Slow and Waltz Sets

If I am playing a full night for up to five hours or so, I find it can sometimes be good to slow things down for short periods over the course of the night.  This can involve having either a slow set or waltz or both at some stage or on occasion having two slow sets and a waltz.

After the first song it can be a nice way to gently ease your guests into the nights dancing by having couples slow dancing whether that be through Bobby Darins` “Beyond the Sea” or a Sinatra or Michael Buble number.

Older guests in particular can often prefer to waltz with their partners. For some of your guests dancing with their partner or dancing with a relative or friend during a slow set  might be the only time that they will be on the dance floor – if they can be accomodated it can demonstrate your thoughtfulness for your guests preferences. This can also be facilitated by the couple asking relatives if they have any special requests or songs of significance to their county.
All of this can be discussed in our informal meeting prior to the day.  For other people having a slow set with songs from the 80s/90s or current songs might be more their thing. For some people a slow set means playing an Aretha Franklin or Dusty Springfield or Otis Redding song – Aretha`s ‘I say a little prayer for you’ and Dusty`s ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ come to mind here.

From my own experience, on the wedding night itself guests will sometimes request a slow set – unless the couple have said otherwise I would accommodate this on the night. A couple may have given me a few slow songs in their list of songs but not asked specifically for a slow set and I would normally consider these songs in this scenario. When it comes to selecting possible slow songs some people’s perfect slow number can be another persons cheese so it’s important to have this established beforehand.  As with everything in life there are no absolutes when it comes to music selections for slow sets. (Some couples prefer not to have any slow songs as they want the energy and tempo of the music to be high at all times with even their first song being fast paced. This also works and keeps the energy on a high in the room. – for more on this see my blog on ‘Choosing the First Dance’)

If I am playing after a band and the band have played a slow set, then I usually  wouldn’t also play a slow set unless specifically requested, although on occasion I would play a few slow songs during the bands break if they took one. This can really work well particularly if the songs you want to hear are not part of the bands repetoire. It would be good to say this to the band prior to the day. They may well want to continue on or start the second half of their set with a slow song.

In the end the decision on whether or not to have a slow set  comes down to personal preference and the demographics of the wedding party.  It can be a great way of keeping older guests included in the festivities and it might well be one of the few times during the course of the day that you get some quality alone time together. Of course if the idea of a ‘slow set’ sets your teeth on edge you don’t have to go there!
Let the choice be yours.