Ceremony music...instrumental or words?

I think both options are fine – it is just whatever you personally would prefer. I will be having instrumental only, but that is only because our outside venue is not wired for sound, so we are having a string quartet. Had there been a sound system, I would have chosen music with words!

It's just preference! I'm walking down to a song with words!

I walked down to a song with the words because I liked the lyrics

We’re doing instrumental because we’re having a string duet.

Either option is fine, it's just personal preference.

Personal preference, but also consider how long your walk will be. Sometimes it takes a minute or two for the lyrics of a song to, literally, play out and the tell the story or come to a natural ending point. Depending on how long it will take for you to walk down the aisle, the lyrics might be in an awkward place to end them when you reach the altar. Daughter used instrumentals, one for the large bridal party and another for her walk with dad; even with a large wedding party (two moms, five pairs of couples, two sets of FG/RBs), they didn't come anywhere close to needing the entire first song, so DJ had to fade it out and then fade in the song for bride and dad. Although he was a great DJ with 20+ yrs of experience, cutting in and out of songs is noticeable. It will likely be even more so with lyrics (or you'll potentially find yourselves standing awkwardly waiting for the song to end).

Initially I thought of having Bruno Mars- For the Rest of My Life but then I heard the instrumental from Piano Guys to Just The Way You Are and for some reason I feel like without words is so much more feeling lol maybe because there's not really a focus on the lyrics? Not sure what I'm doing yet. Also, I think if they cut off the music to fade it'd sound better.

I used instrumental version of November Rain because we wanted a rock song but were getting married in our church. I didn't really want questions or commentary on the content of the song's lyrics for people not familiar with it's meaning to my husband and me. As it was my dad made some snide comments about it being inappropriate for church even as instrumental but he got over it. Luckily the version we used by Amadeus Electric Quartet was sooo beautiful! It was also shorter than the 7 min GNR version lol.

All of the music while everyone is getting seated and waiting is instrumental rock music (we were born in the 70's and grew up on hairband music lol). I am walking down the aisle to an acoustic version of "I Wanna Grow Old With You", which, as cheesey as it sounds is actually really nice and unless you know the song from the movie, you wouldn't know it's that song.

Once I'm done walking it goes back to instrumental.

I think whatever you choose is fine...it's YOUR wedding. Find the music that touches you both and means something no matter what version it is!

My vision had always been walking down the aisle to a song with lyrics because I'm a huge music lover. However, I fell in love with a ceremony venue that's next to a monastery, so they cannot allow amplified sound. We're having a guitarist and there will be no lyrics, all acoustic. I think it will be extra romantic that way, but if I had my choice there would have just been a song playing in the background.

My bridesmaids are walking to the same song as me but their version is an instrumental with saxophone solo. My version has the words.