Music For My Wedding....HELP!!

[GreenLee1]

When I was searching for a list of songs for wedding receptions I had a lot of trouble finding songs that weren't:
a) Old but not old enough to be cool again.
b) Too Cheesy or Cliche
c) Dumb

I had to allow for some give for songs being too cheesy or cliche because it was a wedding after all and most people expect and have no problem with hearing those songs. We got married on the July 4th so there is a play list for when the fireworks were going off.

The Music was broken into 6 sections :

1. Pre-Dinner
2. Dinner
3. Cake
4. 1st dance / Begin Dance
5. During Fireworks
6. After Fireworks

Pre-Dinner
The Pre-Dinner playlist was a mix of classical music all from the same CD called "For A Quiet Evening"

Dinner
The music during dinner started out slow and relaxing and each song was increasingly more upbeat. my wife came up with this idea to get people ready for dancing when dinner was over.

1. Pick up the pieces - Average White Band (this was our entrance song)
2. It had to be you - Frank Sinatra
3. the very thought of you - Etta James
4. Rainbow Connection - Peter Cincotti
5. Little Wonders - Rob Thomas
6. Are you the one? - Peter Cincotti
7. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
8. Come Away With Me - Norah Jones
9. I'll Remember You - Amy LaVere
10. These Are The Days - Jamie Cullum
11. 100 Years (Acoustic Version) - Five For Fighting
12. L-O-V-E - Nat King Cole
13. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
14. My Girl - The Temptations
15. It's In His Kiss - Betty Everett
16. It Takes Two - Marvin Gaye

Total Runtime about 1 hour.

Cake
The cake playlist is obviously what we played when we cut the cake.

1. When I'm Sixty-Four - The Beatles
2. Chapel of Love - Dixie Cups
3. Can't Help Myself - The Four Tops

First Dance / Start Dancing
The First dance is a really hard thing to pick out if you as a couple don't have a "Song" already. You want something sweet, and not too long. Something that is the right speed for slowdancing but not so slow that people watching get bored. For me it was also critical that it was unique.

1. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye - Simply Red (this was our first dance)
2. At Last - Etta James
3. Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
4. Love Train - The O'Jays
5. (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave [Single Version] - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
6. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU - THE ROMANTICS
7. SUPER FREAK - RICK JAMES
8. sway - Peter Cincotti
9. Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley
10. Electric Boogie - Marcia Griffiths ( I had trouble finding this song because I thought it was called the Electric Slide song)
11. Mambo #5 - Lou Bega
12. Livin' La Vida Loca- Ricky Martin
13. Shout - The Isley Brothers
14. Old Time Rock and Roll -Bob Seger
15. I Want You Back [Single Version] - The Jackson 5
16. Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
17. Jump Jive An' Wail - The Brian Setzer Orchestra

During Fireworks
At Ten o'clock the fireworks went off. Not everyone went out to watch them so we had to have some music playing for the people that stayed in. This is were we put the music that we didn't care either way if we heard or danced to.

1. COME ON EILEEN - DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS
2. Please Mr. Postman [Single Version] - The Marvelettes
3. Rock This Town - Stray Cats
4. Crazy In Love - Beyonce
5. Were in heaven - Dj Sammy
6. Be My Lover - La Bouche
7. Another Night - Real McCoy
8. My Girl - The Temptations
9. We Like to party! - Vegaboys
10. Rock The Casbah - The Clash
11. Waiting For Tonight - Jennifer Lopez
12. Dancing In the street- Martha reeves & The Vandellas

After Fireworks - After the fireworks most people left but there was still dancing left to be danced.

1. I'm A Believer - Smash Mouth
2. Love Today - Mika
3. Love Shack - the B-52's
4. Twist And Shout - The Beatles
5. Brick House - Commodores w/ Lionel Richie
6. Shout - The Isley Brothers
7. I Want You Back - Jackson 5
8. Dont Stop Me Now - Queen
9. Old Time Rock and Roll - Bob Seger
10. You Shook me all night long - AC/DC
11. Zoot Suit Riot - Cherry Poppin' Daddies
12. What Is Love - Haddaway
13. Call On Me - Eric Prydz
14. Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas (Make sure you get the Dance mix version, The other is too slow for dancing)
15. Baby Got Back - Sir Mix A Lot
16. What a wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Whew... this post took longer than I thought it would.

[da_ticklah]

Wedding party was introduced to "The theme from Shaft" Issac Hayes
1st Dance "At Last" Etta James
Dinner was served "TSOP" MFSB


that's all I remember

[BrownEyedBtch]

There are some classics that will always work, like Stevie Wonder, but I think some of the songs should be the ones that remind you the most of your friends. I would choose "Crazy" by Aerosmith for one of my friends, "Hey Jealousy" or "Mr. Jones" for another, mostly because these are songs that remind me of some of the best times my friends and I had. I guess you can also scan the billboards charts over the last 20 years or so and see what jumps out at you. It can be hard, but I bet you've got it.

[as1eeponatrain]

Earth Wind and Fire - September

bound to get anybody's booty shakin'.

[shoogbear63]

Originally Posted by spooky

Maybe the Dan Band(more of a novelty)? Throw enough money at them, they will take you seriously.

I asked them after a show once if they really played wedding and they said no.

[spooky]

Originally Posted by shoogbear63

I asked them after a show once if they really played wedding and they said no.

You offered them $30,000 plus travel expenses like Richard Cheese charges? Were you asking seriously, ready to pay, or was it in a chatty manner? I tell people I don't do commission work, too, when asked.

When someone puts a fat wad of cash on the table, though, everything is negotiable.

[John Galt]

Good call with Richard Cheese, Spooky.

Carpe Fromage'

[Alexandra]

Get a piper. It is impossible to play anything on a bagpipe and have it sound too suggestive.