but within the setting of a wedding party, it fits in as naturally as a bouquet of flowers. This should be played during a slow dance at a wedding reception.
Anita Baker - “Lately”
WireImage/Getty Images
This love song from Anita Baker’s seventh studio album is a tune that should already be familiar to devoted R&B fans: it’s a remake of “Lately,” the beautifully lush love song that was originally a hit for model-turned-singer (turned actor) Tyrese Gibson in the late 1990s.
Jill Scott and Anthony Hamilton - “So in Love”
Getty Images for Jazz in The Gardens Music Festival/Getty Images
So In Love, a fun, romantic duet between Philadelphia poetess Jill Scott and southern Soul crooner Anthony Hamilton, was the first official single from Jill’s The Light of the Sun album in 2011. It’s basically a honeymoon song, with the lyrics reflecting a couple that’s still basking in the afterglow of matrimony.
Jaheim - “Never”
WireImage/Getty Images
This song, which is on Jaheim’s fourth album, The Makings of a Man, is about a man who stops being a player and settles down with his one true love.
Luther Vandross - “Here and Now”
Paul Natkin/Getty Images
This is a classic wedding song by a classic vocalist. R.I.P. Luther.
Stacy Barthe - “To Be Loved”
Timothy Hiatt/BET/Getty Images
Stacy Barthe’s mellow “To Be Loved” is about how a positive relationship between two people can make you a stronger person, both mentally and spiritually.
Boyz II Men - “More Than You’ll Ever Know”
Natasha Moustache/Getty Images
“More Than You’ll Ever Know,” features the three remaining members of the group Boyz II Men singing alongside the legendary Charlie Wilson (of the Gap Band) on a track that practically sounds like it was custom-made for a wedding reception.
Eric Benet - “Real Love”
As the title implies, Eric Benet’s “Real Love” is a celebration of genuine emotion between two people. Or as Eric puts in in the song: “We’ve got something real, real love, real love, real love, In a world full of make-believe, We got something real good/Real love, Yes, real love, I bet everything on you and me.”
Boyz II Men - “On Bended Knee”
Some may consider this Boyz II Men song a little sappy and a tad bit too melodramatic, but when it comes to bringing tears to a woman’s eyes during a wedding party, few songs can do it better than “On Bended Knee”.
Kem - “Share My Life”
This song, which is on Kem’s third album, is about a man who tells his woman that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. For the men out there who are getting ready to propose marriage to your lady and need a little inspiration, this just might be the perfect song for you.
Stevie Wonder - “Ribbon in the Sky”
This soaring Stevie Wonder classic is one of the most beautiful, romantic songs of all time. You may not usually cry at weddings—unless this song is played.
Anthony David feat. Algebra - “4Evermore”
This sweet romantic duet between Atlanta-based singers Anthony David and Algebra Blessett encapsulates what it’s like to be committed to a loving, thriving relationship.
Ruben Studdard - “Together”
This song, which is on Ruben Studdard’s 2009 album Love Is, is a bold yet tender declaration of a man’s love for a woman and his desire to make her a permanent part of his life.
Brian McKnight - “Back at One”
This is another one of those Brian McKnight songs that’s considered melodramatic out in the real world, but within the setting of a wedding party, it fits in as naturally as a bouquet of flowers. This should be played during a slow dance at a wedding reception.
Anita Baker - “Lately”
This love song from Anita Baker’s seventh studio album is a tune that should already be familiar to devoted R&B fans: it’s a remake of “Lately,” the beautifully lush love song that was originally a hit for model-turned-singer (turned actor) Tyrese Gibson in the late 1990s.
Jill Scott and Anthony Hamilton - “So in Love”
So In Love, a fun, romantic duet between Philadelphia poetess Jill Scott and southern Soul crooner Anthony Hamilton, was the first official single from Jill’s The Light of the Sun album in 2011. It’s basically a honeymoon song, with the lyrics reflecting a couple that’s still basking in the afterglow of matrimony.
Jaheim - “Never”
This song, which is on Jaheim’s fourth album, The Makings of a Man, is about a man who stops being a player and settles down with his one true love.
Luther Vandross - “Here and Now”
This is a classic wedding song by a classic vocalist. R.I.P. Luther.
Stacy Barthe - “To Be Loved”
Stacy Barthe’s mellow “To Be Loved” is about how a positive relationship between two people can make you a stronger person, both mentally and spiritually.
Boyz II Men - “More Than You’ll Ever Know”
“More Than You’ll Ever Know,” features the three remaining members of the group Boyz II Men singing alongside the legendary Charlie Wilson (of the Gap Band) on a track that practically sounds like it was custom-made for a wedding reception.
