Wedding Blog
The Dude and I have known a couple things regarding our wedding reception from the beginning: 1) we want everyone to dance like crazy and have a great time, and 2) we don’t want to play “typical” wedding dance music. You know, the kind of music that middle-aged white people dance to? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. The YMCA. Celebrate. The Hustle. Anything resembling ’80s hair metal. I know it gets people on the dance floor, but I Just. Can’t. Do it.
Instead, I’ve been trolling through our CD collection over the past few weeks, picking out some potential alternative dance song gems. My ultimate goal is a list of poppy, indie songs-with-a-beat, that are danceable enough so that people who have never heard them will want to get out there and boogie. Throw in a splash of Top 40 hip-hop (I like Kanye and T.I.), a classic Prince song or two, and some Electric Light Orchestra for the Dude, and we’ve got ourselves a party!
We can do our best to select cool music, but we can’t help it if people dance like this.
Here are some of the songs we might play at our wedding dance party.
The Dude loves Transformers, so this is kinda perfect.
Spoon’s from Austin–represent!
Everyone knows MIA for “Paper Planes”, but I thought I’d play this song from her first album.
I’ve loved They Might Be Giants since I was a little kid watching Tiny Toons!
A little fuzzy guitar to satisfy us music snobs.
So, you guys are with me, right? I don’t think these songs are too out there. And people will dance to anything if you get enough booze in them, yeah?
What are the top 3 dance songs you must have played at your wedding?
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I am totally with you! Music is pretty important to us, and we’ve been struggling with the same thing: we want to play music WE like, but that everyone will dance to! Keep us posted!
The girl in that video cracks me up. She’s getting DOWN! I know I dance crazy, but at least I’m aware and avoid video cameras when I’m doing it!!!
I miss Tiny Tunes!
Ho-lee-COW!!! LOL The girl in the first video is in a world all her own.
songs that MUST be played:
1. The Cupid Shuffle
2. Michael Jackson (pretty much anything)
3. And some kind of Sinatra or Michael Buble that can get people to do a little jig. 
I love you music choices! Especially the Raveonettes We’ll definitely play similar music!
My best advice is mix in what you think will get people on the floor and then throw these fun, very YOU songs. Mix in the Mo-Town, the fun dancing oldies and you’ll keep everyone on the floor!
that girl is so funny!! I’m right there with FlipFlopBride lol
I really want to spice things up with our music and because most of our guest are from the USA, I want to show them the music we (Chileans, but all South Americans actually) party with, it’s not going to be an all merenge, salsa and reggeton thing but there’s some classics we NEED at our party. I’m hoping they’ll dance to it though.
We had a lot of traditional dance tunes, and threw in a couple of nontraditional songs we liked and they cleared the dance floor. I was really surprised- I also thought drunk people would dance to anything! It wasn’t the case at our wedding- but we had around 70 guests, and we’re in our 30’s so a lot of our friends brought their kids to our wedding. Let’s just say the conga line song went over REALLY well with so many kiddos in attendance. Maybe a younger crowd would have been more inclined to appreciate new music, as long as it had a good beat. Or if you know your friends are into the less well-known music, then go for it- we come from the midwest, where a lot of our family and friends are into very traditional music (they didn’t even know MIA Paper Planes, for example).
My recommendation would be to completely stay true to your musical tastes and don’t play the YMCA, but as the poster above recommended, keep some of the tried and true well-known songs in there as well.
I love this post, precisely because I spent the hours of 2-3am this morning adding “YMCA” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” “We Are Family” and assorted “Macarenas” “Electric Slides” and “Chicken Dances” to our “Do Not Play” list.
Good luck with your playlist! I’m sure you’ll have the danceflooor crowded all night.
Unfortunately I agree with a couple of previous posters - songs that people don’t know tend to clear the dance floor at weddings, in my experience. Even with lots of drunk people. Of course, it always depends on your crowd. Let us know!!
We’ve hired a bluegrass band to play. But they play a lot of classic rock and (good) country as well. I never really wanted a DJ at my wedding and was super excited when I saw this band play at the local tavern a couple weeks ago.
I think they have the right energy to get everyone moving; from my city-girl sister to my cowboy “old timer” friends.
I think most people will dance to music they know. We included a lot more of our taste in music in our cocktail hour and dinner play lists (basically every part of the wedding before the dancing), and really selected songs that we knew our friends would dance to for the dance party part. A few times the DJ veered off and tried to slip in one of his own selections and the dance floor would empty out immediately! (And there was lots and lots of booze!).
It just depends on what you want. If you want your music to be 100% a reflection of you and the Dude’s taste all night, go for it. If it is going to be a downer for you to see the dance floor empty out during some of the indie songs, then you may need to go heavier on the crowd pleasers.
I agree with mrs. kitten. We had friends who tried to mainly do indie music and the dance floor was pretty much empty. I say mix it up a bit more.
I can understand wanting to play awesome music that you really like, but I’ve also been to weddings where if music played that no one knew, people scooted back to their seats. Additionally, make sure the music is really dancable! I think there’s a middle ground between indie music that you-feel-reflects-you-but-your-guests-may- not-know and “YMCA.”
Are you giving this playlist to a DJ? Or are you just going to hook up an iPod or a computer to the speakers?
My fiance and I are in the same boat as you - we don’t want those awful, overplayed songs at our reception. But, we want people to dance and have fun. I think we have good taste in music, but I suppose everyone likes different things.
I’m also in Austin and looking for DJ recommendations…if that’s what we decide to do. Help!
