What Music will get your guests up & dancing?

Suggestions for Wedding Music - 

Ensure A Full Dance Floor and Fun Times I think the best weddings have romantic and beautiful ceremonies, and receptions that feel like great all-out parties. Wedding music is perhaps the most important element of making your guests go home saying, "Man, that was a fun wedding." If you want to ensure that your guests are dancing and having fun all night long, here are my tips for great wedding music.

Variety is Key in Wedding Music What appeals to your high school friends is not going to be exactly the same as what appeals to your business colleagues. So mix things up and play some of each. If you do it right, the guests who come to the floor for KC & the Sunshine Band will stick around for Beyonce.   

Know Your Audience In some circles, line dances like "Electric Slide" are hugely popular. While in other circles, it would go over like a lead balloon. On the other hand, my family has a soft spot for "Copacabana", so even though it's cheesy, it might just be played. Bottom line, you know your friends and family better than any DJ or bandleader. If there's a song that will really get your guests dancing, or keep them from dancing, don't hesitate to make that known. 

Ask Your Guests About Their Favorite Wedding Music On your reply card, ask guests to name a song that will be sure to get them up and dancing. It will help guests get excited for dancing, and ensure that the wedding music appeals to a wide variety of people.      

Taking Care of Older Guests Sure, you want your friends to have a good time, but don't ignore Grandma and Grandpa. Older guests will tend to be among the first to leave, so tailor your music selections accordingly. Towards the beginning of your reception, play more 40's, 50's and 60's hits, mixed with current selections. In the last hour, you can stick to current music. Some oldies that appeal to many generations: Elvis – "Teddy Bear" or "Hound Dog", Supremes – "You Can't Hurry Love", Jerry Lee Lewis – "Great Balls of Fire." ·        

Get the Dancing Started a Little Early Traditionally, dancing wouldn't start until after the cake is served. But today's brides and grooms want to have more lively and fun wedding receptions. So they're kicking off the dancing shortly after the main course is served. In fact, at one of the more fun wedding receptions I've ever been to, the dancing started as soon as the bride and groom were announced. (The only time the dancing stopped was for the toasts!) ·        

Stack the Dance Floor Hey, you're the bride (or groom). You get to boss the bridal party around, at least a little bit. Careful scientific observation tells me that guests are more apt to dance when there are already people dancing. So tell the bridal party that part of their job is to dance, and to ask other people to dance. Plus, the pictures of your 20-something-year-old roommate dancing with your 80-something-year-old great uncle will be priceless.   

Play the Good Wedding Music, Not the Bad Wedding Music Even if you have a DJ, spend some time thinking about your wedding music. Put together a DO NOT PLAY LIST,  and a list of songs you definitely want to hear. Then throw in some ideas that you think will get your guests on their feet. Rather than sticking to the tired and tacky "Macarena", here are my suggestions for great wedding music:

Events with Jennifer Lane A Memory Lane Event

Your professional event & wedding planner, such as A Memory Lane Event & Wedding, can suggest the perfect DJ or band that can handle this for you.  However, having the Do Not Play list is very helpful for them.

Current Top 40 Hits
90's

80's

Billy Idol -- "Dancing With Myself"

Commodores -- "Celebration"

Commodores -- "Easy"

Earth Wind & Fire -- "Shining Star"

John Cougar -- "Rockin In The USA"

Kool & The Gang -- "Get Down On It"

Kool and the Gang -- "Jungle Boogie"

Madonna -- "Burning Up"

Madonna -- "Material Girl"

Madness -- "Our House"

Michael Jackson -- "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough"

Modern English -- "Melt With You"

Pet Shop Boys -- "West End Girls"

Romantics -- "What I Like About You"

The Clash -- "Should I Stay or Should I Go"

The Cure -- "Love Cats"

The Weather Girls -- "It's Raining Men"

Tommy Tutone -- "Jenny (867-5309)"

Violent Femmes -- "Blister In The Sun"

70's

Chic -- "Good Times"

Commodores -- "Brick House"

Grand Funk Railroad -- "Some Kind Of Wonderful"

Jackson 5 -- "ABC"

KC & The Sunshine Band -- "Get Down Tonight"

KC & The Sunshine Band -- "Shake Your Booty"

Lynyrd Skynyrd -- "Sweet Home Alabama"

Ramones -- "I Wanna Be Sedated"

Rolling Stones -- "Miss You"

Sly and the Family Stone -- "Dance to the Music"

Sister Sledge -- "We Are Family"

The Isley Bros -- "It's Your Thing"

60's

Al Green -- "Lets Stay Together"

Aretha Franklin -- "Respect"

Beatles -- "I Saw Her Standing There"

Beatles -- "Twist & Shout"

Blues Brothers -- "Soul Man"

Credance Clearwater Revival -- "Proud Mary"

Four Seasons -- "Oh What A Night"

James Brown -- "I Feel Good"

Mitch Ryder -- "Devil With A Blue Dress"

Mitch Ryder -- "Good Golly Miss Molly"

Otis Redding -- "Hard to Handle"

Rolling Stones -- "Jumping Jack Flash"

Rolling Stones -- "Satisfaction"

Supremes -- "You Can't Hurry Love"

The Archies -- "Sugar"

Van Morrison -- "Into the Mystic"

Young Rascals -- "Good Lovin'"

50's

Chubby Checker -- "The Twist"

Chuck Berry -- "Johnny B. Goode"

Contours -- "Do You Love Me"

Elvis Presley -- "Blue Suede Shoes"

Elvis Presley -- "Can't Help Falling In Love"

Elvis Presley -- "Teddy Bear"

Platters -- "Only You"

Sam Cook -- "You Send Me"

The Angels -- "My Boyfriend's Back"

The Kingsmen -- "Louie Louie"

Wilson Picket -- "Mustang Sally"

Colorado weddings by Jennifer Lane, A Memory Lane Event

40s

Frank Sinatra -- "It Had To Be You"

Frank Sinatra -- "The Way You Look Tonight"

Simply Sensational Memorable Events.

Jennifer Lane,

A Memory Lane Event & Wedding, based in Denver Colo.