Help me avoid crappy wedding music

[MrGimpy]

My fiancÃ

e and I are in the middle of planning our wedding for next summer and are working on the music side of things now.

We accept that it's probably easiest to play music that's somewhat familiar, but fight the gag reflex when **** like Celebrate and The Macarena gets played at weddings. I'd rather hear Love Will Tear Us Apart at my wedding than Mony Mony.

Please help me add to my list of songs that would result in the DJ becoming a eunuch.

 

[Thomas]

Congratulations on the upcoming nupitals!

We danced the Cotton-Eyed Joe at our wedding and had a blast. So I am uniquely un-qualified to steer you away from crappy music.

 

[greekonomist]

Congratulations.

My people avoid this problem by eschewing popular music and hiring a live Greek band.

 

[philosophe]

Congratulations!

Must you have a DJ? If so, perhaps the DJ can give you the playlist in advance and you can exercise your veto.

Personally, I'd opt for a jazz band or a dj who will play jazz.

 

[Lucky7]

Band is the way to go.

 

[MrGimpy]

Thanks for the congratulations, all.

We're toying with the idea of a band rather than a DJ. If we can find a decent cover or Greek band that's somewhat affordable, we'll go that route.

The only reason we're leaning towards a DJ at this point is that we've been blindsided by the wedding-industrial complex and still recovering from the shock of the $5000+ photographer.

Confession: I've danced to Cotton-Eyed Joe and liked it.

 

[greekonomist]

Originally Posted by Thomas

Congratulations on the upcoming nupitals!

We danced the Cotton-Eyed Joe at our wedding and had a blast. So I am uniquely un-qualified to steer you away from crappy music.

aaaaaand thanks for putting that song in my head.

 

[NorCal]

Its called an Ipod, do it your self. Maybe a life Jazz band for the cocktail/dinning, then switch over to the I-pod and make your own play list

 

[Tarmac]

Strokin' by Clarence Carter always works well

 

[MrGimpy]

Originally Posted by NorCal

Its called an Ipod, do it your self. Maybe a life Jazz band for the cocktail/dinning, then switch over to the I-pod and make your own play list

The problem with an iPod is that someone still has to run it. It's wishful thinking to suppose that you can make a playlist that will correctly anticipate the mood of your guests at all points throughout the night, always supplying the right song at the right moment. And I won't burden one of my guests by asking them to do it.

There will a string duo/trio/quartet for the ceremony/cocktail bit.

 

[visionology]

Most DJs use ipods and such anyways, what you are paying them for is really to be a good DJ. Good ones really make the reception great, they get into it, get the people on the floor. I've been to some where the songs were all over the place and the DJ made no effort to get anyone excited while the last one we went to this past summer the DJ had everyone on the floor and honestly it didn't matter what we were dancing to.

I think you have to not only pick songs that you like but songs you know will get people out there dancing otherwise if you have songs that are either too obscure or don't have a good dance beat you will have tubleweeds rolling by the floor.

I know 50%+ of our family is hispanic so we are probably going to have a good mix of merengue and salsa songs because the spanish people like to dance but not too many in a row to isolate the white people. I am avoiding any group songs like the electric slide and macarena. I wish I could play a few house beats like David Guetta the World is Mine but I'd probably be the only one out there.

 

[unpainted huffheinz]

Originally Posted by MrGimpy

We accept that it's probably easiest to play music that's somewhat familiar, but fight the gag reflex when **** like Celebrate and The Macarena gets played at weddings. I'd rather hear Love Will Tear Us Apart at my wedding than Mony Mony.

I may, and this is fairly tenuous, be able to get Peter Hook to DJ your wedding. I think he wants about $10k a gig though.

 

[Nouveau Pauvre]

Do not get a cover band! This will be just as bad as having a lame dj.

However a jazz or ethnic band is a great choice. I am quite partial to ethnic Balkan music and fully intend to have a full Klezmer band at my wedding.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Originally Posted by MrGimpy

Please help me add to my list of songs that would result in the DJ becoming a eunuch.

If I'm understanding correctly, you're looking for songs NOT to play. To wit:

Hands Up
The Chicken Dance/Bunny Hop/Hokie Pokie, etc.
We Like To Party
and anything that might lend itself to the forming of a conga line

Marginal: Shout (you can probably get away with this one towards the end of the reception, when everyone's lit and on the floor doing The Gator on the "little bit softer now" part - that's always good for the wedding album).

Congratulations and Mazel Tov, btw.

 

[Septavius]

Jazz band all the way is my recommendation.