Getting Down to Guilty Pleasures
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Monday, January 25th 
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At the risk of stating the obvious, as a DJ my favorite part of any wedding is when all of the guests begin dancing. For the newlyweds, the day can be such a whirlwind–the rollercoaster of emotions, the details to remember, the last minute contingencies and unplanned surprises–that the first moment they get to really slow down and take everything in sometimes arrives only as the dance floor fills up.
And really, what better way is there to celebrate the glory of the day than by cutting loose with your closest friends and family, doing something as pure and simpe as expressing yourself through dance? After all, sharing your joy this way is one of the main reasons why you decided to have a wedding in the first place.
If music is something near and dear to you (and let’s face it–it usually is), chances are you will spend a fair amount of time mulling over song choices for your reception. Figuring out which artists and tracks strike the right tone for your particular celebration can be taxing, but sometimes couples can overthink things, too. One of the biggest challenges couples face revolves around the idea of “guilty pleasures,” songs which, deep down, they honestly love, but which are also a little cheesy.
I’m here to assure you that there is more than enough room in your playlist for a little fromage, and that more often than not, these guilty pleasure songs wind up being the most fun for everyone involved. They tend to be songs that people forgot they even liked until they hear them, and I love playing songs at weddings that people are surprised, but ultimately excited, to hear.
One of my favorite examples of this is “I’m A Believer” by The Monkees. It’s an oldie but a goodie, the perfect way to get people of all ages shaking their rumps, and the lyrics are very well-matched to the occasion (“I saw her face, now I’m a believer! Not a trace of doubt in my mind.”). I’m not the only one with a soft spot for The Monkees, either, because it generates a great reaction every time it’s played at a wedding. The last time I DJed it–for a wedding at The Kitchen in Boulder–the dance floor was filled with guests in their young twenties.
Other classic guilty pleasures include anything from Bob Marley and the Wailers, especially lyrically appropriate cuts like “Could You Be Loved?” and “One Love,” George Benson’s “Gimme the Night,” and “I Just Want to Celebrate” by Rare Earth. Danny and Nina, from Indie Bliss’ Nina Barry Photography, said the best song at their wedding turned out to be “Poison” by Bel Biv Devoe–a totally cheesy jam.
What do you think about wedding music guilty pleasures? Do you have any favorites from weddings you’ve been to or are you considering any yourself?
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Author information:
Nina Barry
Cori Cook
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Julie Sandusky
Leah M. Charney
Katelyn Simkins
Continental "Divine"
Danny de Zayas
My husband and I picked “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” by Barry White for our first dance song. We had a choreographed dance
Fun!
Also, “Moskau” by Dschinghis Khan — so so so so so good! We had a crazy dance party erupt over this. That and “Poison” both.
Oh, I remember “Poison” at your wedding, it was epic! I also learned that Jeff Fal is a dance machine because of that song. He knew all the words too!
I was at a wedding a few years back and deep into the night Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’ began… highlight of the evening.