Tonight – a very special wedding because I personally know the Bride and Groom. They’re my local pub owners and it was a privilege to be asked to provide the evening entertainment for their special day.
The venue was to be the DoubleTree by Hilton in Cambridge, a venue I last worked in two years ago for Maria and Andrew’s wedding reception. The rules of engagement have changed a little since then…
Whereas the last time I was there the disco was set up against a side wall, they now insist that we are at the far end of the enormous function room. It puts a LOT of space between me and the guests and that doesn’t bode well, especially when the bar is at the other end of the room….100 feet away.
It had been a very long day for the guests with many of them mentioning that they’d been at the hotel from around 11am. So, by 7:30pm when I started up the fatigue was beginning to show.
In the days of old, weddings traditionally happened at around 3pm. In modern times, they happen at all times of the day (mainly due to a lack of Registrars), and Chloe & Ryan wed at 1:30pm.
The brief from Chloe and Ryan when I met them to discuss the evening was for 80s, 90s and current music but with no “action dances”. By action dances, I mean things like the Cha Cha Slide, Agadoo, Superman and Oops Upside Your Head, which to be perfectly honest I’d rather not play anyway.
The First Dance
The first dance was Tightrope by Michelle Williams from the film The Greatest Showman. Chloe has a son from a previous relationship who is the centre of their world, and as a surprise I got him to press the play button for the first dance to help him to feel involved. This was followed by a daddy/daughter dance to Cinderella by Steen Curtis Chapman.
Before all of that though, we played the Mr & Mrs Game in which the bride and groom sit back to back and answer questions about their relationship. Traditionally, this is done by using each others’ shoes…..I prefer to use Pink and Blue paddles….it’s more hygienic!
Sadly, it wasn’t the fullest of dance floors for this one and that was a real shame. As a wedding DJ, I’d much rather see a dance floor full of bodies during the evening. It doesn’t always happen that way though with guests preferring to catch up with each other over a drink.
What also didn’t help was the fact that the hotel’s fire alarms were triggered at 10:30pm leading to a full evacuation and a loss of power to my equipment!
The playlist
Much of the music below was requested by guests on the night
- Michelle Williams – Tightrope (First Dance)
- Steven Curtis Chapman – Cinderella (Daddy/Daughter dance)
- Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop The Feeling
- Mark Ronson Feat. Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
- Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby
- Wham – Wake me up before you go go
- a-ha – Take On Me
- Kenny loggins – Footloose
- Earth Wind and Fire – September
- Diana Ross – Chain Reaction
- Take That – Could it be magic
- Westlife – Uptown Girl
- The Spice Girls – Megamix
- Various Artists – The Grease Megamix
- S Club 7 – Reach
- Steps – Tragedy
- Sha-Na-Na – Born To Hand Jive
- B Witched – C’est la vie
- The B-52’s – Love Shack
- Bryan Adams – Summer of ´69
- Chesney Hawkes – The One And Only
- Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
- Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
- George Ezra – Shotgun
- Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa – One Kiss
- Robin S – Show Me Love
- M People – Movin on up
- Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
- Tiffany – I Think Were Alone Now
- The Communards – Don’t Leave Me This Way
- Michael Buble – When I Fall In Love (Ryan & him mum)
- Bee Gees – More Than A Woman
- Barry White -You’re The First, The Last, My Everything
- Earth Wind & Fire – Boogie WonderlandGonzales – i havent stopped dancing yet
Donna Summer – I Feel Love - BodyRockers – I Like The Way
- LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
- Chubby Checker – Let’s Twist Again
- Bill Haley & His Comets – Rock Around The Clock
- Dexys Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen
- Dolly Parton – 9 To 5
- Abba – Dancing Queen
- Queen – Dont Stop me Now
- The Killers – Mr Brightside
- Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire
- The Fratellis – Chelsea Dagger
- Busta Rhymes – Girlfriend
- Drake – In My Feelings
- CNCO & Little Mix – Reggaetón Lento
- Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee – Despacito
- Phil Collins – You Can’t Hurry Love
- Katrina & The Waves – Walking On Sunshine
- Wham – I’m Your Man
- Lionel Richie – Dancing On The Ceiling
- The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
- Tony Christie – (is this the way to) Amarillo
- The Monkees – I’m a Believer
- Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline
