When it comes to planning your wedding, it can seem like the To-Do list never seems to end. Whether it is choosing the cake, selecting the wedding colors, reserving a wedding venue, or crafting your wedding registry, there are dozens of tasks to be completed. And, no matter how excited you are about the big day and all it will entail, it can also be a bit overwhelming.
Sure, working with an event planner like those we have here at Gala Facility will help, but there will be several tasks that only you and your soon to be spouse can do. One such task is choosing your wedding playlist.
Creating your wedding playlist can be a great deal of fun, but it can also be a challenge to select those songs perfect for your event. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily have to match your wedding music to the theme, but it can still be as overwhelming as it is fun. After all, there are thousands of songs to choose from and you want the songs chosen to send your message to the attendees.
How to Choose Songs for Your Wedding Playlist
Crafting the playlist for your wedding ceremony and reception is a great way to set the tone, emotions, and message of your big day, so having the right songs that fit your personality and style is important. Here are some tips for creating the perfect wedding playlist.
- Know how many songs you will need. At the bare minimum for the ceremony, you need at least one song for the processional and recessional. After that, it is only limited by how long you want the ceremony to be. As for how many songs for the reception, that depends on how long your reception will last and how long there will be dancing. However, most songs are between 3-5 minutes so you need to figure at least 15-20 songs per hour of dancing.
- Do some research. Look for a pre-made wedding list on Spotify or Pandora, watch some rom-coms and note the music, or check out YouTube. You will definitely find some inspiration from those sources!
- Check with the venue. Some places may have restrictions about what type of music can be used, so be sure to talk to them before creating a wedding playlist.
- Talk to your DJ or band. If you are working with a band or DJ they may already have a list of wedding songs to help you make your selections. Keep in mind that some bands will only play their genre, so be sure to take that into consideration.
- Keep the age of the attendees in mind. Many wedding music pros recommend starting your wedding playlist with old school music like Motown, Disco, or 50-60s rock as this helps to gain the trust of older guests.
- Don’t forget the line dances! Attendees of every age will get involved with songs like Cupid Shuffle and the Electric Slide – plus they are so much fun to dance to!
- Have a mix. Be sure to incorporate slow songs, fast songs, songs that are especially fun to dance to, and those songs that have special meaning to you and your significant other.
- Listen to it. Once you have a wedding playlist made, take time to listen to it and be sure that songs flow together well- for instance jumping from Kenny G to Kenny Chesney might be a bit confusing.
- Give it a Test Drive. Be sure to listen to the songs to be certain they are the versions and lyrics you want. After all, you don’t want any embarrassing music-related mishaps!
Ready to put together your wedding playlist? Sure, you are. And if you have additional questions about all things wedding, then don’t hesitate to reach out to the Gala Facility team. We would love to help.