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Wedding Reception... [q&a] - 25 Father-Daughter
Dance Ideas [article] - The "Do Not Play"
List [article] - Your Guide to
Wedding Photography [article] - Toe Tappin': 101
First-Dance Ideas [article]
Weigh in on the Playlist
Most wedding bands make a living by knowing a wide array of "standards"--jazz and pop songs that are familiar and fun. So if you have any special requests that aren't too idiosyncratic, you'll want to quiz your potential bands on them before you do any hiring. Most will actually tell you to build your own playlist so that you're sure to deliver what you want. If your band balks at that, you might want to consider another choice.
Leave the iPod at Home
The beauty of portable music players is that they can hold hours and hours of music that you have personally picked and organized. It's so easy that you may think you can save yourself musical costs altogether and be your own DJ. We advise you to save your body-rockin' for another occasion. For starters, you'll be up the creek if your musical device goes on the fritz. But more importantly, this is just one more responsibility that you just don't want to deal with on your wedding day. If you're on a limited budget (and don't plan to have a lot of dancing at your wedding) consider this option as a last resort, put a responsible friend in charge of it, and make sure you have a second portable music player as a backup.
Excerpted from The Groom's Instruction Manual by Shandon Fowler. © 2008 Quirk Books.