Your wedding cocktail hour music sets the tone for your wedding reception. It’s important that it reflects your personal tastes, wedding theme and style. Check out this list of our Top 100 cocktail hour songs!
Wedding Cocktail Hour Music
Songs 1 – 25
Better Together – Jack Johnson
You Are The Best Thing – Ray LaMontagne
I Choose You – Sarah Bareilles
Lucky – Jason Mraz
This Will Be (an everlasting love) – Natalie Cole
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Lauryn Hill
Rhythm of Love – Plain White T’s
I Second That Emotion – The Miracles
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
Stuck Like Glue – Sugarland
Such Great Heights – Postal Service
Do You Realize? – The Flaming Lips
Loving You Easy – Zac Brown Band
For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder
How Sweet It Is – Marvin Gaye
Someone to Watch Over Me – Ella Fitzgerald
Mountain Sound – Of Monsters and Men
Drunk On Your Love – Brett Eldredge
Head Over Boots – Jon Pardi
You Are The Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder
The Way I Am – Ingrid Michaelson
Little White Church – Little Big Town
It Had To Be You – Harry Connick Jr.
You Are The Day Break – Kevin Devine
Our Day Will Come – Amy Winehouse
Wedding Cocktail Hour Music
Songs 26 – 50
You Send Me – Sam Cooke
Only Love – Ben Howard
Mess Is Mine – Vance Joy
Electric Love – Borns
I Would Do Anything For You – Foster The People
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
My Funny Valentine – Tony Bennett
Ten Cent Pistol – The Black Keys
Dead Seas – The Lumineers
I Do – Colbie Caillat
So Com Voce – Thievery Corporation
Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra
Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
Mack The Knife – Bobby Darin
Honey Bee – Blake Shelton
I Do – 98 Degrees
You and I – Wilco
Baby Be My Love Song – Easton Corbin
Nothin’ Like You – Dan + Shay
Stubborn Love – Lumineers
Home – Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros
Beautiful – Mariah Carey and Miguel
L-O-V-E Nat King Cole
Clocks – Rhythm Del Mundo
I Feel It Coming – The Weeknd and Daft Punk
Wedding Cocktail Hour Songs
51 – 75
22 – Tailor Swift
Good Life – One Republic
I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab For Cutie
Sweetest Thing – U2
Message In a Bottle – John Mayer
Blackbird – Beatles
By Your Side – Sade
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Shereen
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
Say You Won’t Let Go – Boyce Avenue
Higher Love – James Vincent McMorrow
Everything Has Changed – Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran
All Of Me – John Legend
Stay With Me – Sam Smith
Luck Be a Lady – Frank Sinatra
Ain’t That a Kick in The Head – Dean Martin
I’ve Got The World On A String – Louis Armstrong
Papa Loves Mambo – Perry Como
Beyond The Sea – Bobby Darin
Misty – Johnny Mathis
At Last – Etta James
Dream A Little Dream Of Me – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Summertime – Sarah Vaughan
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Andy Williams
Wedding Cocktail Hour Songs
76 – 100
My Funny Valentine – Tony Bennett
Let’s Fall In Love – Vic Damone
Here Comes The Sun – Nina Simone
Easy Living – Billie Holiday
Fever – Peggy Lee
Sway – Dean Martin
Cheek To Cheek – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Mack The Knife – Bobby Darin
The Way You Do The Things You Do – The Temptations
For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder
ABC – The Jackson 5
Just My Imagination – The Temptations
I Second That Emotion – The Miracles
I Can’t Help Myself – Four Tops
Baby Love – The Supremes
Making Memories of Us – Keith Urban
It’s a Great Day To Be Alive – Travis Tritt
My Maria – Brooks & Dunn
Drink In My Hand – Eric Church
Born To Fly – Sara Evans
We Danced away – Deana Carter
S’wonderful – Diana Krall
Feeling Good – Michael Bubble
Let’s Get Married – Jagged Edge
No Ordinary Love – Sade
Thank you for reading
Wedding Cocktail Hours Songs
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Hello! My name is Tony Coppola and I’d like to take this time to tell you a little bit about myself and CC King Entertainment.
