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Wedding Reception Music?

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CheffoJeffo:
Once upon a time, many many moons ago, when most of my cabinets were either on the street earning money or not made yet, I spent some time DJing 4 nights a week with a professional outfit where I learned some important stuff.

Weddings are the WORST -- there are a wide range of people to entertain, anybody remotely related to the wedding party feels that they are entitled to hear what they want and most people's musical selections suck (everybody wants to hear their own favourite or special song). My philosophy as a DJ was to build a groove (for lack of a better term) through the course of the event and play whatever added to the groove. If you listen to everybody who has something to say, then you will end up with a disjointed, poorly sequenced set (think CrapMAME) that results in empty dance floors.

In the past couple of years, I have programmed music for friends and family weddings with great results (e.g. the bride and groom and families were pleased and everybody danced). Programming in advance is tougher because you can't adjust on the fly, but easier because you don't have to accomodate everybody who wants to hear their song and hear it now.

It is absolutely true that the bride is the one you need to please. Even if her taste in music sucks. The groom is a distant second, but if you make him happy then you get the tip. Everybody else can suck rocks, although you may not be popular.

The first thing I do is get the list of "must haves", including desired scheduling. So, music for introductions, first dance, parents' dances, special dances, etc. Then I choose (with the bride/groom's help) the last few songs (gotta finish strong). This hits the important spots and lays out a timeline which just needs to be filled in. Take special note of planned "interruptions" like cake cutting, bouquet tossing, garter tossing, drunken stupidity, etc.

Once I have this rough time line, I go through the list of "music they like" and select stuff that "fits", is danceable and sequence it in a manner that "builds the groove". Remember that the groove needs to go up AND down, or else people will collapse from exhaustion or be upset about the lack of groping opportunities.

Then I fill in the gaps. Typically I try to do this with generic/popular dance music from a wide range of periods. People like to recognize the music more than they will appreciate the music. A song may be great, but if people recognize it, then they are more likely to dance/enjoy. This is an opportunity to exercise "good judgement over good taste". I almost never play stuff that comes from my personal music collection -- I like to think I have good taste, but people want to hear what they know.

Admittedly, a lot of this process comes from instinct/experience, but most of it is just listening, changing the sequence and listening again. I typically spend 10 hours to sequence an hour of music (if I were DJing live, then that number falls drastically as I can react and adjust as I go). I almost always have an extra set programmed to fit in just before the final few dances, but have never ended up needing it.

As a rule, unless requested, I do not throw in the gimmick songs like the chicken dance. Only once have I been asked for the Macarena. Check those with the B&G beforehand and, if no interest, forget 'em.

There is, somewhere, a box set of the top 100 stock wedding songs that may provide some tracks (can't remember the name right now).

One song that I think should be played is Michael Jackson's Don't Stop Til You Get Enough. I hate that bloody song and I hate Michael Jackson with a passion, but everybody dances to it. I have played it more as a DJ than any other song. It's one of those things that seperates good judgment from good taste.

I'll see if I can dig up the playlists from the last few weddings I did. I'm pretty sure I deleted them, but I'll have a look.

Oh ... almost forgot ... unless introducing somebody or explaining a special dance, the DJ should not talk on the microphone. 'Nuff said.

Cheers

grantspain:
my friend had "bring your daughter to the slaughter" by iron maiden played at his reception,that was funny >:D

patrickl:
I had a live band at my wedding. Cost a few bucks, but it really was a lot better than a DJ. In between they played a CD with songs we chose mixed by a DJ friend. The CD songs were danced to as well, but the live band really got the party going a lot better.

xar256:
A few songs that get played at pretty much every social (wedding and non) around these parts that always fill the dance floor:

Grease Mega mix (If you haven't heard it, it takes a piece from most of the dancable songs on the Grease soundtrack...Great fun!)
Mony Mony!
Home for a rest - Spirit of the West
Rasputin - Boney M
YMCA - Purely fun once everyone is liquered up.
Thunderstruck - ACDC
Bird dance

The only thing I outlawed at our wedding social was rap.  No rap was to be played at all.
Other than that, we let the DJ more or less do his thing.  We told him to play stuff from the 50's to present, and he mixed it up pretty well (we had people attending from most age groups over 18).  Granted, regardless of our taste in music, we wanted people up and filling the dance floor...Why rent the space if it's gonna sit empty all night.

I've been to a couple of socials where the hosts took the stance "play our music and ours only"...And more often than not, the floor was empty most of the night and many people leave early.  If I'm inviting people to my party I'd want them to have fun...But maybe that's just me.

Dexter:
Does the bride and groom have a particular song to slow dance to? If not, stick on Tony Bennett - The way you look tonight, perfect mood setter

I'm working as a DJ for 16 years now and have done tons of wedding gigs. Keep the old reliables till near the end e.g. YMCA, Boney M megamix, Abba megamix, the timewarp, rock the boat etc. Put a good mix for all ages together, the golden rule for a gig with a wide age spread is variety and popularity (i.e. stuff people know). If theres a list give to you, space out any diverse tracks thinly among well known ones. Play newer tracks near the start to keep the younger crowd happy, then go 60s-80s as it gets later and people get more oiled up.

Most important for people doing this for the first few times, don't get paronoid if nobodys dancing early, it's pretty standard unless you're on after a band. Stick to the formula above and it will all come together. Heres some recommendations (don't forget, I'm based in Ireland):

80s stuff

just can't get enough - Depeche mode
Freedom + Wake me up before you go go - Wham
Don't leave me this way - Communards
I think we're alone now - Tiffany
Heaven on earth - Belinda Carlisle
Blue monday - new order
brass in pocket - pretenders
red red wine - ub40
take on me - a-ha
I'm too sexy - Right said fred
summer of 69 - bryan adams
tainted love - soft cell
don't you want me - human league
Walking on sunshine - katrina and the waves
hey mickey - toni basil
Where the streets have no name - U2
Footloose - Kenny Logins
Walk like an egyptian - the bangles
Heart of glass - blondie

70's stuff

disco inferno - the trammps
i will survive - gloria gaynor
tragedy + stayin alive - the bee gees
get along without you now - viola wills
i love to love - tina charles
young hearts run free - candi staton
le freak - chic
we are family - sister sledge
waterloo + dancing queen - abba
abc + i want you back + blame it on the boogie - the jacksons
knock on wood - amii stewart
celebration - kool and the gang
rock the boat - hues corporation
love is in the air - john paul young
december 1963 (oh what a night) - frankie valli

Misc party tracks

500 miles - the proclaimers
should I stay or should I go - the clash
my boy lollipop - millie
teenage kicks - the undertones
the boys are back in town + whisky in the jar - Thin Lizzy
build me up buttercup - the foundations
i'm a believer - the monkees
brown eyed girl - van morrison
mambo no. 5 - louie bega
dance the night away - the mavericks
achy breaky heart - billy ray cyrus
shop shoop song - cher
simply the best - tina turner
Thats amore - Dean Martin
Just help yourself - Tom Jones

special occasion
Grease megamix
beatles megamix
motor city megamix
back to the 60's megamix
y.m.c.a.
timewarp (damien version)
macarena
saturday night - whigfield
New york, new york - Frank Sinatra

PM me if you need any more info. Have a good one!

Dexter


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