Stop the aural insanity!
By Never teh Bride
Put off by the expense of a sixteen-piece orchestra? Hate the way those goofy DJs push the Chicken Dance like it’s crack? Don’t feel like listening to live covers of lame 70s love songs? In other words, are you stymied as to how to handle the reception music question?
Doug Gordon, author of The Engaged Groom: You’re Getting Married. Read this Book., suggests busting out the iPod. And I agree with him. Many people, in considering their nuptial tunage, forget that they have 10,000 songs on their hard drives - none of which are the Electric Slide or Saturday Night Fever.
Why not create your own perfect playlist and hook your handheld digital listening devices to some tricked out speakers? Likewise, a laptop equipped with iTunes or what-have-you can get the rump shakin’ started. Even a boombox like the Sony ZSSN10PS (which plays MP3s and other audio formats) can inspire your guests to bust a move.
FACT: When you take charge of your own music - or have a good friend oversee the aural stimulation - you never ever ever have to worry about inappropriate songs (I Will Survive, anyone?), sexed-out mustachioed crooners, or the dreaded conga line.
Now, if it were only this easy to decide on a song list…
September 13th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
It’s funny how many of the things that made my wedding wonderful to me were the ways I bypassed what ‘everyone’ does. An iPod wouldn’t have worked for me and my beloved (beyond the fact they hadn’t been invented yet!) because one of the three things he actually cared about with the wedding was good, LIVE music.
Luckily I was relying heavily on my Scottish ancestry for planning purposes…and just happened to know some wonderful Live, Scottish folk musicians.
Then again, at my brother’s wedding, they used a group that specialized in sea shantys. (shrugs) It was the only band they found who both could and would play Farewell to Tarwathie as the first dance.
The iPod is a great idea for those who prefer pre-recorded tunes, but if a couple wants to stick with live music, just remember it’s still possible to think outside the box of a mediocre swing band or a fifteenth rate rock band.
That said, don’t call my husband. He swore off playing weddings when somebody’s drunk uncle tried to fire his band at a reception for playing ‘that awful heavy metal stuff.’ The song in question? Johnny B. Good. Never again.
September 13th, 2006 at 5:16 pm
He swore off playing weddings when somebody’s drunk uncle tried to fire his band at a reception for playing ‘that awful heavy metal stuff.’ The song in question? Johnny B. Good.
Hahahahahaha! That’s fantastic. How totally weird. You make a great point, BTW, Twistie. There is so much out there - there is no reason to use one of those canned band wedding services if you want live music!
September 13th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
Hello all - I have a question for anybody out there who did go the iPod route - did you designate a driver for the night? We would love to stick with our own (fantastic of course) musical tastes for the night, but I feel like we should ask a friend who really knows audio equipment to take responsibility for sound levels, keeping the ‘pod charged, switching to the big “event” songs for the first dance etc. - what do you think?
September 13th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
At the last wedding I attended, Lowy, a good friend of the groom was acting DJ for the evening. He didn’t actually do much, just stop and start the music when necessary. I think he rigged the whole thing up, too.
September 13th, 2006 at 9:48 pm
Great, thanks!
September 14th, 2006 at 1:06 am
I have a friend who volunteered to DJ for my reception, he told me what he needed and found the rental place for the sound equipment. He’s already run a starter playlist by me, and me and my fiance are working on what else we want to hear.
So far, it’s been one of the least stressful parts of this whole thing.
September 14th, 2006 at 5:21 am
At a reception I attended, the first song played was Hotel California, and the second one was I Will Survive.
There are no words.
September 14th, 2006 at 11:35 am
I’m getting married in Austria, where tradition has it that there is live music at the wedding. And this live music is normally of a traditional nature, i.e. waltz, polka, foxtrot, etc. The trouble is, while the Austrians all know how to dance to this music, none of the Americans have ever learned anything more complex than the Boot-scootin’ Boogie. Should we just expose the Americans to this full-immersion method of music-appreciation, or should we get the band to play half pop music? I don’t want anyone to feel left out!
September 14th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
We thought about the ipod thing, then decided y’know… we don’t want to have to delegate it to somebody or babysit it. And unfortunately, we don’t have the music we want played anyway.
Granted, we’re having a daytime wedding, and we’re telling the DJ we want background music that people can dance to if they WANT to. No pushing dancing! Then we said ‘Oh, and make it swing and big band and just some nice stuff in general… Beatles are good, too.’ Is it bad that we’re considering ‘When I’m 64′ as a processional?
We’ll find out in March, I guess!
September 14th, 2006 at 2:29 pm
Hi, Bienchen! Are you sure none of them know how to waltz or polka? They might surprise you. But, if nothing else, they can shake their booties to traditional tunes - even if their moves are anything but traditional. There is no reason you have to play pop if you don’t want to!
September 14th, 2006 at 2:31 pm
Stacy: You should have any processional music you want! I think ‘When I’m 64′ is a sweet choice!
September 14th, 2006 at 5:12 pm
Stacey: I second NtB! When I’m Sixty-Four is a charming idea for a processional.
September 22nd, 2006 at 1:56 am
A friend burned some CDs for her wedding reception, which they handed off to the DJ. Despite having tested them in three different machines prior to the big day, the CDs somehow wouldn’t play in the DJ’s equipment. We still suspect the DJ of just not liking the music. (It was mostly big band music, and based on what the DJ substituted, he was a big 70’s fan.)
October 9th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
I’m a full-time DJ & Musician. We spend an incredible amount of time working on the client’s ceremony, event itinerary, their music selections, the family politics, bridal and family introductions, the over-all reception flow, etc.
I’m sure an ipod may work for some smaller gatherings. As a matter of fact we rent small systems for such events, but to think all dj’s play cheesy music and do nothing more than just sit in a corner to cue up the next tune is simply not the case.
This is one of the most special days of your life! I know there’s alot of cheese out there, but please don’t think it’s as easy as listening to your ipod while your working out. If you are going to hire a dj, do your homework and don’t settle for the bull. You deserve the best! Believe me, we really are there for you.
Good luck!
October 10th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
You’re quite right, Wayne. For large gatherings, DJs can and do provide a wonderful service. Namely, emceeing the event so everyone knows what is going on and no one misses, say, the cutting of the cake!
January 13th, 2007 at 4:55 am
My wonderfully sweet little brother just gave me an Ipod for my birthday today. My fiance and I were planning to get one for the wedding. The estate we’re getting married at has a sound system hooked up to speakers down at the gazebo for the ceremony, and in the reception room. I’ll think we’ll probably put a couple of my teenage guy cousins in charge of it since I’m sure they’d rather do that than sit and watch the ceremony. We’re on a tight budget so this is saving us a bundle! Now I just have to pick some songs.
January 14th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Let us know how it works out, Diana!