MUSIC PLANNING Guide CEREMONY ☐ Prelude ☐ Ceremony ☐ Recessional RECEPTION ☐ Cocktail Hour & Dinner ☐ Grand Entrance ☐ First Dance ☐ Formal Dances ☐ Cake Cutting, Bouquet & Garter ☐ Grand Finale Dance SPECIAL DANCES ☐ Anniversary Dance ☐ Dollar / Money Dance ☐ Dances with Other Family Members
Your Ceremony Yes, your DJ can help with that.
PRELUDE MUSIC Prelude music is the music that is played while your guests start arriving. It should match the atmosphere where the wedding is taking place. The music can have lyrics, it could be the original recording or a unique cover, it can be instrumental covers or it could be a combination of everything. It’s your day, don’t be bound to tradition, do what you want. OUTDOOR CEREMONY ARTIST SUGGESTIONS The Piano Guys United Guitar Players Jason Mraz Colbie Caillat The Vitamin String Quartet BEACH CEREMONY ARTIST SUGGESTIONS Israel Kamakawiwo’ole The Ukulele Boys Kenny Chesney Bob Marley Jack Johnson MORE FORMAL ARTISTS AND SONG SUGGESTIONS Johann Sebastian Bach Sarabande, BWV 1007 Philip Glass Felix Mendelssohn Clair de Lune As you can see, the options are endless and there really isn’t a wrong answer. Don’t feel like you have to select all the music for this part. Just give your DJ an idea of what you want and they should be able to achieve the vibe you desire.
CEREMONY MUSIC Ceremony music includes your processional and recessional songs as well as any music that you might want played during the ceremony itself. Processional songs are songs played while the family and bridal party make their way down the aisle. Depending on how long your aisle is and where people are entering from will determine if you should have one song for everyone or a song for each group. Your DJ should be able to help determine what’s best. PROCESSIONAL SONG SUGGESTIONS A Thousand Years – The Piano Guys Canon in D – Pachelbel (and countless others) Wonderful Tonight – The Vitamin String Quartet Perfect (wedding version) – Paul Hankinson Hallelujah (instrumental) – Paula Kiete & Chris Snelling Bridal March – Don’t think that you have to pick Here Comes the Bride by Felix Mendelssohn. If you want to, do it! If you don’t, pick something else. If you’re on the fence, browse Spotify, they have numerous versions (from harps to steel drums and hardcore metal) pick the one you like.
RECESSIONAL SONG The Recessional song should be upbeat, fun and something you’ll always remember. I like to remind my couples, when you hear this song 10 or 15 years down the road, I want you to be instantly taken back to that place, that feeling and I want you to smile. RECESSIONAL SONG SUGGESTIONS Bruno Mars – Marry You Natalie Cole – Everlasting Love James Brown – I Feel Good American Authors – Best Day of My Life Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart
YOUR RECEPTION Let’s have some fun!
COCKTAIL HOUR & DINNER DON’T LET THIS BE AN AFTERTHOUGHT You won’t have to spend much time thinking about the cocktail hour music because, after all, you probably won’t even be in the same room or area with everyone. You’re more than likely off somewhere taking pictures or relaxing. However, think about the vibe you want and relay that to your DJ. Do you want a fun, relaxed vibe or more formal and elegant. Maybe you don’t even care and that’s ok too. A good professional, experienced DJ will know what to play to keep people engaged. I do offer a few suggestions. If you want your guests ready to party as soon as you enter, maybe avoid classical music or only instrumentals. These genres tend to put people in a very relaxed frame of mind and they will probably be expecting a more formal affair. If you were thinking about this style, I would suggest mixing it with some crooner style music like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra & Michael Buble to name a few. Also, if you are planning a Great Gatsby themed cocktail hour, I would suggestion mixing in songs from the group Postmodern Jukebox. It’s a fun modern twist on a classic jazzy sound. Most cocktail hours tend to be upbeat and fun. I like playing a mix of 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today’s top 40 that most people enjoy but can’t really dance too. Dinner music is much the same but a little slower and a little softer at first (it will build as people start finishing up) Just like with your prelude music, don’t stress over selecting every song, just tell your DJ the vibe you want and let them work their magic.
YOUR GRAND ENTRANCE LETS GET YOUR PARTY STARTED ON THE RIGHT FOOT When your DJ introduces your bridal party you want to select a song that not only fits your musical tastes but also gets people in the right frame of mind for the event you want. Remember, pick a song that you love and will most likely hear at different times throughout your life. Don’t feel like you have to pick the latest song on the radio either, spend some time and really think about what you want to say with your song selection. GRAND ENTRANCE SONG SUGGESTIONS T.I. – Bring’em Out AC/DC - Thunderstruck Imagine Dragon – On Top of the World Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling MKTO – Classic Stevie Wonder & Ariana Grande – Faith A quick word on themed grand entrances – If your college football team had a song they entered to like Enter Sandman by Metallica for Virginia Tech, make sure your DJ is familiar with it. Send them YouTube clips highlighting the entrance so they know how to properly get the guests energized and ready for it.
