Popular First Dance and Parent Dance Ideas for Your Wedding

As the owner of Spinning with Style, I, DJ Bri Swatek am often asked by my brides and grooms for First Dance, Bride and Father, Groom and Mother, and other Parent Dance song suggestions.  While a special song should fit your unique style as a couple, looking at current trends in song choices can be a helpful place to start.

 

Bride & Groom's Dance Courtesy of Cheryl Bolton-Reuter Photography

 

(Bride & Groom’s Dance, Set to Music by DJ Bri Swatek, Image Courtesy of Cheryl Bolton-Reuter Photography)

 

Reviewing requests from my brides and grooms over the past few months, the following artists and titles have been very popular choices for special dances during their recent weddings.

 

“New” First Dances

 

Alicia Keys – No One
Big & Rich – Lost In This Moment
Brad Paisley – Then
Brad Paisley – She’s Everything
Jack Johnson – Better Together
Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat – Lucky
Keith Urban – Making Memories Of Us
Kenny Chesney – Me and You
Lifehouse – You And Me
Michael Buble – Everything
Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
Rascal Flatts – Bless The Broken Road

 

“Classic” First Dances

 

Aerosmith – I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing
Alison Krauss – When You Say Nothing At All
Bryan Adams – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You
Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling In Love
Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
Etta James – At Last
Frank Sinatra – The Way You Look Tonight
George Strait – I Cross My Heart
Harry Connick, Jr. – It Had To Be You
Journey – Faithfully
Journey – Open Arms
K-Ci & Jojo – All My Life
Lonestar – Amazed
Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World
Righteous Brothers – Unchained Melody
Savage Garden – Truly Madly Deeply
Tim McGraw – My Best Friend
Tim McGraw with Faith Hill – It’s Your Love

 

Bride & Father Dances

 

Chuck Wicks – Stealing Cinderella
Frank Sinatra – The Way You Look Tonight
Heartland – I Loved Her First
Steven Curtis Chapman – Cinderella
Temptations – My Girl
Tim McGraw – My Little Girl

 

Parent Dances for the Bride & Father, Groom & Mother, or other Family Dances

 

Beatles – In My Life
Billy Joel – Lullabye
Bob Dylan – Forever Young
Cat Stevens – The Wind
Elton John – Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Faith Hill – There You’ll Be
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What a Wonderful World
Lee Ann Womack – I Hope You Dance
Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World
Rascal Flatts – My Wish
Stevie Wonder – You Are the Sunshine of My Life

 

Looking at current wedding song trends may give you an idea of what you want (or don’t want!), but ultimately, finding that “perfect song” to reflect your feelings on your wedding day is always a personal choice that expresses your unique style.

 

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com

The Vow Factor: Great Wedding Planning Ideas

Just a quick note to remind all the brides and grooms out there in the Hudson Valley about Sarah Bradshaw’s wonderful wedding planning blog, The Vow Factor, located at

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=weddingblog&plckBlogId=Blog%3aa6cc7a12-0dc9-4ada-bf47-64400ced771a&sid=sitelife.poughkeepsiejournal.com

It’s a great wedding planning resource that I highly recommend!

 

 ________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com

What Is “Typical” Wedding Music? (What to ask for or avoid in planning your Must Play and Do Not Play Lists!)

What is “typical” wedding music?

What songs should you either ask for or avoid when creating your Must Play and Do Not Play Lists?

Music Sets the Tone

As the owner of DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style, I know that choosing music for a wedding is a matter of personal taste. In choosing songs for your wedding day, you want to find titles and artists that reflect your own personal style as a couple. From the grand entrance to the last dance, the music you choose (or choose to avoid) sets the tone for your event as much as the venue, the food, the flowers and décor, the dress, etc.

Most of us know what we like in terms of music. But how does the playlist on our iPod fit into a wedding? Also, what other lists of songs should a bride and groom consider when planning their wedding day?

DJ Bri Swatek Mixing Courtesy of Sarah Immel Photography

(Photo of DJ Bri Swatek Mixing Courtesy of Sarah Immel Photography.)

“Listening” vs. “Dancing” Music

For titles and artists you truly love, but can’t see anyone dancing to on your big day, consider times such as cocktail hour, your entrances, dinner, and cake cutting to share your favorite “listening” music with your family and friends. Also, if you know that a unique “dancing” selection is important to a particular person or group of friends or family, indicate that on your Wedding Planner, so the song can be played at the right moment with the right people there to enjoy it.

