6 More Songs to Avoid At Your Wedding Reception

When you hit the dance floor at your wedding reception, you’ll probably give your DJ a list of songs you’d like to have played. Odds are you’re already choosing songs that will really sum up your relationship with your spouse, remind you of your romantic history, and fill you up with good cheer to keep you dancing through the night. Just do yourself and your guests a favor: if you have any of these songs on your playlist, ditch them now.

Hoobastank, The Reason

People seem to think that this is a romantic song, maybe just for the lyric “and the reason is you.” But at its heart, this isn’t a song about a healthy relationship. It’s more a half-assed apology than a love letter. The singer is sorry that he hurt his lover, but seems more concerned with his own suffering. Hurting her is “something he must live with every day.” Poor guy. Hasn’t she considered how hard it is on him, having hurt her like that?

Anything Mentioning Romeo and Juliet

There’s a meme making the rounds on the Internet, which goes something like, “stop saying Romeo and Juliet are romantic. Their relationship lasted 3 days and caused 6 deaths.” We’ll add to that, “including their own.” Romeo and Juliet were a pair of teenaged twits who end up dead at the end of the story. So skip the Taylor Swift.

Dave Matthews Band, Crash

If you take even a cursory listen to the lyrics, this song is just kind of...well, gross. It just makes you feel grimy, once you get past the sugary violins. “you’ve got your ball, you’ve got your chain / tied to me tight, tie me up again,” Dave sings. He’s all about being “tied up and twisted,” and later describes how great it is to peek through his crush’s window to watch her undress. Ick. For a less gross DMB tune, try “You & Me.”

Eric Clapton, Tears in Heaven

We’ve been to several weddings where this ends up on the playlist, and we’re still not sure what would possess anyone to play it. Is it just that it’s a slow song? That the guitar is kind of pretty? They were trying for “Wonderful Tonight” and hit the wrong track? Whatever the reason happens to be, this song is about the death of a three-year-old child. Not romantic at all.

Billy Idol, White Wedding

Sure, it’s a wedding, and people are wearing white, so why not play White Wedding? Well, for starters it’s not a great song for dancing to, either slow or fast, so it’s likely to clear the dance floor. And more importantly, it was written as an anti-wedding song, with Idol sarcastically making fun of his sister for marrying too young.

Whitney Houston, I Will Always Love You

Sure, the chorus says, “I will always love you,” over and over again ad nauseum, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s a romantic celebration of eternal love. Simply put, it’s a break-up song. It’s about letting someone go and walking away because you know it’s best for them, and you’ll never see them again no matter how much you love them. So it’s pretty much the opposite of the sentiment you want for a wedding.

In the end, of course, what you choose for your wedding music should reflect you and your partner’s musical tastes. But if it’s at all possible, avoid these six tunes. Your wedding guests will thank you.

Wedding Songs for Your Recessional

Music is a huge part of the wedding experience. The songs that you play on your wedding day will forever remind you of your nuptials, so choose them wisely. There are so many times throughout the ceremony and reception where the perfect song choice can really enhance the situation that it makes sense to focus on each separately. Here are a few songs that we think are perfect for walking down the aisle for the first time as a married couple.

Dave Matthews, You & Me
The DMB gets a bad rap for being bro-rock or dad-rock, but there’s no denying that ol’ Dave knows his way around a love song. This one starts off simply, then builds to a giddy chorus that should have everyone in the audience singing along by the end of it.

Sample lyric: “You and me together, we can do anything/ You and me together, yes, yes.”

Lick the Tins, Can’t Help Falling in Love
The most famous version of this incredibly romantic tune is Elvis Presley’s crooning slow-jam cover. But we much prefer the infectious energy of this track from Celtic band Lick the Tins. Complete with pennywhistle and adorable vocals from Allison Marr, it’ll have you practically skipping down the aisle.

Sample Lyric: “Take my hand, take my whole life, too / ‘cause I can’t help falling in love with you.”

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Speaking of songs that start slow but build to a huge climax, this Frankie Valli song is practically two different tunes. The first one is a romantic murmur, and then the horns and strings kick in as Frankie practically shouts his love to the heavens.

Sample Lyric: “At long last love has arrived, and I thank God I’m alive, you’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you.”

Buddy Holly, “Every day”
For a quieter, sweeter recessional, consider Buddy Holly’s slight but beautiful song. With its gentle guitar and twee little glockenspiel accompaniment, it’s as charming as it is minimal. If you’d like the guests to hush and wipe away tears when you walk down the aisle, it’s a perfect choice.

Sample Lyric: “Every day it’s getting closer /coming faster than a roller coaster / love like yours will surely come my way.”

Beatles, “I Will”
The Beatles are masters of the romantic song, especially once they hit their peace-and-love mid-60s stride. If you have an army of musician friends you can recruit, a la Love Actually, then you can consider “All You Need is Love.” But we still prefer the more laid-back vibe and gorgeous harmonies of this tune.

Sample Lyric: “Who knows how long I’ve loved you / you know I love you still / will I wait a lonely lifetime? If you want me to, I will.”

The music you play during your wedding recessional can put a lovely capper on the whole proceeding and serve as a transition into the celebration portion of the day. Whatever song you choose, make sure it’s one that has special meaning for you and your partner.

