Now that 2012 is upon us, here’s a new edition of some of our favorite first dance choices from our brides & grooms.  We love it when a couple finds a unique song that really captures what their love is about.  While many of the traditional songs are great, we get more excited when we’re asked to play something different for a first dance.   Here’s some of our favorites from recent weddings:

Turning Page – Sleeping At Last  Yes, it’s from the Twilight movie, but you can’t deny the lyrics are beautiful and perfect for a wedding.

Love Your Love The Most – Eric Church  Here’s one for the country fans out there. We like the playful lyrics.

Thank You – Duran Duran  Not sure why this couple chose the Duran Duran version rather than the Led Zeppelin original.  Either way, here’s one we hadn’t seen chosen before.

Wedding Dress – Matt Nathanson  Yeah, it’s an obvious choice for a first dance song, but it’s nice to have a modern song that’s such a good fit for weddings.

Your Guardian Angel – Red Jumpsuit Apparatus  Horrible band name, good song.

 

 

 

 

We probably get asked for help choosing a couple’s first dance song more than any other wedding song.  That being said we always like to share those songs that aren’t you’re typical first dance songs.  Here’s a few recent choices that we liked:

Fake Plastic Trees – Radiohead:  A gorgeous ballad from these English rockers, the lyrics start off a little morose, but ends with “If I could be who you wanted all the time.  All the time…”

Love Like This – Natasha Beddingfield & Sean Kingston: This catchy tune tells a great story of a couple that have been in love since middle school.

Todo Cambio – Camila:  For the Spanish speaking couples out there, this ballad talks about the moment “everything changed.”

The Only One – Black Keys:  This tune from this duo has a great groove to it.

All This Time – OneRepublic:  A great ballad from this band who got their start in Colorado Springs.

 

 

Choosing all the music for your wedding can feel overwhelming at first.  While you definitely want to inject your own personal taste into the music at your wedding, here are a few suggestions of songs that have  become popular choices for specific dances to help you out:

FATHER/DAUGHTER DANCE:

• Unforgettable - Natalie Cole
• My Girl - The Temptations
• Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
• Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion
• Daddy’s Little Girl – Al Martino
• Through The Years – Kenny Rogers
• Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle
• Daughters – John Mayer
• The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
• Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison
• A Song for My Daughter – Mikki Viereck
• Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John
• I’ll Remember – Madonna
• Dance With My Father – Luther Vandross

MOTHER/SON DANCE:

• Wind Beneath My Wings- Bette Midler
• You’re The Inspiration – Chicago
• Times of Your Life – Paul Anka
• A Song For Mama – Boyz II Men
• I Am Your Child – Barry Manilow
• A Song for my Son – Mikki Viereck
• Hero - Mariah Carey
• Have I Told You Lately- Rod Stewart
• What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
• Could I Have This Dance – Anne Murray
• Stand By Me – Ben E King
• You Raise Me Up – Josh Groban

UNITY CANDLE LIGHTING:

• Everything I Do – Bryan Adams
• The Wedding Song – Peter Paul & Mary
• Amazing Grace – Traditional
• Ave Maria – Traditional
• Endless Love – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
• You Light Up My Life – Debbie Boone
• Always – Atlantic Starr

FIRST DANCE:

• What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
• At Last – Etta James (or Beyoncé)
• The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra (or Michael Bublé)
• Amazed - Lonestar
• All My Life – K-Ci & Jojo
• Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
• Could I Have This Dance – Anne Murray
• In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
• Just The Way You Are – Billy Joel
• Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
• From This Moment On – Shania Twain
• It Had to Be You – Harry Connick Jr.
• Everything I Do – Bryan Adams
• My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion
• When You Say Nothing at All – Allison Krauss
• Faithfully – Journey
• Here and Now – Luther Vandross
• Angels – Robbie Williams
• You’re Beautiful – James Blunt

INTRODUCTION SONGS:

• All You Need is Love – The Beatles
• At Last – Etta James
• Beautiful Day – U2
• Get the Party Started – Pink
• You’re The First, The Last, My Everything – Barry White
• Let’s Get it Started – Black Eyed Peas
• White Wedding – Billy Idol
• Bittersweet Symphony – the Verve
• L O V E – Nat King Cole
• Always & Forever – Heatwave

CAKE CUTTING:

• How Sweet It Is – James Taylor
• I Got You Babe – Sonny & Cher
• Recipe For Love – Harry Connick, Jr.
• Cut The Cake – Average White Band
• Ice Cream – Sarah McLachlan
• The Sweetest Thing – U2
• Sugar Sugar – Archies
• Pour Some Sugar on Me – Def Leppard
• When I’m 64 – Beatles
• Happy Together – the Turtles
• Love You Madly – Cake
• That’s Amore – Dean Martin

BOUQUET TOSS:

• Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
• Ladies Night – Kool & The Gang
• Hey Ladies – The Beastie Boys
• Just a Girl – No Doubt
• Another One Bites The Dust – Queen
• Single  Ladies (Put A Ring on it) – Beyoncé
• This One is For the Girls – Martina McBride
• I Feel Like a Woman – Shania Twain
• Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar
• Can’t Hold Us Down – Christina Aguilera
• It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls

GARTER TOSS:

• Wild Thing – Tone Loc
• You Can Leave Your Hat On – Joe Cocker
• Can’t Get Enough of Your Love – Barry White
• You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate
• Let’s Get it On – Marvin Gaye
• Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
• Oh Yeah! – Yello
• Macho Man – the Village People
• Theme From Mission Impossible
• Kiss – Prince
• Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
• American Woman – Lenny Kravitz

LAST DANCE

• (Good Riddance) Time of Your Life – Green Day
• Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
• My Way – Frank Sinatra
• Hello, Goodbye – The Beatles
• Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Diana Ross
• I’ve Had The Time Of My Live - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
• Saving the Best for Last – Vanessa Wiliams
• That’s What Friends Are For – Dianne Warwick
• Closing Time – Semisonic
• The Party’s Over- Nat King Cole
• I Could Not Ask for More – Edwin McCain

POPULAR  SONGS IN GENERAL FOR WEDDINGS

• Just Dance – Lady Gaga
• Celebration – Kool & the Gang
• Love Shack – the B-52′s
• I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You – Elvis Presley
• I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
• Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel
• We Are Family – Sister Sledge
• Respect – Aretha Franklin
• Shout – The Isley Brothers
• Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
• Holiday – Madonna
• Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
• Don’t Want to Miss A Thing – Aerosmith
• Still the One – Shania Twain
• Truly, Madly, Deeply – Savage Garden
• Cha Cha Slide – Mr C The Slide Man
• I Hope You Dance – Leann Womack
• Sexy Back – Justin Timberlake
• Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi

Now that it really feels like fall, we’re looking back at some of the first dance songs that our couples chose this past summer.  It’s never an easy decision, so here are a few of the more unique & clever choices:

Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World – IZ: Maybe not at unique as it was 5 years ago, but we still think this is a great song for a first dance.

Green Eyes – Coldplay: This sparse ballad has Chris Martin singing “I could never go on without you.”

Into the Mystic – Van Morrison: Yeah, Van Morrison gets played a lot at weddings, but there’s something about this track that I really like for a first dance song.

Sweet Pea – Amos Lee:  I like how this song has a twangy, old-timey vibe to it.

Islands in the Stream – Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers: Am I the only one who imagines the bride & groom singing along to every word while they dance?

Today – Joshua Radin:  This folky guitar track sounds like it was written to be played at weddings.

We’ve seen a lot of couples stress over choosing their first dance song here at A Music Plus Entertainment.  It’s an important moment for any couple, so that’s why we love sharing original & unique choices that we see from our brides and grooms.  Here’s a few first dance songs from 2011 summer weddings that we enjoyed:

Jack Johnson- Angel:  A sparse modern love song perfect for a wedding.