Must Play and Do Not Play Lists

Oftentimes, my brides and grooms will ask me for the same list of songs for two very different reasons: they want to make sure that their family and friends can enjoy certain songs that they know and love, but at the same time, they want to avoid titles or artists that they personally dislike. Every wedding and each group of family and friends is unique–and so is the music they love or want to avoid! Phrases such as “typical,” “usual,” “cheesy,” “non-cheesy,” “party classics,” “fun,” and “wedding music” can all be used positively or negatively for this very same list of song titles and artists, depending on your point of view!

All of my brides and grooms at DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style receive comprehensive Song Lists featuring “Classic” wedding selections from the 1940s to today’s hits, as well as “Current” music that is popular here and now. The Classic Song List is continually updated based on notes I gather after each wedding I DJ, and is broken into a variety of categories to make wedding planning easy. The Current Song List is updated regularly as well, based on the radio-edited pop, rock, hip hop, dance, Latin, and country music I receive each month from Promo Only, The Industry’s Complete Source for Music.

These lists are extremely comprehensive and offer a variety of options and ideas for wedding planning. But what about something simpler? What if you want to quickly identify the “typical” music that guests often hear and / or request at a wedding–either to add it to your Must Play or make sure it’s on your Do Not Play List?

A great resource I often share with my brides and grooms comes courtesy of Mobile Beat magazine, an industry resource written by and for Mobile Entertainers such as Wedding DJs.

The list is called the “Mobile Beat 200,” and can be found online here: http://www.mobilebeat.com/top-200/. 

The “Mobile Beat 200” is based on all of the requests given to thousands of DJs by their customers in advance of their wedding, party, or other event. As such, it’s often described by my customers as a real “love it or hate it” list–because so many types of events around the country are represented on this list, any bride or groom is sure to find at least a few songs for both their Must Play and Do Not Play Lists here, if not more.

In the end, the question is, how can you use a tool such as DJ Bri Swatek’s Spinning with Style Song Lists or the “Mobile Beat 200” to plan your wedding? By considering your own personal tastes, as well as who is coming to your wedding and what music you think those family members and friends would love to hear (or avoid), you can create a wedding day that reflects your unique style as a couple–a celebration of your marriage set to a soundtrack of the music you love the most!

 

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com

The Links at Union Vale’s Bridal Brunch: A Unique Experience for the Bride and Groom and their Families

Teri Stellato, Banquet Manager at The Links at Union Vale, a beautiful reception location in LaGrangeville, NY invites brides, grooms, and their families and friends to a Bridal Brunch on Sunday, November 15, 2009 from 12 Noon to 3 p.m.

 

 

This intimate, relaxed and informative event is designed especially for the couple who want a distinguished reception site and individualized attention. It is a no-pressure opportunity for couples and their families to tour our facilities and explore the many reception packages and options available at The Links at Union Vale. You’ll be able to take advantage of special limited-time opportunities, value-added incentives and a chance to win some great prizes!

 

In addition, a panel of select professional Hudson Valley wedding vendors, including myself, DJ Bri Swatek of Spinning with Style, will be presenting an informal question and answer panel entitled “Dream Weddings for Any Budget.”  Come for the Mimosas and stay for some great wedding planning ideas!

 

Details about the Bridal Brunch and information about making a reservation are located here: 

http://www.thelinksatunionvale.com/golf/proto/thelinksatunionvale/event01/event01.htm

 

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com

Choosing Your First Dance

For a bride and groom, selecting your First Dance is an important aspect of your wedding, in terms of expressing the overall style of your event to your friends and family.  Naturally, you want to choose a song that speaks to your taste in music.  Lyrics that reflect your feelings toward each other are equally important. 

 

The Bride and Groom share a moment together set to DJ Bri's music and lighting. (Photo of Courtesy of Lori O'Toole Images)

(Photo of Courtesy of Lori O’Toole Images)

 

However, as the owner of Spinning with Style, a full-time professional disc jockey company in the Hudson Valley specializing in weddings, I, DJ Bri Swatek, feel that “dance-ability” is often overlooked and deserves serious consideration.  Some songs are best described as “listening music” as opposed to “dancing music.”  These are songs that sound great in your car or on your iPod or mp3 player, but don’t translate well to the dancefloor.  If you truly love a song that is not easy to dance to, consider using it during another moment in your wedding, such as during the ceremony, during your reception’s grand entrance, after a special toast, or even during cake cutting.

