La Fête means celebration, so of course we have opinions about music. 🎶
Your playlist does more work than almost anything else on your wedding day. It welcomes your guests, makes Grandma tear up during the parent dances, fills the dance floor, and sends you off into the night.
We've hosted a ton of weddings, so here's our list for every moment of your reception, with a little je ne sais quoi sprinkled in. Save it, send it to your fiancé, and start building.
Prelude and Guest Arrival
This is the soft, elegant music guests hear as they arrive, sign the guest book and mingle before you walk in. Think Paris café at golden hour.
"Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy
"Gymnopédie No. 1" by Erik Satie
"Comptine d'un autre été, l'après-midi" by Yann Tiersen (from Amélie)
"La Vie en Rose" (instrumental or solo piano)
"River Flows in You" by Yiruma
"Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel
La Fête tip: Our Mocktail Hour ($450, starting at 30 guests) includes a live pianist and a curated mocktail bar, with two hours of service set up and run by our team. Hand the pianist the first three songs on this list, and the room will feel like the celebration has already started.
Your Grand Entrance or Ring Ceremony
Many of our couples hold a ring ceremony so family and friends who couldn't be in the temple can share the moment. These songs work beautifully for the walk in, or for your grand entrance into the reception:
"Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel
"A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri (piano or string versions are lovely)
"Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley (instrumental)
"Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy
"Until I Found You" by Stephen Sanchez
First Dance
Classic, modern or très français: pick the one that sounds like the two of you.
"La Vie en Rose" by Louis Armstrong
"Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley
"At Last" by Etta James
"Make You Feel My Love" by Adele
"The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra
"Perfect" by Ed Sheeran
"Lover" by Taylor Swift
"Die With a Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
Parent Dances
Father-daughter, mother-son, or both. Bring tissues.
"My Girl" by The Temptations
"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
"In My Life" by The Beatles
"Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder
Or better - think back to all those memories with your parents and add in something personal. This was the highlight of my daughter’s wedding in 2020 - she handpicked a song that had a special meaning to the both of us.
Dinner and Mingling: The Paris Café Set
While guests eat and visit, keep the volume low and the mood warm. This is where a French-inspired theme really shines.
"Je veux" by ZAZ
"Les Champs-Élysées" by Joe Dassin
"La Mer" by Charles Trenet
"Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin (the English cousin of "La Mer")
"Moon River" by Andy Williams
"Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra
"L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole
"Sway" by Michael Bublé
"Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae
"C'est si bon" by Yves Montand
The Dance Floor: Songs That Get Grandma AND the Groomsmen Moving
When it's time to party, play songs everyone knows, from the flower girl to Grandpa.
"Celebration" by Kool & The Gang (La Fête literally means celebration, so this one is non-negotiable 😉)
"September" by Earth, Wind & Fire
"Dancing Queen" by ABBA
"Shut Up and Dance" by WALK THE MOON
"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins
"Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars (clean version)
"Love Story" by Taylor Swift
"Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
"Can't Stop the Feeling!" by Justin Timberlake
"Cupid Shuffle" by Cupid
"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey (the last-song sing-along your friends will request anyway)
The Private Last Dance
While your guests head outside to line up for your send-off, have your DJ (or whoever is running the music) play one last song just for the two of you. The dance floor is all yours for a few quiet minutes before the big moment.
Your guests can watch through our big front windows as you share that last dance together. It makes for a sweet moment for them, gorgeous photos for your photographer, and a breather for you before the sparklers light up.
A few favorites for the private last dance:
"Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers
"Stand by Me" by Ben E. King
"Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran
"Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones
"I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz
Last dance tip: Ask your photographer to shoot from outside, through the windows. The glow of the ballroom with your guests' silhouettes in the foreground is one of our favorite shots.
The Grand Exit
At La Fête, we open our big front doors and line your guests along the front of the building for your send-off. Sparklers and bubbles work outside, and LED wands and ribbons work indoors or out. Pick a song that matches the moment:
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" by Stevie Wonder (a temple-wedding favorite for obvious reasons 🤍)
"Les Champs-Élysées" by Joe Dassin
"You Make My Dreams" by Daryl Hall & John Oates
"Home" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Exit tip: Have whoever is running the music start your song as the doors open, then light the sparklers on the first chorus.
Just Upgraded: The DIY DJ Booth Now Brings the Bass
Big news for the dance-floor crowd. Our DIY DJ Booth just got a serious upgrade, and it now packs over 7,500 watts of bass-thumping mayhem. That's enough to shake the dance floor and pull even your shyest cousin out of their chair. 🔊
Everything you already love about it stays the same:
A rolling booth that goes wherever your party does
A built-in iPad with Spotify or Apple Music (or plug in your laptop)
Dance lighting that turns the ballroom into a party
$350 as an add-on, or included in our Fête Complète premium package
If you've been on the fence about hiring a DJ, come hear it on your tour. One song on this system and you'll be building your playlist in the car on the way home.
Running Your Own Playlist? Here's How to Do It Right
Plenty of our couples skip a full-service DJ and run the music themselves. Pair the tips below with our newly upgraded DIY DJ Booth, and you get real sound and atmosphere without the cost of a DJ.
A few tips from two years and 150 weddings' worth of dance floors:
Download everything for offline play. Don't trust a downtown cell signal with your first dance. If you send us the playlist, we’ll load it onto the booth’s iPad before you even arrive.
Use clean versions. Grandma is listening, and so are the kids.
Build a separate playlist for each moment: prelude, entrance, dinner, dances, party and exit. Whoever runs the music just taps the next one.
Turn on crossfade (3 to 5 seconds) so there's no awkward silence between songs.
Make a "do not play" list and share it with whoever is helping.
Choose an emcee with personality. A friend or sibling who can work a mic, announce the first dance and coax people onto the floor matters more than any song choice.
Put song cues in your timeline. Your complimentary La Fête wedding planner builds your day-of timeline, so add the exact song for each moment and everyone stays in sync.
Want a slideshow while the dinner music plays? Our three Frame TVs come with every rental, and the Media Booth ($200) adds a rolling 65" screen for love-story videos, family slideshows and missionary videos.
Still prefer a full DJ service?
For a full service experience we recommend:
@DJ_pbaby- DJ PBaby is a professional DJ/MC for Weddings and Special Events - Parker has been voted Best DJ of Salt Lake City & Utah Valley.
@liveguysound - Over 30 years of keeping Utah dance floors full. Live Guy Sound brings the right energy, great sound, and a professional touch so you can just enjoy your night.
Come Hear It for Yourself
The best way to imagine your first dance is to stand on our dance floor.
Tip: Bring your playlist to your tour, and we'll bring the celebration. If you ask, we'll turn down the lights and let you feel the dance-floor mood for yourself.
La Fête is a French-inspired venue in downtown Provo, built to make your day easy, from getting ready to the last dance. Every package includes complimentary wedding planning, and packages start at $2,300.
Or call or text (385) 585-1040.
À bientôt! 🎶
