Aloha,
I’ve been asked a few times about my recommendations on what songs are a big hit or what do you think everyone will dance to. I turn around and tell my clients not to worry about those specific songs, we’ll set up a playlist to accommodate the ages and the various top songs of your favorite genres. When a DJ asks you for your top 10 song choices, this is a great tool for your DJ to create a playlists that accentuates those choices. Example – “Return of the Mack – Van Morrison” – “No Diggity – BackStreet” and “Titanium – David Guetta.” These initial choices would point me in the direction that these clients enjoy more of a groove able mainstream R&B/Hip Hop and Dance type genres. Where a list like “Watermelon Crawl – Tracy Bryd” – “Hot, Hot,Hot – Buster Poindexter” and “Atomic Dog – George Clinton” would point me in the direction that these clients want “Fun” type of music selections that allow everyone to be crazy and do line dances and conga lines. If I see a top 10 ten list of songs like these, I’ll ask the clients to pick out a song or two that has a “Great Memory” maybe associated with just their wedding party, or a song that they danced to together at college or the first time they met.
Next I like to ask the clients what music to not play. Now this list should really say “What songs should we not play because they hold a memory that we do not want to bring up at our wedding.” Example: A song that was played as first dance at a previous marriage, a song that relates to a previous relationship or a song that you just don’t ever want to hear. But some clients will put on their don’t playlists like “Macarena – Los Del Rio” or “YMCA – Village People.” I’ll ask the client if these songs have bad memories or if they just don’t like them. I’ll then follow up and ask them about their guests that they invited. Are your guests from different areas of the states, country? Are some of your guests above 40, what percentage of your guests are above 40? This is just a recommendation from experience in that having multiple age groups and people from different regions, they may enjoy those types of genres. But I’ll always tell the client that this wedding is about you both and I’ll play what ever you want, I just want to give you some options that you may not have thought of.
Selecting a playlist for your event should be fun and easy. You do not need to over think it. Your DJ should be able to navigate his way through your event with your selections of your 5 favorite songs you listen to. There are many things on your mind at your wedding and worrying about your dance songs should not be one of them.
Wishing you the Best day possible and Congratulations,
Chris (DJ Serna)