How do you determine what songs will work best for a First Dance?  Professional dance lessons can be very helpful in narrowing down choices.  However, if you want to make a more casual choice, simply put together a CD or mp3 playlist of your first dance possibilities, and then try dancing to them together.  It may seem a little silly at first to try out a First Dance in, say, your living room.  However, fairly quickly, you will both get an idea of which songs are too slow, too fast, have too many changes, or may be just plain awkward (what do we do during that guitar solo or rap break, anyway!?)  Keep in mind as well that you may be asking your wedding party or all of your guests to join you on the floor during the First Dance.  This option may further influence your song choice, including possibly selecting two songs–one for yourselves and a second song to share with your guests.

 

DJ Bri Swatek plays the Bride and Groom's First Dance (Photo Courtesy of Sarah Immel Photography)

(Photo Courtesy of Sarah Immel Photography)

 

Over the past few years, Standards from the Great American Songbook and Contemporary Country Ballads in particular have seen a resurgence in First Dance choices at weddings.  This is mainly due to their dance-ability and the fact that they appeal to a wide range of audiences.  However, contemporary pop ballads, 80’s rock ballads, and R&B selections from the 80’s to today continue to remain popular as well.  In the end, selecting a First Dance is all about finding the right song to fit your unique style as a couple.

 

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com

Beautiful Memories: Earth, Air, Fire, Water (and so much fun!)

Please visit this great blog post

  

http://beautifulmemoriesvideo.blogspot.com/2009/09/earth-air-fire-water-and-so-much-fun.html

  

by my friends at Beautiful Memories Digital Videography.  Titled Earth, Air, Fire, Water (and so much fun!), the post captures Maeghan and Dan’s unique, fun, wonderful wedding at West Park Winery. 

  

http://beautifulmemoriesvideo.blogspot.com/2009/09/earth-air-fire-water-and-so-much-fun.html

Courtesy of Beautiful Memories Digital Videography  

  

Thanks to Michelle, Brittany, and the rest of the great staff at West Park Winery, as well to our friends Maureen Gates at Sharp Images Photographic and Heather Lundy at A Night in Bloom Floristfor all taking part in such a magical night!  Congratulations Maeghan and Dan!

  

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com

Involving Your Friends and Family in Your Wedding Day

As a DJ, I get sent a lot of YouTube and Facebook video clips of “crazy” wedding entrances or first dances.  Most brides and grooms have seen at least one clip of the Evolution of Dance or a ballad with a scratching sound followed by “Thriller.”  This clip I received of a ceremony entrance did highlight some of the pros and cons of the practice: 

 

http://www.break.com/index/jill-and-kevins-unexpected-wedding-entrance.html

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

 

After my initial reaction of a few laughs, my second thought about this entrance was how much time and effort the bride and groom and their friends and family put into this choreographed number.  I can only imagine the work and the fun that went into practicing this routine.

 

While a staged entrance or dance like this might not fit your wedding or your style as a couple, it does ask the question:  what could you do to set your tone at your wedding, and in particular, how could you involve all of the wonderful friends and family who are in your wedding party?  Could you use more than one song in your entrance to set different moods for different groups of family or friends?  What about having two first dances, one for you as a couple, and a second one where your guests join in, creating two different moods at the very beginning?  Who have you asked to give speeches such as blessings or toasts, and have you considered spreading these speeches out at different points throughout the wedding, depending on the speaker and their personality?  Could you dedicate a song to special family members or friends who were there for you, particularly throughout all the excitement and stress of planning your once-in-a-lifetime event?  Have you considered adding a photo slideshow or Memory Montage during dinner at your wedding, highlighting all of your memories with these special people though the years?

 

As the owner of Spinning with Style, I, DJ Bri Swatek, always like to ask my brides and grooms, “who’s coming to your wedding?”  It’s a simple question with a complicated answer:  all the people who are closest to you and your fiancee.  How can you make certain to express your friendship, gratitude, and love for these people on your wedding day?  It doesn’t have to be an over-the-top dance routine–it’s the thought that counts. 

 

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com

Wedding Humor from the Folks at NPR: The Least Appropriate Wedding Songs Ever

As wedding season is in full swing, here’s a little wedding humor I had sent to me on Facebook.  It’s courtesy of the folks at National Public Radio:

 

NPR:  The Least Appropriate Wedding Songs Ever.

 

I hope it’s good for a laugh or two during your wedding planning!  Enjoy,

 

Bri

 

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com

Green Wedding Ideas from DJ Bri

“Green Weddings” or “Eco-Friendly Weddings” are more than just a trend–they’re a new way of thinking about wedding traditions, many of which have their roots in a celebration of nature and life.  In fact, the bride’s bouquet as a symbolic connection to nature is a wedding tradition that dates back in various forms for thousands of years (http://ourmarriage.com/html/why_does_the_bride_carry_flowe.html). 

