Music for a Wedding Reception
 

As many of you know, I'm getting married this weekend. We're forgoing a DJ in favor of an iPod hooked up to a PA system. This being the case, that means I have to put together a playlist.

We're not having an over-the-top first dance, as my SO can't dance, but I am putting together two playlists.

Playlist 1 should have a balance of quieter, slow dance music, and music that even the grandparents/conservative aunt in the crowd will like (read: keep the lyrics clean). This should be music that we can play while people are talking that they could still talk over.

Playlist 2 should have music for more active dancing. While my SO might not really dance, I love to. This is the playlist that Lady Gaga is going on (by request), just to give you an idea of what it should be like. This is the partay music.

Any and all suggestions are welcome :)

Are you gonna do the staple party dances? (YMCA, Chicken dance, How low can you go, etc?) Those are ones that don't require skill but seem to get crowds out of their seats.

Probably not :) They're just too cheesy.

please, god, not the chicken dance. nor the hokey pokey. such things...well, you know the play oedipus, right?

i'll poke around when i return to the manse.

Hah, when I saw monkie's question, I thought: roachboy said no chicken dance, and I think that's the tack to take. :) Personally, those are things I do at work to amuse small children, and I think they are best left at work.

Be sure your Playlist 2 contains bursts of "classic dance music." I'm talking about dance tunes from the '50s and '60s. Do bursts of 2 or 3 songs at a time in between your more contemporary stuff.

Use this for ideas:
100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Songs of the '50s
100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Songs of the '60s

A lot of that stuff is perennial and can get even the most reluctant to surge out onto the dance floor. Think of the high energy, get-down-on-the-dance-floor kind of stuff rather than the sentimental or hippie stuff.

Every wedding reception deserves a turn of "Johnny B. Goode."

I'm kinda pleased to be able to say my music library has most of those songs :)

I will say only one thing and then leave it at that.. There is NOTHING like having a wedding of 200 people.

And EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. is up doing the chicken dance. Even my 85 yr old gramma was hanging on to her walker and waggling. It was the best memory I have of that wedding :)

Totally mandatory goofy wedding song:

the soundtrack to the big lebowski is a good thing to have for segment 1.

The Big Lebowski (1998) - Soundtracks

i like using duke ellington tunes in this sort of context. you can't go wrong with flamingo, for example. herb jeffries adds an element of elegant cheese to any situation. plus the arrangement is great:

The Blanton-Webster Band by Duke Ellington - Rhapsody Music

and for part 2, while at work, i recommend my current (still) nominee for summer jam:

Hasn't "The Chicken Dance" been replaced by "The Macarena"?

Personally I'd say screw the standards and just load up your playlist full of music you and your SO like...with thought to those at the reception of course. I've been to a lot of friends weddings over the last few years and most have gone this route, I mean unless you're playing black metal or something most people seem to be okay with it and actually appreciate hearing something a little different at weddings.

Now that I think about it the handful of weddings I've played over the last 4-5 years have been that way too, lots of odd and very unusual wedding songs.

Just make it fun and enjoyable and most should have a good time but more importantly you and your SO will.

Best of luck and I hope you have an AMAZING day!

yeah, i'd second that. last thing you need is something else to scurry around after.
would you prefer suggestions in forms that you can simply download rather than in forms at a remove (like a list)?

forgot how fast this was coming up on you.

Every playlist needs some Def Leppard :D


I'd also throw in some Janet Jackson, Cascada, Madonna, Michael Jackson (Thriller era), Pet Shop Boys, Run-DMC, Shakira, AC/DC, Joan Jett, and lots of Motown. But...that might just be me.

Yeah, one of the things that complicates this a bit is that except for classic rock, there is little modern music my SO and I both appreciate, so I am mining my classic rock collection for stuff. I should also mention I have collections titled 100 Hits of the 50s and 60s and 1000 Hits of the 1980s :)

Cinn: I threw some Madonna and Michael Jackson on there. I think that's about all my SO will tolerate--Janet would be pushing it. But I should throw some AC/DC on there too.

