what kind of music can couples play at their wedding ??
you can select ANY style of music you like and I always tell my couples to select the music THEY want to hear !! HOWEVER !!! in my experience there is a certain vibe people expect when they attend a wedding. the parents and grandparents usually have a more traditional idea of what music they want to hear at a wedding. the time leading up to the ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner are all great times to play more laid back music to fulfill that vision for them!
for example, leading up to the ceremony, classical covers of modern hits (think Bridgerton), jazz, or low-key happy love songs are the most popular choices. I have also done a few country weddings where I played 90s country music during this time!
during cocktail hour the same music choices as above are great! some couples like to have a more upbeat feel during this part of their wedding so we’ll go with low-key happy love songs if we were playing classical covers prior to the ceremony.
the same music choices as above are solid options for dinner time!
when it comes to the reception I like to play “family friendly” songs at first to draw in the kids, parents, and grandparents. I also will play a few slow songs during this time to get all of the happy couples out on the floor ! I HIGHLY recommend playing wedding day classics (I wanna dance with somebody, dancing queen, love never felt so good, etc) because it is what people expect AND it prevents the older crowd from leaving the reception thinking, “I didn’t hear any songs I knew or liked” BECAUSE while it 100% is your wedding day, you should think about what your guests want juuuust a little bit !! I have two stories about NOT playing any songs for the older crowd and how it made the wedding day awkward - more on that later !!
after “family friendly” time is over it is onto “super party time !!”. I will usually make an announcement a few songs in advance that we are about to switch things up music wise so anyone who wants to leave early knows they have a limited time to enjoy the dance floor before the volume gets turned UP and party people start dropping it LOW ! “super party time” is where the couple’s preferred songs really come into play ! whether the couple is into emo, rap, or 2000 throwbacks I have you covered ! I have no problem playing music with swear words in it - some DJ companies DO NOT play music with profanity in them so make sure to ask about this if it is a deal breaker for you.
I always ask the couple what song to END the night with so I ensure we are ending with a song they know and love !!! if I have time (and if the couple is okay with it) I will play the song “closing time” so guests know the wedding reception has come to and end and while they don’t have to go home - they can’t stay here !