When it comes to a wedding playlist, getting the music right can be like a science. Fortunately, DJ’s like Aidan Kavanagh have years of experience to share with us. We caught up with Aidan last week to give us his top tips on choosing your wedding playlist.
Hi Aidan, many couples in Ireland opt to have chart hits and their wedding reception. But for those who aren’t interested in hiring a band and want to do something a little different, do you think a wedding playlist is a good option?
A wedding playlist is essential and really helps to personalise the music on the night to suit the tastes of you and your guests. Try to include plenty of different genres so that all of your guests can enjoy the night. For example, Waltz/Slow; Motown/Soul/Disco; 80s/ 90s and contemporary covering Pop, Dance & Indie. Older guests will tend to dance earlier in the night so its good to keep them happy with music that they like at this point and have your Chart/Dance or whatever you are into later on in the night. It is essential to alert the DJ to musical genres/acts/songs that you do not like, so a “No” list is essential. If for example you are not into Big Haired rock from the 80s make sure to tell the DJ this so it can go on your ‘No’ list. You can also have a ‘Only if a guest asks section’ as well, something I always encourage couples to include.
What is the first step in putting together a wedding playlist?
The first step is to spend some time thinking about your musical likes and dislikes, the genres you like or favourite artists or even favourite eras. Are there songs that have a particular resonance for either or both of you, such as songs you loved listening to with your friends as a teenager or the songs that were big when you first started going out together. You might also like to start thinking about the musical preferences of your guests. If you hear a song on the radio or in whatever format make a note of it as this can help with starting the project. I have some short sample audio playlists of different styles of music on my website and couples have found these useful as a starting point.
If a couple has no idea where to start, how do you guide them?
My five minute audio samples on my homepage are a good starting point. If you are struggling with it I can help you in our meeting by playing some songs and chatting about bands in general and talking about the demographic of your wedding party. You would be amazed by what you will come up, a little coaching. Sometimes people can have a stronger emotional response to what they do not want to hear and this can help them to narrow down their favourites. One of the most important aspects of the playlist is the track for the first dance and selecting a song that is special to you both. I usually spend time discussing this with couples and I always encourage people to put the song on at home and see how comfortable you are with it . A special song to end the night is also good to think of when compiling your playlist and I am always happy to advise on a good track to round off the evening to create a special memory for you and your guests.
If you could have any musical guest perform at your own wedding, who would it be?
If I could wave a magic wand I’d hire Aretha Franklin for the evening and later on have Calvin Harris on the decks. Coming down to earth to the current Irish wedding circuit if I was getting a band I think ‘Spring Break’ are the best 80s wedding band around. For 90s music i would go with ‘Pump up the Jam’ and for
overall blend of styles the best wedding band is Camembert Quartet (The Late Late Show House band). Paddy Cullivan the lead Singer is a great entertainer.
I’d probably find it hard to resist getting behind the decks for at least some of the party, even at my own wedding, although I think my partner might persuade me to take the night off!
When it comes to playlists, it’s important to stay true to your theme but as well as this, play to your audience. How do you know what type of music will suit your guests?
Before the wedding I will have discussed the demographics of the wedding party with, any musical preferences of your guests and most importantly the couples own likes and dislikes. Of course my job as a DJ is to read the crowd so as the night progresses I will adapt the set to suit the mood and the audience. I will use your playlist as a template but I always come prepared with an extensive array of music to ensure that the dance floor is busy at all times and that I can respond (if appropriate and in line with your wishes) to requests from guests on the night.
