Let’s face it – you know exactly what music you like to listen to. Your Spotify Wrapped may even tell us that you’re in the top 1% of listeners (kudos to you, that’s a LOT of music)! Now that it’s time to pick out just one song for each of the special moments of your wedding day, you’re stuck. Maybe there are so many songs you love that you don’t even know where to start. Maybe it’s the reverse and you’ve never really been the person that people turn to for building the party playlist – it’s not that your taste in music is bad (there’s no such thing as “bad taste” in music by the way – on this point we must be very clear), you’re just not put in charge of that part of the party. Whatever the reason, you’re feeling stumped, or overwhelmed, and well, that’s where we come in!
First, we promise that the fabulous and award-winning musicians of Around Town Entertainment are incapable of playing music that leaves the party feeling like it’s lacking something. We bring the heat every time, which is why we’re the most-beloved bands in the New York City and tri-state area! So, no matter what music you pick, we promise your guests will love it. With that in mind, we understand if you’re feeling a little stuck! What we’ve gone ahead and done is go through our list of special moments and give you tips on what style of song works best in each category. Style in this sense refers to a song’s qualities, rather than its genre; for example, style would be something like “upbeat, faster (uptempo), celebratory” where genre would be “jazz” or “hip hop” or “acoustic.” The genre should be uniquely you, and it often doesn’t matter when it comes to picking something appropriate for each moment – the style, however, is hugely influential.
Without further ado, we’re going to work our way through the Special Moment categories listed on our own Final Information Document, given to each of our couples, and recommend what style of music you should look for, or what qualities you should look for in songs you love. The bonus sneaky trick is to use your Spotify account and search a few of these keywords; for example “Happy Upbeat.” Spotify will then pop up a playlist called “My Happy Upbeat Mix” and, lo and behold, it’s a playlist specifically curated for you, of songs you love or have listened to, or are like songs you love and have listened to, that suit the mood “Happy & Upbeat” (wildly cool of them, we know). From there, it becomes a lot easier and less overwhelming to try to find the song that best speaks to you for each moment. Keep in mind, some of the songs are VERY “skater’s choice” – namely your first dance, but on the whole, we think this should help!
Bridal Party Entrance – This should be an energetic, upbeat, anticipatory, celebratory number! Your bridal party is your hype squad after all!
Bride/Groom Entrance – Plenty of couples choose to combine their entrance with the bridal party’s so it’s entirely possible to use the same song here. However, it can also be a separate song, in which case, look for something romantic, celebratory, upbeat, happy, danceable, something that says “We did it”!
First Dance – Remember when we said this one was skater’s choice? Yeah, we meant that. Every couple has a different set of skills on the dance floor and a different tempo that works for them. Strangely (or not so strangely), couples generally don’t need much help picking this one – it usually makes itself known pretty early on since it’s a deeply meaningful one to the two of you. Our one recommendation is to try to find a song with a tempo between 80 and 120 bpm for something that’s a moderate and moveable tempo. Faster than 120 starts to verge a little close to a club bop tempo and slower than 80 begins to feel dirge-like (and this certainly isn’t a funeral)! Not sure what tempo your song is? Check out sites like songbpm.com to find out where your song lies! Of course, the major advantage to hiring a live band is that we can always adjust the tempo of your song if your favorite one isn’t quite right in the recording!
Traditional Dance – This doesn’t need our suggestions – you know if you need one or not and which one you need if you do!
Father/Daughter & Mother/Son – We’re combining these two because their style needs are pretty much identical (even if you’re having a non-traditional parent dance)! Look for something sweet, happy, proud, gentle, or upbeat (depending on your relationship)!
Cake Cutting – There’s literally sugar involved in this one. Look for something sweet! Upbeat tends to help out here, but you can also make it dramatic and slower since there isn’t any dancing for this one.
Bouquet Toss – This one’s for the girls! Or the singles at large! Traditions are ever-changing and adapting so do with this one as you please. We recommend something energetic, upbeat, possibly feminist (trust us on that search term – Spotify will know to look for songs that hype up the girls), and most of all, FUN!
Garter Toss – We’ll be so honest, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen a couple choose to do this one. The tradition is considered by most to be a bit outdated and we get it. However, if it feels comfortable for you, pick a song that’s anticipatory, excited, and, let’s face it, sexy.
Song Requests 1-3 – Skater’s choice!! These are just the three songs you most want to hear on your big day during your dance sets! Typically, upbeat and joyful songs work well, but classics of any genre tend to get people on the dance floor. Trust us to pick lots of those though, so it’s always a good idea to put other songs, no matter what style, that are meaningful to you, here!