8 Slow Songs for Late in the Reception

Wedding receptions tend to go through stages as the party progresses--there’s the slow filling of the dance floor, the peak dance phase where even the toddlers are jumping around, the “woo” phase when everyone’s feeling the three or four drinks they’ve had. These songs are for the tail end of the reception, when couples want to snuggle up and pretend it’s Senior Prom all over again. Here are some great slow jams to keep them swaying.

“Faithfully,” Journey
Sure, Journey’s cheesy. But they’re also kind of awesome. Early in the reception you can get everyone singing along to “Don’t Stop Believin’,” but Journey won’t desert you when it’s time to slow dance. Either this one or “Open Arms” has all the soaring balladry your guests need to keep on dancing.

“I’ll Stand By You,” The Pretenders
There’s a lot to say for the honesty and simplicity of these lyrics--”even though you suck sometimes, we’re in this together,” is a good theme for a wedding dance. This is one of those great rock ballads that just keeps building and building until people are singing along wiping away tears.

“What a Wonderful World,” Louis Armstrong
By this stage of the festivities, your guests should be feeling drained, tired, and blissfully happy. It’s a great time to throw on this simple, beautiful tune about the wonderful world we live in.

“Come Away with Me,” Norah Jones
There’s something inviting and entrancing about Norah Jones’s sleepy-sultry sound, and it’s in full effect on this tune. Perfect for hugging your significant other close and whispering in their ear.

“My Life,” The Beatles
You can’t go wrong with the Beatles at a multi-generational gathering like a wedding. This song has a sense of sweet nostalgia for the good times that have passed, but it also has the perfect wedding sentiment for a new couple.

“Such Great Heights,” Iron & Wine
The original by the Postal Service is an upbeat, electronica-tinged tune that might be a good way to get the dance floor filled at the beginning of the evening. This cover, though, keeps the adorably romantic lyrics but turns the energy down to an acoustic, half-speed, quiet and contemplative mood.

“I’ll Be,” Edwin McCain
This one was overplayed when it came out in the late ‘90’s, but it’s aged well. There’s a nice twist to the lyrics that keep them from sounding generic, and McCain’s voice has enough whiskey-tinged soul in it to keep the song from sounding too slick.

“Like Real People Do,” Hozier
The lyrics have an appealing darkness to them, and Hozier’s got pipes to spare, but he holds it in check for this quiet, intimate tune. The chorus’s “we should just kiss like real people do” should inspire some smooches out on the dance floor.

When the hour grows late and the party settles into a mellower vibe, make sure your DJ is equipped with slow-song suggestions to get couples hugging each other on the dance floor. A little sentiment and a little cheesiness is more than okay at this stage--everyone’s bound to be feeling a little sentimental after celebrating your special day. So give them a chance to hold each other and sway.

Songs to Avoid at Your Wedding Reception

A wedding reception is a unique kind of party. Sure, it’s all about the bride and groom, but it’s also the only raging party you’re likely to throw and invite your parents, grandparents, extended family members, all your friends, and a random smattering of children. As such, when it comes to picking music for the reception, you’ll need to keep in mind what’s appropriate for the majority of the audience. That’s not to say you need to stick to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin to avoid freaking out grandma, but you definitely should put the following songs on your “Do Not Play” list.

Nelly, Hot in Herrre

There are plenty of sexed-up club jams that don’t belong at a wedding reception, but we include this one because DJs seem to love it. We attended a wedding where the bride had put it on the Do Not Play list, as she didn’t want her Baptist grandmother hearing it. But the DJ played it anyway, because he was “feeling the crowd,” and Mema was quite taken aback. So if you’re picking your own music, don’t put songs like this in the mix, and if you’ve got a DJ make him pinky-swear to leave this one off.

Los Del Rio, The Macarena

Yes, everyone between the ages of 25 and 50 will know how to do this dance. But does anyone ever have any fun doing it? It’s the same 8 bars of dance over and over again until the song stops. You may have one wacky uncle that gets way into it, but that’s embarrassing for everyone, too. Send this one the way of the Chicken Dance (did we mention not to play the Chicken Dance?).

The Police, Every Breath You Take

Okay, look. We know this is a slow song and it sounds kind of romantic and sexy. But the lyrics are creepy. And we’re not alone in saying the lyrics are creepy--the guy who wrote the song says that he wrote it to be an obsessive, unhealthy, stalker-ish song. Please choose something else for the slow dance.

The B-52s, Love Shack

It’s annoying. The back-up singers are annoying, the shouty guy is annoying, the drunken relatives who will insist on shouting along with the shouty guy are annoying, the “Tin roof! Rusted” is annoying and no one knows what it means. Give your guests a welcome break from this song--it’s played at far too many weddings.

Whitney Houston/Dolly Parton, I Will Always Love You

IT’S A BREAK UP SONG. It is a song about a relationship ending and people play it at their weddings. That is pure madness. Might as well throw in Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” for good measure. Just kidding. Please don’t do that.

Of course, taste in music is objective, and there are plenty of songs you might pick for your wedding that we’d never consider in a million years. But can we all agree that oversexed jams, lame line dances, creepy songs, overplayed cheeseball songs, and breakup songs are off the list?