How many songs total...?

I'm not sure what the average number is..but tell your man to relax!! Lol...and make sure he's spinning you on the dance floor and not the records..lol..Just give your dj a list of the songs you want played and tell your FH to cap the number at, like, say... 300 songs!! lol If he'll get that many...and just let the dj handle it from there..make sure your list of first dance, cake cutting, bouquet/garter is there too!

Oh I wouldn't worry about that if I were you, in fact I may end up in the same situation as I am avid music lover. I would just arrange the songs in order of importance, which ones you really want to get played, and then just let the party go. The night will end at some point but will all your song choices at least you know you won't run out.

I say write down as many songs as you want, even if it's 500 songs, and then just let your DJ pick from the list. Not all songs are going to be played, but at least your DJ will have a huge selection of what you want! I agree with the above post by putting the "must play" songs in a list, and then an "other" list.

We LOVE doing music for music-lovers! It makes our job a lot easier and fun!

Our DJ has an online system where we can pick out our "special songs", "must plays" and "play if time" list, complete with samples of all the songs, which is great.. Even when you get into choosing a "must play" list though I think ours is like 2 hours long, which is half of the reception. We both have such different tastes in music that I don't envy our DJ trying to transition from his tastes to mine and back.

I would try to limit the "must play" list to at most 2 hours of music, at least an hour is going to be all the traditional stuff, intro, first dance, mom dance, dad dance, garter, bouquet, cake, etc. You want to give your guests some leeway to request a song or two.

18 songs per hour is a good rule of thumb for continuous dance music. You'll need to subtract out the "talking time"; for example, for your toasts, blessing, bouquet toss, garter toss, etc.

Dan

One word of warning with picking out too many songs is that you could turn your very skillful DJ into a glorified jukebox. I tell my brides to pick out 10 to 15 songs for their must play list and give the rest of their songs on the play if possible list. If you add too many songs to your must play list, it could leave for an unentertaining event if you do not pick excellent selections. Any wedding DJ knows what songs work and which songs do not. Keep in mind you want all of your guests to be entertained.

It is better to have too much than not enough. Don't forget that there might be requests at the wedding as well. So put the songs you really want to hear within the first hour or so just so you make sure you get those.

Also, since you have a DJ, talk to them about remixes and blending into the next song. At my brother's wedding he had a DJ and the one thing my brother requested to be played for my mother and her sisters was Beer Barrel Polka. (They like to polka. It is kind of embarassing.) The DJ played a remix of it and was turning tables while the polka music was on. No one could dance to it.

With toasts, announcements, grace, etc., figure 60-80 songs. I agree with much of what has been said--let your DJ do his job. Almost every guy I talk to thinks of himself as a music expert. Many do know a lot about what they like. But the thing is your DJ will be picking music for a broad range of people to dance to, which is very different from putting together a list of songs to play at home or in the car.

Unless a couple wants to choose the complete set list (which we discourage but are willing to do), 40 is the number we ask couples to choose. That gives us enough flexibility to weave those together with other songs to make sets.

One other thing to keep in mind. We buy all of our music legally. It sounds great through our system. Music from Limewire and the other illegal systems sounds tinny and cheap. If your DJ tells you he's going to download songs on the fly or that he can get the 500 songs you pick, be wary of the quality.

Jon

When you figure most songs last between 2-4 minutes, you can deduce a 3 minute average. That gives you approximately 20 songs per hour, if played back to back. For a typical 4 hour wedding this computes to approximately 80 songs, assuming you don't make announcements, cut the cake, do your toasts, etc. I think in reality, 60-70 songs would be the MAX your DJ would play in one night.

Now, keep in mind a good DJ will consider lots of factors when selecting music for your wedding. These factors include the age of your guests, the type of music they respond to, and also your preferred play list.

Yes, having your play list ready will make it great, but your guests will also want to enjoy music they can dance to. I've (unfortunately) had weddings where the bride/groom requested heavy rap for dancing. The floor was always empty. With their permission we changed the format of the music, and the dance floor was packed. They were thankful for our suggestion.

Best Wishes,

MC DJ Carlo

My sister had a sit down dinner wedding and she was told to pick no more than 12 songs out for their playlist. You really should let the DJ do his job...they will gauge the crowd and play appropriate music. Its also good to let them throw a few songs in between your choices.

I had a heavy hordourves (sp?) wedding (3 hours long) and i gave our DJ a playlist of 20 songs....he played some, not all, but thats ok with me, it was more of "here are the songs we love, pick some and play them".

one great thing to do is give your DJ DO NOT PLAY songs! You giving your DJ a million songs will actually make his job harder, not easier.

You've been getting a lot of good advice on this question. We agree with the idea of giving the band or DJ a few "must plays", any "Do not plays", and a general indication of the kinds of music you like. A true professional will be able to create a fabulous program for you taking these and many factors into account. Not only is it a good idea to take advantage of their expertise, it will also relieve you of some stress and allow them to adapt to the situation and mood of the reception - "go with the flow" so to speak.

Have a wonderful wedding!

Margaret and Bill Sneddon

The Hudson Heights Duo - Harp and Flute

www.HudsonHtsDuo.com

One thing you do need to consider is that most DJs are good at reading a crowd and base the songs they play on the reactions to previous songs throughout the night. This is a skill that can only be developed with time and experience and a great knowledge of music. When one is doing it right, no two weddings will have the same playlist.

When talking to your DJ, specify to him/her a genre and any specific songs that you must hear for dinner and cocktails, specific songs for the formalities and give him no more that 10-15 must plays for the dance section. Let the DJ read the crowd and react appropriately. The key is to trust your DJ to choose the appropriate music.

Also consider, what happens if your playlist bombs? Will your DJ have the freedom to forego the playlist to get things back on track?