Genesis- Follow You Follow Me:  The start of Genesis’ commercial sucesses, this 1978 single has a good vibe about it.

Ingrid Michaelson – The Way I Am:  The lyrics really are especially clever on this song.  How can you not smirk a bit when she sings “I’ll buy you Rogaine when you start losing all your hair”?

Taj Mahal – Lovin’ In My Baby’s Eyes:  Not many people choose blues songs at weddings, but this is a great one.

Nathan Angelo – Someday Soon:  I think we’ll be hearing this heartfelt piano ballad at a lot more weddings in the future.

Chester See – God Damn You’re Beautiful:  How can you not appreciate a song with a title like that?

Metallica – Nothing Else Matters:  While I’m not a fan of metal at weddings, for the right couple these lyrics really work well for a first ‘dance.’

We can’t help it.  We love it when our couples choose interesting songs for their first dance.   Lately we’ve had a string of great choices of tracks from indie rock artists; and here’s some of our favorites:

Ben Folds – The Luckiest.  Possibly my favorite love song of all time.

Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Follow You Into the Dark.   Might be a little dark for a wedding reception, but it’s a powerful & moving song.

Blind Pilot – 3 Rounds & A Sound.  Another heavy tune, but beautiful lyrics.

Band of Horses – No One’s Going to Love You.  The title says it all: ‘No one’s going to love you like I do.”  And if you like your music on the R&B side of things, Cee-Lo Green does an amazing cover on this song.

Gorillaz – On Melancholy Hill.   I’m guessing this band/song has special meaning to this couple as it doesn’t really feel like a track for a wedding, nonetheless a great love song.

Owl City – If My Heart Was a House.   “You’d be home.”  This indie-electro band that gave us “Fireflies” also has this pretty little number.

Ellie Goulding – Your Song.  A beautiful new take on the Elton John classic.

Mike Doughty – More Bacon Than the Pan Can Handle.  I’ll be honest- I have no idea why they picked this one for their first song- do you?

Continuing our series on first dance picks from our brides & grooms, here are a few more of the most interesting choices from this years wedding season:

Yer So Bad – Tom Petty.  Gotta respect this couple for going the tongue & cheek route with this playful song.

Michael Buble – Crazy Love.  You just can’t go wrong with Michael Buble at a wedding in my opinion.

Ben Harper – Not Fire Not Ice. Gorgeous ballad from this sensitive rocker.

Orquesta La Palabra – Lady.  Great Latin swing number.  Makes me wish I would have been there to see how the couple choreographed the actual dance to this.

Alicia Keys – That’s How Strong My Love Is.   I hadn’t heard this Alicia song until this bride & groom picked this for their first dance.  Really nice lyrics.

Sam Bush – Circles Around Me.   This bluegrass tune sounds perfect for a Colorado mountain wedding.

Garth Brooks – To Make You Feel My Love.   Many people have been choosing Adele’s breathtaking cover of this Dylan track, this country version was one of the first & most popular cover versions.

Music choices can be tough.  It’s very selective- what you may think is a great song could be one that your best friend can’t stand.   So what do you do when picking out songs for your wedding reception?   If you hate the Black Eyed Peas, but know that the dance floor will be packed once  ‘I Gotta Feelin’ is played, do you skip it to keep yourself happy or give in to your 100 wedding guests?

The simple answer is that it’s your wedding so you can have whatever you want! If there is a song that will make you cringe if you hear it, then put it on the Do Not Play List. Of course, the more songs you put on your Do Not Play List, the greater the chance you’ll have some disappointed guests at your wedding reception, so you have to decide how you want to balance that challenge. Also, if you restrict too much music, it could hinder the DJ’s ability to read your guests and play the songs that will work for that moment, but we ultimately believe that you should have total control over the music played and not played on YOUR day.

Another option is to let the DJ know your “do not plays” with the caveat that if they get all kinds of requests for any particular song, then it is ok check with you for approval to play it.

