Wedding music suggestions!

[elka_sk8]

Getting married this fall and trying to put together a list of music for the dj. Was hoping to tap into the great FSU community for suggestions! What songs have you enjoyed at weddings? Can either be fast or slow, and we'll have a mix of ages so trying to include songs that would appeal to the young and old. I'm open to more "offbeat" suggestions but trying to avoid hokey stuff like the Electric Slide and the Hokey Pokey. and no Katy Perry.

Thanks!

[PDilemma]

Go through your iPod or wherever your music is and pick out songs that are energetic and fun and not too long. Let your fiance do the same. It should be music you both enjoy.

[DarrellH]

Chicken dance?

Shake your groove thing?

[Vagabond]

Carmen, Malaguena, Aranjuez, The Feeling Begins, Ave Maria, Turandot, Swan Lake, Bolero, Requiem for a Dream, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, Scheherazade, Firebird....

[milanessa]

Carmen, Malaguena, Aranjuez, The Feeling Begins, Ave Maria, Turandot, Swan Lake, Bolero, Requiem for a Dream, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, Scheherazade, Firebird....

I sense a theme there.

I'm music dumb, elka, so no suggestions but congratulations to you both and have a happy life.

[Jenny]

I would consider the age of your guests, and try and include music that is from the time they were in high school. At weddings I've been too, people respond to songs they know, and even those who no longer dance are comfortable with the songs they used to dance to.

This would include your own friends and perhaps cousins, but also consider your parents and aunts/uncles/family friends and go back to their time for a few songs as well.

And congrats

[Matryeshka]

I'm open to more "offbeat" suggestions but trying to avoid hokey stuff like the Electric Slide and the Hokey Pokey. and no Katy Perry.

Thanks!

Everyone always says NO ELECTRIC SLIDE!!!!! but if you want to break the ice and get people of all ages on the dance floor, hokey line dances are the way to do it. Everyone knows the steps. Even people who scream I would never!!! all of a sudden are there in droves, doing the dance. Cheese brings people together.

[Andora]

Everyone always says NO ELECTRIC SLIDE!!!!! but if you want to break the ice and get people of all ages on the dance floor, hokey line dances are the way to do it. Everyone knows the steps. Even people who scream I would never!!! all of a sudden are there in droves, doing the dance. Cheese brings people together.

And for those of us who don't know the Electric Slide, there's always the Macarena. That was on the "must play" list for our wedding.

[millyskate]

Well there are those to avoid: Pachelbel Canon is definitely not something you want to use.

For opening music, something like Bach's violin concerto in E major, or one of the Brandenburg concertos...

I've got quite a few ideas but not the exact references in my head, so I'll get back to you in a bit

ETA: duh, will teach me not to read the thread properly... I was thinking of ceremony music

[Twizzler]

Just attended a wedding recently- there was a wide range of ages in attendance. One song, believe it or not, that got EVERYONE up and acting silly was LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It".

"I Got A Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas was a huge hit and very appropriate for a wedding reception.

The older crowd enjoyed their staples: In the Mood, American Bandstand, Moondance.

If you don't want the actual Electric Slide, you could "update" with the Cha Cha Slide. Those dances are hokey, but the are party starters for sure and people who won't dance to other songs will usually get up for those. YMCA is also a party starter.

Congratulations!! Hope you have a great day!

[taf2002]

We attended a wedding last weekend. The 1st song the DJ played after the 1st couple dance & the father/daughter dance was Play That Funky Music White Boy. It got everyone up & moving.

[elka_sk8]

Well there are those to avoid: Pachelbel Canon is definitely not something you want to use.

For opening music, something like Bach's violin concerto in E major, or one of the Brandenburg concertos...

I've got quite a few ideas but not the exact references in my head, so I'll get back to you in a bit

ETA: duh, will teach me not to read the thread properly... I was thinking of ceremony music

Actually, we have yet to pick those too! so suggestions would be welcome, I love pachabel canon but everyone seems to be using that these days.

Thanks for the suggestions so far! I've just been getting "stuck" if you know what I mean- our current list has some old school staples like madonna and Michael Jackson (I'm an 80s child) but my personal music collection tends to be on the mellow non-dancing side (and my fiance is no help at all!). I'll hear something at a party or bar and think ohh that would be great to add but then of course I forget.

[elka_sk8]

Just attended a wedding recently- there was a wide range of ages in attendance. One song, believe it or not, that got EVERYONE up and acting silly was LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It".

Haha! That's awesome.

[PDilemma]

I love pachabel canon but everyone seems to be using that these days.

If you love it, use it. I don't know why people get so wound up about using something someone else has used.

As for dance music, consider who will really dance.

My extended family on my mother's side would not dance at a wedding or party even if offered a cash reward on the spot. In fact, no one ever had a wedding dance in that family before me and no one has since. My cousins got a dj for my aunt and uncle's anniversary party since there was a dance floor in the venue. No one danced.

My husband's extended family, on the other hand, has a thing for polka music (they are Polish). And will dance to anything.

Point being--people who enjoy dancing will dance and people who are not into that won't, no matter what you play. So don't sweat too much over it. We made a list for the DJ of music we both like and some no-nos and he worked from there. Remember that DJs are experienced at working the crowd for you, too. We danced the whole night and our close friends did, too. Other people, who preferred not to, had drinks and seats and everyone seemed happy.

[LilJen]

That one, "to the left, to the left, to the left, to the left, to the right" etc is always a good one to get people up and dancing. ANYONE can do it. And no, I have no idea what it's called. The hip 20somethings will know, but I am not one of those!

[manhn]

I heard that song in the last wedding I attended. The first time I ever heard it. I didn't get it at all.

What about Glee songs? The kids will know it because it's Glee and they cover songs from a broad demographic.

[Habs]

Well there are those to avoid: Pachelbel Canon is definitely not something you want to use.

I don't understand this. It's a beautiful piece of music.

If you love it, use it. I don't know why people get so wound up about using something someone else has used.

Exactly. I agree. Mr. Habs and I used Pachelbel's Canon at our wedding because we love it. The pianist we hired to play at our ceremony did an amazing job with it.
Just because other people have used it doesn't mean you should avoid it.

[IceAlisa]

That one, "to the left, to the left, to the left, to the left, to the right" etc is always a good one to get people up and dancing. ANYONE can do it. And no, I have no idea what it's called. The hip 20somethings will know, but I am not one of those!

The last two bar-mitzvahs I've attended had this song. Everyone did it--it's the Macarena of the 21st century.

[PrincessLeppard]

That one, "to the left, to the left, to the left, to the left, to the right" etc is always a good one to get people up and dancing. ANYONE can do it. And no, I have no idea what it's called. The hip 20somethings will know, but I am not one of those!

That's the Cha Cha Slide.

The teachers have to do it at every pep rally.

[millyskate]

I don't understand this. It's a beautiful piece of music.



Exactly. I agree. Mr. Habs and I used Pachelbel's Canon at our wedding because we love it. The pianist we hired to play at our ceremony did an amazing job with it.
Just because other people have used it doesn't mean you should avoid it.

In the music world, it's rated about as highly as Plushenko's choreography is in the skating world.

Having said that - I must admit I love many of Plushenko's programs and find them way more entertaining/watchable than many of the "skater's skater" programs. So I'm nobody to claim that Pachelbel's canon should not be used, point taken.