Wedding Song Tips

by Courtney

Wedding Song Tips

Browse Your Music Collection: Break out your record collection or skim through your iPod to search your favorite artists' catalogues. This is a good way to dig up love songs from your past or lyrics that move you. Whether you're an Elvis Presley, Radiohead, or Sarah McLachlan fan, you'll probably be able to find some top-notch wedding song options among your personal stacks.
- Search for the perfect song. (Creative Commons photo by James Tucker)
Assess Your Couple Style: Just like every person, every couple has a unique personality. Whether you and your betrothed are genuine class acts, pranksters or pure country, choose a wedding song that expresses the character of your union.
- If you're jesters, amuse your wedding guests by cutting a rug to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off".
- If you're die-hard romantics, you can gaze at each other and sway to "In Your Eyes".
Look at Wedding Song Lists: Many websites have lists of different types of wedding songs. Here are a few popular lists of wedding songs to consider: rock, jazz, hip, indie and popular wedding songs.
- For more wedding song lists, visit the wedding song list section of How to Choose a Wedding Song.
Go Down Memory Lane: Think back through your relationship to what music was playing during those special moments, perhaps at the time when you got engaged, to find a song that has special meaning for you both.
Read the Lyrics: Before you celebrate your union with a beautiful love song about a break up, read the lyrics of any songs that you are considering for your first dance. Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" might sound beautiful, but do you really want for your debut dance as a married couple to be set to a song about heroin addiction?
Tell Your Tale Through Song: Pick a song that speaks to your feelings about each other, your relationship and the occasion of your marriage.
- Tell your tale through song. (Creative Commons photo by Debi Stith)
Consult with Your Dance Instructor: When you've narrowed your list of potential wedding songs down to a few choices, bring them to your dance instructor or choreographer to ask if they match a particular dance style. If you don't have a few songs in mind, ask your instructor for ideas.
Consider the Classics: Frank Sinatra and Van Morrison have been good enough for many couples over the years, so they just might be onto something. Listen to the master crooners to see if songs such as "Moondance" or "Fly Me to the Moon" suit your tastes.
Stick to the Theme: If you've chosen a wedding theme, choose a wedding song that fits it. Take the character of the occasion to another level by tying the song together with the dress, the decorations and the vibe of your wedding.
Consider the Passage of Time: Choose a wedding song with staying power. You might not be able to stop listening to this week's hot new love song, but you might be tired of it in a year or two, not to mention ten, when you sit down to watch your wedding video.
Choose Two Wedding Songs: A popular trend these days is for the newly married couple to share a sentimental dance to a slow song followed by an upbeat pop song, accompanied by choreographed dancing.
- Check out Mahalo's Mix It Up section in How to Choose a Wedding Song for more information on this trend.
- Wow your wedding guests with a choreographed dance to a funky jam, such as "Thriller".
Add Spoken Words: If you find that your wedding song alone fails to convey the magnitude of what you will feel on your wedding day, consider adding your own words to the mix. You can record anecdotes about your relationship before the wedding and ask the DJ to mix them into your wedding song.
Include Your Guests: Your first dance together as a married couple is certainly an important moment for the two of you, but consider your wedding guests' experiences too. As witnesses to your union, they will get the greatest pleasure from understanding and sharing in the sentiment of your wedding song.
Check with the DJ or Band: Make sure that your DJ has your wedding song, and the correct version of it too, in his collection or that the band that you've hired knows the music and lyrics well enough to perform it.