Many of my guests and former clients will tell you, one of my biggest fears at my wedding is not that it will rain, not that the food will be bad, but that people won’t dance! Yep, I think it is so sad to see an empty dance floor and people not having a huge party to celebrate at the reception! Of course there are a few factors that play into this, not enough or limited alcohol, an older crowd of guests or a not so great DJ…
I am 66 days out from my wedding, so it is time to really get those details nailed down and stay down! One of those things is curating the perfect playlists for every piece of the wedding. Here are a few tips to ensure a good party playlist.
Make sure there is music whenever there can or should be music. Don’t forget songs for some key moments, walking up and down the aisle, bridal party intro songs, and first dance songs obviously.
Create your own cocktail hour playlist! Some people leave this time for soft jazz or quiet background music, which is very classic! If you are looking to set a different tone for your wedding though, take this time to pull together some of your favorite songs that get people excited for the rest of the night. Jacob and I pulled together an hour and 20 minutes worth of upbeat country love songs for our cocktail hour playlist including:
Loving you is fun by Eastin Corbin
Drunk on your love by Brett Elderedge
This by Darius Rucker
Somebody like you by Keith Urban
And many more!
Take the time to edit the reception playlist. Most people think creating a reception playlist is too long and too many songs to worry about everyone that is being played. In reality most receptions are about 3 hours long, not including dinner.
Creating 3 hours’ worth of music is really not that hard, I have road trip playlist that are longer! If you are wondering where to start with your playlist reach out to your DJ, most Dj’s can provide you with the “top 200 wedding songs” list or something to that effect. From there send some time with your fiancée and go through it! Jacob and I had so much fun doing this, we would listen to little snippets of songs we were on the fence about and tried to think about other weddings and what was playing when the dance floor was empty. Some of the songs we cut include:
Cha-Cha Slide by DJ Casper
Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
YMCA by The Village People
We Are Family by Sister Sledge
And a few others
There are a few moments that don’t always have songs, like walking back down the aisle, cutting the cake, or exit songs these moments can be made even more special by adding a small melody behind them. There also is the opportunity to add music if you are doing a game or special event during the wedding or reception. Think about romantic or dramatic movies, the powerful or sappy music that plays behind those quiet moments helps you know how to feel. I was in a wedding last year where the doors to the ceremony burst open for the bride when the beat dropped in “A thousands years” by Christina Perry and it brought a tear to so many people in that church.
So cheers to you, you beautiful bride! May your wedding day be filled with happy tears and bad dance moves!
-ML
The Dirty Blonde Stylist 