What songs would compose the Soundtrack to Your Life?
You may be wondering why the first blog that I’d decide to reinvigorate my sadly neglected blog after months of silence would be about music. What does a wedding photographer like me have to say of value about wedding music?
I’ve always had a heart for music. Last weekend, during cocktail hour, Burnin’ Down the House kicked in over the speakers and I was instantly transported back in time to my cousin’s wedding. (A day when my husband managed to kill the dance floor of a southern Carolina wedding filled with country twangs with this exact poorly-timed Talking Heads request.) So I was working behind the camera, bopping my head to the beat, and riding a wave of nostalgia that vividly reminded me how easily people can relive emotions & experiences through music. Not unlike the way a photo can take you back to a memory. And that, my friend, is pure magic.
I’ve been thinking about soundtracks lately. Not just the obvious, cinematic kind (though I could talk about Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet for days), but the kind that tells the story of our lives. Some songs define not just a movie, but our memories, love stories, and milestones.
For me, the aforementioned Romeo + Juliet soundtrack reminds me of first falling in love with classic theatre and the poetic chaos that is Shakespeare. (Plus, it was the beginning of a lifelong love of Radiohead!) Both the Juno soundtrack & movie are inextricably tied to the earliest days of falling for my husband (though thankfully, there was no teenage pregnancy involved). Tori Amos held my hand through early college soul-searching, while Ben Folds’ “Gracie” still brings tears to my eyes when I remember dancing with my dad. These aren’t just songs to me. They’re immediate memory triggers.
This has me thinking: when it comes to your wedding, what music will define the memory?
Your wedding is one of the rare moments in life when you get to hire a professional to help craft the soundtrack of your life’s biggest celebration. They do so much more than pressing play on a Spotify playlist. The best DJs know how to read the room and curate a tone that will bring everyone you love into a shared experience, building memories as you jam it out on the dancefloor.
Sure, the photos are what I do best. But I’m also here to make your day a true multi-sensory success. And that means guiding you to remember that the music is an entire vibe!
I’ll never hear Cake’s “Love You Madly” without flashing back to our own cake-cutting and The Cure’s “Love Song,” still makes me feel the sweaty, blissed-out exhaustion of our final dance. Those songs may have been a part of our wedding playlist, but since then, they live on in my blood & soul.
Here is my truth: Music is built into my muscle memory and can absolutely influence the way my body goes through & experiences the day.
Lately, I’ve found myself in a total genre mishmash. I bop around my kitchen to Lady Gaga’s latest album or whatever EDM beat matches my chopping rhythm. When I need to focus, I go back to my roots—All Ani [DiFranco], All Monday. (A throwback to my Starbucks days, when Ani and a good coffee buzz got me through the admin madness.) In the car, Mike and I cycle through older blues, CCR, and Jimi Hendrix. And bedtime for Rhys? Some nights, it’s all sea shanties. Thank you, Rachel Pray and The Wellermen, for making that one weirdly delightful.
My playlists are as eclectic as my life.
Your wedding playlist doesn’t have to follow a template. There’s no rule that says you need to walk down the aisle to Canon in D or end your night with “Don’t Stop Believin’” (unless that’s your jam, in which case, you do you!). But you do get the chance to infuse your day with the music that feels like you. When you look back at your photos, the sounds will come rushing back. That’s the beauty of music and memory working together.
So tell me: how are you crafting the playlist of your life’s most beautiful moments? And if you’re already married, what song will forever be your wedding in audio form?
If you’re in the middle of planning your wedding playlist & hiring the expert to make it happen, let me give you one piece of advice:
You want someone with the expertise to read the room, build up the vibe, and guide the celebration from chic cocktail hour all the way up to the last moment of the bangin’ afterparty.
And who handles reading the room better than a woman? As much as I love my DJ dudes (maybe I’ll even write a post just for the boys some day), I can’t help but want to amplify the voices of so many women doing amazing work in the realm of wedding entertainment!
Here are three awesome woman-owned, boutique wedding music companies that absolutely get it:
Elegance Quartet
Jenny leads one of the best multi-faceted music groups in the Philadelphia area. The Quartet can serenade your guests from your ceremony to cocktail hour before shifting gears and creating an ELECTRIC dancefloor with their awesome hybrid DJ/live musician options. Some of the most amped up parties that I’ve ever photographed AND attended have had Jenny at the musical helm.
LuvDup DJs
Gemma is not “just a DJ.” She’s a musical alchemist. Her ability to create a custom-curated playlist is next-level. Whether your vibe is classic romance, indie cool, or full-on dance floor banger, Gemma will find the heartbeat of your celebration and match it beat for beat. Plus, she’s spunky and a joy to follow on the socials.
DJ Lady FX
DJ Lady FX a powerhouse woman in music. She’s also a Black-owned business leader in the wedding industry and a frequent face at Philadelphia Weddings events. She commands the room with joy and grace, and her sets are pure magic. There’s a clear reason her name keeps popping up on the best Philadelphia wedding pros lists.
Drop your favorites in the comments or DM me for more DJ recs. I could talk about this stuff all day.
Don’t worry, I love And remember: you don’t just need someone to hit play. You need someone to help write the soundtrack of your joy.