YOUR FIRST DANCE DO WHAT YOU WANT, DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT Your First Dance can be slow, it can be fast, it can be fun or it can be sweet. Pick a song that you love, that makes you feel Something inside, that screams to the world, “yes, this is their song!” FIRST DANCE SONG SUGGESTIONS Dan & Shay – Speechless Russell Dickerson – Yours Brad Paisley – Then (piano mix) Al Green – Let’s Stay Together Etta James – At Last
YOUR FORMAL DANCES SHARE THE MOMENT WITH SOMEONE SPECIAL Typical Formal Dances include the father daughter dance, the mother son dance and, on occasion, a dance with a step parent, grandparent, brother/sister or an a very special aunt/uncle. Include all the dances that you want or if you don’t want to dance, don’t include any at all, it’s up to you. FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE SUGGESTIONS Heartland – I Loved Her First Bob Carlisle – Butterfly Kisses Fleetwood Mac – Landslide Tim McGraw – My Little Girl Paul Simon – Father and Daughter STEP FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE SUGGESTIONS Brad Paisley – Didn’t Have To Be Christina Aguilera – I Turn to You The Pretenders – I’ll Stand By You Charlie Puth – One Call Away James Taylor – You’ve Got a Friend MOTHER SON DANCE SUGGESTIONS Rascal Flatts – My Wish Lynyrd Skynyrd (or Shinedown) – Simple Man Boyz II Men – A Song For Mama Tim McGraw – Humble and Kind Reba McEntire – You’re Gonna Be STEP MOTHER SON DANCE SUGGESTIONS Lee Ann Womack – I Hope You Dance Celine Dion – Because You Loved Me Jim Brickman – Never Alone Josh Groban – You Raise Me Up The Beatles – In My Life Your DJ should be able to help with other formal dance song suggestions depending on your situation. Also, please remember, you don’t (and probably won’t) dance for the entire song. Most formal dance songs are faded around two and half minutes.
OPTIONAL EVENTS CUT THE CAKE, GRAB THE GARTER & TOSS THE BOUQUET These events aren’t required but if you do them, you’re going to need music! Because of their fun nature, you’re going to want to pick songs that reflect that. CAKE CUTTING SONG SUGGESTIONS James Taylor – How Sweet It Is DNCE – Cake by the Ocean Average White Band – Cut the Cake The Archies – Sugar, Sugar Maroon 5 – Sugar The Bouquet and Garter can be tricky sometimes but it doesn’t have to be. Some people feel that removing the garter is crass. Some people worry that throwing the bouquet calls out your single guests and makes them feel uncomfortable. All of these concerns are understandable but we can adjust things to remove the awkwardness and uncomfortableness of both. Your DJ will have ideas if you are on the fence about doing the bouquet and garter. BOUQUET TOSS SONG SUGGESTIONS Beyoncé – Run The World Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl Kelis – Milkshake Beastie Boys – Girls No Doubt – I’m Just a Girl GARTER TOSS SONG SUGGESTIONS Ginuwine – Pony Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone Nelly – Hot in Herre Warrant – Cherry Pie MC Hammer – You Can’t Touch This
GRAND FINALE SONG LETS END THE NIGHT ON A HIGH NOTE The Grand Finale song is the song we play when at the very end of the night (before the grand exit). We invite the newlyweds to the center of the dance floor and invite every single person to the dance floor to circle up around our couple. We encourage them to sign along to the song, dance and raise their glasses, we want total audience participation with this one so pick a song everyone knows and loves. GRAND FINALE SONG SUGGESTIONS Journey – Don’t Stop Believing Frank Sinatra – New York New York Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline Garth Brooks – Friends in Low Places
SPECIAL DANCES ADD A SPECIAL TOUCH TO YOUR SPECIAL DAY You want your day to be perfect in every way. You also want your day to be uniquely “you.” By adding special touches and showing appreciation to loved ones and your guests, you will create a lasting memory that will be cherished, not just by you, but by all of those involved. The Anniversary Dance is where you invite all your married guests to join you and your partner on the dance floor for a nice slow dance. You can leave it a simple dedication dance or you can ask your DJ to slowly whittle down the number of participants remaining on the floor by increasing the number of years marriage required to keep dancing. For example, 45 seconds into the song your DJ would say something like “if you’ve been married less than 5 years, please step off the dance floor.” Your DJ would continue to do that until only a few couples remain on the floor. ANNIVERSARY DANCE SONG SUGGESTIONS Alan Jackson – Remember When Kenny Rogers – Through the Years Chicago – You’re My Inspiration Shaina Twain – You’re Still the One Al Green – Let’s Stay Together The Dollar / Money Dance is largely a regional and cultural thing. Different regions of the country have different genres for the Dollar Dance and different cultures have unique ways have approaching the activity. Your DJ will be able to advise you on song suggestions after chatting with you and finding out some details. Including a Special Dance with someone that means a lot to you is encouraged. Many of our clients were raised by a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister and want to include them in their day. We advise our clients to let us know who they would like to honor and we can help create a game plan for them. Sometimes that means including them with the formal dances like a father daughter or mother son dance. Other times it’s a special dedication during the evening where the spotlight doesn’t need to be on just the two of you. However you think you would like to do this, your DJ will be able to advise you with song suggestions depending on your relationship with that special person.
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