VT Vows

I Tried Electronic Wedding Songs At Three Weddings. Here’s My Honest Take.

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I’m Kayla Sox. I DJ part-time, and I’m also a bride. I used electronic songs at my own wedding, plus two friends’ weddings. I brought my little controller, a rented sub, and a big old tote of cables. It was messy. It was loud. It was also the most fun I’ve had with music in years. If you’d like the full play-by-play of my experiment, you can check out the in-depth recap right here.

You know what? Electronic songs can be tender and warm. They can also hit hard and make a big room jump. Both things are true. Let me explain. For a deeper cheat-sheet of crowd-pleasing EDM tracks, bookmark The Knot's EDM wedding songs guide—it’s a clutch resource when you’re building your own set.
Need more wedding-day inspiration? You’ll find playlists, décor ideas, and real-couple stories at VT Vows.

Curating a soundtrack is easier when you feel seen as a couple, and these days plenty of partners first connect through niche dating apps. If your love life leans a little alternative—or you’re still searching for someone who vibes with your late-night rave energy—check out this deep dive into the Kinkd dating app for practical tips on meeting like-minded, kink-positive singles and keeping every conversation safe, fun, and drama-free.

The Vibe Test: Grandma, Kids, and the Energy Curve

I track BPM, but I also watch faces. I want smiles. I want sways. I want hands in the air by dessert. Here’s the thing: too much bass, and Aunt May makes the “noise face.” Too many deep cuts, and teens wander off for selfies. My rule now:

  • Start soft and dreamy.
  • Build slow.
  • Hit classic EDM at the peak.
  • Land on a singalong.

Clean edits matter. I always carry radio edits. I also cut out long intros with quick mix-in points. No long “DJ nerd” builds during dinner. Save the drama for the dance floor.

Ceremony: Soft, Sparkly, Not Boring

I used smooth, airy tracks for the walk. They felt modern but sweet. No strings, no problem.

Real songs that worked for me:

  • ODESZA — Kusanagi (instrumental, warm and floaty)
  • Tycho — Awake (gentle lift, no lyrics)
  • M83 — Wait (dream-like; we used this for the processional)
  • Porter Robinson — Sea of Voices (I trimmed the intro to 45 seconds)

Quick note: I tested these at home with the living room speakers and cried a little. In a good way.

Cocktail Hour: Chill With a Groove

Guests needed a beat, but not a club. I kept it at medium volume and let people chat. I still wanted heads to nod.

Cocktail songs that got compliments:

  • Petit Biscuit — Sunset Lover (perfect patio song)
  • ODESZA — Line of Sight (clean and bright)
  • SG Lewis — Chemicals (smooth, glossy)
  • Satin Jackets — You Make Me Feel Good (nu-disco glow)
  • Rufus Du Sol — Treat You Better (mellow, slightly moody)

A random aunt asked, “What station is this?” I took that as a win.

Grand Entrance: Big Smiles, Clear Beat

We tried three different entrances across the weddings. All hit right away, no slow builds.

Good entrance choices:

  • Calvin Harris — Feel So Close (clean cut at the drop for the door open)
  • Avicii — Levels (still magic; the whole room clapped)
  • David Guetta feat. Sia — Titanium (singalong power)

I also tried Martin Solveig — Intoxicated at one wedding. It was fun, but it felt a bit clubby for the parents. Your call.

First Dance: Modern, Sweet, Still You

I wanted lyrics that felt true. Not cheesy. Not too slow. We tested a few in our kitchen with socks on the tile.

First dance picks I’ve seen work:

  • Kygo & Whitney Houston — Higher Love (we used the radio cut; it turned into a group hug)
  • RÜFÜS DU SOL — Next To Me (steady pulse, honest words)
  • Daft Punk — Digital Love (quirky, cute; we cut the outro to keep it tight)

Is this “traditional”? Not really. Did it feel like us? Yes.

