Wedding DJ Playlist Article

Here's an excellent article on picking open dance music for your DJ to play:

The #1 Rule For Your Wedding DJ Playlist

Whenever soon-to-be married couples work on their Wedding DJ Playlist they usually don't take into consideration the golden rule in building that list of wedding songs. The first rule of the playlist is...you do not talk about the playlist! I'm kidding, but many couples actually have that attitude and are afraid to tell their DJ what and how to play their sets of music. Don't make this mistake. Some (not all) DJ's have a set show for every single wedding they perform at, but that won't work for every crowd because every crowd is different! You don't want the DJ playing Hip Hop and rap music if the crowd is mostly your parent's age. You can play some hip hop but you need to make sure the DJ is following the #1 rule.

So, here it is...The number one rule for your wedding DJ playlist: Only play 3 songs from the same genre in a row. That's it! That is the FIRST rule when building your music playlist for dancing.

I know, it sounds too simple but it is what will make or break your dance floor! If your DJ is playing more than 3 songs in a row of a certain style, the guests who dislike that style will start to wonder if the rest of the night will be all that kind of music. 3 songs come out to about 10 to 12 minutes of music, which is a good length of time for a dancing set. Then the music switches up and those who were dancing go get a drink and rest up while those who like the new style crash the floor. then again, sometimes people just never leave the danced floor at all and that would be awesome!

Now I'm not saying to go from Reggae to Death Metal! If your DJ is talented, he can make the transitions smooth. For instance, the DJ can start of with Motown for a few, then come in with some disco, then mix into some top 40 dance. There's about 30 to 40 minutes of straight up dance music. You can move on to some classic rock from there or, since it is a wedding, hit your peeps up with a slow ballad. I'll go over some great song transitions and playlists in future posts, so stay tuned for that.

As always, there is an exception to this rule. You can get away with playing 5 or 6 songs from the same genre if your DJ mixes out of each song early. And I mean 2 minutes into the song. As you can see, it's more about the amount of time your guests are subjected to a certain style of music, which is about 10 to 12 minutes. If you go over that time, you will run into problems and you will most likely have guests heading out the door early. Don't believe me? Have your DJ play the best top 40 dance songs for 40 minutes and watch half of your guests run out the door!

So, again, here it is: Only play 3 songs from the same genre in a row. Don't forget this rule, the golden rule, the first rule in building your wedding DJ playlist for you and your guests.