I began my musical journey when I was 12 years old as a singer and drummer.
Ten years ago, I built a home recording studio and named it CC King Studio. Shortly after, I DJ’d my first wedding and CC King Entertainment was born!
After DJing hundreds of weddings, my business allowed me to leave my 16 year career as an occupational therapist.
I ALWAYS go the extra mile to personalize my wedding services and have the honor to work with an amazing team of wedding DJs.
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Wedding Music and MC Planning
It is so important to know the wedding music and MC planning steps upon booking your wedding DJ.
Every DJ has their own system for organizing all of the music and master of ceremonies for a wedding.
With that said, I am going to cover the planning steps that have worked best for myself and my clients.
Wedding Music and MC Planning Worksheets
When you reserve your wedding date with your DJ, he or she should send an official wedding confirmation email.
With this email, they will often include your wedding music and MC planning worksheets. You can print these off and use them as rough drafts to record all of your ideas for your wedding music, dedications and grand entrance announcements.
I recommend couples keep these forms in their cars, so if they hear a song on the radio they want to be played at their wedding, they can write it down on the worksheet.
Wedding Song Suggestions
Along with your wedding music and MC planning forms, your DJ should offer several resources for arranging your playlists.
Many wedding DJs will have their top song suggestions on their website.
These are usually just suggestions and you don’t have to use the songs listed.
However, visiting a song suggestion page is a great place to start getting ideas for your music that will best suit your personal tastes.
Pinterest is also a great place to look up a variety of different wedding playlists.
Most importantly, your wedding DJ should make themselves available to discuss your wedding music at any time.
Wedding Music and MC Planning Meeting
Usually, about 30 days before your wedding is the perfect time to submit all of your music and master of ceremonies to your DJ.
Many DJs have a page on their website where this information can be submitted.
Once you send in your ceremony and reception music planning forms, your DJ should contact you to schedule a consultation.
During this consultation, he or she will discuss all of your wedding music, master of ceremonies, floor plan and timeline.
I personally prefer to have this meeting at the wedding venue to see the floor plan in person, coordinate with the venue manager and see where to load in my equipment.
Approve Your Wedding Music
After this consultation, your DJ should prepare all of the music on your planning forms weeks in advance.
They should never prepare your music on the day of your wedding.
Furthermore, they should send you a file with your music so you can listen to it and approve the playlist.
Once all of these steps are complete, you will be confident that your DJ will provide an amazing performance specific to your personal tastes.
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Hello! My name is Tony Coppola and I’d like to take this time to tell you a little bit about myself and CC King Entertainment.
I began my musical journey when I was 12 years old as a singer and drummer.
Ten years ago, I built a home recording studio and named it CC King Studio.
Shortly after, I DJ’d my first wedding and CC King Entertainment was born!
Furthermore, after DJing hundreds of weddings, my business allowed me to leave my 16 year career as an occupational therapist.
In addition, I ALWAYS go the extra mile to personalize my wedding services and have the honor to work with an amazing team of wedding DJs.
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How To Pack The Dance Floor
And there it is! The number one question I am asked as a wedding DJ. “How do you keep the dance floor packed?” After all, the main reason you hire a DJ is for them to entertain and get people dancing. On that note, the DJ must take full responsibility for how the guests at a wedding respond to them by either dancing or not.
There are also a few things the newly married couple can do to support their DJ in packing the dance floor at their wedding reception.
With that said, I’ve put together a complete guide that includes tips for DJs and newlyweds on how to keep the dance floor PACKED all night long.
Tips For Engaged Couples And Newlyweds
Hire the Right DJ
There are so many experienced DJs with great reviews.
More importantly, you must hire a DJ with a proven track record that matches your personality and style.
A DJ must connect with their clients and “get in line” with the vibe and energy of the crowd.
They may have the DJ skills, but if they cannot connect with the guests they are serving, people won’t dance. It’s that simple.
