Choosing your wedding reception music can seem like a daunting task. It’s time to party, but what music do you want to play? Wait… Actually, we’re not quite to the party yet. There are still so many big moments before we get there! First, the grand entrance. Then dinner and cutting the cake. What about the first dances? How could I forget?
For each of these special moments (and so many more), you’ll want to select the music. But there’s no need to stress about it. This guide will help you with all of the wedding reception music you’ll need for the night.
Here I’ll go through the important moments of your reception that you’ll need to choose the music for while giving you some tips to make the process easier. I’ll even recommend some song choices for each moment. After all, music is such an essential part of the wedding day! So let’s jump right in, starting from the beginning of the reception.
Wedding Reception Music for The Grand Entrance
Before we get to dinner, you’ll make your grand entrance into the reception space with formal introductions of the parents, the wedding party, and the bride and groom.
Destination weddings are a little more casual about this, so you may decide to only have an introduction for the newlyweds – or you may introduce your parents and everyone in your wedding party individually. It’s totally up to you!
Once you’ve decided, you’ll want to consider how you’ll be making your big entrance. Are you dancing in? Will your bridesmaids and groomsmen each do something unique for their entrances? Are you really going for it with a choreographed dance? Or would you rather just walk in and head straight to your seats? It’s your day, so you get to choose! But don’t be afraid to have a little fun.
Choose one or two songs depending on how many people you have in your wedding party and what you plan to do. Usually, you’ll just play a little snippet of the song so that dinner can be served and you can keep the day flowing. (Although there are some couples who decide to go straight into the first dances before dinner – so that will change the flow a little bit.)
Bonus Tip: Be sure to let your MC know how you’d like to be introduced for the first time as a married couple. Will you be “Mr. and Mrs. (insert his name last here)”? Or will you simply be introduced by your first names?
Here are some song ideas for your big reception entrance:
Grand Entrance Wedding Songs
- All I Do Is Win by DJ Khaled ft. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross
- Let Me Clear My Throat – DJ Kool ft. Biz Markie & Doug E. Fresh
- I Feel Good by Pitbull ft. Anthony Watts & DJWS
- Welcome to the Party by Diplo, French Montana, Lil Pump, Zhavia Ward
- Bring ‘Em Out by T.I.
- Yeah! by Usher ft.. Lil Jon and Ludacris
- Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton
- Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO ft. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
- Feel So Close by Calvin Harris
- Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars
- Here for the Party by Gretchen Wilson
- I’ve Got a Feeling by Black Eyed Peas
- Crowd Go Crazy by John Legend
- Music For a Sushi Restaurant by Harry Styles
- Time Of Our Lives by Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo
- Handclap by Fitz & The Tantrums
- Welcome To The Jungle by Guns N’ Roses
- Suavemente by Elvis Crespo
- Vivir Mi Vida by Marc Anthony
- Mi Gente by J Balvin & Willy William
Wedding Reception Music For Dinner
Finally, it’s time to eat! Queue up the easy-listening music to have in the background as you and your guests enjoy your wedding dinner. Like the music for your cocktail hour, you’ll want to keep it light and soft to allow for conversation. But this time, you can slow things down.
Here’s where you can play some more romantic music. The classic love songs and all-around favorites. I’d recommend choosing a general genre of music for this portion of the day like:
- Jazz
- Classical
- Modern Instrumental
- Spanish Guitar
- Chill Out Electronic
Your guests will be eating and chatting during this time so you don’t need to put too much effort into your music choice. Just some soft background music will be fine.
Cake Cutting Songs
Next, it’s time to cut the cake! This is a silly moment that you’ll get to enjoy with your partner so have some fun with it!
Go ahead. Get a little cheesy with your song choice.
