21 Bob Dylan Love Songs to Play on Your Wedding Day

When it comes to Bob Dylan love songs, there is no shortage of options at your disposal for your wedding day. The legendary singer-songwriter, who started his six-decade career in the 1960s, has a catalog of more than 600 songs and 39 studio albums. What's more, throughout his career, the icon has crossed genres like folk, rock, gospel, country, jazz, blues and traditional pop. This means that, no matter your taste, you can find the best wedding songs for every couple within his discography.

Continue reading to explore 21 of Bob Dylan love songs to play on your wedding day. For moments like your first dance, a parent-child dance, your reception and more, ask your wedding DJ to press play on these classic hits. And if you plan to hire a wedding band? Just make sure to send over your song requests ahead of time, so they can finalize the perfect setlist for your special day.

Bonus: Listen to our picks with The Knot's roundup of Bob Dylan Love Songs playlist on Spotify.

1. "Make You Feel My Love," Time Out of Mind

Lyrics you'll love: "I could make you happy, make your dreams come true/Nothing that I wouldn't do/Go to the ends of the earth for you/To make you feel my love"

You've probably heard Adele's cover of "Make You Feel My Love," but did you know the song was written and first recorded by Bob Dylan for his 1997 album, Time Out of Mind? The ballad and its beautiful lyrics—describing the great lengths the narrator will go for their love—is a timeless first dance song option.

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2. "Wedding Song," Planet Waves

Lyrics you'll love: "You breathed on me and made my life a richer one to live/When I was deep in poverty you taught me how to give/Dried the tears up from my dreams and pulled me from the hole/I love you more than ever and it burns me to the soul"

We don't need to do much explaining when it comes to Dylan's "Wedding Song," from 1974's Planet Waves. In the aptly named rock love song, the performer sings of the endless power of his love for his partner. It's another great first dance contender, so make sure to send it over to your wedding DJ.

3. "Til I Fell in Love With You," Time Out of Mind

Lyrics you'll love: "I've been hit too hard, I've seen too much/Nothing can heal me now, but your touch/I just don't know what I'm gonna do/I was alright 'til I fell in love with you"

Also on Time Out of Mind, "'Til I Fell in Love With You" is a bluesy jam you can't help but sway to. It would be great for couples looking for something romantic—and a little fun—for their first dance. It could also help to set the tone for your cocktail hour music.

4. "My One and Only Love," Triplicate

Lyrics you'll love: "You fill my eager heart with such desire/Every kiss you give sets my soul on fire/I give myself in sweet surrender/My one and only love"

Covered by Dylan on his 2017 album, Triplicate, "My One and Only Love" dates back to 1952. (Other notable covers include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sting, Paul McCartney and more.) The jazz track is infused with old-time charm; as a first dance or cocktail hour number, it will have you and your guests nostalgic for decades past. Send it to your wedding band and enjoy a live performance of this hit.

5. "Forever Young - Slow Version" Planet Waves

Lyrics you'll love: "May God bless and keep you always/May your wishes all come true/May you always do for others/And let others do for you/May you build a ladder to the stars/And climb on every rung/May you stay forever young"

Planet Waves' "Forever Young" is the perfect option for any variation of a parent-child dance, especially if your parents are Bob Dylan fans themselves. The song was inspired by Dylan's own son, and the lyrics will bring a tear to the eyes of everyone in attendance.

6. "Shelter from the Storm," Blood On The Tracks

Lyrics you'll love: "Suddenly I turned around and she was standin' there/With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair/She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns/Come in, she said/I'll give ya shelter from the storm"

With nearly 78 million streams on Spotify, 1975's "Shelter from the Storm" has proved its longevity. The song progresses like a story that always comes back to its main message—a struggling narrator who is always offered shelter from life's "storms" by his partner. Send it over to your wedding musicians—it could make for a beautiful, atypical take on a first dance song.

7. "Lay, Lady, Lay," Nashville Skyline

Lyrics you'll love: "Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile/Why wait any longer for the world to begin/You can have your cake and eat it too/Why wait any longer for the one you love/When he's standing in front of you"

"Lay, Lady, Lay" entered the world on Dylan's 1969 album, Nashville Skyline. The single, which Dylan wrote for Barbra Streisand, peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. You likely won't find it hard to imagine yourself dancing happily to the mid-tempo love song with your new spouse, perhaps even for your first dance.

8. "I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You," Rough and Rowdy Ways

Lyrics you'll love: "If I had the wings of a snow white dove/I'd preach the gospel, the gospel of love/A love so real, a love so true/I made up my mind to give myself to you"

On Dylan's most recent studio album, 2020's Rough and Rowdy Ways, is "I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You." The sweet, mellow ballad about the narrator's devotion to the subject of the song is irresistible. Play it during your first dance, and you'll amplify the romance level on your big day.

9. "The Man in Me," New Morning

Lyrics you'll love: "But, oh, what a wonderful feeling/Just to know that you are near/Sets my heart a-reeling/From my toes up to my ears"

"The Man in Me" is the 10th track on Dylan's New Morning album, released in 1970. The upbeat, happy and beloved song would be easy to dance to for a delightful first dance as newlyweds.

