Sample Cocktail & Dinner Playlist Ideas
Every wedding is different, but here’s an example of the kind of atmosphere I often create during cocktail hour and dinner — elegant, warm, familiar, and comfortable for every generation in the room.
🍸 Cocktail Hour Favorites (Light, Inviting, Conversational)
Jazz & Standards
Frank Sinatra – The Way You Look Tonight
Nat King Cole – L-O-V-E
Michael Bublé – Everything
Etta James – At Last
Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World
Acoustic & Soft Contemporary
Jack Johnson – Better Together
Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
Ed Sheeran – Perfect (Acoustic)
Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
John Mayer – XO (Acoustic Version)
Instrumental & String Covers
Vitamin String Quartet – Can’t Help Falling in Love
Piano Guys – A Thousand Years
Instrumental Beatles classics
Soft piano renditions of modern love songs
These selections create a welcoming atmosphere without overpowering conversation.
🍽 Dinner Music Selections (Warm, Elegant, Relaxed)
Dinner music should feel slightly more refined and settled than cocktail hour — still engaging, but smoother and more understated.
Timeless Classics
Billy Joel – Just the Way You Are
Elton John – Your Song
James Taylor – How Sweet It Is
Stevie Wonder – You Are the Sunshine of My Life
The Carpenters – Close to You
Light Jazz & Easy Listening
Diana Krall – Fly Me to the Moon
Harry Connick Jr. – It Had to Be You
Instrumental jazz standards
Soft bossa nova selections
Modern but Tasteful
Adele – Make You Feel My Love
Chris Stapleton – Tennessee Whiskey (Dinner Volume)
Lady A – I Run to You
Dan + Shay – From the Ground Up
Luke Combs – Beautiful Crazy (low volume, dinner vibe)
The goal is always balance — recognizable songs, comfortable volume, smooth flow.
Why This Matters
The right cocktail and dinner music:
• Makes guests feel welcomed
• Sets an elevated tone
• Keeps grandparents comfortable
• Builds anticipation for the dance floor
• Avoids awkward silence
• Keeps everything flowing naturally
Then, when dinner wraps and the reception shifts into high energy — the contrast makes the dance floor even more exciting.
If you’re planning a wedding in Northeast Alabama and want help crafting a soundtrack that flows beautifully from cocktail hour to dinner to packed dance floor, I’d love to guide you through it.
Call DJ Brian Anderson today 256-638-3535