Parent Dances: Warm But Light

This part can be tricky with electronic music. I went softer and kept it short. For a deeper dive into tunes that make a mother-son dance hit that sweet spot, I broke down every track I tested in this guide.

What worked:

  • Clean Bandit — Rather Be (sweet, mid-tempo)
  • Kygo — Firestone (start at the chorus for the hook)
  • ODESZA — Across The Room (trim to 90 seconds)

We kept each dance under two minutes. No one gets bored. No one cries too hard.

Dinner: Keep It Lush, Not Loud

I set the volume so folks could hear the fork hit the plate. Bass low. Vocals clear.

Dinner mix ideas:

  • Alina Baraz & Galimatias — Make You Feel (buttery)
  • Shallou — You and Me (soft waves)
  • ODESZA — Sun Models (light and friendly)
  • Disclosure — Latch (Acoustic is lovely, but the original low-volume works too)

Small note: watch the sibilance on some tracks. I eased the highs a bit, so S sounds didn’t bite.

Dance Floor Peak: The Big, Happy Wall

Now the fun part. I build from 110 BPM to 124–128 BPM. Quick cuts. Clean hooks. No eight-minute versions. I like a fast hand on the fader when the room is hot. If you want even more floor-ready bangers, check out this must-play electronic wedding song list that I kept on standby while planning.

Songs that never failed me:

  • Avicii — Wake Me Up
  • Swedish House Mafia — Don’t You Worry Child
  • Zedd — Clarity
  • The Chainsmokers & Coldplay — Something Just Like This
  • Major Lazer & DJ Snake — Lean On
  • Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa — One Kiss
  • MEDUZA — Piece Of Your Heart
  • Fisher — Losing It (late night, not too long)
  • deadmau5 & Kaskade — I Remember (I used a short edit for a throwback moment)

When “Levels” hit at my wedding, the tent shook. My mom jumped. I almost cried again. Music does that.

Last Song: Land Soft, Or Go Big

I tried two types of endings.

Warm hug ending:

  • Kygo — Firestone
  • M83 — Midnight City (group sway, phones out, little tears)

Big party ending:

  • Daft Punk — One More Time (singing, both hands up)
  • ODESZA — Say My Name (joyful, bright)

I lean warm. People leave happy. They text you the next day.

A Real 20-Song Block That Worked (Dance Portion)

Here’s one set I used straight through at a summer barn wedding. I trimmed intros and used radio edits. Dialing in the order was way easier after I experimented with a few different reception timelines—my notes on all three versions are over here.

  1. Calvin Harris — Feel So Close
  2. Avicii — Levels
  3. Swedish House Mafia — Don’t You Worry Child
  4. Zedd — Clarity
  5. Major Lazer & DJ Snake — Lean On
  6. The Chainsmokers & Coldplay — Something Just Like This
  7. Kygo — Higher Love
  8. Clean Bandit — Rather Be
  9. Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa — One Kiss
  10. Disclosure — Latch
  11. MEDUZA — Piece Of Your Heart
  12. Fisher — Losing It
  13. David Guetta feat. Sia — Titanium
  14. RÜFÜS DU SOL — Next To Me
  15. ODESZA — Say My Name
  16. deadmau5 & Kaskade — I Remember (short edit)
  17. Avicii — Wake Me Up
  18. Daft Punk — Digital Love
  19. M83 — Midnight City
  20. Daft Punk — One More Time (encore call)

Guests from age 9 to 70 stayed on the floor. That’s rare. I still grin thinking about it.

What I Loved

  • It felt fresh. It didn’t sound like every wedding.
  • The drops made people cheer. That energy is real.
  • The melodies were bright and clean. Easy to sing.
  • It matched our style. We felt seen.

What I Didn’t Love

  • Some grandparents said it was “too buzzy.” I get it.
  • A few tracks had long intros. I had to chop a lot.
  • Bass can get boomy in tents. I pulled the

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