Thursday, August 1, 2019

5 Tips to Get Wedding Guests on the Dance Floor

Asheville Weddings provided by Asheville Celebrity DJs is always searching for good ideas to help you and we found this great post from The Asheville Wedding Blog. We love to share creative ideas and give them full credit.


5 Tips to Get Wedding Guests on the Dance Floor

If you ask me, nothing is worse than a wedding where none of the guests are on the dance floor, especially when that's something that the bride & groom were really hoping for & thought they had figured out. After all, what's a wedding if not a chance to boogie with your dance partner, not to mention friends & family you may not have seen in a long time?!
So what can a bride & groom do to tackle this before it becomes a problem? That's what we're talking about today so we can all rest easy that not only will your guests get on the dance floor, they'll stay on the dance floor!

Tip #1: Choose an Awesome Wedding DJ or Band

Let's lead with the obvious. I'm sure you, wise bride, know this, but there is no doubt that some of us have been to weddings where the iPod was the DJ, and the results were not good. So indeed, please thoroughly vet any wedding bands or DJs before you sign on the dotted line. Get recommendations from former brides, from friends & family, and from any wedding vendors you've already hired. Meet them in person to ensure you love their personality, especially if they'll also be serving as the emcee. Read all the reviews you can find online. If you're planning to hire a live band, listen to a video demo, and see if you can possibly do this with DJs, too.
Ultimately, the reason you're hiring a professional to entertain wedding guests is because they have mastered the art of reading the crowd and understanding what they need - a change of tempo, a different genre, whatever it may be - in order to keep them on the dance floor.

 Tip #2: Get Out There Yourself
This is a big one! Wedding guests will feel awkward heading onto the dance floor if the bride & groom haven't made it out there yet. Why? They'll worry that they're jumping the gun before other wedding day events have had a chance to happen, like the first dance, parent-newlywed dances, cake cutting, etc. - they don't know your plan! So, when it's time for the dancing to get started, get out there yourself! Your guests will be thrilled to see you out there enjoying yourself & won't be able to wait to dance alongside the happy couple.

 Tip #3: Create a Wedding Day Timeline!
The point above brings us to yet another reason why it's crucial to create a wedding day timeline and stick to it! One of the lamest things that can happen is that the guests do start dancing and then have to be called back to their seats for toasts & whatnot. This means that when it is the right time for them to dance, they'll feel awkward getting out there again. So, create a solid wedding day timeline indicating every single 10-minute chunk of the day and share it with the wedding entertainment. I can't say this enough: share the timeline with the emcee so that he or she can direct the flow of events. A great bandleader or DJ will know exactly how to subtly hint for guests to pay attention because a toast is coming up without making them feel they've somehow stepped out of line.

 Tip #4: Get a "Goldilocks" Dance Floor
Ever been to a wedding where the dance floor was so small you felt like you wouldn't fit on it? I have, and it made me not want to join in on the dancing. Ever been to a wedding where the dance floor was so huge that, even though a good majority of the guests were dancing, it felt like no one was? Been there too. So what's the right way to figure out what size dance floor you need? The general rule is to assume that only half your guests will be dancing at a time & that each dancer needs 4.5 square feet of room. So, if you're having a tiny wedding with only 32 guests, a 12'x12' dance floor will be perfect. If you're having a more traditional size wedding with 150, go for the 24'x24'. And, if you're having a mega wedding with 350 people or more, go with what is generally considered the largest: 40'x40'.

 Tip #5: Allow Guests to Suggest Songs
A great way to make sure that your wedding guests will dance to your tunes is to allow them to make suggestions, of course! On your response cards, consider asking each guest to suggest one song, and maybe add a cutesy message that says you expect them to dance with you to their song! Of course, I would still advise that you give your band or DJ a "Do Not Play" list, just in case someone suggests a song that was - heaven forbid! - something that was shared with an ex or brings up some other unsavory memory from your past.
And there you have it! Follow these tips and rest assured that your guests will be dancing the night away & will leave with memories of what a fun couple you guys are!
Happy planning!

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James Herrick has been a mobile DJ for over 32 years and brings his 10 years radio and TV experience as a professional announcer and host. He is a certified ADJ Professional and has worked at such stations as: 98.7 KISS-FM, 94.5 WWWI Country, WKLM, WGLD Oldies, AM 950 WPET, WLXI TV-61 The Triads Video Music Channel, The Music 106 WUAG, and 90.9 WQFS.

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Location: Asheville, NC, USA