Wedding Reception Playlist
A good wedding reception playlist moves through three moods: easy music during dinner, a dance floor that fills fast, and a closer everyone remembers. This list follows that order. Use it as a seed, then let your guests add and vote on songs so the dance floor gets what it asks for.
The playlist
Dinner and entrances
Warm, familiar songs at a volume where people can still talk.
- At Last — Etta James
- Can't Help Falling in Love — Elvis Presley
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) — Stevie Wonder
- Better Together — Jack Johnson
- Marry You — Bruno Mars
- Isn't She Lovely — Stevie Wonder
- You Make My Dreams — Hall & Oates
- Sunday Morning — Maroon 5
Dance floor
Songs that all ages know. Start with the oldest and move forward.
- Twist and Shout — The Beatles
- Shout — The Isley Brothers
- Brown Eyed Girl — Van Morrison
- September — Earth, Wind & Fire
- Dancing Queen — ABBA
- I Wanna Dance with Somebody — Whitney Houston
- Hey Ya! — OutKast
- Crazy in Love — Beyoncé
- Love on Top — Beyoncé
- Uptown Funk — Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
- Treasure — Bruno Mars
- Shut Up and Dance — Walk the Moon
- Mr. Brightside — The Killers
- Sweet Caroline — Neil Diamond
- Wagon Wheel — Darius Rucker
- Livin' on a Prayer — Bon Jovi
- Don't Stop Believin' — Journey
Last dance
Slow down and bring the room together.
- Perfect — Ed Sheeran
- Thinking Out Loud — Ed Sheeran
- Last Dance — Donna Summer
- Closing Time — Semisonic
Tips for your wedding reception music
- Ask the DJ or band what they already plan to play. Use Jukebox for a cocktail hour, an after-party or a venue with no DJ.
- Keep dinner music quiet enough for table talk. Raise the volume only when the dance floor opens.
- Check each song in Apple Music before the day. Apple Music marks explicit songs with an E, so you can pick clean versions for grandparents and kids.
- Play one slow song for every three or four fast songs. Guests need a short rest.
- Make a do-not-play list and tell the host who manages the app.
Let guests vote instead of playing DJ
Start a Jukebox session from your Apple Music wedding playlist and show the join QR code on a table card or on the TV. Guests scan it, vote on the next song and request their own. You and the couple stay on the dance floor instead of at the speaker.
Here is how it works. The host starts a session from Apple Music. Guests join by 6-digit code, QR code or by being nearby. They vote on songs, request their own and vote to skip. The most-voted song plays next. Guests need no account, and only the host needs Apple Music.
Frequently asked questions
How many songs do I need for a wedding reception?
Plan about 15 songs per hour. A five-hour reception needs roughly 75 songs. Add more songs than you need and let guest votes decide the order.
What should we play during dinner at a wedding?
Play familiar, mid-tempo songs at low volume, such as soul, light pop and classic love songs. Save the loud dance songs for after dinner.
Can wedding guests choose the songs?
Yes. With Jukebox, guests join by QR code, 6-digit code or by being nearby, then request songs and vote on what plays next. Only the host needs Apple Music.