There’s one thing we hear from our brides and grooms consistently about wedding dance music. It’s that they thought they could easily make a playlist themselves, and a do-not-play in fifteen minutes or less. What they find is it’s a little bit harder than that! Making a playlist of dance music causes brides and grooms to second-guess themselves constantly. After all, you’re hoping to get everyone on the dance floor and keep them there for hours. Will they like the songs you like? Will they think it’s lame?
Besides relying on your DJ to give you some solid recommendations on music choices, there are a few tricks you can use to make sure that the dance music you pick for your reception is perfect. Here’s what we recommend!
Have Guests RSVP with Their Favorite Dance Song
You’ll probably get a lot of repeats this way but having guests RSVP their attendance with their favorite dance song is important for two reasons. One, it tells you what your guests want to listen to, and what will get them up and out of their chairs. Two, it makes your guests feel like they contributed something to your wedding! When the song they wrote down comes on, they’ll dart up from their chairs to groove to their favorite tune. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Keep an Eye on Your Demographics
Depending on the age mix at your wedding, you’ll inspire some true delight in your guests. If your wedding has a large group of millennials, sneak in a few dance tunes from back in the day. Casually sneaking in “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” by Aaron Carter in between some of today’s top hits will have a lot of inner tweens shrieking and rushing to the dance floor. If your wedding has a bit of an older crowd, try the same trick with popular tunes from back in the day. Songs that make your guests go “I haven’t heard this in FOREVER!” and flood them with happy memories is a great way to keep the vibe up and the dance floor full.
Don’t Turn Your Back on The Classics
Everyone loves to hate on Cotton-Eyed Joe, The Wobble and the Macarena. However, these dances have the unique ability to unite a lot of people on the dance floor. Timing these songs is everything, but just because you as the bride or groom may not like these choreographed dances doesn’t mean your guests won’t. “The Wobble” is one of the most requested songs at weddings to this day, even though it lives in infamy on many “Do Not Play” lists. If your guests seem like they might love to groove to one of these fun dance songs, give it a second chance. We draw the line at “YMCA” though.
Nix Any Offensive Hits
A lot of music that’s topping the charts these days is a little free with the cursing. While that may or may not be your personal music preference, it may shock and dismay a percent of your group. Discomfort with lyrics can clear your dance floor quickly, and it’s hard to get everyone back out. If you have some party tunes that are a tad risque, we recommend mixing them in the middle when everyone’s had a drink and let down their hair a bit.