What kind of wedding is it if the playlist isn’t curated just right? You could argue that the DJ playing the right music is arguably just as important as the ceremony itself. There have been many weddings where they play boring Top 40 hits that don’t have any juice to them. Love songs can’t be all cliché. If they are, they have to have some real soul and heft to them.
That’s where R&B becomes the perfect genre. The soft, tender chords with the deeply stirring voices are a match made in heaven as singers croon about the loves of their lives. Consequently, to save your playlist, Noisey has selected four songs you need to play during your big day.
Four Timeless R&B Records to Play During Your Big Wedding Reception
“Just Because” by Anita Baker
We could have a million reasons to love someone. But Anita Baker challenged that you could encapsulate all of them into one beautifully sweet reason: “Just because you’re you.” She spends the entirety of “Just Because” sitting back in awe at the one-of-a-kind love she has.
So when she’s prompted as to why she loves her man, it’s just for the sake of it. There’s no endless scroll of reasons. Instead, she packs it all into the fact that they are distinctly themselves. It’s a beautiful sentiment that would ring as someone walks down the aisle.
“Let’s Get Married” by Jagged Edge
Sometimes, a wedding can feel incredibly self-serious. Why not break the tension with a bit of silly songwriting from Jagged Edge? The group earnestly sings how they feel about this girl and how they want to spend the rest of their lives with this girl during the verses.
But then, they swell their vocals in the hook to tell her “we ain’t gettin’ no younger, we might as well do it.” While it’s sweet that they wanna get into marriage already, their reasoning is a little funny.
“Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross
Similar to “Let’s Get Married”, a wedding typically tends to fixate on slower songs and pillowy ballads. But what about when the groom kisses the bride? Shouldn’t we kick into celebration?
That’s where the iconic “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross would play, a song where you can’t help but grin with the euphoria of love. “A thousand kisses from you is never too much,” Luther croons on the hook.
“Dontchange” by Musiq Soulchild
One of the biggest refrains that sticks in your head during a wedding is the vows made at the altar. They always say, “Till death do us part.” No song screams that kind of eternal commitment quite like “Dontchange” by Musiq Soulchild.
In the tender ballad, he promises to love his woman even in times when her physical appearance changes. As long as the love she provides doesn’t change for him, he will always stay true. “See, I’ll love you when your hair turns gray, girl/I’ll still want you if you gain a little weight,” Musiq sings on the hook.
It’s the kind of song you save for the big dance, when you’re face to face, smiling, beaming with joy that you’re with the love of your life.
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