You’re getting married at one of the most popular times of the year. Great weather (fingers crossed), beautiful scenery and decor, and all the details are in place for an amazing event. You’ve got your vendors chosen and as it gets closer to the actual event you’re tasked with creating a song list to make sure your reception is fun for you as well as your guests. Where to begin? We’ve got some summer song selects for your wedding to make sure everyone’s dancing the night away.
Couple’s Entrance
It’s always nice to infuse some personalization into your wedding, and your official 1st entrance as a couple is a great place to do it. Is there a song with special meaning to you both? Maybe the 1st song you ever danced to together? Or a song from a movie you both love? If there isn’t a song with personal meaning, here are some favorites that any DJ or band will be able to play for you: We love “Happy” by Pharrell Williams or “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé featuring Jay Z. Another popular option is “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars.
Of course, if you want to play up the summertime, there’s always “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina & The Waves or another tune to get everyone up and ready to cheer you on is “Dancing in the Street” by Martha and the Vandellas. If that’s too old school this summer’s hits from the Jonas Brothers, “Sucker” and “Cool” are the epitome of current and like the song says, cool.
1st Dance
Your first dance is the time for plenty a photo op, as everyone gathers around and takes note of this special time. Whether you get dance lessons or not, you’ll want a song that reflects you as a couple. Some classic options are the always-popular “At Last” by Etta James or for a more current option, “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. But you can also think out-of-the-box like one couple did that hired Rock It Man Entertainment. “One of my favorite first dances I got to play and sing recently was a unique mashup between Alison Krauss’s “When You Say Nothing at All” and Staind’s “Tangled Up in You” says owner Jon Li. A mash-up is totally unique and made that couple’s 1st dance anything but cookie-cutter.
Mother-Son
Often people choose classics, rather than Top 40 choices, for the mother-son dance. Two such options that never disappoint are “What a Wonderful World” by Louie Armstrong and “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King. “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles and “Wind Beneath My Wings” are always other popular choices.
Father-Daughter
You might not know it but Stevie Wonder actually wrote “Isn’t She Lovely” for his daughter when she was born. And it’s been a popular staple at many a wedding ever since. Charlie Puth’s “One Call Away” is a contemporary hit that drives home the relationship between bride and dad, and “My Girl” by the Temptations is a perennial favorite. Rock It Man Entertainment’s Jon Li has a personal connection to some often-requested songs, “As a father of two daughters, I particularly resonate with songs like Zac Brown’s “I’ll Be Your Man” and Jon McLaughlin’s “Imaginary Tea”. Some songwriters really know how to hit you right in the feels!”
Last Dance
The goal at the end of the night is usually to end on a high note. This means upbeat, happy songs that will have guests fondly reliving the night in their head for days, or weeks to come. Jon Li has an interesting approach, in that he either does just that or goes for the slower, more sentimental option. “I’ll usually do one of two things to end the night (depending on what I think the crowd will go for): 1) a big end-with-a-bang kind of song like “Uptown Funk”, “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Don’t Stop Believing”, or 2) a great sing-along, a put-your-arm-around-your-neighbor-and-sway song like “Lean on Me”, “Hey Jude” or “Piano Man”. Either way, we love to try to find a way to bring people together to close out the show.”