Welcome to the Fantasy Wedding Song Game

It started innocently enough: Family members having lunch discussing what songs would be played at a cousin's wedding later that day.

"'Celebration,' for sure," I mused.

"'Pretty Woman' is a lock," my cousin said.

"Care to make it interesting?" I asked.

And it was game on.

The Rules:

1) Make a list of the songs most frequently heard at a wedding, a bar mitzvah, or any other "dance"-related event. For the sake of completeness, I am publishing our preliminary list below of songs that, in the five years of playing this game, have been played time and time again. Feel free to add "special songs" that you know are relevant to the bride, groom or person throwing the party.

2) Grab your friends and family. Get each player or team to contribute at least $10.00 to the pot.

3) Draw names to see who gets the first pick. Use the list (below) and other songs you may wish to add to the list to hold the "Wedding Song Draft" in which each team or player takes turns selecting songs from the list. I suggest that you play with a minimum of 4 teams, with each team picking at least 7 songs.

4) Let the band play. Eat. Drink. Drink. Dance. Drink some more.

5) The person or team who has the most songs played by the end of the night wins the game and takes the money.

Other Considerations:

1) The game is extremely fun, but also may be interpreted by bystanders as "mean spirited." Players participating in the game are not allowed to tell anyone else at the party about the game-- including the bride and groom. Disclosure of the game will result in an automatic ejection.

2) No player or team may request a song--- ANY song--- from the band or DJ during the course of the party. In fact, no one is even allowed to talk to the band or DJ at all.

3) Trades are encouraged following the conclusion of the draft.

Scoring:

Typically, one point is awarded per song played. However, teams may agree in advance to award bonus points for songs played upon the occurance of the following events:

1) First song.
2) First dance for bride and groom.
3) Father/Daughter or Mother/Son dance.
4) Any song in which some "fool" gets up and sings with the band (excluding game players).
5) Any song added to the existing list during the draft (and mutually agreed upon by all parties) by a player or team that was not originally on the list at the time of the draft. This provides bonus points for creativity.

What You Will Need:

1) Pens and paper.
2) A list of songs (below)
3) A "Commissioner" to keep track of money and scoring.
4) Indivudual sheets of paper (or napkins) for players or teams to keep track of the songs they drafted and their own scoring.
5) A band or DJ.
6) Preferrably, drinks (and lots of them).

The Songs

What follows is a list of songs to be used in the Weddng Song Draft. Any additions are welcome. I only ask that you post a comment below with such additions so that they can be added to the master list.

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
(You Look) Wonderful Tonight
A Moment Like This
ABC
Accidentally in Love
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
All I Wanna Do
All Night Long (All Night)
At Last
Because You Love Me
Brick House
Brown Eyed Girl
Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
Celebration
Chain of Fools
Chicken Dance
Crazy
Dancin’ in the Street
Doctor/Doctor
Electric Slide
Endless Love
Everlasting Love
Every Breath You Take
Everything I Do (I Do It For You)
Forever and Ever, Amen
Friends in Low Places
Georgia on my Mind
Gettin’ Jiggy with It
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Greatest Love of All
Have I Told You Lately
Hey Now (All-Star)
Hey Ya!
How Sweet it Is
I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You
I Heard it Through the Grapevine
I Just Called to Say I Love You
I Only Wanna Be With You
I Second That Emotion
I Swear
I Will Always Love You
I’ll be There
I’m a Believer
It Had to Be You
Knock on Wood
Le Freak (Freak Out)
Lets Get it On
Let’s Get it Started
Locomotion
Lonely Teardrops
Love Shack
Love Train
Love Without End, Amen.
Macharena
Makin' Whoopie
Margaritaville
Midnight Train to Georgia
M-O-N-E-Y
My Girl
Never Gonna Give You Up
New York, New York
Old Time Rock n Roll
Only the Good Die Young
Open Arms
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Shout!
Since You're Been Gone
Soak up the Sun
Something to Talk About
Soul Man
Stand by Me
Stop...In the Name of Love
Super Freak
Sweet Soul Music (Do You Like Good Music?)
Teddy Bear
That’s What Friends Are For
The Twist
The Way You Look Tonight
Three Times a Lady
True Companion
Twist & Shout
U Can’t Touch This
Unchained Melody
Under the Boardwalk
Unforgettable
Vertigo
Walking in Memphis (Substitute for other "Location Based Songs," College Fight Songs, etc.)
We Are Family
What a Wonderful World
What a Wonderful World
When I Fall in Love (It Will be Forever)
Wind Beneath My Wings
YMCA
You Are the Sunshine of My Life

Have fun and report back once the game has been played.

Copyright

"The Wedding Song Game" is copyright 2005 by its creator, Dee Herman. The use of the concept or game play is expressly prohibited, and shall not be reproduced without the express written consent of the author.