Per this articleapparently the singer of that song Robert Plant now refers to their iconic song "Stairway To Heaven"as “that wedding song”. Is this really played at weddings? And why? It really doesn’t seem in step with a wedding celebration.
Thematically, I can’t think of a less appropriate wedding song, so I’m thinking it would be more of a nostalgic “this is the song that played when we met and/or had our best times” kind of thing. It has meaning for the couple emotionally, regardless of the lyrics . song meaning. What an awkward dance that would be.
I’m guessing that this is for weddings where they didn’t hire a band.
I hear they played it at Jason Bonham’s wedding. 
“Every Breath You Take”
Also “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”, but that’s more of a graduation song.
Huh. So Plant and Sinatra are right, and Springsteen is wrong.
He’s right about Gun Crazy, though. Great picture.
Having played in a wedding band around 1979-1981, yes, yes it was popular. Inexplicably, as far as I’m concerned.
I’ve been to over 300 weddings and I do not remember ever hearing it played at a wedding. If it was popular at one time, it isn’t anymore, or at least not in this region, not with my clients (the bulk of whom do end up with a fairly standard wedding playlist. Stairway is not one of those songs. I mean, first of all, who the hell dances to it? At every wedding I’ve been to, the music is there to facilitate dancing.)
From the context, I’d say it was a joke–Plant’s way of saying it’s as cheesy as the Chicken Dance. I have heard two things about the song:
–Was it really a popular dance at proms in the 80s/90s? Never heard it my way, but then again my hometown was heavily Hispanic.
–I’ve also hear it was only modestly popular when it came out, and that it took two years to catch on (even on top 40 stations). Does that jibe with people’s memories?
Are there any LZ songs that you would play at a wedding reception, unless the couple were total classic rock dorks and would play Zep only for that reason?
I’m pretty sure I’ve heard “Thank You” at a wedding before. If we venture outside of Zep, Robert Plant and the Honeydripper’s cover of “Sea of Love” I hear fairly commonly but, no, that’s not Zep.
I think Bron-Y-Aur Stomp would be a good one for a wedding, but I’m no DJ.
That would be my take-away, too. Maybe not necessarily cheesy, but trite and commonplace through overexposure and, thus, like a typical song played at a wedding reception.
Freebird!!!
Stairway was always the last slow dance at the high school dances when I was a kid. I think the main appeal was that it was long so you got to spend a lot of time pressed up against your dance partner.
I’ve never heard it at a wedding.
Stairway?
I can see maybe Four Sticks or The Crunge, possibly.
I’d at least like to see the dancing to Stairway’s heavier rock part (last third of song)
It’s got an inconsistent beat, and you can’t dance to it.
I’d give it a 35, Dick.
Three songs–“Freebird”, “Stairway to Heaven” and “Inna-Gadda-Davita” tend to get played when the DJ needs to smoke and/or go to the bathroom…
Surprised no one has mentioned The Lemon Song. And to continue the fruit analogy, Tangerine could fit in.
Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You is roight out.