Everyone wants their wedding to have great music. Most couples picture their family and friends on their feet at the reception, dancing and having a great time. Most couple’s biggest nightmare is their loved ones and friends sitting at their table feeling awkward. Music is the key to bringing everyone together on the dance floor and creating an evening that guests talk about for months after. Not sure where to begin? There are a few ways to ensure that your wedding music will be a hit.

1. Decision Time: DJ or Band

The first step to selecting your wedding music is deciding between a wedding DJ or a band. Do you and your fiancé enjoy live music, or would you rather listen to a curated playlist spun by a DJ? Every couple has a preference, but it’s important to decide together which idea excites you both. The good thing is that you can most likely still select the music style played by either- but the deciding factor will be whether you enjoy that raw, live music sound or the seamless transitions of DJ spun hits. Make sure to meet with a few different options of each to decide which band or DJ will be the best fit for your specific needs and can do everything that you need from them during your special day.

2. Style of Music

After selecting how you want your music to be played, it’s important to select the style of music that you’d enjoy at your wedding. Live bands could gravitate more towards classic rock, pop, alternative, acoustic, jazz, you name it. If you want your music to coincide with your wedding theme, select a style that way: whether it be slow John Mayer hits or rap songs that everyone will know. According to Brides.com, it’s also important to consider your history with your partner. Which style do you both enjoy together? Is there a particular genre or artist that you gravitate to? All of these factors go into deciding the general style that your band or DJ will play. Even if you do select one general style, you will be able to stray away to play specific songs outside of that style.

3. Playlist Creation

Okay, so you’ve decided whether you want a DJ or live band, and you’ve chosen a general music style. Next, it’s time for the playlist. If you and your partner want to have a large say in which specific songs are played at your wedding, make sure to collaborate on a playlist before. Whether or not each song fits the general style of music played, include the most important songs that you want to hear. Your hired professionals will fill in the gaps, but you’ll kick yourself later if you and your partner’s favorite jam doesn’t play at some point, or if there aren’t some crowd favorites thrown in the mix. Some couples even ask for song recommendations on their RSVP cards to make sure everyone has a bit of a say in what they want to hear.

Music is very important to a wedding, as it’s usually included in both the ceremony and reception. It leaves a lasting impression on your guests, and will most likely be one of the standout aspects of the evening. These tips will help give you a head start in one of the most important steps of your wedding planning process!

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