Collaborate
Upon booking your wedding DJ, he or she should send you DJ planning forms to help guide you in selecting the music for your wedding.
Be sure to take the time to fill these forms out including your top song picks and special instructions.
This will help your DJ get a feel for the type of crowd they will be entertaining.
It will also help them prepare the most appropriate music in advance.
You DJ should always make themselves available to make music suggestions at any time.
They should also schedule at least one DJ consultation to review all of your selected music before your wedding day.
Create An Environment That Encourages Dancing
There is a very popular sign that DJs love to see at a wedding.
It is often located in the bathroom hanging on the mirror. It reads: “You look perfect, now get back out there and dance.”
Little gestures like this help set the tone for a fun night and help keep the dance floor packed!
Furthermore, it is so important to hire a DJ that understands that not only must they play great music, but create an environment of positive energy and fun for everyone to share.
Lighting
The proper lighting will help keep the dance floor packed at your wedding.
Furthermore, once the dancing segment of your reception begins, it is important that the reception area lights are dimmed.
There are a few reasons for this.
First, when the DJ fires up the dance music, if the venue’s lights also dim at this time, it sends a signal that it’s showtime and the dancing party has begun.
Second, people who may feel self-conscious are more likely to dance if they are not seen so clearly with bright lights.
Lastly, the dance floor lighting and uplighting can be seen more clearly which makes for a more dance club-like atmosphere.
How To Pack The Dance Floor
Tips For Wedding DJs
Personalize, Personalize, Personalize!
I still remember as a kid I hated going to weddings and I couldn’t stand wedding DJs. Why? First, I knew the opening song they would play would be “Celebration.” Then they would slow things down with “Lady in Red” and close with “Last Dance.”
I’m not saying these are bad songs, but it’s so important to remember all of your guests are attending your wedding to celebrate YOU and your husband or wife.
You want your music and dedications to reflect your specific tastes and personality.
It will be so refreshing to everyone attending your wedding and further remind everyone of what the day is really all about: The celebration of YOUR marriage.
Give Shout-Outs!
I love giving shout-outs to people during the night. It’s one of the best ways to fire up the crowd and personalize my DJ services.
Here is a really fun thing to do when planning your music.
As early as possible, ask several of your guests for a song they would like played at your wedding and never mention it again so they forget about it.
Next, submit their song requests to your DJ with their name attached.
On your wedding day, the DJ can give them a shout-out when playing their song and they go CRAZY when they hear it and so do all of their friends and family members!
Mix it up
One of the biggest mistakes a DJ makes is they don’t read the crowd.
They often think if people are not dancing they need to turn up the volume and intensity to motivate people to get off their seats. WRONG!
I always tell the DJs I train, “If people are not dancing, they are trying to tell you they don’t like what you are playing or how you’re performing.”
With that said, the DJ needs to try a different approach.
For example, maybe they can play a couple of slow songs, come out from behind the DJ booth, get some crowd participation and so on.
Always remember, you are paying your DJ to MC your wedding and keep the dance floor packed.
You have every right to ask them to mix things up when what they are doing isn’t working.
Take Song Requests On-The-Spot
What better way to know what type of music the people at the wedding want to hear than to take requests.
People in the crowd are walking directly to the DJ and they tell the EXACT song that will get them dancing.
In addition, when one person dances, many of their friends will join in.
If a DJ plays song requests consistently throughout the entire evening at a wedding, it will almost always guarantee that the dance full will remain full.
There are actually some DJs out there that do not accept song requests and I think that’s a huge mistake.
Play The Right Song At The Right Time
It is one thing to have a playlist of great songs. It is another to play the right song at the right time.
A DJ could play a particular song early in the evening and find that nobody is interested in dancing to it.
Then later in the evening, the crowd is begging him or her to play the song again.
What changed? The fun answer may be that the people at the wedding had a few more cocktails, but it’s more likely that the DJ played the wrong song at the wrong time initially.
I actually have playlists of songs that go over very well at the beginning of the dancing segment of a wedding reception.
I also have a playlist of songs that work great in the latter part of the evening.
