Wedding background music can be played starting with the guests' arrival into the reception facility.  Music could also be started at the beginning of the cocktail hour.  Background music continues until the end of the main course at a wedding reception.  Depending on the chain of events selected by the bridal couple, background music usually plays about an hour and a half.

Background music standard includes easy listening and jazz music.  Background music is played at a lower volume level so guests can chat and catch up with one another.  The time that the background music plays is the first hour and a half that guests will have time to have lengthy conversations.  Another option from the typical jazz and easy listening type music is radio pop music from the 50's to current music.  This is a choice of brides who want a more upbeat wedding reception.  However, the music entertainer must use caution, as this will encourage dancing.  If the bride and groom want to stay with their list of activities, dancing when there is not supposed to be dancing may occur.

We would recommend that whatever type of music you decide on for your background music to start slow and quiet and gradually move to a faster pace and happy mood toward the dancing time.  Common Jazz and easy listening artists include Dave Brubeck, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, and John Coltrane.  Common radio pop artists include the Dixie Cups, Elvis Presley, Train, and Jack Johnson.  The type of background music selected should reflect the wedding reception facility.  We recommend Jazz for more upscale reception facilities and black tie events.  When comparing facilities verses a more casual setting like a community hall the radio pop music would be more in suit with its surroundings.

No matter what music type the bride and groom selects, we recommend making every generation at the wedding reception happy.  Play music that everyone at the reception is familiar with and can recognize.  If you like Jazz music, play Dave Brubeck for the Jazz traditionalist and Enya for the current new age fans.  For the vocalist fans, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole are mainstays of yesteryear and Michael Buble and Harry Connick Jr. are popular current vocalists.

Instead of listing specific songs for background music, we decided to list popular artists' albums.  Albums are listed alphabetical according to artist. If you click on the recommended album link, you will be taken to Amazon.com, where you can listen to song samples from the album. In addition, you will have the option to purchase the CD for your own personal music collection or download the MP3 version.  We have also included a link to purchase the album through iTunes.

Being former wedding DJs, we've calculated a list of our favorite background music albums.  If you have a special artist or album you think should be added to our lists, please add your song suggestion through the comment section below.

Background & Dinner Music for Weddings

Artist	Recommended Album	Format	iTunes
Alpert, Herb	Definitive Hits	Jazz	- -
Armstrong, Louis	The Definitive Collection	Jazz
Bennett, Tony	Sings for Lovers	Jazz
Benoit, David	The Best of David Benoit 1987-1995	Jazz
Benson, George	The Greatest Hits of All	Jazz
Bocelli, Andrea	The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere	Classical
Brubeck, Dave	Time Out	Jazz
Buble, Michael	Michael Bublé	Jazz
Church, Charlotte	Prelude...The Best of Charlotte Church	Classical
Clayderman, Richard	The Very Best of Richard Clayderman (3-CD Set)	Classical
Coldplay	A Rush Of Blood To The Head	Rock
Cole, Nat King	The Very Best of Nat King Cole	R&B
Coltrane, John	Ballads	Jazz
Connick, Harry Jr.	Only You	Jazz
Davis, Miles	Kind of Blue	Jazz
Enya	Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya	New Age
Fleetwood Mac	Greatest Hits	Rock
G, Kenny	Breathless	New Age
John, Elton	The Greatest Hits 1970-2002	Rock
Johnson, Jack	In Between Dreams	Rock
Jones, Norah	Come Away with Me	Jazz
Koz, Dave	Greatest Hits	Jazz
Mancini, Henry	Greatest Hits	Jazz
Martin, Dean	Dino: The Essential Dean Martin	Jazz
Matthews, Dave Band	The Best of What's Around, Vol. 1	Rock
McKnight, Brian	1989-2002 From There To Here	R&B
Morganstein, Bobby Productions	The Complete Dinner Music Party CD	Jazz
Morrison, Van	Still on Top: The Greatest Hits	Rock
Mraz, Jason	We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.	Rock
Sade	The Best of Sade	R&B
Sanborn, David	The Best of David Sanborn	Jazz
Seal	Best 1991 - 2004	R&B
Simon, Paul	The Essential Paul Simon	Rock
Sinatra, Frank	Nothing But The Best	Jazz
Stewart, Rod	It Had to Be You... The Great American Songbook	Rock
Sting	Fields Of Gold - The Best Of Sting 1984 - 1994	Rock
Taylor, James	The Best of James Taylor	Rock
Vandross, Luther	Luther Vandross: Greatest Hits	R&B
Various Artists	Jazz Moods: Dinner By Candlelight	Jazz
Various Artists	The Best Of The Most Relaxing Classical Music In The Universe	Classical
Various Artists	Ultimate Wedding Collection: Dinner Music	Classical
Various Artists - Unknown	Dinner Party Music: Relaxing Piano Classics for Your Dinner Party	Instrumental
Various Artists - Unknown	Instrumental Guitar Music - Best Wedding Dinner Songs	New Age
Various Artists - Unknown	Jazz Piano: Relaxing Instrumental Music, Best Background Dinner Music Solo Piano Essentials Edition	Jazz
Various Artists - Unkown	Italian Dinner Music, Italian Restaurant Music, Background Music	Instrumental
White, Barry	All-Time Greatest Hits	R&B
Williams, Robbie	The Ego Has Landed	Pop
Winston, George	All the Seasons of George Winston: Piano Solos	New Age
Wonder, Stevie	The Definitive Collection	R&B
Yanni	The Very Best of Yanni	New Age

* Our wedding background music and dinner music list is updated periodically throughout the year. If you have a song that you think should be included, please add your song suggestion through the comment section below.