While some couples prefer a more laid-back, cocktail-party feel at their reception, the majority envision a packed dance floor til the very last song! If you and your fiance want those unforgettable memories of Grandma dancing with your best friend from grade school, here are 5 proven ways to create a fun-filled dancing environment at your reception:
1. Create A Welcoming Environment
The idea of creating a welcoming environment at your reception seems rather basic, but can oftentimes goes overlooked as the all minor tasks start piling up during planning. To create a comfortable environment, consider incorporating a decor element that directly reflects your personalities and interests. For example, if you’re a music buff, name each guest table after your favorite band and decorate each to match the band’s persona. A rather small touch like incorporating bands that are meaningful to you outside of wedding plans will quickly help to create a warm environment, and hence loosen up your guests when it’s time to hit the dance floor.
2. Explore Diverse Music Early
You don’t have to wait until the dance floor opens to explore a wide range of musical genres… start early with a diverse selection during your cocktail and dinner hours. If you choose one distinct style of music for dinner/cocktails, you can bet that some of your guests will be turned-off by not hearing something they enjoy, and that will directly affect how long they stay at your reception. It makes perfect sense to win over EVERYONE early in the night, and you’ll have them by your side clear through the last song of the night!
3. Play Well-known Dancing Songs
A lot of the music you hear played at every wedding is played for one simple reason… it’s well-known! Songs that are quickly recognizable elicit emotion and memories from your guests, and in turn creates that warm feeling inside to loosen someone up to dance. Here’s a great illustration of this point: If you had to pick a song and walk onto a dance floor right now in front of 150 people, would you select the song ‘Billie Jean‘ by Michael Jackson, or ‘Far Behind‘ by Social Distortion? Although you might personally enjoy punk-rock music, you’d likely pick the Michael Jackson song since you’re more familiar with how it sounds and the song’s tempo.
4. Incorporate Personal Elements into the Dancing
If your best man does a great breakdance to “Bust a Move,” or if your parent’s wedding song was “Wonderful Tonight,” or if you used to jam to “Don’t Stop Believin” at your favorite college bar… be sure to incorporate those things into the dancing portion of your reception. When you and your guests have personal ties to a particular song, those old memories are immediately sparked when the song is played, and you’re very likely to add a few new, lifelong memories to the mix.
5. The VIP’s Should Stay On the Dance Floor
At a wedding reception, everyone is attracted to the Bridal Party and your immediate family members. Your guests want to follow your lead, and be involved with those in the spotlight. So recruit your Bridesmaids, your Groomsmen and your parents to join you on the dance floor, and your guests will follow suit instantly.
And don’t forget… of all the VIP’s involved, you and your new spouse are the most important elements to the success of your dance floor. It’s rather difficult to spend all night on the dance floor given that everyone wants to talk to you/take a photo, but if you can delegate your time between mingling and dancing throughout the night, you’ll instantly reep the benefits of a rockin’ party!