Our philosophy has always been that it’s the bride and groom’s day—they can have anything they want. If they want to make the DJ play Gregorian Chants at full volume all night, it’s their call.  Sure we’ll let them know its not a good idea & educate them on what types of songs work well at weddings but in then end it’s up to them what music is played.

Moreover, it is the responsibility of a guest to be a good guest. If the bride hates John Mayer and will cry if she hears his sultry voice on her wedding day, guests need to back off the demanding requests and load up “Your Body is A Wonderland” on their iPod—on the way home in the car.
Top 5 Do Not Play songs:

“Chicken Dance”
“Macarena” by Los Del Rio
“Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People
“Cha Cha Slide” by DJ Casper
“Electric Slide” by Marcia Griffins

For more advice on choosing music for your wedding check out : http://amusicplus.com/Dj/DJmusicselection.htm

Some traditions seem to fade away over time.  Take the bouquet & garter toss for example.   Once the highlight for some at weddings, it’s now less & less common.  Some find the garter toss inappropriate & others have seen the bouquet toss become downright dangerous.   Over the last few years we’ve noticed some alternatives to the bouquet toss in particular (any couples are skipping the garter toss.)

Anniversary Dance:

Probably just as popular (if not more) than the bouquet toss thesedays, this is a way to acknowledge the married rather than single guests at your wedding.   Have the DJ bring the married couples to the dance floor, and as the song proceeds the DJ asks couples to leave based on how many years they’ve been married.  By the end of the song, the longest-married couple is left and they are given the bouquet, sometimes the garter (or a personalized gift.)

All Women Bouquet Toss:

Why exclude your female married guests?  Some people choose to bring out all their female friends & toss the bouquet to them.   This way you won’t embarrass the women who don’t like being ‘singled out.’

 Gifts to all the Single Ladies:

At a few weddings we’ve seen brides give something to all the single women in the crowd.  Sometimes it’s a wedding favour, gift or one flower from the bouquet.

Breakaway Bouquet:

Work with your florist to create a bouquet that will “fall apart” when thrown. Typically it’s a loose bouquet where the ribbon holding it together is simply removed.  When thrown into the crowd, the bouquet separates and many guests get the flowers.  We’ve also seen it where the large bouquet is made up of 3-5 smaller bouquets and those fall to multiple lucky women.

Circle Dance:

In this alternative, the single women hold hands & form a circle around the blindfolded bride.  At one point during the song the circle stops and the bride reaches out and hands her bouquet to the woman directly facing her.

Logistics tip:

Whatever you choose, do the toss (es) right after the cake cutting.  This gives the caterer time to cut and serve the cake while your guests are being entertained.

What other alternatives have you seen?

 

Ah, the ever-important first dance song.  That moment as a couple that is supposed to convey your love story to the wedding guests.  It’s never an easy choice with the hundreds of possible songs to choose from.  We’ve kept track of all the first dance songs chosen by brides & grooms this year and here’s some of our favorites (some classics, some creative choices):

You Are the Best Thing – Ray Lamontagne  (a groovy, modern folk tune with a old school R&B vibe.)

I’d Die Without You – PM Dawn (Remember these guys?  A gorgeous ballad that still sounds good today.)

When You Say Nothing At All – Alison Krauss (A classic country song, we like Alison’s version the best out of all of them.  Her voice practically sparkles on this track.)

Stars & Midnight Blue – Enya  (Many may imitate, but there’s really no one like Enya.)

Lucky – Jason Mraz/Colbie Caillat (A new classic first dance song that’s sure to be popular for years to come, it’s modern & catchy, plus it feels very Colorado.)

Look After You – The Fray (These Colorado boys hit the nail on the head with this love song.)

I Want You – Tom Waits (While I’m not a fan of his voice, but points for originality to the couple who choice this sparse guitar ballad.)

3 Little Birds – Bob Marley (not an obvious choice, but a great song, how perfect for any island/beach themed wedding.)

Dream a Little Dream – Mama Cass (another surprise choice, personally I don’t think you can go wrong with any Mama Cass tune.)