A wedding dinner is only about the food, right? Not quite. Use these tips and ideas for background dinner music to make your dinner a taste of the wedding dance that’s to come.
Be conscientious about the volume.
Your cocktail hour and dinner are supposed to be a time for mingling. Be conscientious of that goal when setting the volume for wedding dinner music; remember wedding dinner music is background music (or hire a DJ who knows that). Background music should be set at an appropriate volume so guests can mingle while still enjoying the atmosphere of fine dining.
Fill the play list full of “non-dance” songs.
Have favorite songs that won’t keep your guests on the dance floor? Add them to the background music list (be wary if your DJ doesn’t ask for your preferences). Save your favorite dance songs for the dance floor (or if it doesn’t matter, choose an experienced DJ who can set the perfect list). Some non-dance songs other couples have chosen include: Foo Fighters’ “Everlong,” Michael Buble songs, or selected Taylor Swift hits.
Background dinner music can play a significant role in creating atmosphere.
Wedding atmosphere can be created with coordinated wedding details—including background dinner music. Heavy metal songs (no matter how much you love them) can feel disjointed at an elegant rustic wedding reception. On the other hand, a selection of classical jazz can be the perfect complement to a vintage reception at a historical jazz lounge.
Take requests.
A really unique way to include your guests in the night, is to take requests. Add a request line to invitations; if a song isn’t right for the dance floor (or you don’t want it played during the dance), add it to the wedding background dinner music list.
Don’t assume you can’t afford a DJ for the wedding dinner.
It’s a common wedding planning mistake: assuming that you can’t afford a vendor without even requesting a quote. The truth is that many “extras” are included in a wedding DJ, including background dinner music. Other “extras” that could be included are lighting and photo booth rental.
Start your wedding dance off with a bang.
When it’s time to hit the dance floor, mark it with something big. Use a surprise entrance (or one of these other wedding surprises) or a favorite wedding dance tune to drive your guests to the dance floor. Don’t stop there; keep the right tunes going (the right DJ can make that happen) to make the entire night an event to remember.