Goin' To The Chapel

The Tunes: Part Three

Dance! Dance! Dance!

In my last two posts I talked about wedding music and how tricky it could be to choose the soundtrack for your big day. I talked a little about the ceremony and those certain songs you might want to play during those very special moments like the bride's entrance.

I didn't really cover the reception though. Partly because the reception is an animal all onto itself. 

The reception is a party and the rules for choosing music are a little looser. Choosing wedding reception music is not so much a challenge, as far as I'm concerned. It's simple really. You're throwing a party and want people to dance and have a good time. As long as you throw in some slow songs for the couples in the crowd and perhaps those relatives who remember when Nixon was President, I figure it's anything goes!

Everybody throws a party differently. Some folks are content with putting a bunch of c.d's into a player and hitting shuffle. Some folks want to know exactly what song is going to play and when it is going to play. Shuffle is not in their vocabulary. These people are control freaks. I can call them that because I am one of them. And I'm okay admitting that because I go to meetings. Meetings, I might add, which would run much smoother if they only let me organize and moderate them. 
Anywaaaay....

The reception is a party and party's are fun. 

My job is fairly easy. Find fun music that people can dance to and sing along with and slow dances to cuddle with there baby to and background music to set a relaxed tone while dinner is being served. How hard can that be?
Not hard really. 
Just type "fun wedding reception music" into the search field on google.com. The results are endless. Sites a plenty that boast the Top 100 Wedding Reception Songs and The Best Reception Songs Ever! and The Songs You Have To Play At Your Wedding Reception Or Everyone Will Throw Garbage At You will pop up with just a click of the mouse. Having perused several of these lists now I am starting to notice the same titles over and over again. So, I would assume that these songs are popular and safe choices for our reception. I'm also noticing the same songs included on lists with such titles as Lame Reception Songs and Reception Songs: The Over-Used and The Over-Rated. The songs that appear on those lists are those songs you've heard at every wedding you've ever been to in your life. It's hard not to want to include these songs on your playlist because they are popular for a reason. It is safe to say though that we will not be playing The Hokey Pokey or The Chicken Dance. There's popular and then there's....um...The Hokey Pokey and The Chicken Dance.

The Bad, The Lame and The Ugly

There are a few performers who have not made the cut for our reception. They are in no particular order: Billy Ray Cyrus, Vanilla Ice, Los Del Rio and Billy Ray Cyrus. And yes. I know I listed BR Cyrus twice. I figured I owed that much to him. 

I really shouldn't have to explain my decision to exclude those artists (sorry....just threw up in my brain a little) but I will justify this black-listing by stating for the record that Achey Breaky Heart, Ice Ice Baby and The Macarena were all written by Satan and are evil, evil songs. 'Nuff said. 

The Rat Pack

I'm convinced that I was born in the era when music was cool and singers were cool and suave and were backed up by full orchestras. The music of Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney and Dean Martin truly speaks to my soul.
So it goes without saying that there will be music from that particular era during our reception as well as the stylings of contemporary singers like Michael Buble and Harry Connick Jr.


It's My Party And I'll Electric Slide If I Want To!
Reception music must allow for some slow, tender moments, but we all know it's about the dance music and shaking your booty. We plan on shaking our booties and we hope other people join us, otherwise it's gonna get really awkward really fast. 
I am envisioning those scenes in movies where the entire wedding party breaks out into a huge dance number. There will of course be line dances and opportunities for individuals to show their mad skills as a crowd circles around them. There are dances which are a shout out for the crowd to join together on the dance floor. Songs like The Electric Slide  (It's Electric!) and The Cha Cha Slide are fun dances that everyone seems to know and enjoy. 
I think they're also great choices for the non-dancer who might be too shy and who fears being singled out for clumsy dance steps. The Slide songs are perfect for that person (Me!) because there is always safety in numbers. Of course, one wrong step to the left, instead of the right, during either, could take out a whole line of Sliders like so many dominoes. I've seen it happen. The screams still haunt my dreams.
We will probably play YMCA by The Village People because statistics show that people tend to enjoy wedding receptions more when they have the chance to form the shapes of letters while they dance. 
Listen, it boils down to this. I'm not a dancer but this is my wedding and if Soulja Boy comes on I'll be out there with everyone else. 
That was a warning people. If you see hear Superman and see me heading towards the dance floor, that is the perfect time to grab another ice cold refreshment.