Here are a couple of song options for your cake-cutting moment:
- How Sweet It Is by James Taylor
- I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) by Four Tops
- Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard
- Sugar, We’re Goin Down by Fall Out Boy
- Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch
- Cake by the Ocean by DNCE
- Yummy by Justin Bieber
- Ice Cream by BLACKPINK with Selena Gomez
- Sweetheart by Thomas Rhett
- Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics
- A Kiss to Build a Dream On by Louis Armstrong
- Love and Marriage by Frank Sinatra
- Lovely Day by Bill Withers
- ily (i love you baby) by Surf Mesa and Emilee
- I Can’t Get Enough by Benny Blanco, J Balvin, Tainy, and Selena Gomez
- In the Name of Love by Bebe Rexha and Martin Garrix
Wedding Reception Music
Now, we really are getting close to party time! There are a few important moments that kick off the dance reception so you’ll want to choose a specific song for these dances:
- Bride and Groom First Dance
- Father-Daughter Dance
- Mother-Son Dance
The wedding reception will usually start with the couple’s first dance. If you have “a song” then you’ll want to dance to that (if it’s appropriate, of course). If not, you can choose any romantic song you’d like. Here are a few ideas:
Bride and Groom First Dance Songs
- Yours by Russell Dickerson
- Can’t Take My Eyes off You by Frankie Valli
- Perfect Duet by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
- I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith
- The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra
- You’re All I Need to Get By by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
- Something About Your Love by Mason Jennings
- My Best Friend by Tim McGraw
- In Case You Didn’t Know by Brett Young
- Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran
- XO by John Mayer
- Grow Old With Me by Tom Odell
- The Wedding Song by Angus & Julia Stone
- Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap
- Better Half Of Me by Tom Walker
- I Got You by Jack Johnson
- Crazy Love by Van Morrison
- Fade Into You by Mazzy Star
- You & Me by Dave Matthews Band
- Miles to the Moon by Jordan Fletcher
- Dance With Me by Morgan Evans
- The Dance by Garth Brooks
- Ed Sheeran by Best Part Of Me
- Katy Perry by Never Worn White
- Butterflies by Casey Musgraves
- Why Don’t We Just Dance by Josh Turner
- Make You Feel My Love by Adele
- Dream a Little Dream of Me by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
- Baby I’m Yours by Arctic Monkeys
- Can’t Help Falling In Love Cover by Haley Reinhart
- Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
There are also a ton of romantic songs for walking down the aisle that would work great for the first dance instead. If it doesn’t quite make the cut for walking down the aisle, it could be the perfect fit for your first dance.
Parent Dances
After the bride and groom’s first dance, the bride will dance with her father and the groom will dance with his mother. Choose a song for each special moment. I encourage you to chat with your parents to see if they already have a song in mind. They might surprise you.
If they don’t already have something in mind, listen to these songs together and decide which will be the perfect song for your dance:
Songs for the Father-Daughter Dance
- Sweet Pea by Amos Lee
- What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
- My Girl by The Temptations
- My Little Girl by Tim McGraw
- First Man by Camila Cabelo
- The Long and Winding Road by The Beatles
- Have I Told You Lately by Rod Stewart
- When You Need Me by Bruce Springsteen
- Lean on Me by Bill Withers
- Father’s Eyes by Amy Grant
- Times of Your Life by Paul Anka
- Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle
- Father and Daughter by Paul Simon
- Daughter by Loudon Wainwright III
- A Wink and a Smile by Harry Connick Jr.
- Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder
- Daddy by Beyoncé
- Daughters by John Mayer
- My Wish by Rascal Flatts
- Butterfly Fly Away by Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus
Songs for the Mother-Son Dance
- Days Like This by Van Morrison
- I’ll Always Love My Mama by The Intruders
- The Wonder of You by Elvis Presley
- Letter to My Mother by Edwin McCain
- Beautiful Boy by John Lennon
- The Man I Want To Be by Chris Young
- Sweet Joy Of Mine by Joy Williams
- My Mother’s Eye by Etta Jones
- Stand By Me by Ben E. King
- I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
- A Song for Mama by Boyz to Men
- Find Your Wings by Mark Harris
- Boy by Lee Brice
- Thank You by Good Charlotte
- You Are The Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder
- Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler
- You’ve Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman
- Close Your Eyes by Michael Bublé
- My Wish by Rascal Flatts
- Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw
Wedding Reception Music for the Party
Finally, the time we’ve all been waiting for is here! It’s time to party! It’s time to dance! Instead of listing out hundreds of songs to be played during your reception, choose a couple of genres that you’d like to hear and trust your DJ to get the party started.
