I think you'll agree.
The wedding music played by your DJ (or band) is arguably the most vital part of the evening entertainment.
The party is the evening's main attraction and dancing is the main event and it has to tick a lot of boxes to get everyone’s stamp of approval.
Will granny get her feet moving?
Will the dads get to dust off their air guitars?
Will the kids be doing knee slides?
Rest assured, with these five tips, this will all be happening.
Tip #1: Understand your wedding guests and their music preferences.
If you have a vastly different music taste to everyone else you know, picking the type of music you want to hear at your wedding can be very tiresome.
We get it.
On one hand, you want to hear your favourite songs on your wedding night, but on the other hand, you want everyone else to enjoy themselves as well - where's the happy medium?!
So what's the solution?
A great way to see what kind of music your guests prefer is by including a "favourite song" section or card in their wedding invitation. You can then see any recurring artists or genres which will help you and your DJ curate the playlist for the evening.
But wait, there's more:
If you want to save on the ink, no worries, we've got another trick up our sleeve.
Have your guests complete an online survey using Google Forms, which automatically collects their results and displays them for you - quick, simple and useful!
You can even ask multiple choice questions to make it even easier.
This is also helpful if you've sent out your wedding invitations already, but still want to gather your guests favourite music.
And we don't stop there:
Tip #2: Make sure you hear your favourite songs, no matter what!
So you've got the results from your Google Form, and your initial thoughts were valid - you have a completely different music taste to everyone you know.
Don't panic!
This is okay - variety is the spice of life.
You can still hear your treasured toe-tappers whilst keeping all your other guests moving as well. But remember, this is your wedding, so make sure you prioritise your favourites above your guest's.
Try dedicating the first hour or so to your personal preferences and then slowly transition to more conventional music as the evening continues (this way the shift from Dr. Dre and Ice Cube to Phil Collins isn't quite so obvious).
And just like that, everyone’s happy.
You may even be surprised to see others hitting the dance floor whilst your favourite songs are playing.
Finally, sneak in a few more of your favourites during the last part of the evening, so it ends on the perfect note.
Besides, some of your guests may not even notice at that point!
This next point is often overlooked:
Tip #3: Hire a DJ who can cater to everyone without just becoming a jukebox.
The most common request our DJs at Arrowhouse Events get is “Can you play a bit of everything for all age groups?”
Yes, we can, and it’s our goal for everyone to have a good time, but it can be a dangerous game to play.
Trying to please everyone can often lead to pleasing nobody.
It's a great idea to gather all of your guests' preferred music choices before the big day, as this will paint a clear picture of their style for the DJ and help them plan music and timing accordingly.
However, if the DJ were to only play requested songs throughout the night, it would most likely result in a mess of mismatched music (there needs to be a flow to the evening).
This is where choosing a DJ with extensive and deep music knowledge and experience can really come in handy – they’ll know which songs work, which don’t and how to create the perfect mix for everyone to enjoy.
We can't stress this next point enough.
Tip #4: Give yourself enough time to pick your favourite songs.
We get it.
You have a thousand things to do, and time is of the essence.
Deciding between eggshell or ivory for your tablecloths is taking way too much time, and the idea of sitting down and picking individual songs you want to hear at your wedding reception is now a daunting task.
We all think we’ve got the best taste in music 'til we have to name some of our favourite songs.
Dedicating a day to pick songs you’d like to hear at your wedding is probably the least effective way to do it - you’ll end up staring at a blank piece of paper.
So, what's the best way to do it?
Let your wedding songs come to you naturally.
Keep a note open on your phone, and when you hear a song on the radio or on the office radio, type it out on your note (listening to different stations can also help inspire you).
Extra tip: if you're out at the pub or in a shop and like the song but don't know the name, use Shazam!
This will soon become habit and before you know it, you’ll have a healthy looking list of all your favourite songs.
This next one is obvious.
Tip #5: Pick Arrowhouse Events.
The most obvious tip of all.
We just couldn’t publish our first blog post without a bit of shameless promotion!
Ten years of experience with music at weddings has made us experts in the field – we know what works, what doesn’t and can't wait to help you curate the perfect playlist.
Interested to learn what other activities can get your guests involved? Or maybe you need some 90s R&B songs at your party?
All of our tips above come from speaking to our previous clients about the struggles they had in picking their wedding music.
We hope it helps you!