Photo via Flickr.
I come from a family that loves music– I mean, REALLY loves music. My mom was drumming in a band when she was pregnant with me and finally had to give it up when her belly got so big that she couldn’t pick up a dropped stick. Two of my earliest memories with my dad are when he took me with him to hear his favorite South African pop group perform, and when I accompanied him to a local independent radio station to “help” him DJ his weekly show.
Stacy and I also have many musical memories- in the early days of our relationship we spent many evenings out enjoying our favorite house DJs, and over the years we’ve discovered new favorite artists (The Shins, Vampire Weekend, Jack Johnson, Danger Mouse, Virginia Coalition) and reawakened our love for the classics (The Beatles, Al Green, Ella Fitzgerald, Van Morrison, Paul Simon). Stacy’s extra excited about the prospect of buying a house since it means we’ll finally have enough room and privacy for her turntables. We love having the radio playing as we make dinner or Sunday brunch, and every road trip becomes an excuse for getting some new tunes.
What we and our guests will hear at the wedding reception has been the subject of as much careful thought as what we’ll wear or eat. My best friend’s husband is a DJ, and he’s graciously offered his services for our reception. I trust his taste– they had Booker T on their wedding website, for goodness sakes– but I wanted each part of the reception to have a specific musical feel, so I came up with the following suggestions to give him.
Cocktail hour: Sweetly retro, slightly jazzy. Music that won’t overwhelm conversations but keeps the mood light and romantic.
“They Can’t Take That Away From Me” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
“Quando, Quando, Quando” by Michael Buble and Nelly Furtado (scroll down, it’s #37. Worth it just to hear the harmonies!)
“I’m in the Mood For Love” by Jamiroquai and Jools Holland
“Til There Was You” by the Beatles
Reception music to sway to: because you know I’m going to want any excuse to slow-dance with Stacy!
“Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
“Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
“You Got It” by Roy Orbison
“How Sweet It Is” by James Taylor
Reception crowd pleasers: because I love it when everyone in the room is singing together!
“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys, which I also see as a nod to our non-legal status. And tell me that’s not the cutest video ever!
“Ob La Di, Ob La Da” by the Beatles
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder
“She’s A Lady” by Tom Jones (you can bet I’m going to be rocking out to this one!)
“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by the Proclaimers
“Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. Come on, it’s epic. And I admit I have a huge, embarrassing soft spot for Journey.
Reception music to get everyone on the floor:
“Jungle Boogie” by Kool and the Gang
“One More Time” by Daft Punk
“Kiss” by Prince
“Love You Madly” by Cake
“Low Rider” by War
I’d love to hear what you’re planning to play at your reception!
Awesome choices! Our music is also in the process of being carefully chosen. I got so excited last week when I heard that the friend we asked to sing had started practicing our processional- Thank You by Led Zepplin.
Getting the Led out = Awesome! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out. A family friend will play our processional and recessional on guitar, and another very talented friend may sing a few songs to open the reception (details to come in another post). Love it when musical friends and family step up- it makes everything so much more personal.
I love your music choices, especially the reception crowd pleasure section. I think I fell in love with J the night we sang Ella and Louis songs in bed together before we fell asleep.
Absolutely loving your musical tastes. We so had Don’t Stop Believing as the last song of the night. EPIC.
Ms. Sparrow, good lord, that’s about the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. No wonder you two fell for each other!
Erica, how can you not close it out that way, right? I belong to a Facebook group called “Make ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ The National Anthem.” I’m serious about it. Can you imagine how much better parades, school recitals, and sports events would be?!