What Music People REALLY Like Playing At Weddings
Galia Lahav – Bride Of The Week Aviva Skall

Which music you play at your wedding is a highly personal choice. But there are definitely crowd-pleaser songs that couples keep choosing year in and year out — after all, no matter how much you may love electronic cumbia or Swedish death metal, not all your guests might share your taste.

Your song choices also say volumes about your personality, especially your first-dance song. There are those couples who prefer to play it safe and go with John Legend’s “All Of Me” (a lovely, respectable choice). Then again, some prefer to be more unique and play their favorite song from a musical or an oldies rock ballad. When it comes to the first dance you will share as spouses, individuality is key.

Sometimes, even your dress can beautifully reflect your playlist. Gala Collection No. V, for example, is inspired by music: “A woman’s soundtrack says as much about her style as her signature scent, and Gala’s latest looks aim to appease any bride looking to walk, strut, and dance to her own unique beat. And so, the latest collection combines an ease and flow to allow for expressive movement with high quality and a fashion-forward bend, inspired by music’s many genres and icons.”


The collection’s dresses are inspired by music’s melodies, rhythms, and crescendoes. But while your dress might influence your music choices, so could these recent trends: Spotify’s Insights blog looked at its users’ wedding playlists since 2008, and found the top 10 wedding songs in the United States and the most popular wedding song in every single state.

According to The Washington Post, the top 10 wedding songs are: “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran, “Marry You” by Bruno Mars, “All Of Me” by John Legend, “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston, “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, “Crazy In Love” by Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z), “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, and “Hey Ya!” by OutKast.


It’s fascinating to see the breakdown state by state, because that’s where you start to see the quirky regional differences. For example, “Wop” by J. Dash is the most popular wedding song in three Southern states: Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana. Of course, New York LOVES “Juicy” by its hometown hero Notorious B.I.G. In New Jersey, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” rules, and “California Love” by 2Pac is most popular in — you guessed it — California. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver is the end-of-the-night favorite in the state of West Virginia, which makes a whole lot of sense.

The least popular wedding songs is another matter entirely. According to FiveThirtyEight, songs that couples most often tell their DJs or bands not to play include: “Chicken Dance,” “Macarena,” “YMCA,” the Hokey Pokey, and “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. Interestingly enough, “Don’t Stop Believin’” also made that list, which proves just how divergent peoples’ tastes can be.

But if you really love the “Macarena,” who is to stop you?