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Love Songs For Wedding: Choosing Music For a Wedding Dinner [Part 1] - Lyrics

  • Tajo
  • May 13, 2017
  • 5 min read

As they say: Music sets the mood. Are the songs you’ve prepared for your wedding dinner setting the right vibe? Let’s go in-depth into the considerations of choosing a wedding love song! Today we will be talking about song lyrics.

This often overlooked half of a song can make or break the "happily in love" mood of a wedding. It seems to be so obvious when you think about it, but you'd be surprised how many inappropriate songs sneak their way into weddings! Even if your wedding dinner is three-quarters filled with your Hokkien-speaking relatives that don't understand a word of English, there's a chance someone might just pick up a breakup song queued on your song roster.

While you can probably get away with songs with words that are unintelligible, it's a good idea to look through your playlist beforehand. Here are a few lyric categories you should be aware of, starting with the songs you shouldn't pick.

 

POOR LYRIC CHOICES

1. Unrequited love and breakup songs

Your big day should be about your happily-ever-after, at the end of the day. It simply won't do to have the speakers or the live band blasting "never mind, I'll find someone like you", would it? Some offenders I've heard:

2. Infidelity

For obvious reasons, no one should mention Mrs Jones on your wedding night. Believe it or not, I've played Careless Whisper as a wedding march on the couple's request. I guess it worked out for them, sharing the same favourite song. But if you'd rather not, here are some examples to look out for:

3. Hookup Culture (and impulse marriage)

Within this category is one of my favourite instances of bad song choice: Marry You by Bruno Mars. If you're okay with lyrics about a proposal during a drunken stupor, you can overlook this, but do pay special attention to the line "if we wake up and you wanna break up that's cool". You might also want to avoid songs about one night stands and the like, unless that's the vibe your wedding is going for(you never know).

4. Sad Songs

It's no question that they're romantic, but surely these songs are better saved for your private enjoyment? Though it's a grey area, your wedding is after all, a happy event. If you really have to play them, saving these for background dinner music is a good idea. I'd say these songs are unsuitable for your march-in, cake cutting ceremony and the like.

5. Misunderstood Song Intent

This is the true grey area. While there might be nothing really wrong with the lyrics, the intent of the song can turn heads for those in the know. I've heard many jokes about a shotgun wedding when Stevie's Isn't She Lovely is played. Somewhat suitable lyrics for a wedding, yet some are unaware it's a song for a baby. Best to avoid the "less than one minute old" line! These are generally fine though, but if you're anal about it, it can be good to find out more about the songs you're wanting to play.

 

So what are good songs to pick? Anything that fits, really! If a song speaks to both of you, disregard whatever is said above and just go ahead. That said, there are categories for suitable wedding lyrics too! Let's look at them now.

GOOD LYRIC CHOICES

1. You're amazing!

Who doesn't love flattery? That said, even if these songs aren't really reaching the "intended audience", they're cringe-y and sweet enough to make anyone go awwwww... Just be wary of some unrequited love or low self-esteem song types. Here are some of the most frequent contenders for weddings!

2. Songs about Love/Falling in love

The safest place to look: you can't go wrong singing about the wonders of love after all! Songs about how happy and complete love makes you feel will definitely complement whatever programme you have for the night. This is what marriage is about, so preach it and inspire others with songs of this type.

3. Gratitude

Giving thanks is possibly the sweetest thing to be done on a wedding day. And so, it's only natural to queue songs relating to this in your playlist right? It doesn't have to be just about the couple too: a special mention to Bob Carlisle's Butterfly Kisses for being a real tear jerker to the bride and her father. For your other half, here are 5 examples:

4. Promises/Commitment

When the wedding vows aren't enough, make some more with these songs. The powerful words in these songs will send a strong message to whoever hears it.

5. Wedding/everlasting love

Though it might not be explicitly stated, songs about marriage are all around. I probably don't need to say that these tunes are perfect for your big day, do I?

 

While there's nothing set in stone and you can technically play anything you want, it’s still a good idea to go through your playlist or setlist. Bono of U2 was often told by couples that they played “One” for their wedding, to which he remarked, “Did you ever hear the lyrics?!” It’s still entirely up to you in the end, but we, the lyric guys, hope this can help you be more informed and attentive to the words of music when choosing your tunes.

Stay tuned for part 2!


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