 

The Heather H Bouquet, Courtesy of A Night in Bloom Event Floristry

(Photo Courtesy of A Night in Bloom Event Floristry)

 

Today, more than ever, brides and grooms are looking to decrease their wedding’s impact on the environment.  The Sierra Club’s website 10 Steps to a Green Wedding (http://www.sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2007/03/10_steps_to_a_g.html) has a variety of ideas for brides and grooms with an eye on their wedding’s environmental footprint.  Similar advice on going green on your wedding day can be found at How to Go Green:  Weddings (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/weddings/) and Great Green Wedding (http://greatgreenwedding.com/default.php) and its blog (http://greatgreenwedding.com/blog/). 

 

The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/fashion/11green.html?_r=1) and USA Today (http://www.usaweekend.com/09_issues/090607/090607thinksmart-green-weddings.html) have also recently published articles on green weddings as well.

 

When considering an eco-friendly wedding, the words “green” and “DJ” might not seem to go together at all!  Truthfully, a disc jockey’s mobile setup in the 80’s or even 90’s did consume a lot of power.  Turntables for vinyl records and the motors on CD players used a lot of energy. 

 

Lighting was always the worst draw in a DJ’s environmental footprint though–traditional or halogen bulbs required at least 250 watts, and usually more in the neighborhood of 500 watts to have an impact on a banquet room or tent.  Most of these lights had powerful fans as well, to keep the units from running too hot.  DJs using 4 or more of these lights usually drew so much power that the lighting needed to be plugged into a separate circuit.

 

Technology has come a long way in the past few years toward allowing a DJ to run a much more green setup than ever before.  Laptops or hard drives have replaced CDs as a much more reliable, environmentally friendly source of music. 

 

The real revolution has come in mobile DJ lighting though.  LED, or “light-emitting diode” lighting uses far less power than traditional or halogen lighting.  As Scott Davies, General Manager of the DJ equipment company American DJ explains, mobile DJs no longer have to “worry [about] finding enough power to run their lights. They can also run their lights longer without worrying about overheating. DJ’s will also be free of what is now a pretty much constant concern about replacing lamps, because of the very long useful life of LED units” (http://www.djzone.net/pg/news/lighting/lets-talk-led-dj-lighting.shtml).  In years past, a DJ could run a traditional or halogen light for maybe 250-500 hours at most (one wedding season) before having to “throw away” a non-biodegradable bulb and replace it.  Today’s LED lights can run from 50,000 to 100,000 hours before any bulbs need to be replaced (http://www.mobilebeat.com/index.php?s=revo+III).  As Davies notes all of this technology allows a DJ to put on a better light show for your guests while using less power:  “typically the LED effect products from 30-50w ratings offer similar output to 400w halogen fixtures and units 50W and up offer output more than 500w halogen units – you really can’t measure them with a meter and have it make sense – it is the effect you see with your eyes that tells the true story” (http://www.djzone.net/pg/news/lighting/lets-talk-led-dj-lighting.shtml).

 

The Bride and Groom share a moment together set to DJ Bri's music and lighting. (Photo of Courtesy of Lori O'Toole Images)

(Photo Courtesy of Lori O’ Toole Images)

 

As the owner of Spinning with Style, I, DJ Bri Swatek, have converted my entire lighting show over to eco-friendly, low-environmental-impact LED lighting.  The two types of lighting effects I use in my DJ setup are the American DJ Par 64 LED Pro and the American DJ Revo III.  These 2 LED lighting effects are used during open dancing to create a party atmosphere.  The Par 64 LED Pro creates a soft wash of color during ballads.  The Revo III then changes pattern in time to the beat of the music during party songs.  At Spinning with Style, the lighting is always pointed at the ceiling and upper walls of the venue to ensure that the effect is “felt” but not distracting in terms of being at eye level.  The lighting system is kept turned off during important dances and special events to allow photographers to work with the venue’s normal lighting, ensuring the best photos possible.

 

LED lighting is just one of many choices that a bride and groom can make to decrease the environmental impact of their event and “go green” on their wedding day.

 

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style on Facebook

DJ Bri’s Blog:  How to Plan Your Hudson Valley Wedding to Reflect Your Unique Style is now also available on Facebook at

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wappingers-Falls-NY/DJ-Bri-Swatek-Spinning-with-Style/54350875357

 

 

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your Professional Disc Jockey and MC Service
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email:   briswatek@aol.com
Phone:   845.235.0080
Online:   www.djbriswatek.com