With that said, there are never any absolutes and the DJ should always use their best judgment to determine the best time to play a particular song.
Build Momentum
This important factor to keep the dance floor packed should be addressed when interviewing your DJ.
I’ve seen it countless times, the dance floor is rocking, people have their hands in the air and are begging for more!!
What does the DJ do next? They do the unthinkable and play a slow song only to lose all momentum.
Don’t get me wrong. Slow songs should be played during wedding receptions.
However, if something is working, the crowd is simply telling you to keep doing what you’re doing until the dance floor says otherwise.
People do start to get physically tired from dancing.
Your DJ must watch for these signs of fatigue and then it’s at this time, they should switch things up and “bring in the fresh feet” as we say.
Dance Floor Killers
Family Photos
Visualize this for a moment. The dance floor is PACKED and suddenly the DJ announces “All of the bride’s family members please meet in the lobby for a family photo.”
Guess what happens next. Almost half of the people on the dance floor leave the floor. Shortly after, the DJ announces “All of the groom’s family members, please meet in the lobby for a family photo.”
At this point, the DJ has lost all momentum. Many of the guests will also leave the wedding after the photos are taken and the DJ will have an uphill climb for the rest of the night.
It’s always a good idea to ask your photographer if it’s possible to take these pictures during cocktail hour.
Family photos outside of the reception area during the dancing segment of the evening is a DJ’s worst nightmare and should be avoided at all cost.
Frequent Smoke Breaks By The Hosts With Guests
This is one of the most unique factors to be addressed to keep the dance floor packed at a wedding.
It is extremely important to understand that the newly married couple are like a magnet. Wherever they go, their guests will follow.
In other words, if a bride or groom are outside smoking for the majority of the night, two things will happen.
First, a very large group of people will follow them outside and many end up leaving the wedding.
Second, several guests inside will feel the couple is neglecting them and they will also leave early.
The Music Is Too Loud
Nothing will discourage guests at a wedding from dancing like music that is too loud.
Not only does it make the music sound horrible, but music that is too loud literally causes physical pain.
If a DJ’s goal is to have an empty dance floor, then blasting the music at extremely high levels is the way to have one.
If they want to have a packed dance floor, then the DJ must keep that volume at a level that is fun and energizing while remaining comfortable to the ear.
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Hello! My name is Tony Coppola and I’d like to take this time to tell you a little bit about myself and CC King Entertainment.
I began my musical journey when I was 12 years old as a singer and drummer. Ten years ago, I built a home recording studio and named it CC King Studio. Shortly after, I DJ’d my first wedding and CC King Entertainment was born!
After DJing hundreds of weddings, my business allowed me to leave my 16 year career as an occupational therapist. I ALWAYS go the extra mile to personalize my wedding services and I have the distinct honor to work with an amazing team of Michigan wedding DJs.
Contact Us
How To Pick The Perfect Wedding Music
Over the years I have DJ’d hundreds of weddings and each one has been unique and special in its own way. From decorations, food, banquet halls, vendors, traditions and of course the music. On that note, I am often asked for advice and guidance in picking the perfect wedding music for the couple’s big day.
On that note, I thought it would be helpful to share some tips that will help you select the perfect wedding music. In addition, your DJ should always be willing to make song suggestions as well.
I’ve also included some VERY helpful playlist planning tools that will simplify the process of selecting the perfect wedding music for your big day. So let’s begin!!
Listed below are all of the different wedding events and dances that will need music to be selected prior to your wedding day. I have included tips and my personal experiences to assist you in picking the perfect songs for these most special moments. I have also included samples of music to help you get a feel for the wedding event in which it will accompany.
The Ceremony
When picking the perfect wedding music, remember that your wedding ceremony music should express your personal tastes in music. It also sets the tone for the entire day for you and your guests.
The music playing when your guests arrive should also reflect your personal tastes and preferences. Is this a traditional wedding? Artistic? Throw the traditions out the window wedding? This is all communicated by your pre-wedding ceremony music.
