If you don’t know it already, I’m a big fan of non-traditional wedding music (having walked down the aisle to Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good”). If you love a song (and you can totally see how it could fit into a wedding), I say go for it, even if it’s not something that people would expect to hear.
When planning your wedding music, you should think about not only what you’ll walk down the aisle to, but what your wedding party will walk down to as well as your groom (which depending on the size can be two different songs). In fact, here’s a quick guide to all the music you have the opportunity to plan for:
Arrival: The music, if any, you’ll play while guests are arriving to your ceremony venue
Prelude: What will play while your guests are finding their seats
Processional: This includes the music that’s played for your wedding parties, parents, groom, and even the bride. These can be the same song or different songs for one, two, or all of the parties.
Recessional: The music you play as you and the groom exit the ceremony venue
Postlude: Music played as guests exit the ceremony venue
Cocktail Hour: If you have one, this is music played while guests are drinking and eating hors d’oeuvres
Reception Music: This can include the song played while your wedding party is introduced, your first dance with the groom, the father/daughter and mother/son dances, as well as the music played during dinner until the end of the event.
I’m working on a wedding music playlist that I hope to share with you guys soon, but in the meantime here’s my latest wedding song of the week.
If you don’t know Bo (Diddley, that is), I highly suggest you put him on your download list. He’s an insanely awesome singer and guitarist who had what I consider one of the best songs ever made (“I’m a Man”, which you can play below). If I was a DJ, I would seriously play this song at every event I was at. It’s so good, I think it could even make a super fun processional song for your groom to walk down the aisle to (if he’s into it). It could also work as a recessional song and play as you and your now husband walk back down the aisle. Because he’s the man, right?!
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