As an event planner, you can help shape that journey by planning an epic reception they’ll always remember. This is a great way to celebrate their love story with friends and family members. Of course, every party needs great music, and that’s what a wedding DJ is for!
As you help your clients plan their big day, don’t forget to nail down a playlist that will get everyone on the dance floor and pay homage to their romance.
Not sure where to start? Today, we’re sharing 15 songs that are perfect for the big day!
1. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
No one can croon a love song quite like Natalie Cole and “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” is proof of that. Her rich vocals match gorgeously with the piano and horn music in the background, creating a soaring jam that everyone can’t help but dance to.
For a New York event planner, silence at a party usually signals something is amiss. If the reception has reached a lull and you need a toe-stopper that everyone will instantly recognize and appreciate, this is a great one for the wedding DJ to play.
2. The Way You Look Tonight
Classic crooners Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett have both made their mark with “The Way You Look Tonight” and each version is equally smooth. In fact, this love song is such a classic that many couples choose it as their first dance.
Your clients have spent the whole day getting ready for the reception, and their whole lives getting ready for this moment. For an event planner, this song is a sweet reminder that their efforts weren’t for naught and that their significant other will always cherish the memory. Most New York event spaces and DJs are well-accustomed to this song!
3. Happy
When you’re planning wedding music, you might not think of Pharrell’s 2014 smash hit, “Happy” but it’s a definite must-add, and here’s why.
In short, it’s just fun! Any New York event planner will tell you it’s smart to have a steady blend of slow ballads and fun dance songs at a wedding reception. This way, people who want to sit out an upbeat tune can use that time to catch their breath and rub their tired feet.
For those who want to boogie, “Happy” is a great choice. After all, doesn’t love make you feel like a room without a roof?
4. A Thousand Years
Whether you got into the “Twilight” craze or not, chances are you’ve heard Christina Perri’s hit, “A Thousand Years” from the 2011 soundtrack to “The Twilight Saga — Breaking Dawn Part I.” One of the reasons why this song will forever be a wedding favorite is the lesson it shares on the eternal nature of love.
When Perri says that she’s loved her partner for a thousand years and will love them for a thousand more, newly-married couples everywhere can understand the depth and breadth of that emotion.
5. Wonderful Tonight
This one might have a similar title to “The Way You Look Tonight”, but it’s in a league of its own. That’s because Slowhand himself penned the ballad way back in 1976. As the story goes, Eric Clapton was waiting for his then-girlfriend (and future wife) Pattie Boyd to get ready for a night out at a Buddy Holly tribute concert.
As Boyd fussed around upstairs trying on clothes and re-doing her hair and makeup, she worried that Clapton would be cross that she took so long. Instead, he surprised her with this song. Three years later, the day after they got married in 1979, he brought her onstage and serenaded her with it at one of his concerts.
Married couples often spend a good amount of time waiting for one another, and this gorgeous classic puts a sweet spin on those otherwise-ordinary moments.
6. I Say a Little Prayer
Newlyweds are still very much in that always-on stage, where they think about their partner on an around-the-clock basis. As Aretha Franklin soulfully sings, they may even think about them at the very moment they wake up. It can be challenging for a New York event planner to capture this feeling, but “I Say a Little Prayer” does so beautifully.
While Franklin’s version is considered a classic, other artists have also taken the mic for this tune, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. One of the most prolific is Dionne Warwick, who is said to have been good friends with Bacharach. This is a staple of New York event services that’s easy to recognize and a joy to dance to.
7. At Last
From the very first note of this song, you just know that Etta James is going to go all-in with her vocals. While most of the tune is subdued and sweet as honey, she belts it out toward the end, escalating the momentum in the song and in the room.
This is another great first-dance song, especially for couples whose walk to the altar hasn’t been the easiest or the shortest. They’ve finally made it and their lonely days are officially over.
8. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Why did we choose to add this “Wizard of Oz” soundtrack staple to our list of iconic wedding music? This sweet sing-along melody is a great way to recognize the longing that couples feel when they aren’t quite where they want to be on their romantic journey and the beauty that happens when they make it to the other side.
They may have had periods in their life where they’ve seen other people fall in love, get married, and fly “over” the veritable rainbow, so to speak. At the time, they seemed to be stuck in the rain.
Now, they’re the ones spreading their wings and soaring. While the Judy Garland version is timeless, may we suggest the beachy “What a Wonderful World” mashup by late Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwoʻole?
9. All of Me
The music video for John Legend’s “All of Me” featured his wife, Chrissy Teigen. It was their love story put to music, and since then, couples around the world have declared it as Their Song. It’s even a mainstay at many New York event services.
In 2013, Legend himself used it as his own wedding song, serenading Teigen with it when they tied the knot in Italy. Their 10-years-and-counting track record is somewhat of a unicorn in celebrity circles, so they must be doing something right!
10. You’re Still the One
As your clients lean deeper into their marriage, there are bound to be hard days and good days. They may have bumps in the road and challenges that they’ll face together. However, as Shania Twain reminds us in “You’re Still the One,” long-term commitment is built on stability.
Twain wrote this song in 1997 with her then-husband, esteemed producer Mutt Lange. While the two split in 2008, it stands as one of the most encouraging, relatable love songs of all time.
11. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
For brides, a wedding reception is a great way to celebrate the friends who supported them on the way to this moment. They’re the ones who saw them through their late nights, breakups, and all of the in-between. Now, it’s time to live it up together!
“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” is one of Cyndi Lauper’s biggest hits and from the very first chord, it’s easy to see why. Girls all around the room will hit the dance floor when this song comes through the speakers.
12. Isn’t She Lovely
If you’re searching for the perfect daddy-daughter dance for a client, then look no further than “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder. As he sings about a tiny girl so lovely at less than one minute old, all of the fathers in the room will undoubtedly reminisce on the days when their daughters were nothing but curls and rosy cheeks.
This is a nostalgic song that reminds us “life and love are the same.” What better way to kick off a marriage than to sway to that sentiment?
13. Celebration
If no one starts dancing when Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration” comes on, then something must be wrong with the sound system in your venue. Written by the group’s saxophone player Ronald Bell, this bop is the epitome of a classic dance hit.
Even if guests don’t know all of the words, they can probably sing along to the chorus! After all, it’s time to celebrate where they’ve been, where they are today, and where they’re heading next with the love of their life.
14. I Do (Cherish You)
Nineties-era boy band 98 Degrees may not be together anymore, but they did give us some great, chart-topping hits, including “I Do (Cherish You).” As its name implies, this song is meant to be performed as a couple shares their vows, pledging to love and adore one another for the rest of their lives.
15. Twist and Shout
Not everyone can hit the floor and do The Worm. They may not be able to breakdance or even boogie all that well. However, almost everyone at the reception should be able to do a simple twist with their hips and a shout with their voice.
That’s all they need to dance along to this classic Beatles hit. While The Isley Brothers recorded it in 1962, John Lennon sang it so hard the following year that he temporarily wrecked his voice. From then on, the Beatles’ version is the one that most people recognize and request.
Give This Playlist to the Wedding DJ
The music at a wedding reception will set the tone for the rest of the event. If the wedding DJ is spinning great selections, then there will be a steady stream of guests heading to the dance floor. If the tunes are dragging, then the opposite could happen.
Use this list as a guide and find other songs that are similar in style and sentiment. Then, share it with the DJ so they know exactly which records to spin.
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