If you’re like most Brides-to-be, you’ve spent countless hours choosing flower arrangements, hand-selecting centerpiece vases, and organizing the perfect seating chart that will have your guests mixing and mingling with ease. But there’s still one detail that you’re afraid might be out of your control: the dance party. How can you make sure you and your guests have a ball at your wedding?
Here are 5 tips to ensure a packed dance floor at your wedding reception:
Set the mood with a jaw-dropping first dance
Believe it or not, your first dance has the power to get your guests feeling all the feels! Whether you want to set your guests up for a romantic evening or an energy-filled dance party, choose a first dance song that matches your intended mood for the remainder of the party, and seek some professional assistance to make sure your slow sways, graceful spins, and dramatic dips inspire others to get up and dance too! Check out our blog, The 10 Things All First Dances Must Have, for more tips.
Don’t wait too long to get the party started
After a ceremony, speeches, parent dances, salad, main course, and dessert, who’s ready to dance?! More like, who’s ready to nap?... If you want to ensure a spirited dance party, make sure to keep your guests up and moving. Even during a traditional sit-down dinner, consider adding elements of guest-participation throughout the evening (i.e. Buffet-style snack, a signature cocktail station, a photo booth, etc.) That way, your guests will already be active and ready to keep moving, rather than getting sleepy at their seats.
Plan a great wedding band or DJ into your budget
According to The Knot, it’s typical to allocate 8-10% of your budget to your entertainment. Of course, every couple has different values when it comes to their wedding, so you might not fit into that statistic. Are you a foodie? A fashionista? A DIY decor master? Regardless, as you put your budget together, know that the quickest way to make a party lame would be an average DJ. The band or DJ will emcee and manage the flow of your party, so make sure you can fit the best choice into your budget, even if that means choosing carnations instead of orchids for your flower arrangements.
Choose the right music to inspire your guests to dance
You might love country and your fiancé might love heavy metal, but that doesn’t mean your guests do too! Be sure to consider your friends and family when choosing the “must play,” and “do not play” song lists. If you’re unsure what they like, follow this suggestion from the WeddingWire forum: add one more line to your RSVPs that includes a “must play” song for each guest. That way, you get a sense for the type of music to play, and you can try to include each guest’s suggestions for a great dance party!
Hold your wedding party accountable as your backup dancers
Your wedding party is there because they love you, and they want you to have an amazing big day! If a dance party is your definition of the perfect wedding, let them know, and ask them to be the first ones out there on the floor with you to inspire the rest of the guests to get their booties shakin’! If you want to go above and beyond, arrange a group dance class for your wedding party and request to learn how to dance to Motown, Pop, and Big Band music (or any other genre you plan to play at the reception). You’ll have a great bonding experience with your wedding party and ensure more fun for the big day, too!
Want more advice from the Wedding Dance experts at Ballroom Dance Chicago? Follow us on Twitter & Facebook, or check out our other blog posts for more first dance tips!