Here is what my party playlist looks like so far (click the link to see the jpeg). I mostly just threw stuff on there as I saw it in my collection, so I need to go back through and put it in some kind of order. There may also be more to add/remove.

http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/a...ddingMusic.jpg

Seems like your list is pretty solid, you have some variety and the songs seem generic enough that most should enjoy them. I would think 3.5 hours should be long enough too. If you like all the music on there I wouldn't touch a thing, really.

When I put a set list in order I try to mix it up enough so that I'm not pounding the audience over the head with one type of sound for too long. Keep the softer, low key songs up front to play when people are arriving and finding their seats (you might even add a few instrumentals for this...I've got run but if you want some I could dig up some good pieces when I get in later tonight) after that start off with a some up tempo fun songs, bring it back down with something softer, add a ballad, lift it back up with some energy...so on and so fourth.

I have a separate playlist for quieter stuff. I may move some songs from it onto the party playlist for some more variety.

http://i873.photobucket.com/albums/a...ddingMusic.jpg

I'm sorry... is there NO Barry White or Al Green on your playlist?! Wow.

Every old-er couple I've ever met gets all dance-y to "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love (Baby)".
And no Crowded House. You have Lady Gaga and no Barry White. What's WRONG with you people?! :lol:

I love Crowded House and Neil Finn. That's what's wrong with me :)

Ack, second playlist, my bad. It wouldn load the first time. My bad!

:lol:

Yeah, if you notice I have three iterations of Neil Finn on the Quiet playlist: Split Enz, Crowded House, and Neil Finn.

And I'm downloading some Barry White, just to make you happy, noodle.

Woo hoo! And you will all yell "Nooooo-delllllll!!" when it comes on at the reception, too, won't you? I just know it. :lol:

I'm doing something similar for my upcoming birthday. I've created a playlist on youtube and I'm going to play it through the PC connected to the TV.

I sorted this alphabetically. It is a mix of newer stuff and a lot of 70s and 80s stuff. There is some stuff to dance to, though that wasn't really high on my list of reasons for putting the list together.

Anyway, here it is:

