Your Wedding, Your Soundtrack: How to Build a 'Yes Please' and 'Do Not Play' List

One of the easiest ways to get the wedding you actually want is to give your DJ two simple tools: a “Yes Please” list (your taste) and a “Do Not Play” list (your boundaries). A good DJ uses those lists to protect your vibe, handle guest requests gracefully, and keep the dancefloor full without guessing.

Your Vibe Comes First

Before you list songs, write 2–4 sentences describing the night you’re trying to have—because “we like everything” isn’t usable direction in real life.

Helpful prompts:

• “More modern club or more family singalong?”
• “How clean should lyrics be?”
• “Any genres you hate?”
• “Do you want line dances or absolutely not?”

Example you can copy/paste: “We want a fun, high-energy party with pop, 90s/2000s throwbacks, and some disco/funk. Clean versions preferred. Minimal country. No cheesy line dances.”

How to Make a “Yes Please” List (20–40 Songs)

Think of this as a set of signals, not a full script—your DJ needs enough freedom to read the room and make smart transitions.

A good structure is: 5–10 must-plays, then 15–30 “this is our vibe” picks (plus a note if you’re open to clean edits, remixes, or genre blends).

A few “safe bet” floor-fillers (use as inspiration):

• Pop/party: “Uptown Funk,” “24K Magic,” “Shut Up and Dance”
• Singalongs: “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” “Mr. Brightside”
• Throwbacks: “Yeah!,” “Hey Ya!,” “Toxic”
• Disco/funk: “September,” “Dancing Queen”

How to Make a “Do Not Play” List (5–15 Songs)

This list exists so your DJ can confidently say “no” to requests that would kill the mood—or ruin the night for you personally.

Keep it tight, and feel free to ban categories (“no explicit,” “no country,” “no line dances”) instead of trying to name every song you’ve ever disliked.

Songs that show up a lot on “Do Not Play” lists include:

• “Chicken Dance”
• “Cha-Cha Slide”
• “Macarena”
• “Cupid Shuffle”
• “YMCA”
• “Electric Slide”

If you can, add a quick reason (“overplayed,” “doesn’t fit our crowd,” “bad memory”) so your DJ can avoid similar tracks—not just that exact title.

Guest Requests: Decide the Rules Now

Many DJs will take requests, but they’ll prioritize what you said you want—and they should automatically decline anything on your Do Not Play list.

One practical move: pick a single decision-maker (you two, or you + planner) so the DJ isn’t getting pressured by five different “authorized” people all night.

If you want a simple policy that works: “Requests are welcome unless they’re on our Do Not Play list or don’t match the vibe.”