Topic: DJ'ing Your Own Wedding

[Zaider]

Hey Everyone,

I got married in August and we decided we didn't want to pay someone $1000 to press play on a playlist so we decided to just use an iPod. It worked really well. We put a lot of time into the playlist and how the songs went from one to another so there weren't awkward pauses or intros. Order of the songs was also really important.

So, if you are interested in the playlist here it is and a brief description of why the songs are in there.. here it is:

Start off with some songs that nobody will really dance to, but to get them knowing that its time to dance
Do You Wanna Dance by Cliff Richard
Marry You   by Bruno Mars

Time to get some people on the dance floor with a few really well-known songs
Celebration (Single) by Kool & the Gang
Superstition by   Stevie Wonder
Kiss by Prince & The Revolution
Twist and Shout by The Beatles
Land of 1000 Dances    by Wilson Pickett
Only the Good Die Young by Billy Joel
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers
Louie Louie by The Kingsmen
Thriller   Michael Jackson

Did I say a few? I meant a bunch. The next two are a result of a battle between my fiancee and I on which song is better. Thankfully, they're both pretty solid

Somebody Like You   Keith Urban
I Want You Back   Jackson 5

Get some energy into the room with a couple of modern dance hits

I Gotta Feeling     The Black Eyed Peas
Dynamite           Taio Cruz
Crazy In Love     Beyoncé
Teenage Dream      Katy Perry

Allow people to grab some water, grab some drinks

Pumped Up Kicks   Foster the People
Brown Eyed Girl           Van Morrison

Get'em back on the dance floor!

Blister in the Sun   Violent Femmes
Home for a Rest   Spirit of the West

Time for some line dancing

Cadillac Ranch   Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Remember the Killers?

Mr Brightside   The Killers

Forget the Killers. Its time for some classics that everyone knows the words to

Jessie's Girl   Rick Springfield
Journey - Dont Stop Believing   Journey
Shout   The Isley Brothers
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (Theme from NBC's The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air)   DJ Jazzy Jeff & DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody   

Yep. Thats right. Time for whatever song is super popular right now

Call Me Maybe   Carly Rae Jepsen

I made my fiancee put this next song in because she made me put in Call Me Maybe

Girls   Beastie Boys

Since we're talking about girls... its time to get all the girls on the dance floor with a few of these classics

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun   Cyndi Lauper
It's Raining Men   The Weather Girls
I'm So Excited   The Pointer Sisters

Time to play some songs I remember from Junior High. Weddings are great for nostalgia

I Want Candy   Bow Wow Wow
Joy to the World   Three Dog Night
Canned Heat   Jamiroquai

Break it up with some MIA so people can grab some water/beer/shots

Paper Planes   M.I.A.

Back to the dance floor!

Drinking In L.A.   Bran Van 3000
All Star   Smashmouth
Tubthumping   Chumbawamba
Gangsta's Paradise   Coolio Feat. L.V.
Beer   Reel Big Fish

Time to start singing and rocking out

Sweet Caroline   Neil Diamond
Summer of '69   Bryan Adams
Sweet Child O' Mine   Guns N' Roses
Jump Around   House Of Pain
Magic Carpet Ride   Steppenwolf

Its hip-hop time...

Mo Money Mo Problems (feat. Mase & Puff Daddy)   The Notorious B.I.G.
OPP   Naughty By Nature
Rapper's Delight   Sugarhill Gang
Miami   Will Smith
Push It!   Salt 'N' Pepa

Time to get the anti-hip-hop crowd back on the dance floor

Wannabe   Spice Girls
Are You Gonna Be My Girl   Jet
Billy Jean   Michael Jackson

Some fun songs to go crazy to

Hey Ya   Outkast
Beat It   Michael Jackson
Back In Black   AC/DC

Some new-ish, very dancy songs are next. The old people are off the dance floor now... time to party

Moves Like Jagger (feat. Christina Aguilera)   Maroon 5
Heartbreaker   MSTRKRFT
Memories (Feat. Kid Cudi)   David Guetta
Good Feeling   Flo Rida
Party Rock Anthem (feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock)   LMFAO
Waking Up In Vegas   Katy Perry
The Way I Are (Feat Keri Hilson And D.O.E.)   Timbaland
Wild Ones (feat. Sia)   Flo Rida
SexyBack (feat. Timbaland)   Justin Timberlake
Like a G6   Far East Movement, The Cataracs & Dev
Feel So Close   Calvin Harris
TEMPERATURE   SEAN PAUL
Be Faithful   Fatman Scoop
Night By Night   Chromeo
Bounce (feat. Nore and Isis)   MSTRKRFT
Breakaway (feat. Jahmal of the Carps)   MSTRKRFT

Nows about the time when the dancing was going to be over for our wedding, so we decided to get everyone to chill out a bit

Ice Ice Baby   Vanilla Ice
Wonderful World   Compilations



Anyway, sorry for the formatting... itunes

Hope this helps some of you.

