Wedding Songs - Building the Perfect Playlist

Setting your Wedding's Special Moments to Music

Behind every good wedding is a great soundtrack, one that can move guests to dance, to dine and sometimes, even to cry. Choosing the right melody for every moment, from the ceremony prelude and processional to the cocktail hour and couple's departure, can create a romantic, festive or even fun atmosphere for the event. Though often overlooked, music is an important and individual detail that can serve to truly distinguish your special day. So, here are a few hints on how to select the best songs for your bridal experience.

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The Ceremony

Despite any notions that they many have about being "different," most brides still lean towards tradition when it come to selecting the wedding songs for their ceremony. This means that much of the wedding's music is also likely to be a little more standard. For this reason, classics like "The Wedding March" by Mendelssohn will never fall out of fashion. Some variation still occurs however, often caused by cultural, personal or religious preference. Among the most common selections though, are these contemporary favorites and traditional tunes:

Prelude (played just prior to the ceremony):

"Clair de Lune" - Claude Debussy
"Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey (instrumental)
"Four Seasons" - Antonio Vivaldi

Processional (played as the bridal party enters and proceeds down the aisle):

"Bridal Chorus" - Richard Wagner
"Canon in D" - Johann Pachelbel
"Mahtovu" (Jewish)

Interlude (played during any transitional moments in the ceremony with optional music):

"Ave Maria" - Franz Schubert
"The Lord's Prayer" - Ken Davies
"You Raise Me Up" - Josh Groban

Special Ceremony (played during any special ceremonies included in the wedding, such as the Unity Candle):

"Candle on the Water" (from Disney's Pete's Dragon") - Helen Reddy
"The Gift" - Jim Brickman
"The Rose" - Bette Midler

Recessional (played at the conclusion of the ceremony as the couple and bridal party depart):

"Hornpipe" (Water Music) - George Frideric Handel
"Ode to Joy" - Ludwig van Beethoven
"Wedding March" - Felix Mendelssohn

Postlude (played after the recessional for any remaining guests to enjoy as they depart):

"Allegro Maestoso for Organ in C Major" - Felix Mendelssohn
"Beauty and the Beast" - Angela Lansbury
"Trumpet Voluntary" - Jeremiah Clarke

The Reception

When it comes to selecting songs for a reception, there is an almost endless array of choices. However, much like any other article of decor, the reception music is usually a reflection of the bridal couple's unique sense of creativity and style. Depending on the wedding's theme, there may be obvious options for everything from background ballads to show-stopping swing numbers. Sticking to a particular musical style can help to narrow the focus, but should never be done to the exclusion of classic crowd pleasers like "The Hokey Pokey" or "Shout." Go ahead, dare to be different, but remember, these favorites are always appropriate too:

Cocktail Hour

"Days of Wine and Roses" - Andy Williams
"Escape" (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes
"Margaritaville" - Jimmy Buffet

Reception Entrance (wedding party)

"All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" - Hank Williams, Jr.
"Let's Get It Started" - Black Eyed Peas
"Alabama Jubilee" (Hail, Hail, the Gang's All here - Fred Astaire

Bride and Groom's First Dance

"Can't Help Falling in Love" - Elvis Presley
"Here and Now" - Luther Vandross
"I Cross My Heart" - George Strait

Father / Daughter Dance

"Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle
"I Loved Her First" - Heartland
"My Girl" - The Temptations

Mother / Son Dance

"Have I Told You Lately" - Rod Stewart
"I Hope You Dance" - Lee Ann Womack
"In My Life" - The Beatles

Dinner Hour

"Always" - Frank Sinatra
"Forever and Ever, Amen" - Randy Travis
"The Chapel of Love" - Dixie Cups

Cake Cutting

"Cuts Like a Knife" - Bryan Adams
"Eat It" - Weird Al Yankovic
"Sweetest Thing" - U2

Bouquet Toss

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper
"It's Raining Men" - The Weather Girls
"Single Ladies" (Put a Ring on It) - Beyonce

Garter Toss

"Fever" - Peggy Lee
"I Know What Boys Like" - The Waitresses
"She's Got Legs" - ZZ Top

Reception Departure (couple)

"Bye, Bye, Bye" - 'N Sync
"Happy Trails" - Roy Rogers
"See You Later, Alligator" - Bill Hailey and His Comets

Last Dance of the Evening

"At Last" - Etta James
"I've had the Time of My Life" - Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
"What a Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong

Wedding Songs - Building the Perfect Playlist

To listen to and watch videos of wedding songs, visit The Wedding Song Directory.

