As with a “Must Play” list and list of “Suggestions” I also ask my wedding couples for a “Do Not Play” list. You can essentially put down lots of songs or artists or genres on that list but I think I have 15 spots available for it. Maybe there’s a song or artist that you just don’t like or maybe you’re going for a certain vibe at your wedding and you don’t want a specific genre such as country music played. Either way, this list helps give your wedding DJ some direction.
If you asked a handful of people to name a few of the typical songs played at weddings, I’m sure they could come up with at least a few songs. It’s these types of songs that I see more and more on the DNP list. There was an article that came out by the wedding planning site The Knot on this subject in November of 2024 and ever since then I have seen a HUGE spike in couples saying they don’t want many of the songs specifically on that list played. Let me be clear – I have no problem not playing any of these songs or, within reason, whatever the bride and groom (or their Mom) puts on that list. This list from The Knot has 26 songs consisting of 6 line dances, 4 or 5 kid type songs such as “Baby Shark”, more modern songs that have been played at almost every wedding since 2015 such as “Uptown Funk” and “Can’t Stop The Feeling” and a few of the golden oldies such as “Celebration’ by Kool and the Gang.
Every wedding is different and some of these songs can certainly serve a purpose but usually I avoid playing them in most cases unless I feel I need to. In certain situations where you might have a dead dancefloor, putting on a line dance isn’t a terrible idea, it’s like something that can be pulled out of a bag of tricks. Sometimes your Aunt or parents’ neighbor will only go out on the dance floor if they hear something that tells them what to do (5 stomps now y’all) or if it’s VERY familiar such as “Celebration”. Some of these songs can be particularly helpful very early in the night when people are just getting comfortable with the thought of dancing.
Being experienced and good at reading a crowd, I know that in some cases a lot of the overplayed wedding songs might be the main thing that works for a certain group of people. More often than not though, I can tell that if I play “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas, the guests will boycott the dance floor.
If you’re a couple that is not the dancing type and do not plan on being on the dance floor, please don’t put a lot of restrictions on your DJ. You being on the dance floor is the greatest tool they could have and without that they might have to put on the “Cupid Shuffle” to try and start the fire. If you plan on being out there and are an active part of your dance party, by all means – put whatever you want on that “do not play list”. Just be aware that you might get into an argument with your Aunt because the DJ won’t play the “Cha Cha Slide”.
Oh – One last thing: When looking for a DJ, if something about them is telling you that there is a good chance this person is gonna put on “The Chicken Dance”, maybe you should hard pass on “Dj Sparkle Vest”.