Recap: Music At Our Wedding

Repeat after me: "NO MACARENA"

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Here's a recap of our wedding music, including some funny photos and the "don't play" list we gave to our band - Dream Street. Obviously, Dream Street sounded more like themselves than a the original artist, but they did a great job at most covers.

Ceremony music was classical, with the band’s keyboard player covering parts of Vivaldi’s "Four Seasons" while the groom’s attendants, the groom (me), and bridal attendants walked down the aisle. Caren (escorted by her parents) walked down the aisle to Pachabel's "Canon in D," and she looked great!

During the cocktail hour, the keyboard player provided light background music on the Olde Mill Inn’s piano, while the rest of the band was setting up. Dream Street is a seven piece band.

For the reception, we decided against introducing the entire bridal party. We wanted to avoid all the pomp and circumstance and start having fun. After a very low key "here they are for the first time" announcement, we went into our first dance, "Can’t Help Falling In Love" - a cover of the Elvis version – not of that UB40 garbage. We wanted this to be a party, not a sideshow or display, so we had the band invite everyone to join us on the first dance rather than standing around in a circle gawking when the realized that I have no idea how to dance.

Our musical choices were partially governed by one premise: People won’t dance to what they don’t know and recognize. We told the band to keep in mind that the age range at our wedding would be 30 to 75 (only 4 people under 30 were invited!). We’re 36 and 34, and most of our close friends are in their 30s. Many have been married for years. The last time many went into a club was 10 years ago. Many of us think dance rock of the 80s is still current, and we love older stuff too. But no bad 1970s disco please!

We also decided to avoid most of the cliché wedding music we’ve come to dislike. I insisted upon songs that could be used for dancing, dinner music, and even just listening to . Certain people -- like this groom – generally don’t dance and get nauseated by group participation and novelty numbers.

Some of the Musical Highlights:

Pink Cadillac -- This was the surprise of the night, as I joined the band and provided the lead vocals. I think I shocked our guests (and Caren!) -- I can do a fairly good Springsteen impersonation (and I did alter some of the lyrics to make the song even more suggestive!).

As usual, Caren spent much of the evening on the dance floor, and surprisingly, even I joined for many dances. For our next-to-last song of the night, we convinced the band to go with one totally cliché tune …"Shout." In order to add a new twist to it, Caren and I got down on the floor and did "the worm," again shocking/entertaining our family and friends.

The music finally ended with a slow dance, a strong cover of Louis Armstrong’s "What A Wonderful World."

Some Valuable Advice For Anyone Using A Band

  • If you have a band, make sure you insist on continous music through the reception -- meaning that at least one member of the band is playing at all time -- not tapes, CDs, or periods of silence.
  • Make sure the band agrees not to take ANY breaks during the last hour to hour and a half of your reception. Our reception ran from 2-6 p.m., and our band took a break right after the cake cutting (one hour left in the day). Many people thought this was the end of the reception, and began to leave. Though some did come back in when the band started up again, it would have been much better had the band kept playing non-stop from 5-6 p.m.
  • Make sure you word this very clearly in your contract.
How To Select A Band . How To Select A Videographer

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We avoided most cliché wedding tunes, and all the tired and embarrassing group dances. Yes, even many of the men did get up to dance, which we think proves that you don’t have to listen to your band or whinny DJs who claim that all the "standards" and cliches are necessary. In fact, many people complimented the band and the choice in music. And believe me, if music is important to you, you will remember the music at your wedding, even if you were running around and talking all night. It doesn’t just fly by – you really do notice it!

We attribute at least part of the musical success to our "don’t play" lists:

The Don’t Play Lists

The Following Songs Were Forbidden Under Terms of our Contract with the Band:

  • Macarena
  • YMCA
  • Wind Beneath My Wings
  • Sunrise Sunset
  • Celebrate
  • That’s What Friends Are For
  • Hands Up, Alley Cat, Hokey Pokey, Chicken Dance, etc.

Some people actually thanked us for not playing the Macarena or any stupid novelty tunes -- proving that they are not required for a good time. Others praised the band.

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We Asked the Band to try to Avoid

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In my not-so-hunmble opinion, I suggest that you...

Avoid the following tired cliches at all costs:

A Little Humor Goes A Long Way

We put disposable cameras on each table. My cousins (all a bit older --aged 40-55) decided to tease me about the Macarena by taking photos of each of them in a Macarena position. We just got the photos back, and at the end, they're all holding up little cards (like Olympic judges) to form a sign reading, "Hey Macarena." Imagine our surprise when we got the photos back!

Here you see my cousins Gene (the Junior High Principal and Ph.D.)and Ronny doing their poses, thinking they "got me." Thanks to the magic of technology, I have the final laugh!. Back to the music recap.

Get me outta here!