Music

Hello Meg: The best thing to do is to know what types of music your guests actually like. You probably know the answer but my suggestion: ask them about their favorite singers/bands.
You won't want to see an empty dance floor because the guests don't like what the DJ is playing, will you?
I totally get the fact that you don't want to listen certain types of music: most DJs tell the couple to send them a "Do not play list", so they won't play the types of music and the singers/bands that the 2 of you are putting in this list. If your DJ doesn't, just tell him/her you don't like country,hip-hop and whatever your fiance doesn't like.

Suggestions/recommendations: Avoid metal and similar types of music of course,hip-hop,country (unless you don't mind if the DJ ever plays 2-3 songs from these types to please the guests who love them), put in the list some songs/singers/bands that the parents,aunts,uncles,grandparents like, same about the cousins if they are invited and friends.

If you like ,or at least, don't dislike electronic music, this is a good idea to put some of these songs in the list.

I think this one is really a know your crowd situation. A good dj will know what songs to play to get your guests on the floor dancing. My fh and I are classical musicians so our dj had a talk with us and said not to play too obscure of music bc people won't dance.

I would decide what kind of vibe you want at your wedding and for your guests. Do you want a “party vibe” with a full dance floor? Or do you want a more laid back, people in their seats chatting vibe? Once you decide what vibe you want, you can choose music accordingly. If you are wanting the party vibe with a full dance floor, you are going to have to play the music your guests want to dance to. Maybe you could find the hip hop songs or the popular dance songs that bother you the least, and mix in some danceable classic rock songs (like Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Queen, The Ramones, etc), or some danceable songs from the 80s/90s. If you are wanting more of a laid back, people in their seats vibe, you can play whatever you’d like. But keep in mind, as you’ve described the more popular genres of music making you feel like “ripping your ears off”, your guests may feel the same way about your preferred genre of music, and may leave right after dinner if that’s all you’re playing.

Ooh I just actually had an awesome idea this weekend because we are in the same boat! We were looking for music and my fiance put on some acoustic covers of metal songs, I'm going to have to ask him who was covering them, but there were tons of them and so good. It's great because our friends will recognize the songs (iron maiden, black sabbath, etc) and the older guests will be like "oh acoustic that's nice", lol! We hate country with a passion too-- but acoustic guitar is cool with us. Just try listening to some acoustic covers of your fav songs and see what you guys think! And maybe it's a situation where you have it on for as guests arrive/ dinner/ or cocktail hour. Best of luck from another bride with good taste in music!

Ice Nine Kills did a pretty good cover of 'Falling in Love with You' that my FH and I really like.

FOB also has some rad cover songs, one of which was 'I wanna Dance with Somebody'. If you have spotify find a cover song that you like and listen to the radio of that song and see if there's anything similar you can maybe get behind.

I worked a wedding where the couple was in a similar boat, they liked metal and weren't huge fans of other music, there was a couple of their friends there and everyone was family that were more into country/pop. This couple didn't care about family preferences and made the DJ play what they wanted.

I heard them later complaining about how no one was out dancing, but they refused to play the kind of music their guests wanted.

Find a good DJ, explain what kind of music you like and they may be able to find a work-around/some good songs that give you can enjoy.

Pop Punk Bride here too lol

We don't listen to any current music, but we know our crowd and know that if we just play the music we want to hear no one will have a good time, I have a few songs I requested the DJ play, but also am giving him pretty free reign over the dance music.

We're sneaking our music in so we still have a little bit of "ourselves" in there!

FH and the Groomsmen will be walking down the aisle to a piano cover of Falling In Reverse's Bad Girls Club and at the reception the Bridal Party introductions will be to Chop Suey! by System of A Down and FH and I are coming into Downfall Of Us All by A Day to Remember