It’s alright to list out a few of your must-play songs – but don’t go overboard. Your DJ will be able to read the crowd and play songs that work for each moment, getting all of your guests out onto the dance floor. They’ll know how to weave in and out of different styles of music to keep the party going all night long.
I would, however, recommend listing a few songs or artists that you absolutely do not want to be played at your wedding reception. I’m sure there are a few songs that are crowd-pleasers and/or wedding classics (YMCA, anyone?), but for whatever reason, you can’t stand them. So let your DJ know!
Final Wedding Reception Moments
The alcohol is flowing. Your guests are grooving. And the dance moves are getting… well, “interesting” may be the best word to describe them. (Is there such a thing as tasteful twerking?) It doesn’t matter. You and your guests are having a blast! But time sure does fly when you’re having fun.
We’re getting toward the end of your wedding reception. There are three final moments that you’ll want to have music ready for. The first two are optional, the last one is not.
- The Bouquet Toss
- The Garter Toss
- The Last Song of the Night
Wedding Music for the Bouquet Toss
This is a tradition that many brides have decided to skip in recent years, but if you decide to toss your bouquet at the wedding reception, you’ll want to choose a fun song to get all the single ladies involved. Let’s get rowdy!
Bring all the single girls onto the dance floor with one of these songs:
- Savage by Megan Thee Stallion
- Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ by Michael Jackson
- Juice by Lizzo
- Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande
- Man, I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain
- Let’s Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar
- Move Bitch by Ludacris
- American Woman by Lenny Kravitz
- Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj
- It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls
- Run the World (Girls) by Beyoncé
- Filthy by Justin Timberlake
- Little White Church by Little Big Town
- Wannabe by Spice Girls
- Bodak Yellow by Cardi B
- Independent Women, Pt. 1 by Destiny’s Child
- Single Ladies by Beyonce
Music for the Garter Toss
Here’s another wedding tradition that has gone out the window in recent years, but if you’re going the old-school route, you may not want to skip this funny moment. If you’re planning to do the garter toss, you’ll want to choose a sensual song to encourage your groom to embrace his sexy side. And of course, to get all the single guys out on the dance floor.
Here are a few fun music options for the garter toss:
- Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye
- You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate
- Hot in Herre by Nelly
- Pony by Ginuwine
- Legs by ZZ Top
- SexyBack by Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland
- Started From the Bottom by Drake
- Beg For It by Iggy Azalea featuring MØ
- Get Lucky by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams
- Toss It Up by 2Pac
- Boyz by Jesy Nelson, Nicki Minaj
- A Little Less Conversation by Elvis Presley
- Drunk in Love by Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z
- The Way You Move by OutKast featuring Sleepy Brown
- Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake
The Last Song of the Wedding Night
Say it isn’t so! The wedding day is coming to an end… So make this last song count! Do you want to end it with a bang? Or go out nice and smooth with a romantic slow dance? Are you calling all your guests to join you? Or are you saving the last dance just for you and your groom?
Choose a song that fits the moment – for you.
Here are a few crowd-pleasers for the last song of the night:
- Shout by Isley Brothers
- Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
- Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks
- Closing Time by Semisonic
- We Are Young by Fun ft. Janelle Monàe
- Should I Stay Or Should I Go by The Clash
- Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
- (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
- Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
- ‘NSync by Bye Bye Bye
- I’m Coming Out by Diana Ross
- Evacuate the Dance Floor by Cascada
- Push It by Salt-N-Pepa
- Lose Control by Missy Elliot ft. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop
- Mr. Brightside by The Killers
- Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson
- Toxic by Britney Spears
- Everybody by The Backstreet Boys
- Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe
Wedding Reception Music
So there you have it. From the big entrance to the last song of the night, your wedding reception music playlist is complete. It feels pretty good, doesn’t it?
If you haven’t already figured out the music for the first half of the day, be sure to check out this post next.
Happy Planning 🙂