Wedding Receptions

The wedding songs that get you moving

Music is one of the most important parts of a wedding - from the celestial voices during the ceremony that can move the crowd to tears, to the first dance to a beautiful love song, to the floor-fillers that get the crowd shaking, many of the most magical moments of a wedding come with their own soundtrack. What are the most popular choices for a first dance? And what (besides alcohol) really gets the party going?

While his top picks for a first dance include Love and Everything, both by Michael Bublé, DJ and sound engineer Lionel Gerada says that Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud is by far one of the most popular songs for a first dance. “8 out of every 10 couples choose that one,” he told OurWedding. Eraldo Sciberras from Speed of Sound Music confirms the Sheeran ballad’s popularity, adding that From this Moment by Shania Twain, although an older songs, also remains a firm first-dance favourite. “My personal favourite first dance songs are Marry You by Bruno Mars and Unchained Melody by The Platters,” he adds.

A wedding playlist can’t be all crooners and ballads though. “The perfect wedding playlist needs to be well-balanced between classic songs and songs the couple like,” Mr Gerada says. “A very common mistake that couples make is creating a long playlist of songs they like, without taking into consideration that not all their guests are as keen on those songs!” Case in point: he recounts how, at one wedding he DJed at last year, the entire playlist was made up of heavy metal songs! But of course it’s quite all right to pick an unusual song for a pivotal moment of the wedding  - Mr Sciberras’ band was asked to prepare a hard rock guitar song to accompany a couple speeding off for going away on a Honda 250 motorbike, in a scene worthy of a Hollywood ending.

The part of the reception Mr Gerada enjoys most is the part after the first dance. “Everyone in the crowd will be itching to dance! Two definite floor-fillers are Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and Baila Morena by Zucchero – they really get the crowd going. Also, after the bride and the groom cut the cake, the after party starts – finally I can play some of the songs I like!”