After working behind the scenes for a ton of weddings, I have to say some of the best are the cheesey songs that everyone, including Grandma and Grandpa, dance too. Corny, yes. Would be embarrassed if caught listening to these songs on any other day, yes. I too hate most 8’s music and “wedding music”, but at the end of the day I hope to remember everyone dancing and laughing over my favorite tunes.
We are having an afternoon wedding with minimal dancing. For this reason we can play music that suits our more indie tastes vs. typical wedding fare.
I have to agree with many of the folks who suggested having a mix of “traditional” and indie songs. Every wedding I’ve been to, people crowd the floor and go nuts for the old corny standbys - YMCA, Shout, and other oldies, while songs they don’t recognize or don’t feel familiar send them back to their seats or to the bar. I think I would rather suffer through a few songs that make me cringe in order to dance and have a good time with my guests all night.
I agree to an extent that we should mix in some more mainstream stuff. Some T.I., Beyonce, MJ, Prince, Abba. It’ll get played. But there are just some “crowd pleasers” that the Dude and I can’t bring ourselves to play. They just wouldn’t be us.
@TexicanMexican: We’re doing an Ipod reception, so I haven’t done any DJ research.
I think the the songs “people go nuts for” like YMCA and Shout have one thing in common - they are really easy to dance to! Maybe think of a genre - Afrobeat or bluegrass or soul or salsa or whatever that is really conducive to dancing and chose several artists that exemplifiy that genre. Indie songs can be really hard to dance to if you are not familiar with them. I’m planing to start out with more mellow songs during dinner and then segueing into the aforementioned danceable genres as the night progresses.
We’re doing an Indie heavy list… but super dance-able Indie like MGMT, Muscles, Mint Royale and Spoon. Mix that with some Ska (Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Save Ferris) some Ramones, Motown (Wilson Pickett, Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder), some Bluegrass and some Lady Gaga for my sister… and I think we’ve got the dance floor full all night!
I’m of the opinion that no one outside of Austin can adequately comment on whether or not something inside of Austin is “out there.” LOL!
We also shuttered at the thought of people only wanting to dance to the cheesetastic songs typically played at a wedding. But also like you, we decided we couldn’t do it, either. We’re both pretty into oldies, so we’re sticking to a 60’s/motown theme for our dance music. If you listen to all those motown dance songs, they really get you moving, and I’m pretty sure that music is universal.
Awesome job on your own playlist, too!
We’re doing a few traditional cheezy numbers, to get people out on the floor, and gradually over the last few months we’ve introduced our more main-stream friends to Lola Ray, Something Corporate, Zebrahead, etc. If nothing else, my man and I will be gettin’ down
Oh my goodness, the girl in that first video cracked me up! And where on earth was the brides groom!?
The whole time I was watching that first video, all I could think was “I bet that’s what Monica (from “Friends”) would dance like if she’d had a few drinks and cut loose.” I don’t know why - it’s not like I usually picture TV characters drunk & dancing at a wedding.
We DIYed our music and our entire setlist for cocktails, dinner and dancing was all from our personal music collection. People complimented us all night long on how “us” the entire reception felt based on that fact alone, which was great to hear. That being said, there was plenty of 80s Madonna, Billie Idol, John Mellencamp, CCR and G&R…things that we knew would get people dancing. There was no chicken dance, no Macarena, and no Kool and the Gang, but I can’t deny that we chose a number of our songs knowing that we wanted to be sure to get a good crowd of people dancing. Be honest with yourself about your music and you should be fine!
I hope your guests love M.I.A.! I so her in concert before she became famous and it was amazing! When she came out with Paper Planes and everybody was all gaga for her, I was like “finally”! haha
i will say that I had the same general idea and had very distinct play and do not play lists, and when it came down to it, people had fun when they heard their favorite songs. So we reliquinshed control of the playlist,a nd had a lot more fun with our guests in the process!
These songs will get people on the floor for real! Have no doubts that a playlist with ZERO mainstream hits will have people dancing until the very last song. Everything from MGMT to Iron Maiden was played during the dancing part of our reception and it was the best. Our favorite people all dancing together to our favorite songs. Our family and friends know us and our love of music, I think they knew to expect songs reflecting that.
If you’re dancing and having fun, everyone else will too. That and good beats are all it really takes.
Hey, you should play “Bangs” by TMBG - in honor of your own sweet ‘do!
Oh dear, I am worried I might have dancing abilities similar to the gal in the first video!
Great MIA song, I would dance to that anyday. Your mix sounds fun enough to get people onto the dance floor and having a great time. Its also unique enough that they will remember it.
@Miss Labrador: I love MIA so much! The Dude took me to see her when she performed at the University of Texas last year. It was ah-maz-ing! She climbed up on top of a giant speaker and did like a whole track up there! She is basically my #1 girl crush.
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Mrs. Mouse, Austin
Age and Occupation: 25, Attorney
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Civil Engineer
Engagement Date: December 19, 2007
Wedding Date: September 2009
Venue: Barr Mansion
About Me: I just graduated from law school and will be taking the bar, getting married, going on a honeymoon with my guy, and then trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. I was born and raised in a small East Texas town, but I'm no country girl! I'm obsessed with British accents, fantasy (including Harry Potter, of course), and classic rock. My fiance and I consider ourselves both music and beer snobs--but every once in awhile we love to hear a crappy band and drink a cheap brew or two. We're planning an eco-friendly, casual, English garden affair for the end of summer, and we can't wait for it to get here!
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