You have booked your dream venue, found the most perfect dress and tasted a divine wedding breakfast. It’s now that your thoughts might turn to deciding on how you are going to entertain your guests and celebrate your marriage with a party to remember!
The best night of your life deserves the perfect soundtrack. Speak personally to DJs you are researching to find out if they share your passion for music and can give you ideas for your reception. An experienced wedding DJ at the top of their game should be able to bring some alchemy to the table, creating a bespoke musical recipe just for you – perhaps a serving of soul, a sprinkle of swing and a dash of disco!
Good communication should be paramount. Getting to know the bride and groom, that inside knowledge of their tastes, guilty pleasures, and of course Dad’s favourite Elvis track, or Mum’s best disco tune for throwing shapes, will really help to shape the set they plan. As the Big Day draws near, tunes from stag and hen dos are often added into the mix! Equally important are ‘Do Not Play’ lists, which often tell DJs as much about their clients as the tracks they have requested, and provide clear limits and expectations. An experienced DJ should be used to working with bands, singers and musicians, making sure different acts flow seamlessly into others. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about any details you may think of.
As wedding DJs, we share in the couple’s excitement in the lead-up to the wedding, and maximise the feel good factor on the night. A good wedding DJ can play right across the musical spectrum, and include requested songs and genres while responding to the atmosphere on the night. Given the love and celebration in the room, most wedding soundtracks are loads of fun and often very emotional!
With this in mind, we would like to share three of our current favourite wedding-themed tracks that musically span Rhythm & Blues, Swing and Rock ’n’ Roll, and capture the anticipation and joy of a wedding!
Prince La La – Gettin’ Married Soon. We have to mention this little gem of a record, a slice of vintage New Orleans R&B from 1962 written by Charles Julien and performed here by Prince La La. It always seems apt to play this record at wedding fairs, as it captures the mood of anticipation of the brides, their grooms and families in attendance. It’s a fun tune and while planning a wedding can be overwhelming and often stressful, it is also a lot of fun!
Evelyn Knight – A Little Bird Told Me. Recorded in 1948 with The Stardusters, this perky swing number reached no.1 and stayed there for seven weeks. Knight’s success with Decca Records meant she was included among the original 1500 stars on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame in 1960.
Chuck Berry – You Never Can Tell. Also known as ‘Teenage Wedding’, this classic rock ‘n’ roll track is sure to get people dancing, most likely as part of a Twist Contest in homage to that famous Pulp Fiction scene! Released in 1964, this was one of Berry’s most successful songs, telling the story of a teenage wedding, the couple’s life afterwards and their eventual trip to New Orleans in a ‘souped-up jitney’ (car) to celebrate their anniversary.
Written by the team at Wedding Jam who will be entertaining us all at our Manchester event this Sunday!
