Evening Reception Music

The Do Not Play List

Music at an evening reception is very difficult to select. If you’re anything like me, your main priority for the wedding will be that everyone has a fantastic time.

A good way to have a fantastic time is to dance the night away but you’re not going to do that if you don’t like the music.

So, how do you please everyone?

This can be very difficult for a bride and groom who prefer an extreme genre of music. It can be hard to get Auntie Glenda up to dance to heavy metal or RnB music but then it’s your wedding, you should have the music you like.

It’s a toughie.

Trying to Please Everyone

The 100 most played songs at evening receptions are here. However, you could choose anything.

Your first choice is a live band or a DJ. Once you’ve decided that you need to work out what genre you want to have, what will have the most people up and dancing?

Try varying the songs. Be aware that if guests don’t like the song that’s playing, they will leave the dance floor but they’ll be right back up when a song they do like comes on.

Have a meeting with your DJ or band. Explain to them the music that you like while being open to suggestions. If you have an experienced DJ or band, they will know the kind of music that gets people up and dancing. Some websites suggest that you don’t let the DJ or band choose the music, but who’s going to know better than them?

However, there is the Do Not Play list.

The Do Not Play List

Guests make requests. They are well meaning and caught in the moment, but they will make requests.

I was at a friend’s wedding and requested Cha Cha Slide (probably because I was a bit drunk). The dance floor emptied! Not what you want at a wedding. The DJ had the good sense to just turn the song off and put on something else.

If you had a Do Not Play list, you would be able to avoid this.

I’ve worked together with h2b to put together our Do Not Play list, but each list is personal to every bride and groom!

Do Not Play!

1. Any Country and Western music at all
2. Celine Dion
3. Cha Cha Slide
4. Brown Eyed Girl
5. Any heavy/thrash metal
6. No Feeder, Coldplay, Radiohead
7. Nothing too ‘cheesey’
8. Punk/Emo music

We are still building our list so when it’s a bit more comprehensive, probably after a meeting with our DJ we’ll be able to be a bit more detailed.