Love music? Me too! One of the wedding planning tasks I most looked forward to was the opportunity to choose my ultimate playlist for my reception. For hours, I sat before my laptop, scrolling through the disc jockey’s provided list of songs in his music library and choosing the best fits for my wedding’s tone.

Las Vegas brides, if you’re currently searching for the perfect music for your wedding, be inspired by today’s “for brides, by brides” lists. I’ve interviewed several Nevadan women, and they’d like to share their favorite wedding music choices with each of you. So crank up your favorite tunes and find inspiration as you hear these real wedding experiences!

I chose a long song to accomodate a long outdoor aisle walk. The music crescendo came just as I arrived at the altar. Beautiful!

Aisle Walk:

By the bride: “My groom and I met in a college literature class for J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Including a poetic song from The Fellowship of the Ring movie for my aisle walk was a subtle nod to our beginnings.” –Allyson S.

  • Bride-to-be Jessie T. chose: “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, instrumental version performed live by cello.
  • Married Mrs. Melody F. chose: “The Bridal March” performed by Mom’s piano students.
  • Twice-a-Bridesmaid Sarah Z. chose: “The Bridal March.”
  • Newlywed Stephanie B. chose: “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones.
  • Bridal Blogger Allyson S. chose: “The Breaking of the Fellowship” by Howard Shore.

First Dance:

By the bridesmaid: “‘At Last’ is my favorite song for a wedding, which stems from my obsession with [the movie] Father of the Bride.” –Sarah Z.

  • Bride-to-be Jessie T. chose: “Candy” by Jonny Mercer and Jo Stafford.
  • Newlywed Stephanie B. chose: “You and I” by Stevie Wonder.
  • Bridal Blogger Allyson S. chose: “Must Have Done Something Right” by Relient K.

Father/Daughter Dance:

By the bride: “’Angel’ by Sarah McLachlan will be my father-daughter dance; it’s always meant a lot to my dad and me.” – Jessie T.

  • Bride-to-be Jessie T. chose: “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan.
  • Married Mrs. Melody F. chose: “My dad and I never really had a ‘song,’ so I picked from a list the DJ provided.”
  • Twice-a-Bridesmaid Sarah Z. chose: “My Girl” by The Temptations.
  • Newlywed Stephanie B. chose: “Me Quierdo Viejo” by Piero.
  • Bridal Blogger Allyson S. chose: “Butterfly Kisses” by Bob Carlisle.
Encourage your groom to choose the song himself for the mother/son dance.

Mother/Son Dance:

By the groom: “I thought that the idea of releasing a bird from its comfy perch [in Sarah McLachlin’s “Blackbird”] was much like releasing a son, who had, for the most part, lived in his parent’s house for the better part of his life.”       –Anthony S.

  • Bride-to-be Jessie T.’s fiancé Tanner chose: “Yellow” by Coldplay (acoustic version) with a scratched-record surprise to a more upbeat song.
  • Twice-a-Bridesmaid Sarah Z. has seen many grooms choose: “Over the Rainbow” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole.
  • Newlywed Stephanie B.’s groom Jonathan chose: “Momma” by Boyz II Men.
  • Bridal Blogger Allyson S.’s husband Anthony chose: “Blackbird” by Sarah McLachlan.

Reception Music:

By the bride: “Our DJ was awesome! He did a great job incorporating all of the music that Jonathan and I grew up on–salsa, meringue, Motown music–and he was able to incorporate dance music (top 40’s) as well.” –Stephanie B.

  • Bride-to-be Jessie T. chose: “Forever” by Chris Brown, “Fire Burning (On the Dance Floor)” by Sean Kingston, “Pump up the Jam” by Technotronic, “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas, “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira, and “Down” by Jay Sean (ft. Lil Wayne).
  • Married Mrs. Melody F. chose: “If I were getting married now (in my 30’s), I would want a live jazz band only because we are way past the dance floor days and, well, John and I love jazz.”
  • Twice-a-Bridesmaid Sarah Z. chose: “There are a ton of good songs and way more than one could ever fit into a wedding, but I do prefer unique songs that mean something to the couple.”
  • Newlywed Stephanie B. chose: “Salsa, meringue, Motown music, and … dance music (top 40’s) as well.”
  • Bridal Blogger Allyson S. chose: “Crooked Teeth” by Death Cab for Cutie, “Let It Rock,” by Kevin Rudolf, “Stayin’ Alive” by Bee Gees, “Cha Cha Slide” by DJ Casper, “Telephone” by Lady Gaga, “YMCA” by Village People, “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Benny Goodman, and “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey.

Exit Song:

By the bride: “We had everyone get in a ginormous circle while the song played, and we individually thanked each person for coming. The DJ had to play it around six or seven times. Everyone stayed patiently, and they even stayed a while after John and I left!”  –Melody F.

Select an exit song that tells your love story, hypes up the crowd, or gives your guests a parting message.

  • Bride-to-be Jessie T. chose: TBA, but there will be glow sticks.
  • Married Mrs. Melody F. chose: “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick.
  • Twice-a-Bridesmaid Sarah Z. chose: “I’ve heard a lot of oldies used for this.”
  • Newlywed Stephanie B. chose: “For Once in My Life” by Stevie Wonder.
  • Bridal Blogger Allyson S. chose: “Halo” by Beyonce.

It’s your turn:

Las Vegas brides, be inspired for your list of wedding hits that speak to you and your groom’s personalities! Ask your disc jockey or live musicians for a list of their frequently played songs or music library. Then, brides, turn up the volume to your speakers, and start your search for the perfect music for your Las Vegas weddings!

Author: Bridal Blogger Allyson S.

Photos: Jamison Frady of Quiet Art Photography (first and second image), Allyson Siwajian (last image)