The Ultimate Wedding Soundtrack

Written by Aly Heintz Raddatz, Creative Director at Elevated Events | Photo by Tim Tab Studios

You’ve got the date, the venue, the wardrobe and your hype crew — next up: the soundtrack! For most couples, choosing songs for their wedding is either super exciting or very overwhelming, but it is an important step in creating a vibe and sound that makes your wedding unique to the two of you.

A great DJ/music consultant will give you steps to guide you along the way. At Elevated Events, we have blog posts and planning questionnaires to help couples no matter where they are on the music selection spectrum, from super-involved to “please-do-it-for-me.” Here are some of our tips for making your ultimate wedding soundtrack.

THE RULES

The rules are that there are no rules when it comes to your wedding, but if you’re looking for some guidance, here are some general things to consider.

• Keep a Spotify or Apple Music playlist (or a note on your phone) so that whenever you hear a song you both like, you can add it so you remember it. (Psst…we made some Spotify playlists for you below! Save them now, thank us later!)
• Create your list of “must-play” songs so that you’re sure to hear your absolute favorites.
• Create your list of “do-not-play” songs, so that you’re sure to avoid ones associated with bad memories, or that you just don’t like!
• Choose songs that are important to the two of you.
• Consider the event occurring (entrances, cake cutting, first dances) and be sure to pick a song that fits that specific moment.
• Think ahead: Is there a certain part of the song you want played at a particular moment? Things can happen quicker than we anticipate, so if there’s a particular part of a song you want played during your unity ceremony, be sure to tell your sound operator during your planning sessions so that they can edit or cue up when appropriate.
• Throwing in songs you know are important or loved by your guests will help get them on the dance floor!
• If some songs don’t fit into the dancing portion of the evening, they can be used during dinner (or allocated to your ceremony soundtrack, too).

When it comes to planning music choices for those important reception moments, we look for songs that aren’t overused or too cliché. Here are some of our favorites:

GRAND ENTRANCES INTO THE RECEPTION

For family members:

1. “Days Like This” by Van Morrison
2. “These Are The Days” by 10,000 Maniacs
3. “Beautiful Day” by U2
4. “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall and Oates
5. “Accidentally in Love” by Counting Crows

For wedding party:

1. “What is Love” by Haddaway
2. “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
3. “Wannabe” by Spice Girls
4. “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince
5. “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie

For the couple:

1. “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown
2. “White Wedding” by Billy Idol
3. “Hooked On A Feeling” by Blue Swede
4. “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks
5. “Got To Get You Into My Life” by The Beatles

RECEPTION EVENTS

Cake cutting

1. “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You” by James Taylor
2. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard
3. “Just Can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode
4. “Sugar” by Maroon 5
5. “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies
6. “Melt With You” by Modern English
7. “Love You Madly” by Cake
8. “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” by The Four Tops
9. “Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE
10. “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles

Parent/relative/loved one dances

1. “Stand By You” by The Pretenders
2. “Beautiful Boy” by John Lennon
3. “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts
4. “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
5. “Humble and Kind” by Tim McGraw
6. “A Song For Mama” by Boyz II Men
7. “May Each Day” by Andy Williams
8. “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac
9. “Wild World” by Cat Stevens
10. “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty
11. “Daughters” by John Mayer
12. “Across the Universe” by The Beatles
13. “Vienna” by Billy Joel
14. “You’ve Got A Friend” by James Taylor or Carole King
15. “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart

First dance

1. “Speechless” by Dan + Shay
2. “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz
3. “Wild Horses” by The Sundays
4. “Oh My Love” by John Lennon
5. “Heroes” by David Bowie
6. “Lover” by Taylor Swift
7. “Crash Into Me” by Dave Matthews Band
8. “XO” by John Mayer
9. “Love Like This” by Ben Rector
10. “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran

Bouquet toss

1. “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer
2. “Venus” by Bananarama
3. “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls
4. “Obsession” by Animotion
5. “Woman” by Kesha (Beware, it’s explicit but cheeky and a power song!)
6. “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” by ABBA
7. “Maneater” by Hall & Oates (the Miley Cyrus version is also a banger)
8. “Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves” by Eurythmics
9. “Love On Top” by Beyoncé
10. “PYT” by Michael Jackson

Garter toss

1. “Work It” by Missy Elliott
2. “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol
3. “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC
4. “Sexyback” by Justin Timberlake
5. “Pony” by Ginuwine
6. “Wild Thing” by Tone Loc
7. “A Little Less Conversation” by Elvis
8. “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins
9. “Evil Woman” by ELO
10. “Touch Me” by The Doors

RECEPTION DANCING

Party starters

1. “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles
2. “Can’t Stop The Feeling” by Justin Timberlake
3. “Levitating” by Dua Lipa
4. “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk The Moon
5. “About Damn Time” by Lizzo
6. “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson
7. “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers
8. “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison
9. “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
10. “I Love It” by Icona Pop

Slow songs that won’t clear the dance floor

1. “At Last” by Etta James
2. “Crazy for You” by Madonna
3. “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers
4. “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney
5. “Red Red Wine” by UB40
6. “These Arms of Mine” by Otis Redding
7. “Only You” by Yaz
8. “I Only Have Eyes For You” by The Flamingos
9. “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys
10. “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton

The best songs to pack the dance floor

1. “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” by Journey
2. “Living On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi
3. “Everybody” by Backstreet Boys
4. “Shout” by The Isley Brothers
5. “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars
6. “Danza Kuduro” by Don Omar & Lucenzo
7. “Party in the U.S.A” by Miley Cyrus
8. “Love Shack” by B52’s
9. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston
10.  “Hey Ya!” by Outkast

Last Song

1. “Hey Jude” by The Beatles
2. “Closing Time” by Semisonic
3. “Last Dance” by Donna Summer
4. “Piano Man” by Billy Joel
5. “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
6. “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day
7. “I Don’t Want This Night To End” by Luke Bryant
8. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
9. “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles
10. “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John

Ready to put together your own playlist? Remember that the most important thing to consider is if the songs are important to you! As long as you feel connected to the music, we promise that it is the right choice. Want to make sure that your guests get on the floor? Consider adding a song request line to your RSVP card. Weddings that get guests from all generations on the dance floor are some of our favorites and they make the best memories. Make sure to have a mix of older and modern hits, upbeat and slow songs, and some classic wedding hits and we promise that your guests won’t stop dancing.

About the Author

Aly Heintz Raddatz is the Creative Director of Elevated Events, running the business alongside her husband, Patrick. With an extensive background in live and theatrical entertainment, Patrick and Aly realized the elevated service they could bring to wedding entertainment and decor services. Allowing the same online browsing and shopping experience you’re used to, now for planning your wedding, with the highest level of professional-grade equipment and skill, award-winning Elevated Events brings a modern twist to a traditional industry. Elevated Events is a wedding entertainment and decor company, offering service to Illinois, and some parts of Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

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