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
Images from Cheryl Bolton-Reuter Photography
Please enjoy the following wedding images sent to me by one of the best photographers in the Hudson Valley, Cheryl Bolton-Reuter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwbTlfYKQpY
The pictures speak for themselves of course, but Cheryl is also a wonderful person to work with. I highly recommend her and her work for your special 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
Black Friday? Try White Friday for Wedding Planning!
Black Friday? Try White Friday for Wedding Planning!
Whether you’re already engaged or thinking of getting engaged over the Holiday season, the weekend after Thanksgiving is more than just a great time to shop—it’s also a great time to do some wedding planning. Why now? Besides the fact that you may have a bit additional time off of work, there are two reasons why late November is a great time to dive into your wedding planning process.
Black Friday? Try White Friday for Wedding Planning!
#1. Let’s Get Together!
Many of your friends and family may also have some time off of work this weekend. Now’s a chance to get together, talk, share, or even go out looking for products and services you will need for your wedding. You know that everyone in your life has an opinion on your upcoming wedding. Take this opportunity to ask friends and family to help you with your wedding planning process, before everyone gets overly busy with their Holiday plans.
#2. Buy Now!
January and February are the traditional winter bridal show months. In the Hudson Valley, there will be over a dozen bridal expos in these two months. However, as the owner of Spinning with Style, a wedding DJ service in the Hudson Valley, I, DJ Bri Swatek, can tell you firsthand that more often than not, by February, key dates on that same year’s schedule are already filled. Many wedding vendors actually set up booths at these winter Hudson Valley bridal shows and expos looking to book weddings for the following year, as that current new year is already almost completely booked up. Your wedding date is like a piece of real estate. Just like a house, you’re building something on that particular day on the calendar—a once in a lifetime event for your family and friends. Many professional wedding vendors can (or choose to) only work at one wedding per day, and by mid-Winter, your date could already be booked. Consider signing contracts and paying retainers now, before you miss out on that great service or vendor you had your eye on.
Where to begin?
An Internet search for Hudson Valley wedding products, services, and vendors can be more than a little overwhelming. There are tons of wedding vendors out there, and the level of quality and professionalism varies widely. As the owner of Spinning with Style, a wedding DJ service in the Hudson Valley, I, DJ Bri Swatek, would recommend that you combine all those great referrals that you have (and will get) from your family and friends with some of the great services highlighted on this blog. On DJ Bri’s Blog: How to Plan Your Hudson Valley Wedding to Reflect Your Unique Style, you will find links to lots of great
- reception venues,
- photographers,
- videographers,
- florists,
- limo companies,
- wedding planners,
- and more!
Each one of these vendors is a high quality wedding professional that I have worked with on numerous occasions and I can personally recommend as someone who wants nothing but the best wedding for their brides and grooms on your 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
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
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.htmlCourtesy 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
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