TOP 25 must have wedding songs for the best wedding photography
Let’s face it, memorable wedding photography is not complete without a dancefloor that brings the laughs and moves out of everyone, even the crowd that claims they “don’t dance”. Whether you’re relying on a live band, DJ or simply the trusty AUX cord, these time-tested tracks are bound to bring out moves at your wedding reception.
Need wedding song ideas for the best wedding dance playlist? As experts in wedding photography and videography, Desire Weddings has got you covered.
The 25 best wedding reception songs for fun wedding photography
1. Want some fun wedding photography snaps? Play Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime
“You may ask yourself…”, is this one of the most quickly recognisable and danceable new wave staples? You bet it is. Watch three generations of funky humans prance to the floor from the first cowbell.
2. Justin Timberlake – Suit & Tie (feat. Jay-Z)
Sexy, loving and oh so dancey, Suit & Tie is one of many Timberlake tracks perfect for a boogie. It’s jazzy, it’s passionate, it’s lush, Timberland’s circling pianos are something else.
3. Bee Gees – Night Fever
It’s seminal 70’s disco with an irresistible sound that will transcend time. Night Fever’s incredible groove is another all-ages winner that’ll have everyone’s lips and hips moving in your wedding videography.
4. Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
It’s impressive just how quickly Uptown Funk has become a reception staple. It makes sense though, with its 80’s-reminiscent synth funk and disco-rap vibes infecting everyone from grandpa to Uncle Phil who smiled once and didn’t like it. If we wrote this list 30 years from now, you could be sure this song would remain front-and-centre.
5. Elton John – Tiny Dancer
As timeless as our wedding photography, this is a perfect track to slow down the floor and watch couples join hand in hand. It’s a sentimental and romantic staple that’s sappy but far from corny.
6. Beyoncé – Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Ready for the dance floor to roar? Beyoncé’s life-affirming anthem will have unwed women and men alike syncing up in dance. Get ready for some wedding photography where your guests have their ring-fingers raised.
7. OutKast – Hey Ya!
A song so popular that just about everyone has figured out a way to dance to its 11/4 time-signature. Hey Ya! is a contemporary R&B classic that is inescapable at summer weddings, uplifting vibes that are already so high.
8. Dean Martin – That’s Amore
Ready to elevate the dance floor’s Italian flair and watch everyone boogie like it’s 1953? Dean Martin will teleport you to Napoli – grandparents included.
9. Dexys Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen
It’s high-energy, it’s triumphant, it’s bound to be someone’s guilty favourite, it’s Come On Eileen. One of the best songs of the 80’s and now a track that’ll have the most unlikely people singing at the top of their lungs.
10. Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
A number for the hopeless romantics, single crew and lovers alike, this is an anthemic party track tailor-made to up the energy, passion and colour in your party’s wedding photography.
11. Taylor Swift – Love Story
This teen pop ballad stole our hearts in 2009. Watch it steal your heart once again when its sentimental warmth blankets the dance floor.
12. Toto – Africa
Africa is a persuasively beautiful track that captivates for all the right reasons. Guaranteed to bring the Tarzan out in someone you’d least expect. Create some moments to be immortalised with wedding photography with this famous track.
13. Daddy Cool – Eagle Rock
Your one-stop-shop for confusing the grandparents with the lack of pants on the dance floor. Beyond that, it’s an instantly recognisable smash hit for all ages.
14. Avicii – Levels
Just about the epitome of anthemic house music for those even unversed in EDM, Levels is a crowd-pleaser through-and-through. You can bet on a lot of nostalgic thoughts zipping through the dancefloor.
15. a-ha – Take on Me
Prepared to see who has the best pipes at the reception? It’s one of those songs that everyone will have heard at least a million times and hope to listen to a million more. Simply inimitable for a memorable dancefloor moment.
16. Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feelin
Ask your wedding photography professionals to capture the throw-back vibes when this one comes on. Even those that despise Black Eyed Peas have time for I Gotta Feelin. This hip-house party staple has a hook that’ll have people dropping so low the ground will shake.
17. Indeep – Last Night a DJ Saved My Life
This is a disco banger that never lost its spark, and continues to be a boogiable hallmark on reception dance floors worldwide. Its four-to-the-floor beat is simply undeniable.
18. Kanye West – Gold Digger
Light up the room for the R&B and hip-hop heads with a track that is as bombastic as it is hilarious. Gold Digger chops up a Ray Charles sample for the oldies and gets the mid-2000’s crowd revved up like there’s no tomorrow.
19. Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby
Watch everyone’s eyes light up as that iconic riff and drum machine slides in. It’s minimal, but let its floor-vibrating Miami bass bring the hopeful breakdancers out of the woodwork.
20. Daft Punk – Get Lucky
Pharrell and Daft Punk blew up the music world with this funky and sexy tune back in 2013. Inject some proper energy into the mix from the first beat and blow up the dancefloor.
21. The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
God Only Knows is among the greatest love songs ever written. Its all-consuming wall of passion is spell-binding, slowing down the floor for some romantic reflection with ease. One for the lovers – one for everyone.
22. Donna Summer – I Feel Love
Lauded as the future of dance music in 1977, dance floors are still trying to keep up with the Hi-NRG classic to this day, sending people of all ages into a frenzy of spacey disco. I Feel Love is an ethereal choice that’ll grasp the people closest to you and not let them go until they’ve boogied their hearts out.
23. The Killers – Mr. Brightside
Mr. Brightside is commonly considered the song of a generation. It’s everything – energetic, passionate, bittersweet, longing – voice boxes will indeed be scorched at its conclusion, and no one will regret a thing.
24. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Over-the-top, boisterous and theatrical, Bohemian Rhapsody is an absolute must for any reception. It’s undeniably epic and has long been called one of the greatest rock songs of all time. You can’t argue with the spell it casts on the dance floor, taking each and every person on a wild, multi-movement ride.
25. ABBA – Dancing Queen
It’s Dancing Queen.
SOUNDTRACK YOUR SPECIAL DAY YOUR WAY
Choose a wedding photography package to suit your epic wedding playlist! While these tracks are some of the most popular and time-tested selections for your wedding reception – bound to have the floor pumping – remember that it’s your special day. Make sure to choose the songs that represent your love the way YOU want it to. But, if there are some gaps to fill to help get your guests dancing and singing in your wedding photography, you now know where to look.
CAPTURE THE ACTION WITH CONFIDENCE
From the intimate moments that evolve during the ballads, to the rowdiness that envelopes the floor at the drop of a classic, ensure you’ve got an experienced team prepared to capture every unforgettable slice of the evening.
The Desire Weddings team of photographers and videographers are ready to fashion a time capsule of memories that speaks for your unique love story – as it happens, on the dance floor or otherwise.
Discuss your vision with Desire Weddings today.
