Once the calm of your Oregon wedding ceremony has come to an end, that's when the music, drinking, dancing and fun starts! You've already taken the right steps to ensuring you'll marry in a wonderful Oregon location, so now take a look around at your reception venue
and take a look inside your inner metronome to hear what kind of music you want to dance your heart out to at your wedding reception. And since Oregonians have a deeply-entrenched musical heritage, from pioneer-originated square dancing,
the official state dance, to modern dance moves, Oregon has what you need to get your groove on.
Country Square Dancing Music
The shape of the state of Oregon is quite rectangular, representing the state's official dance, the square dance. Any Oregonian knows that square dancing requires not only light feet and some stepping skills, it also requires a great live country band to fiddle away at the strings. If hiring a live band isn't within your wedding budget, the next best thing would be to hire a wedding disc jockey that has loads of classic and contemporary country CDs to choose from. When seeking an Oregon string band, modern websites like
MySpace.com can help you locate bands like the
Foghorn Stringband out of Portland, plus you can sample their music at the site and see if they've got the sound you're seeking.
Rock Out in Oregon
If square dancing and country music just doesn't fit your taste, there's lots of other
traditional options to choose from in a state so diverse with musical talent and independent artists. Most Oregonians grew up listening to both country
and classic rock songs. If you want to stomp and sweat and holler your heart out to songs like "Sweet Home Alabama" or slow-dance to Led Zeppelin's ballads, then you've come to the right state! Again, depending on your wedding music budget, you'll want to cost-compare between
hiring a live rock band that can cover the classics or hiring a DJ that's got the right CD collection. If there are a few signature songs that you think of when you imagine yourself partying on the dance floor or swaying slowly to a love song, write them down so that you can ask potential bands or DJs if they're familiar with your songs. In addition, a skilled DJ can take your
list of songs and suggest a whole line of additional songs within that style and genre, many of which you'll already know. Don't be afraid to be specific about what music you'd like played at your wedding; it's your day and your decision and the band or DJ should cater to your musical needs.
Contemporary Oregon Wedding Music
If you and your groom are of the generation that grew up listening to contemporary hip hop, techno, pop, and R&B, then you'll want to look into hiring a DJ that can pull out the tracks you want to hear from their CD case or record crate. The most obvious places to find such DJs are within the metropolitan areas of Oregon, such as Eugene or
Portland. Begin your search with an
online listing of bands and DJs in Oregon, then search by what genre of music you're seeking. Many wedding bands and DJs today also offer karaoke to wedding guests, which could end up being a ridiculous amount of fun. Let the music guide your guests on your wedding day towards romance, fun and letting loose.
