A Guide to Reception Music Planning That Works
If you’ve made the wise choice of investing in live entertainment for your reception, then the last thing you want to do is throw together some haphazard list of songs. Reception music planning is crucial to maintaining the energy of the night. Particularly the song that starts the party right after dinner sets the tone for what’s to come. Pick wisely, and people will be making a beeline to the dance floor; pick poorly, and you’ll be met with hesitation from those in attendance at your swanky ballroom.
Reception music isn’t just a form of background music, it’s an entire strategy. Couples who’ve invested in hiring a live band deserve a list of songs that strikes a perfect balance of energy, originality and refinement. Of course, this means that while you can give your band some pointers, you should leave them with the opportunity to work some magic by reading the crowd. Browse globally recognized wedding bands at Wedding Music Bands, including the “World’s Most Traveled Band,” Liquid Blue, and the celebrity wedding fave Modern Retrospect.
Start With the Reception You Want Guests to Feel
Think about what kind of reception you want to have before submitting your song requests. What kind of vibe are you hoping for? Do you envision a black-tie, Motown and soul-filled reception? Do you want a multi-generational sing-a-long party? Maybe you’re wanting to showcase your love of country music? What about a cocktail-hour jazzy affair? Destination wedding to a Latin country?
Once you’ve considered your vision, jot down a couple of sentences to explain what kind of experience you want guests to walk away feeling. Elite live bands are amazing at switching genres and decades seamlessly, but your couple of sentences about your ideal vibe will serve them and you much better than a list of 100 songs. Your wedding guests are surely going to range from college friends to professional connections to relatives of all ages to kiddos. Which means that, overall, your reception’s music is going to range a lot over the course of the night. This doesn’t mean that your entire guest list will agree on all of the musical choices, but there should be something to enjoy for everyone at various points in the night.
Build Your Reception Music Timeline
Think about what kind of energy you want during each part of your reception and choose songs or musical acts accordingly. It can be tricky to figure out all of this last-minute, so it’s nice to have a game plan.
Guest Arrival and Cocktail Hour
This is a good opportunity to create a warm and inviting atmosphere with live music that won’t overpower conversation. Think jazz trio, string quartet or an acoustic guitar. You can also consider a classy, well-crafted playlist. Cocktail hour is the place to play recognizable, elegant material like jazz standards, bossa nova or instrumental covers of current pop songs that don’t belong later during the dance party portion of the night.
Think about songs you know well but have never danced to, ones that have a sheen to them. If you plan on having your cocktail hour in another room from your dinner, let your planner and musicians know. This affects what type of musicians are feasible, volume, ability to make a production, power availability, ability to transition from one room to the other, etc.
Grand Entrance
Although it’s a quick moment, the music during your entrance will set the tone. Look for songs with immediate impact, a killer brass hit, an undeniable beat or a rousing chorus, not a slow build that takes 45 seconds to become recognizable. The song should be an extension of what you want this moment to feel like, sexy, fun, over-the-top, glamorous, committed, whatever you choose to do, do it with conviction.
You might choose a cinematic track for a glam entrance or a high-energy song to keep the beat going after your entrance, whether you have a first dance or go right into speeches. Whatever the case may be, a band can totally nail this moment, so lean on their expertise when making your choice.
First Dance, Parent Dances, and Special Dances
Songs that are meaningful to you as a couple but don’t always lend themselves well to a live setting, for instance with a long instrumental intro, may not be the best for your First Dance. We always suggest that couples discuss any special dances (first, parent, etc.) with the band beforehand so that they can shorten the arrangement as necessary, start in on a certain part, end the song after two verses/choruses, etc.
Not all songs will be conducive to a live arrangement. But most of the time, a talented vocalist will be able to manipulate the arrangement to accommodate your tempo/mood requests. This will keep the meaning of your dance but will make for a better experience for your guests and allow photographers/videographers an opportunity to capture that special moment.
Dinner Music
One of the best pieces of advice we can offer couples planning a high-end reception is to avoid the common mistake of choosing only slow songs for the dinner. Slow does not always equal sophisticated. The best dinner music will include a blend of upbeat, vibrant songs that lend themselves to an acoustic/jazzy feel. Your guests will be impressed with the soulful mid-tempo standards mixed in with current hits.
Dinner is a time to enhance the experience of the evening and set the tone for the dance portion of the night. Couples often wonder if the right dinner music will be too distracting and interfere with conversation. It shouldn’t. You want the music to be present, yet at a level that allows for easy conversation throughout the room. We’ll work with you and your wedding planner ahead of the wedding to discuss the layout of the room, number of tables, how echoey the space may be, height of ceilings, etc. to best accommodate a great sound during dinner.
Reception Music Planning
Think about what type of atmosphere you want your guests to experience, plan the perfect music for each moment at your reception ahead of time, the wedding couple’s first dance, parent dances, etc., and you’ll be well on your way to the party of a lifetime
Plan the Dance Floor Like a Headliner Set
You can’t just start with your #1 song, as a jam-packed dance floor takes some finesse. After dinner, start with some crowd-pleasers that are upbeat and inviting to draw out even the most reserved couples. Once you’ve gotten a critical mass of dancers on the floor, crank out those big hooky dance floor fillers and sing-a-long anthems. A seasoned live band will know how to weave through the best of each genre, including timeless sing-a-long anthems that entertain multiple generations and current dance floor fillers, to build and maintain an incredible dance floor throughout the night.