3 doors down - Kryptonite _ Superman .mp4
A-Ha - Take On Me .mp4
ABBA - Money Money Money .mp4
ABBA-Mamma Mia.mp4
Abc - The Look Of Love.mp4
ABC-Poison arrow.mp4
Aerosmith - What It Takes.mp4
Amii Stewart - Knock On Wood.mp4
Atomic Swing _ Stone Me Into The Groove (1992).mp4
Australian Crawl - Errol (1981).mp4
Baby Animals - Ain't Gonna Get.mp4
Bangles Manic Monday.mp4
blink-182 - Josie.mp4
blink-182 - What's My Age Again..mp4
Blur - Song 2.mp4
Bomfunk mc's - Freestyler.mp4
Bow River - Cold Chisel (1982).mp4
Boys Don't Cry - I Wanna Be A Cowboy.mp4
Dan Hartman - I Can Dream About You.mp4
Dear Enemy - Computer One.mp4
Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me.mp4
Devo - Whip It .mp4
dexys midnight runners - come on eileen.mp4
Dire Straits_Money For Nothing.mp4
Don Henley - The Boys Of Summer.mp4
Falling - The Cat Empire.mp4
Ferrets - Don't Fall In Love (1977).mp4
Foo Fighters - This Is A Call.mp4
GANGgajang - Sounds Of Then (This Is Australia).mp4
Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive.mp4
Hole - Celebrity Skin.mp4
Hoodoo Gurus - My Girl (1983).mp4
Hot Chocolate (I Believe in Miracles).mp4
Hot Chocolate - Every 1's a winner 1978.mp4
Hot Chocolate - It Started With A Kiss.mp4
HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS - The Power Of Love.mp4
Hunters & Collectors - Say Goodbye.mp4
INXS - - Johnsons Aeroplane - 1985.mp4
Inxs - Never Tears Us Apart.mp4
Iron Maiden - Running Free.mp4
J. Geils Band- Centerfold.mp4
Jessie's Girl-Rick Springfield.mp4
Joan Armatrading-Drop The Pilot.mp4
Kate Bush Wuthering Heights..mp4
Kate Nash - Do Wah Doo Official Video.mp4
Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crue.mp4
Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes.mp4
Kim Wilde Chequered Love.mp4
Live - I Alone.mp4
M - Pop Muzik 1979.mp4
Machine Gun Fellatio - 'Girl of my Dreams' - music video.mp4
Mad World - Tears for Fears.mp4
Madness 'It Must Be Love'.mp4
Men Without Hats - Safety Dance .mp4
Midnight Oil - Forgotten Years.mp4
Missy Higgins Scar.mp4
New Order Blue Monday.mp4
Nick Barker - Time Bomb - 1994.mp4
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit.mp4
Noiseworks - Hot Chilli Woman VIDEOCLIP.mp4
Our House - Madness.mp4
Paul Kelly And The Coloured Girls - Dumb Things.mp4
Paul Norton - Stuck On You.mp4
Pop Will Eat Itself - Can U Dig It..mp4
Portishead - glory box.mp4
Queensryche - Empire.mp4
Rawhide - Blues Brothers.mp4
Real Life - Catch Me I'm Falling (1983).mp4
Real Life - Send Me An Angel (1983).mp4
Rock It - Little Red.mp4
RUN-DMC - Walk This Way.mp4
Sade - Smooth operator.mp4
Shakespears Sister - You're History.mp4
Skyhooks - Horror Movie (1975).mp4
Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm .mp4
Sniff 'n the tears - Driver's seat - 1978.mp4
Spandau Ballet - Gold.mp4
Spandau Ballet - Highly Strung.mp4
Spandau Ballet - Only When You Leave.mp4
Spiderbait - Buy Me A Pony.mp4
Spiller - Groovejet (If This Ain't Love).mp4
SPY V. SPY - DON'T TEAR IT DOWN.mp4
Spy Vs Spy - Injustice.mp4
Stone Temple Pilots - Plush .mp4
Sweet Child O' Mine Music Video.mp4
Tainted Love- Soft Cell.mp4
The Bangles Walk Like An Egyptian.mp4
The Cranberries - Linger.mp4
The Cult - FireWoman.mp4
The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary.mp4
The Cult - Wild Flower.mp4
The Cult-Edie (Ciao Baby).mp4
The Dandy Warhols - We Used To Be Friends.mp4
The Dandy Warhols-Bohemian Like You.mp4
The Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed.mp4
The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles).mp4
The Swingers - Counting The Beat (1981).mp4
The Vapors - Turning Japanese.mp4
The Waifs Lighthouse.mp4
The Waifs London Still.mp4
The Whitlams - I Make Hamburgers.mp4
The Whitlams - You Sound Like Louis Burdett.mp4
transvision vamp - tell that girl to shut up..mp4
Uncanny X-Men - Everybody Wants To Work.mp4
uncanny xmen - Still Waiting.mp4
Urge Overkill - Sister Havana.mp4
Van Halen - Why Can`t This Be Love .mp4
Ventura Highway - America.mp4
Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag.mp4
Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart.mp4

I wouldn't be so strict about cheesy songs. If Auntie Martha wants to dance the Boot Scootin' Boogie, should you really deny her? You can take that opportunity to rest, grab a drink and enjoy the show.

We were strict about our playlist going in but thankfully the DJ had the cheesy usuals on hand. It was quite a site to see our college friends doing a conga line with the aunts and uncles to Feelin`Hot, Hot Hot.

There was something for everybody and everybody had a good time. It`s a party after all and too much control is the wrong spirit.

Part of it seems to be that I've yet to attend a wedding here in the PacNW where those kinds of dances were a prominent feature of the wedding. I've never done the chicken dance or hokey pokey at any of my cousins' weddings growing up, or any of the weddings I've attended as an adult, so I think it would be kind of weird to do those sorts of things. They seem to be the kind of thing that stays in the roller skating rink here :)

I double-checked with my SO to ask him if he'd ever done the chicken dance at a wedding out here, and he said no, so I think it must be a regional thing.

hey.

thought i'd respond to this as i just saw it.

if you go to:

theRADIO.com

click channels, and then click on bride channel, you will find a lot of insparation there.

sweet release: I got married almost a month ago now :) but I hope your link might help others looking for reception music.

well congrats on the wedding

sorry for the late response, i've been consontrating on there's hope. it's another forum i'm on. aim to be around more though.