New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The reception is perhaps the most fun part of any wedding celebration: it's where the party takes place. Not only are there lots of people to celebrate with, but there's also huge amounts of amazing food, flowing drinks, and lots of opportunities to let loose on the dance floor. That being said, the kind of music that you play for a wedding reception is of utmost importance, so having some knowledge about the hits of today, as well as classic favorite dance songs, can be an advantage when you're planning a wedding. While you can certainly have a professional DJ take care of this matter, the fact that it costs about $1,000 to $1,500 to hire a DJ can make you think twice about this expense and just start compiling the music yourself. If you're thinking about coming up with a song list for your nuptials, here's a guide to making an awesome wedding reception playlist.
Mix it up
Variety is the spice of life, so don't be afraid to mix it up while compiling music for the celebration. You and your partner may be the biggest hard trap or rap fans, but two hours of nothing but Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, Travis Scott, and 21 Savage may be off-putting to older guests. On the other hand, too much 70s disco may deter the young ones from hitting the dance floor, so to make sure that everyone enjoys your music, put a little bit of everything in your wedding reception playlist. Think about having some Michael Jackson tracks in there, such as Pretty Young Thing and Rock With You, then add some 90s hits like Montell Jordan's This Is How We Do It and Deee-Lite's Groove Is In The Heart. Don't forget to add some 2020 dance hits like the TikTok favorite Savage Love by Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo, and Dynamite by BTS.
Mind the pace
Playing too many fast songs in a row can be tiring for your guests. To keep the party going at a good pace, make sure to play one dance song with a slow tempo in between a few fast songs. Look to the 90s to find some good dance songs that have unhurried beats, such as The Backstreet Boys' Quit Playing Games With My Heart, SWV's Right Here, Aaliyah's Back & Forth, and Blackstreet's No Diggity. As for current dance hits with slower beats, there's Dua Lipa's Don't Start Now, Doja Cat's Say So, and Justin Bieber's Yummy.
Make it personal
Staying true to your personal taste is essential to make your wedding celebration authentically yours, so if you don't like rap or jazz, don't force yourself to play them at your reception. Also, consider asking your partner for input on what songs they'd like to include on the playlist. Once you've finalized everything, listen to it and give it a test run to see if you should add more songs, omit certain tracks, or rearrange the order for a better experience.
Consider these tips to create a brilliant wedding reception playlist. The goal is to have everyone dancing to your specially compiled set list, so don't hesitate to mix genres and tempos to get your guests grooving on the dance floor on your special day.
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