Must Plays / Do-Not Plays
Just like a rock star knows how to work a crowd, your band wants to be able to read your crowd. Resist the urge to plan out each and every song for the night. Give them a short list of your favorite artists and some must-play songs.
Same goes for the do-not play list. Limit this list to just three or four songs that you absolutely hate or don’t want to hear, whether it’s due to the genre, lyrics, or a negative association with a particular tune, and leave the rest to the professionals. Overly restrictive guidelines limit the band’s ability to play the crowd and can even dissuade some acts from performing at your event. Plus, believe us…there are songs they’re going to play that will keep the dance floor packed and be reception winners no matter what. Trust us.
Additional Items to Discuss with Your Live Band:
1. Create a detailed timeline with your band and your wedding planner.
2. Discuss venue restrictions, stage space, sound, etc. ahead of time.
3. Discuss which portions should be covered by the band, and which portions will be pre-recorded such as processional and recessional music during the ceremony or dinner music at the reception.
4. Let them know which songs you’d like to use for important moments, such as the processional/recessional, grand entrance, first dance, mothers/fathers dance, and cake-cutting song.
5. Have a playlist of songs in case of technical difficulties.
6. Don’t forget to plan a memorable last song to end the night on a bang.
Decide What Must Be Live and What Can Be Recorded
There are many reasons to use a combination of live and recorded music at your wedding. Some songs or genres lend themselves better to recorded versions. Processionals and cultural dances may be better with recordings. Unique first dance selections may be difficult to find that can be performed in an authentic way.
Certain moments and songs may be enhanced by a live performance. Familiar songs take on a whole new energy when performed by a lead singer, a horn section or choreographed dancers. Good musicians know how to work a room. Adding some special touches like dance-floor lighting, tasteful video production scaled appropriately for the venue and wireless mics for toasts can enhance the energy and make those moments even more memorable.
Productions like these do take up more space on the floor and cost more. Sometimes, especially with smaller receptions, a smaller ensemble is more fitting for the size of the room. Determine what is most important to you and choose the band accordingly. Budget, size of the room and number of guests all contribute to the decision. Also plan ahead for any songs that will be played as recordings; we’ll need to think about playback, connections, have the right format, etc.
Coordinate Music with the People Running the Night
Everyone from your wedding planner and venue coordinator to your photographer and caterer all impact the timeline for the evening. Make sure you have a timeline that everyone can follow that includes important elements like introductions, first dances, toasts, meal service, cake cutting, cultural traditions, wardrobe changes, etc. It’s helpful to decide ahead of time who will be responsible for cueing the band, so there’s a single source for decisions on the wedding day the bandleader can look to.
Where should the toasts take place? Before dinner? During dinner, such as between courses? After dinner? Remember, gaps in a dance set drain the energy of a party, but a well-timed speech can help to reinvigorate energy levels once music picks back up.
Other details to consider: Is there a sound limit or curfew at the venue? What are the load-in times? How large of a stage will be available? What is the power situation? Unexpected technical issues can eat into set-up time and limit production. Wedding Music Bands can help you stay organized and plan these details.
Choose a Last Song Worth Staying For
This will be everyone’s last opportunity to make a shared memory together, so use it wisely. Pick something communal and celebratory that everyone can sing along to. This doesn’t necessarily have to be the fastest song of the night, it could be the fastest, but there’s often songs that encourage everyone to come together, such as a favorite sing-a-long song that gets everyone holding hands/singing/dancing etc. It’s okay to let everyone take it at their own pace too, a sing-a-long people connect with will trump a sprint any day.
Factor in to your timings whether you’d like a definitive end to the night or to your venue if you’re heading to an after party, whether you’d like an encore situation, any transport collections, any private last dances you want to squeeze in etc. This way your band knows exactly what you want to get out of your evening, and the end won’t feel rushed.
Ultimately, it’s about providing your band with a vision of what you’re after, what songs absolutely need to be there, but leave them with some free rein to make it special. Are people still on their feet, singing, asking for an encore at the end? Mission accomplished.
Frequently Asked Questions About Reception Music Planning
How many songs should we choose for our wedding reception?
Typically, all of the songs for particular moments like the grand entrance, first dance, parent dances, cake cutting, and last song, but that’s it. Leave it up to the band to fill in the rest based on your general song/musical preferences and their ability to read the crowd.
What songs should we pick?
We highly recommend keeping the list short. Providing a comprehensive list of songs, artists, etc. that you LOVE, songs that are a MUST-PLAY, and songs/artists that should never be played works best. Trust us, micromanaged playlists will result in an empty dance floor. Our live wedding musicians have years of experience and need some leniency to adjust the playlist according to the vibe and participation of your guests.
What type of music works well during cocktail hour?
We typically recommend something more classy and subtle, think jazz, acoustic, piano, guitar, strings, etc. You want something that compliments your space and wedding, and allows your guests to easily mingle and hold conversations. We also enjoy creating unique acoustic or instrumental versions of current pop hits.
How long should we schedule music for our wedding reception?
Most couples find that they enjoy two to three hours of dancing, but ultimately, this is decided by your wedding schedule, venue curfew, etc. If you’re planning an after-party, this might be an area where you could expand dancing/music.
What makes live wedding bands so much better?
Live music can’t be reproduced. Bands engage the crowd, tweak song choices in the moment, and up the energy in ways recorded music just doesn’t. Your guests will remember a wedding with a killer band for YEARS, so hire our live wedding musicians and make your wedding unique.
