Whenever engaged couples start to work on a Wedding DJ Playlist they usually don’t think about what is most important in making that list of songs for thier wedding. They don’t want to tell the DJ, “Play this song or that song or I will physically hurt you!” I’m kidding, but many couples actually are afraid to relate their fellings to their DJ what and tell them how to play their sets of tunes. Couples…get your head out of the sand and step up to the plate! There are a lot of DJ’s that have a set show for all of the weddings they are playing music at, but every crowd is different so it won’t work every time! If the DJ only plays rap and hip hop music and the crowd is mostly your parent’s age, you are headed for trouble. I know it seems like common sense and so will this rule.  You can play some hip hop but you need to make sure the DJ is following “the rule.”

And now, (drumroll please) the numero uno rulio for your wedding DJ playlist: Try to play only three songs from the same genre in a row. What?  Really?  Yes!  That is the 1st rule when building your music playlist for dancing.

Sounds too simple, right?  But not following this rule will have a catestrophic impact on your dance floor! If more than three songs of a certain style are played in a row, your guests who don’t like that style will start to think that the rest of the night will be all that kind of music. We are talking about ten to twelve minutes of music, which is a good length of time for a dancing set. Then the music changes styles and those who were dancing go get a drink and rest up while those who like the new style rush the floor. Of course, sometimes people just never leave the dance floor at all…that’s when you count your blessings…and TIP your DJ heavily!!!

Just know, I’m not saying to go from Bob Marley to Megadeth! If your DJ’s got skillz, he can make the transitions smooth. For instance, the DJ can start of with Motown for a few, then come in with some disco, then mix into some top 40 dance. There’s about 30 to 40 minutes of straight up dance music. You can move on to some classic rock from there or, since it is a wedding, get them daning close with a slow ballad. I’ll go over some great song transitions and playlists in future articles, so keep your eyes open for those.

Of course, there are exceptions (aren’t there always?) to this rule. You can get away with playing more from the same genre (say 5 or 6 songs) if your deejay mixes out of each song early, like 2 minutes into the song. Notice it’s more about the length of time everyone is subjected to a certain style of music, which is about ten minutes or so. If you go over that time, you will run into problems and you will most likely have guests heading out the door early. Give it a try and have your DJ play the best top 40 dance songs for an hour.  More than half of your guests will be making their way to the exits!
I’ll repeat the rule one more time, just to make sure you got it…Only play 3 songs from the same genre in a row. This is the first rule and the most important rule when making your wedding DJ playlist for you and your guests.