During your ceremony, there is the bridal party processional song, bridal march song, a special ceremony song and a recessional song. Traditional wedding ceremony songs include compositions like: “The Bridal Chorus”, “Cannon in D” and “Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.”
These are beautiful and popular ceremony songs, however as far as “rules” for picking out this music, I say there are no rules for the wedding ceremony music. I do recommend however to always keep it clean.
Cocktail Hour and Dinner
It’s always fun to personalize the cocktail and dinner music as well. I’ve played everything from movie soundtracks, parodies, and even music written by musicians who are guests at the wedding.
I typically suggest standard jazz or classics by Sinatra and the “Rat Pack.” I also suggest that couples do not assume that the music for cocktail hour and dinner should be slow. Uptempo music works great and warms up your guests for the dancing segment of the evening.
Regardless of the cocktail music you choose, your DJ must play it at a low volume level. Your songs should be loud enough to simply fill in the quiet space and not interfere with your guest’s conversations.
The Grand Entrance
Now it’s time to TURN IT UP!! When selecting the perfect wedding music for the Bridal Party ‘s Grand Entrance, it is important to pick music that is fun and upbeat.
One thing I like to do is dedicate a song for each person announced in the bridal party. It is also fun to pick music that the members of your bridal party identify with and to keep it a secret. They will absolutely love that you took the time to do this and the guests who know them will love it too.
You will also want to discuss with your DJ where you want each song to start playing (ex. bridge, chorus and so on). When picking the Newly Married Couple’s Grand Entrance song, I always suggest something that’s high energy and emotionally charged. This is your big moment to shine and we love seeing HAPPY tears of joy in the crowd during your Grand Entrance!!
The Couple’s First Dance
When planning your First Dance song, start early. Days early? Weeks early? Months? If possible, start years early if you have that time available.
Be sure to write these songs down if you hear them on the radio. I always recommend waiting till about 30 days prior to your wedding to submit your music. The reason for this is because song selections often change before then.
Now here is my most important tip for this entire blog. This is YOUR song. It’s nobody’s song but YOURS.
We all know that family and friends can often influence many of the events that take place during the wedding, but not this one. This is the most magical dance for the entire reception and it’s all about YOU and your husband or wife.
Dedication and Ceremonial Songs
Dedication and ceremonial songs include the music for the couple’s cake cutting, dances with the parents, bridal party dance, bouquet toss, garter toss and the last song of the evening. The first thing I recommend is that the couple visits my song suggestion list to get some ideas.
To get creative, couples have also arranged fun choreographed dances with their parents. They may also invite both parents and families on the dance floor for this dance. Furthermore, if you pick songs for the parents dance, I always recommend something they will love and cherish forever.
As for choosing the perfect wedding music for the other dedication and ceremonial songs, I suggest picking songs that are light and fun for the cake cutting. Furthermore, consider casual and cheerful for the bridal party dance.
Entertaining and playful music for the bouquet toss and humerus songs for the garter toss. Finally, it always works well to play fun and sentimental music for the last dance of the evening.
Open Dance Floor
It is now time for me to reveal some of my DJ secrets for picking the perfect wedding music to keep that dance floor PACKED!! Keeping the dance floor rolling is actually a team effort.
It all starts with the DJ and the couple getting married. Prior to the wedding, it is so important that the couple complete the Master of Ceremonies form.
I always suggest the couple picks music that they identify with. It is also very important that the music has a good dance beat. Finally, I always recommend that the couple allow the DJ to play what we call our “go-to” songs that have proven to keep that dance floor packed night after night!
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Hello! My name is Tony Coppola and I’d like to take this time to tell you a little bit about myself and CC King Entertainment.
I began my musical journey when I was 12 years old as a singer and drummer. Ten years ago, I built a home recording studio and named it CC King Studio. Shortly after, I DJ’d my first wedding and CC King Entertainment was born!
After DJing hundreds of weddings, my business allowed me to leave my 16 year career as an occupational therapist. I ALWAYS go the extra mile to personalize my wedding services and I have the distinct honor to work with an amazing team of Michigan wedding DJs.
Contact Us