Welcome to another wedding planning Q&A! Every Wednesday and Thursday, we go live on TikTok and Instagram to talk all things weddings. Planning a wedding can be stressful, but we are here to help. 

Dominic went on air to answer all of the questions y’all had for a wedding DJ, and we wanted to share some of those answers here. Check out part 1 of one of our most recent TikTok lives – we might be answering a question that you have!

You can tune in on Instagram and Tik Tok to hear the full episode.

Do you have any unique song ideas for a first dance?

Dominic: This is the hardest category for me to help with, and here’s why; there are a lot of beautiful love songs, but your first dance song is usually one that is special to you and your partner. 

Whether it was on the first date part of a movie you saw together, it came on the radio the first time you were making out, or maybe it was by an artist you guys saw on stage together. 

Here are a few suggestions I can think of off the top of my head:  

Timeless: 

• When a Man Loves a Woman, Percy Sleds
• At Last, Aida James
• I get to Love you, Roelle
• Better Together, Luke Combs
• Beautiful Crazy, Luke Combs
• Joy of my Life, Chris Stapleton
• More of You, Chris Stapleton

I also have a list of potential songs you could use. It’s my music planner, and it’s available for download. The planner includes 50 or more songs for each category you might be looking for: the ceremony, introduction, reception, cake, first dance, bouquet, garter, and everything in between. We have even included the timing on songs that have really great sections in the middle.

What’s your advice on finding a venue within our budget?

Dominic: The venue is going to be a major part of your budget, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. If you are recently engaged and haven’t booked your venue yet, here are a few tips:

• Decide your vibe: What are you looking for in a venue? Are you looking for something rustic? Are you looking for something urban?

• Book a Tour: Don’t just look at the websites for the venues, call and set up a tour. They may have taken the pictures a long time ago when everything was in bloom. Then you get there, the grass is dead, the plants are dead, the carpet is torn up, and you wonder, “What is that smell”? You want to make sure it meets your desires!

• What does the venue provide? Does the venue provide tables, chairs, and linens? If they do, chances are you will pay more. Compare the cost of an ‘all-inclusive’ venue to the cost of an empty venue plus the cost of renting the tables, chairs, and linens and the cost of transporting them and setting them up. Those things add up really quickly, and you might find that the more expensive one is the better choice because it fills a lot of gaps that you won’t have to think about later, and it may even be more cost-effective than renting everything separately.

• What’s included in the venue price? Some venues include catering and bartending, which takes even more off your plate. If your venue includes cleanup at the end of the night, that’ll be the best $200 you ever spent to be able to say “thanks and goodnight.” We’ve seen brides and their moms stacking chairs at the end of the night because the people that said they were going to help were too drunk and left already. It’s just so nice to be able to have venue employees take care of that for you. 

For a more comprehensive guide on booking the perfect venue, read How to Choose the Perfect Venue, with Kristen Voss

Can you give some ideas for Father-Daughter dance songs that aren’t country but also not too fatherly at the same time?

Dominic: That’s a good category! I’m going to look at my list to get some ideas (again, this is the list that’s available for download). On it, I have a category called “multiple use songs,” which means they could work for step-parents, grandparents, brothers, or other types of dance you incorporate into your wedding.

• You’ll Be, Faith Hill
• My Life, The Beatles
• Stand By Me, Benny King
• What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
• Forever Young, Rod Stewart
• My Wish, Rascal Flatts
• I Hope You Dance, Leanne Womack

I’ve also been asked about good songs for a Mother-Bride dance, some good ones for that would be:

• Mama’s Song, Carrie Underwood
• Mother Like Mine, The Band Perry
• In My Daughter’s Eyes, Martina McBride
• The Best Day, Taylor Swift
• Slipping Through My Fingers, Mamma Mia

What would be a good song for a second wedding for both of us?

Dominic: I’m not sure if there’s a song written specifically for a second wedding. Maybe there are, I can’t think of any off the top of my head. But it’s a new start, and you deserve a new song that is special to your relationship. 

If you don’t have your song in mind yet, I love the idea of finding it by building a wedding playlist slowly. Just start a playlist in your Apple Music or Spotify, and then just throw songs on it as they come to you. Include any song that you want as part of your wedding day. 

You’ll be making dinner, doing laundry, or whatever, and a song will come on that you think, “Oh I love this one!” or “That was my jam back in the day!” and if you don’t put it on the playlist right away, you won’t be able to remember it at the end if you are trying to put songs together at the last minute. 

Then, as the wedding draws closer, you can ask your DJ if you can send over the playlist so they can get a good idea of your vibe and add your “must play” songs to their wedding day playlist. 

In doing this, you will most likely find your song; one that triggers a memory, or even just one that becomes your song during the process of planning your wedding! Speaking of your DJ, if you haven’t hired one yet, check out this post for our tips!

Do you have any recommendations for any kind of rock song that can be slowed down for a first dance?

Dominic: There are so many amazing covers of rock songs now, I know you’ll be able to find one you love. I suggest heading to YouTube and just searching for some of your favorite songs and adding “cover” at the end. A couple of really good ones are:

• First Date, Blink 182: covered by Taylor Acorn
• Sweet Child of Mine, Guns n’ Roses: covered by Paul Canning 

What are some good songs for a shared bride, father-in-law, groom, and mother-in-law dance?

Dominic: There are some perfect songs for this category listed above in my “multiple-use songs” list, but here are a few more excellent choices:

• One Call Away, Charlie Pouth: he does an acoustic version
• Over the Rainbow: there are lots of great versions of this one
• You’ve Got a Friend. James Taylor
• Humble and Kind, Tim McGraw

I need a good recessional song that’s very upbeat. Any ideas?

Dominic: Yes! An upbeat recessional song can be a fun way to end the ceremony and celebrate your “I do’s”! Here are a few of my favorites: 

• You Make My Dreams Come True, Darryl Hall and John Oates
• Best Day of My Life, American Authors (there’s a great pause at 37 seconds in this one)
• Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Queen (or Dwight Yokum!)
• Forever After All, Luke Combs (It really hits at 49 seconds)

Help! I have to submit my songs next week, and I haven’t started

Dominic: That’s ok! You have a couple of options here:

1. Take an afternoon or evening and sit down with YouTube or Spotify and just start going through music. Add everything you like, even a little bit, to a playlist, and then cut it down from there if you need to. 
2. Download our music planner PDF and use it as your guide to choosing the most important songs. From there, you or your DJ can fill in the gaps, and you’ll be good to go!

Download the Virtual Music Planner here!

We hope this helped you in your wedding planning journey. If you know someone who may be engaged or is a maid of honor, share it with them too! An easy way to do that is to share this blog post or go listen to the podcast. Screenshot this episode, share it on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @the.weddingduo. 

Join us live for more Q&A every week. We go live on Wednesdays at noon CST on TikTok. We go live on Instagram at 7 pm CST on Thursdays. We promise to share the love. Also, if you are interested in more resources or the show notes, you can visit our website.  We have one-on-one virtual sessions, a shop, and all sorts of fun stuff!