It's My Party And I'll ABBA If I Want To!
Remember those lists I mentioned earlier that listed the songs that have been overplayed at weddings? Safe to say there is an ABBA song or two on them. ABBA is one of those bands that was hugely popular and who created great music. There is some backlash however because the height of their popularity occurred during the Disco era and anything from the Disco era has to be GOD awful. Right?
It's been almost 30 years, people. Get over it. Disco is cool again and we all secretly yearn to have one of those Saturday Night Fever moments while wearing a white suit. 
Besides...I have to play ABBA. I am a third part Swedish and if I don't I will anger Odin and he will banish me to Niflheim oe Hel, a land of ice and the dead. Yeah. I could tell you some tales about my bedtime stories!


The Midnight Hour Is Close At Hand
You bet your sweet bippy we're playing MJ during our reception. Who doesn't want their 74 year old Nana dragging her good foot along the dance floor to Thriller. Michael Jackson is a must for a wedding reception playlist. I didn't need to read that in a magazine. 


Bad Romance/Good Dance Music
I am 46 and my lady is...


What's that honey? Take out the trash...sure...I'm right in the middle of...now? Sure. Hang on, dear readers.

Okay. Where was I? Oh yeah. I don't want people thinking that just because this particular bridal couple is no longer in their 20's the music will be stale and dated.
No worries. I'm up on all the jams the youngsters are dancing to these days. 
I know who Lady Gaga is (although to be honest when I first heard the name I thought it was a high-priced clothing line for baby girls) and we will probably be dancing to a song or two from her. 
There will also be some rap music during our reception. I am the whitest man there is and don't know from rap, but my bride has requested certain songs for the reception and her wish is my command. 
I don't listen to rap (I still think P Diddy sounds like a urinary tract disorder) and to be honest a lot of it scares me. When rap first came out the thuggiest thugs out there were Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. I wouldn't know Nas from Sysco and I'm confused by the fact that a huge number of rappers are named Lil something. There is Lil Wayne, Lil Bow Wow, Lil Boosie and Lil Jon to name a few. I would make a joke here but I'm afraid someone will pop a lil cap in my ass.
By the way...I went to website that creates a rapper name from your first name and last name initial. My rapper name is Force J Jody.


Yo! Yo! Yo! I'm feelin' gangsta now, yall.


Steppin' Out With Your Baby
Receptions are not all about bumping and sliding, the Watusi and the Cabbage Patch however and there are those special, tender moments that require a delicate touch and just the right song. I realize that a large number of people who are invited only dance to the slow songs during the reception because the thought of dancing to Da Dip by Freak Nasty causes heart palpitations.

I understand that all too well and I know how badly I dance. Trust me, I've heard the words "Drunken Sasquatch" too many times to count when people try to describe my awkwardness on the dance floor. 

I'm legendary. I've stepped on more toes than Glenn Beck.  

I have spent some time working on the slow music list and I think I've compiled a play list that will inspire the romantics to grab their partner and head to the dance floor. So have no fear, fellow Bigfoots, you will have your moment to shine...slowly...and safely.

In Closing

The playlist I am compiling for our reception is diverse but all the songs share on common trait. They're fun. Fun to dance to and fun to sing along with regardless of genre. 

I'm focused on my music mission but I'm not taking it so serious that I forget that this whole thing is about having a good time with our friends and family. 

There are songs I want played because they special to me and my lady. 

There are songs I want played because they are goofy and cheesy and everyone will sing along with or do their best Robot to as everyone claps along. 

Time of course will tell if I did a good job or not and if people had a good time at our reception. I'm confident I've chosen good music for our reception...even though I'm more Fred Flintstone than Fred Astaire 

Je. Matzer~Goin' To The Chapel
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