DISNEY

Building Trust Means First Setting Clear Expectations

"I don't feel that my team members have my back," one of my coaching clients, "Merrall", said leaning forward in her chair during our Skype call.

Watching her posture and expression on the video screen, I could see her frustration with the current situation.

ENTERPRISE PORTAL

"What does having your back look like?" I asked.

"It means giving me a heads up about situations that could bite me in the backside when I least expect it."

Leading Merrall down the path of clarifying what these "situations" might look like helped her clarify the expectations that she had for her team mates. The next step was setting up a communication plan for each team member so that she could share her needs and expectations with them.

Setting Clear Expectations

I reminded Merrall about not assuming that others knew what she expected of them. Clearly communicating mutual expectations at the start of anything, whether it's with a new project team, new manager, new supplier, new partner, or new customer avoids so much of the "I thought you already knew since we worked so closely together!"

Don't assume that others know what you expect of them and don't assume that you're clear about their expectations of you.

I made a point of reminding Merrall that her team could choose whether they agreed with her expectations of them. She would need to allow them to re-negotiate, if necessary, so that in the end you have a "contract" between you both.

More Trust, More Personal Risktaking

We continued our discussion about how trusting her team could lead to more personal risktaking and a willingness to go outside her comfort zone.

The tack we took next was to explore trust and divided the areas into three main areas:

How she trusted others How others trusted her When trust ended
How You Trust Others

The importance of knowing the process you go through when establishing trust with others will help you build your "trust on demand" muscles for when you need them most, e.g., building immediate rapport and trust during negotiations.

Given that effective teaming skills require trustworthiness amongst members, it's critical to learn how to create an initial foundation of trust with others as quickly as possible. In today's fast-moving workplaces, you won't always have the luxury of building trust organically.

Write your answers to the following four questions on a separate sheet of paper or on your computer using your favorite word processing program.

How do you know when you trust someone? How do you know when someone trusts you? How do you know when you've lost someone's trust? What makes you no longer trust another person?
How Others Trust You

Do you consider yourself trustworthy? This area is critical area for you to recognize and to be honest when answering the question. If people have trouble trusting you, perhaps, it's because you don't consider yourself trustworthy.

You might not be aware of how you're coming across to people; therefore, it's important to explore this area in more detail in order to build and strengthen your "trust quotient". This is confidence from the inside out.

When Trust Ends

Just as it is important for you to know when to recognize the opening of new doors, it's just as important to honor the ending of a relationship, or the closing of a situational door. Sometimes a door will close "naturally" and other times it may be necessary for you to take the initiative to walk away from an unhealthy situation or environment.

Relationships built on trust can change. People change, situations change, and aspects of our personal philosophy can change. This can have an effect on the trust you once established, but which no longer serves your life or career purpose. Greater pain often occurs when we force a door to remain open beyond the time when it needs to close.

Building Trust Means First Setting Clear Expectations

Dolores "Dee" McCrorey, Chief Risk Guru, innovation catalyst, business coach, radio show host and social media aficionada of Risktaking for Success LLC ( http://www.RisktakingforSuccess.com ), brings her passion for partnering with enterprise thought leaders looking to level the innovation playing field by renovating their workplace cultures and reinventing mid-level talent into entrepreneurial thinkers, do-ers, and leaders.

Dee brings a practical approach to the challenges faced by today's enterprise leaders and knowledge workers having spent over twenty-five years in the private sector serving in a variety of front line, management, and leadership roles for Fortune 500 companies. She captures much of this practical experience in her 5-year-old blog The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur.

