Celebrating your marriage is all about highlighting your personalities as individuals and as a couple, from the wedding music to the cake flavors. One bride—Pilar Deza Lopez—took this sentiment seriously when planning her reception, which gave way to a unique experience for her, her husband Sergio, and the 260 guests they hosted in La Rioja, Spain in 2016 (you can see their gorgeous wedding in our June/July issue!).
As she was planning their summertime wedding, Lopez knew she wanted their DJ to play the music she and Sergio enjoy listening to, as nontraditional as that may have been. So she took to Spotify to create a total of eight wedding-specific playlists (each of their titles began with "boda" so as not to get confused). The collections ranged from BODA_iglesia (music for their church ceremony) to BODA_baile_meneo (music to get the crowd moving) to BODA_baile_tipicas_rock (the Spanish indie rock she and Sergio love).
Unlike the many unused ideas often left on "dream wedding" Pinterest boards, Lopez was able to include her musical interest heavily in the wedding. She gave the DJ a composite list of all her favorites from the playlists, so instead of jumping around to "YMCA" or any of the other (rightfully) banned wedding songs, the couple danced the night away with their friends to music they truly love.
See also: How to Choose Wedding Music for Your Ceremony
So while you might have to make compromises on things like the invitations or the size of your bridal party, remember to keep something for yourself. Start by figuring out what aspects of your life together define your personality as a couple—is it the food you eat, the places you've been, or the soundtrack to your love story? Whatever that is, take a page out of Pilar and Sergio's book, and make it a nonnegotiable priority.
Check out this medley of Pilar and Sergio's wedding songs and head to Spotify to give it a listen.