10. "Love Minus Zero / No Limit - Take 2, Acoustic," The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series, Vol.12 (Deluxe Edition)

Lyrics you'll love: "My love she speaks like silence/Without ideals or violence/She doesn't have to say she's faithful/Yet she's true, like ice, like fire"

The acoustic version of 1965's "Love Minus Zero" features poetic lyrics about love, amplified by the sounds of a guitar and a harmonica. Utilize this song for your first dance or during cocktail hour, and let the sounds of a bygone era delight the ears of everyone in attendance.

11. "Buckets of Rain," Blood On The Tracks

Lyrics you'll love: "I like your smile/And your fingertips/I like the way that you move your hips/I like the cool way you look at me/Everything about you is bringing me misery"

Blood On The Tracks' final song, "Buckets of Rain," is a tune during which Dylan sings plainly about his love and commitment. The simplicity of the song makes it so enjoyable, and it would be another stellar first dance selection.

12. "Boots of Spanish Leather," The Times They Are A-Changin'

Lyrics you'll love: "Oh, but if I had the stars from the darkest night/And the diamonds from the deepest ocean/I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss/For that's all I'm wishin' to be ownin'"

"Boots of Spanish Leather," from 1964's The Times They Are A-Changin', is a painstakingly beautiful ballad—and unlike some of the more straightforward lyrics in Dylan's love songs, the lyrics here are more complex. The song doesn't end happily ever after, but its stunning melody paired with the songwriter's impeccable storytelling keeps it on the list of first-dance contenders.

13. "She Belongs to Me," Bring It All Back Home

Lyrics you'll love: "She's got everything she needs, she's an artist/She don't look back/She can take the dark out of the nighttime/And paint the daytime black"

"She Belongs to Me" is a wonderful Bob Dylan song because the lyrics highlight an independent woman—while subtly acknowledging that this woman is his partner in the song's title. The gesture is moving and smart, and the song itself would be fitting for cocktail hour or a reception.

14. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid (Soundtrack From The Motion Picture)

Lyrics you'll love: "Mama, take this badge off of me/I can't use it anymore/It's gettin' dark, too dark for me to see/I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door"

Released in the 1970s, "Knockin On Heaven's Door" quickly became a worldwide hit—and it continues to be one to this day. No, it's not a love song. But it is an iconic song, one that all of your wedding guests would surely sing along to during your reception or a tribute to a loved one who has passed.

15. "Like a Rolling Stone," Highway 61 Revisited

Lyrics you'll love: "How does it feel, ah how does it feel?/To be on your own, with no direction home/Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone"

Another worldwide hit (this one from Dylan's 1965 album, Highway 61 Revisited), "Like a Rolling Stone" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been labeled the greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone. With such accolades, this hit should be essential to your big day playlist. Guests young and old will likely belt out the lyrics after a few cocktails at your reception.

16. "Girl from the North Country," The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Lyrics you'll love: "So if you're travelin' in the north country fair/Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline/Remember me to one who lives there/For she once was a true love of mine"

One listen to the euphonious folk song "Girl from the North Country," on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, and you'll be in your feelings. The song has resonated with audiences far and wide for decades, and Dylan even re-recorded it as a duet with Johnny Cash six years after its initial release in 1963. For couples who are Dylan enthusiasts, this classic could set the scene for an awe-inspiring first dance.

17. "I Want You," Blonde On Blonde

Lyrics you'll love: "I want you, I want you/I want you so bad/Honey, I want you"

From Dylan's seventh studio album, Blonde On Blonde, "I Want You" has a faster pace than most others on this list. The lustful single could be a great addition to the track list of several big day moments, such as your recessional, cocktail hour and reception.

18. "To Be Alone with You," Nashville Skyline

Lyrics you'll love: "I'll always thank the Lord/When my working day's through/I get my sweet reward/To be alone with you"

The third track on Dylan's Nashville Skyline album, "To Be Alone with You" is a merry country-rock love song. It may be a bit too quick for a first dance, but the lively number would nicely fit into your cocktail hour or reception playlist.

19. "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You," Nashville Skyline

Lyrics you'll love: "Throw my ticket out the window/Throw my suitcase out there, too/Throw my troubles out the door/I don't need them any more/'Cause tonight I'll be staying here with you"

Another country-rock love song from Nashville Skyline, this one a bit slower, "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" can be added to your list of potential first dance songs. Released in October 1969, the song would become Dylan's third single from the album, reaching number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100.

20. "If Not for You," New Morning

Lyrics you'll love: "If not for you, my sky would fall/Rain would gather, too/Without your love I'd be nowhere at all/I'd be lost, if not for you"

Our second and final mention from Dylan's New Morning album is "If Not for You." The song's upbeat tone and relatable lyrics to those in love make it great for your wedding day, whether it be your first dance, recessional, entrance, reception or sendoff.

21. "He's Funny That Way," Universal Love - Wedding Songs Reimagined

Lyrics you'll love: "I'm not much to look at/Nothing to see/Just glad I'm living/And lucky to be/I've got a man crazy for me/He's funny that way"

The final song in our roundup is both old and new. In 2018, Dylan joined several artists on the EP Universal Love - Wedding Songs Reimagined, which put a same-sex spin on six classic love songs. Dylan covered the 1929 song "She's Funny That Way," changing the pronouns from "she" to "he." The song is a wonderful, modern option for same-sex male couples with an appreciation for the oldies.