Band or DJ and 9 more Hot Takes on the Music at a Wedding
Issue #53
[Read Time - 6 Minutes]
There are some great perks to being a wedding photographer, but one of the best is that at the end of the week, your “office” cranks up the music and dances the night away.
I love wedding receptions!
The ceremony is over. The portraits and first dance are complete, and now the party can begin! And of course, it wouldn’t really be a party without music.
After more than 500 weddings, I’ve heard a LOT of wedding songs and, not surprisingly, I have a few opinions you may cheer or chuck.
Without further preamble, here are my Top Ten Takes on Wedding Music.
#10 Band or DJ
The short answer is band, of course. There’s no substitute for a live band playing the hits, even when they’re not exactly ready for their North American tour.
While I don’t hate DJs, there’s an energy that live bands create that makes everything special, so I’ll always love live bands even if they can’t cover Shout properly.
#9 You Don’t Have to Like It, but You Have Work To It
Your musical taste should not affect your photo performance at the reception, period.
While this may sound obvious, I have heard photographers groan about hating a particular wedding because of the kind of music that was played.
You can’t HATE a wedding and still perform at your highest level!
Suck it up, Buttercup! Pop in some earplugs and focus on the fun that everyone else is having! You’re there to take photos, not post a review in Rolling Stone.
Being professional sometimes means working under adverse conditions...like The Wobble (which is my Kryptonite, btw).
#8 The DJ Runs the Show
This can be a tough one to swallow, but if there’s a DJ at the helm, they’re steering the ship, and the best thing you can do is enjoy the cruise.
The challenge I sometimes see is when the DJ gets in the groove, grows a personality and thinks they’re David Guetta all of a sudden, and they’re “spinnin’ at the club.
If you see things getting off the rails, check the temperature of the bride and groom and make sure they’re not unhappy. You can always step in and bring the DJ back down to reality if necessary.
Introducing yourself early and getting on the same page with the DJ are also good tips, so you don’t miss a key moment in the room while you’re out hunting for other moments in another room.
#7 Take Care of the Band
At large weddings, it’s not uncommon for a band to be hired from out of state. There’s something cool when you can say, “We found this amazing band from Georgia,” even if you live in Alabama.
Wedding bands, like all wedding vendors, need photos for their promotional pieces, so make sure to grab some cool shots of the band for the bride and groom to remember and share with the band via email once the photos are online.
Introduce yourself before things get rolling, and get a sneak peek at the playlist so you can see when the peak songs will show up, bringing everyone to the dance floor.
#6 Keep the Classics Close
This is a personal tip of mine that you’ll probably never need until you do.
Keep some classic party songs on your phone.
I recommend We Are Family by Sister Sledge, Shout by Otis Day, YMCA by The Village People and Jump Around by House of Pain, among others. You can even ask your bride if she has any favorite party songs from college. Why? I’ll answer that with a story.
The wedding reception lasted six hours, and the bar was open the whole time. That’s a long time for both, if you don’t know.
The bride was sufficiently lubricated near the end of the night and wanted to gather her family up for a big We Are Family dance. The problem was that the DJ didn’t have it and couldn’t find it (this was before streaming and YouTube Music).
The bride was not happy and was just about to make a fuss when I stepped in, told her I had it on my phone (along with the cable to connect to the mixing board).
I handed both to the DJ, and the family dance was a HUGE hit, as were my photos of the entire scene.
Was I the hero? No, because no one remembered it, but IF the song did NOT get played and the bride pitched a fit, that part would have been remembered.
The Fix - A playlist on your phone called Wedding Essentials
#5 Line Dances Are Great, but Terrible
Line dance songs are not great music! Sure, you can tolerate them the first time or even the fifth time you hear them, but imagine hearing The Cupid Shuffle every weekend for 15 years?
BUT, I understand.
These songs are popular because people who can’t or won’t dance can play along, and you’ll get some terrific shots during them...EXCEPT for The Wobble, which is the dumbest song ever, and there are never good photos from this dance. This is usually when I visit The Little Boy’s Room.
I will admit that some of these aren’t terrible. I actually like Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) by Big & Rich, but don’t push me much further.
#4 Slow Songs Are Money
Not really a flaming take here, but an important tip - Shoot the slow songs!
This is typically when the couples come out, and your camera should come out and get them being all lovey-dovey.
As a bonus, sometimes the bride & groom aren’t really First Dance fans, so they cut it short or cut it completely.
The slow songs usually bring them out, too, and you can get some touching moments that work great in the Wedding Book.
#3 Alcohol + Music = Fun
It happens at about the halfway point of every wedding.
The guests, especially the wedding party, have been adequately sozzled, and now it’s time for them to try out their favorite dance moves.
I enjoy this part very much, and as long as it doesn’t get too sloppy, and the hits keep coming, this is gold for wedding photographers!
I genuinely believe everyone loves to dance. Sometimes it just takes a little liquid courage to get them out there.
#2 Music Makes Everyone Dance
Not to be confused with drunk dancing, music has a magical quality that nothing can match.
Toes start tapping, shoulders start bouncing, and eventually, even the most stoic of grandmas find themselves on the dancefloor sharing the joy of music with their grandkids.
Now, it does help if the DJ isn’t too hardcore and is willing to mix in a few favorites from the older generations, but everyone was a kid once and music is like a timemachine that brings us all back to “those good ‘ol days.”
#1 The Classics Will Always Prevail
I’ll die on this hill - Music today is NOT as powerful as the 80s, 90s and 2010s.
Yes, there are some new bangers every now and again, but go to a wedding and tell me if Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars, Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC or Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus don’t pull everyone on the dancefloor before the chorus. Even Taylor Swift’s classics pull way stronger than her new “eras.”
If you don’t believe me, check out the setlists from the top wedding bands in the US (and yes, there are stats for them). I can almost promise you that Don’t Stop Believin’‘ by Journey is on every one.
I’m not knockin’ new music. I’m sure there’s a good one out there somewhere, but at a wedding, there’s just more of a comfort level for the hits. Plus, with the different demographics at a wedding, playing that new tune that “the kids are all listenin’ to” just isn’t the best strategy unless you want to mix it really early.
“What about First Dance music?”
That’s a great topic for another day. Until then, cue up Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard and watch the dancefloor fill up!
“Music is the explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”
Billy Joel
Wedding music may be an odd topic, but it is one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography.”
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