Her team recently launched a digital learning site School of Innovation that aims to level the innovation playing field for professionals. Check out their complimentary course Career 2010: Reinventing Yourself for the New World of Work at http://www.schoolofinnovation.com/course/543/register.

ENTERPRISE PORTAL

Building Trust Means First Setting Clear Expectations

"I don't feel that my team members have my back," one of my coaching clients, "Merrall", said leaning forward in her chair during our Skype call.

Watching her posture and expression on the video screen, I could see her frustration with the current situation.

ENTERPRISE PORTAL

"What does having your back look like?" I asked.

"It means giving me a heads up about situations that could bite me in the backside when I least expect it."

Leading Merrall down the path of clarifying what these "situations" might look like helped her clarify the expectations that she had for her team mates. The next step was setting up a communication plan for each team member so that she could share her needs and expectations with them.

Setting Clear Expectations

I reminded Merrall about not assuming that others knew what she expected of them. Clearly communicating mutual expectations at the start of anything, whether it's with a new project team, new manager, new supplier, new partner, or new customer avoids so much of the "I thought you already knew since we worked so closely together!"

Don't assume that others know what you expect of them and don't assume that you're clear about their expectations of you.

I made a point of reminding Merrall that her team could choose whether they agreed with her expectations of them. She would need to allow them to re-negotiate, if necessary, so that in the end you have a "contract" between you both.

More Trust, More Personal Risktaking

We continued our discussion about how trusting her team could lead to more personal risktaking and a willingness to go outside her comfort zone.

The tack we took next was to explore trust and divided the areas into three main areas:

How she trusted others How others trusted her When trust ended
How You Trust Others

The importance of knowing the process you go through when establishing trust with others will help you build your "trust on demand" muscles for when you need them most, e.g., building immediate rapport and trust during negotiations.

Given that effective teaming skills require trustworthiness amongst members, it's critical to learn how to create an initial foundation of trust with others as quickly as possible. In today's fast-moving workplaces, you won't always have the luxury of building trust organically.

Write your answers to the following four questions on a separate sheet of paper or on your computer using your favorite word processing program.

How do you know when you trust someone? How do you know when someone trusts you? How do you know when you've lost someone's trust? What makes you no longer trust another person?
How Others Trust You

Do you consider yourself trustworthy? This area is critical area for you to recognize and to be honest when answering the question. If people have trouble trusting you, perhaps, it's because you don't consider yourself trustworthy.

You might not be aware of how you're coming across to people; therefore, it's important to explore this area in more detail in order to build and strengthen your "trust quotient". This is confidence from the inside out.

When Trust Ends

Just as it is important for you to know when to recognize the opening of new doors, it's just as important to honor the ending of a relationship, or the closing of a situational door. Sometimes a door will close "naturally" and other times it may be necessary for you to take the initiative to walk away from an unhealthy situation or environment.

Relationships built on trust can change. People change, situations change, and aspects of our personal philosophy can change. This can have an effect on the trust you once established, but which no longer serves your life or career purpose. Greater pain often occurs when we force a door to remain open beyond the time when it needs to close.

Building Trust Means First Setting Clear Expectations

Dolores "Dee" McCrorey, Chief Risk Guru, innovation catalyst, business coach, radio show host and social media aficionada of Risktaking for Success LLC ( http://www.RisktakingforSuccess.com ), brings her passion for partnering with enterprise thought leaders looking to level the innovation playing field by renovating their workplace cultures and reinventing mid-level talent into entrepreneurial thinkers, do-ers, and leaders.

Dee brings a practical approach to the challenges faced by today's enterprise leaders and knowledge workers having spent over twenty-five years in the private sector serving in a variety of front line, management, and leadership roles for Fortune 500 companies. She captures much of this practical experience in her 5-year-old blog The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur.

Her team recently launched a digital learning site School of Innovation that aims to level the innovation playing field for professionals. Check out their complimentary course Career 2010: Reinventing Yourself for the New World of Work at http://www.schoolofinnovation.com/course/543/register.

ENTERPRISE PORTAL