[AwdSex]

Tell me Keith urban won that song debate lol.

But this is an awesome idea I'm assuming no request songs?

[Arson]

Just stumbled across this. I quite enjoyed the read, some of the descriptions cracked me up. Over all very nice song list. I especially agree with the MSTRKRFT, they have awesome catchy songs that I never here anyone talk about, that I've listened to forever. Nice to see them on your list.

[Zaider]

Tell me Keith urban won that song debate lol.

But this is an awesome idea I'm assuming no request songs?

ugh. Jackson 5 FTW!!

Yeah, no request songs... it wasn't really an issue. People only request songs if theres an option... otherwise they're happy with whatever is playing as long as the drinks keep flowing.

Our venue looked like this:









The dancing was in a little building (25ft x 10ft) behind the bar (i have no pictures of the building) and had to be shut down at a reasonable hour (1am). I guess dancing wasn't the sole focus of the after-dinner activities so we weren't as concerned about it. In a big room, where the focus will be more on the dance floor, I think I might have gone for a DJ.

Just stumbled across this. I quite enjoyed the read, some of the descriptions cracked me up. Over all very nice song list. I especially agree with the MSTRKRFT, they have awesome catchy songs that I never here anyone talk about, that I've listened to forever. Nice to see them on your list.

You just stumbled across it cause I just posted it

I found this list as well:
http://asongblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/dj-your-own-wedding/

and that gave me the idea for how to break up the songs into groups. I stole a bunch of their song ideas as well.

MSTRKRFT is awesome. Generally at a house party, Ill end up being the DJ and they're one of my favourite to put on for a late-night dance party.

[Asstuna]

Nice wedding set-up. We ended up using a tent covered in overnight snow after a week of 15degC 
Going by the playlist you're a child growing up in the 80's?

[Zaider]

Nice wedding set-up. We ended up using a tent covered in overnight snow after a week of 15degC 
Going by the playlist you're a child growing up in the 80's?

Yay Calgary! The day of our wedding was 26degC... almost too hot. Definitely too hot when we took the rowboat out to the island in the middle of the lake after the ceremony for some pictures... there was no shade and no water.

and yeah... um... 80's pride?

[Asstuna]

... there was no shade and no water.

mutter mutter... stupid Champagne headspin. Oh, is that a butterfly?

[Zaider]

mutter mutter... stupid Champagne headspin. Oh, is that a butterfly?

lol. There was supposed to be a bottle of champagne on the island for us to celebrate with... there wasn't. Also, our photographers came over to the little island in a canoe... that had a hole in it. The 30ft boat ride almost sunk them and their gear.

[YvanF]

Good idea for the sans DJ wedding. I'm getting married in November 2013 so Ill have to suggest it to the fiancée. Hate the idea of paying (whatever amount) for something so simple.

Also, looks like a nice venue.

[Prelude]

that is one diversified play list Excellent mix of new and old. nice job.

[Dahler]

Nice writeup man.  The gf and i have been doing the wedding chat and ours will be like this except in Vermont... so definitely choosing the playlist of many songs...   Appreciate the work placed into this thread.

[Zaider]

that is one diversified play list Excellent mix of new and old. nice job.

Thanks. I actually find myself listening to the playlist on a regular basis. Its good for when you're doing chores in the house. I think that the work placed into the order of the songs and editing their start and end points so there's no awkward pauses or talking has huge benefits when you're playing it on the dance floor.

Nice writeup man.  The gf and i have been doing the wedding chat and ours will be like this except in Vermont... so definitely choosing the playlist of many songs...   Appreciate the work placed into this thread.

Congrats on the engagement. Im very very glad that Im done with wedding planning. For days afterward, I kept thinking to myself "Isn't there some sort of list I should be looking at? Dont I have a million things to do?"

[teacherman]

Copied, pasted, and emailed! Thanks a million for the list Z. Going to trim the little bit of country out, but the rest looks great. Did you have an MC to be the "wedding mouthpiece"?


EDIT: love the Beastie Boys at a wedding! So going to do that!

[Zaider]

Yeah, you definitely have to edit it for your personal taste. Im not a huge fan of country music but the wife said we had to have some. Happy wife, happy life.

We had an MC for the reception part of it. He kept things moving, announced speeches, etc... but really didn't have to do much. We gave him the list of people who were going to do speeches, the timeline for when we wanted things to start and end by, and then that was it. After dinner, he didn't have much to do.

Definitely need some Beastie Boys in there. One of the best concerts I ever saw.

[teacherman]

Cool. The idea went over quite well, and my missus agreed about the no country rule.