Wedding Music Alternatives?
February 1st, 2010 | 
Author: I’ve asked a similar question but have gotten song recommendations rather than answers to my question. So, I want to start out by saying that I do NOT need advice on what songs to choose for my wedding.
What I’d like to know is have you or has anyone you known had alternative music sources for their receptions besides a live band or dj?
Thanks!
I’m looking for anything that we can use as music sources other than a band or dj. Something that we’d be able to do for relatively little money. I’ve heard that you can rent systems for ipods and play music that way. Anything like that would be helpful – something that is non-traditional and doesn’t require a lot of money. I’d rather not spend hundreds of dollars on a dj when we’re not even having a dance floor. I just need background music.
Posted in Wedding Music | 
Tags: alternative music, background music, dance floor, dj, ipods, money, music sources, play music, receptions, song recommendations
I know exactly what you are talking about. My friend just had a very beautiful wedding that was cheap. First she had the wedding in a park over looking SF and they just had an mp3 radio setup for that. I know it sounds funky but what they did was put it out of sight everyone heard the music just didnt know where it was coming from. Then when they went to the hall they rented, they just bought in a sound system setup speakers arpund the room then they made a bunch of cds and put them on random in the 5 disc changer. Hide the sound system out of the way n no one will care
I’m not sure what you’re wanting? Like have a family member play a CD player? A friend singing to canned music? Mariachi? I’ve seen all the above, and they’re all acceptable.
what about satellite radio? If you are going for the casual, low expense route–that would be acceptable–wouldn’t it?? People will understand if you don’t have the money, just make sure you have alot of booze and they will never notice!!! lol Otherwise maybe advertise and you could get a band or dj that is just starting out and will play for little or nothing.
We just bought some mix CD’s and used the sound system in our reception hall. See if where ever you’re having your reception has a decent sound system.
I spent $30 on a membership to one of those music websites and about $10 on blank cd’s. I searched for love songs, dance music, etc., and made my own cd’s. Someone is lending us his cd changer, and we’re going to wire up some speakers in the reception room.
During dinner, we’re playing love song instrumentals for effect, then afterward, we’ll go into the cd’s with love songs.
If you don’t mind taking the time to do it, you’ll find you can come up with a fantastic mix. Everyone I’ve shown my list to has raved.
Of course, most of my music is oldies-we’re an older group, but that’s immaterial-you download & burn the music your age likes.
If you’d be interested in a copy of my list, email me, and I’ll be happy to share it with you.
Congratulations.
Here are my plans and I wonder if they sound similar to what you are looking for. I am using a home stereo and creating my own CD’s full of music for the later part of the reception. If you don’t need much other than some background music, then a smaller, high quality portable CD player would be just fine. You would be amazed at how good they sound.
You could look into calling churches to see if their pianists will do weddings. My soon-to-be-mother in law totes around an extremely expensive keyboard that sounds exactly like a piano and plays at special functions. She has played entire receptions, only stopping to take breaks while playing a beautiful classical CD. She usually performs by donation and sometimes church pianists will play for free if they think it might score a later visit to their church from you.
Universities might have students that play different instruments and might be able to refer you to a music student or some strings students that could use some extra money.
Hope some of my suggestions have helped!
I have the same question. I was wondering if it was kind of cheesey to just use an ipod but we are having a relatively small wedding so a DJ seems kind of out of place. We do want music though and there will be a few kids around so they need something to keep them entertained. We have use of a sound system so I think we are going to do an i pod thing. I can’t help but think it’s going to seem cheesey though. I have thoughts of having a big boom box from the 80′s and hitting "stop" and "play" after every song!