In the months leading up to our wedding, I had these recurring nightmares about me in my wedding dress running in towering heels to try to reach my ipod to queue my own music for the key parts of my wedding like walking down the aisle and the first dance. Yep, pretty typical anxiety dreams of a DIY bride, but obviously, the thought of trying to do the music ourselves was stressing me out! We’d attended a bridal expo, and I was really confused as to where to turn afterward. A lot of the DJs we met there were hard-selling and intimidating, and I couldn’t imagine them as guests at my wedding, and the only ones we liked DJed with vinyl, but were far out of our budget.
Luckily, my friend DJ Munk helped me by DJing our reception and laid all those DIY DJ nightmares to rest! Most DJs are happy to accommodate your list of requests, and it can be a nice touch to use songs meaningful to you during the cocktail hour and dinner, so you can still DIY that aspect, but leave the spinning or playing to others! We also hired local band Mazel Tov Kocktail Hour to play our ceremony, cocktail hour, and first dance, which was a brilliant idea! Their Eastern European musical influences spoke to my roots, we had so much fun, and the guests seemed to really enjoy them, too.
If you’re beginning to think about music for your wedding, here are some great places to start and some resources!
Resources
Hi-Fi Weddings is a fantastic resource for the music-loving bride! With lists of song ideas, mixes, and real weddings featuring playlists, this is a a great jumping off point when thinking about music for the big day.
This list of most requested songs is sure to get your musical ideas flowing. Sure, some of them like the “Party Rock Anthem” and the “Cupid Shuffle” are cheesy, but I tell you seeing your friends bust a move is really priceless, and sometimes the silliest songs bring it out in them. You can still have all the silly, fun music without a DJ that makes you cringe! One of my favorite reception dancing moments was seeing my bridesmaid’s husband dance to MC Hammer’s “Hammertime.” I never knew he had those dance moves (nor did she), and I am still in awe of his sweet dance moves.
Local Austin Wedding DJs
We’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with a number of local DJs who we are always happy to recommend.
Or for Something Totally Different…
For those of you who are in love with the idea of a vintage wedding, check out Austin Phonograph Company for a totally different take on ceremony, cocktail hour, or reception music! Austin Phonograph Company specializes in live entertainment featuring hand cranked phonograph record players from the early 1900s.
Source: Uploaded by user via Vintage on Pinterest
