How many songs do you need for your wedding?

Work out how many songs your wedding needs for arrival, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing, plus the processional, first dance and last dance.

How many songs do you need for a wedding reception?

Divide the minutes of music by the average song length. At about 3.5 minutes a song that is roughly 17 songs an hour, so a four-hour reception needs around 70, plus a song each for moments like the first dance and cake cutting.

How many songs do you need for cocktail hour?

About 17 to 20 for an hour, depending on song length. Cocktail hour music sits in the background, so it can be a longer playlist your DJ or venue plays straight through.

How many songs do you need for a wedding ceremony?

Usually enough for the time guests are arriving, plus one or two for the processional and one for the recessional. Thirty minutes of arrival music is about nine songs.

Why do published song counts disagree?

They assume different song lengths. At 3 minutes a song an hour holds 20 songs; at 4 minutes it holds 15. A DJ who mixes songs together plays each for less time, so the same hour holds more.