Quick Story
I had a friend (will remain anonymous) that threw the greatest wedding I had ever been to… to a point.
It was held at a mansion, had a Cinderella theme, and the event was topped off with a vintage Rolls Royce transporting the Newlyweds. It was what I imagine a Kennedy wedding would be like.
That is, until the first dance.
For whatever they spent on the wedding, and it probably pushed Dad’s retirement back by 40 years, it all seemed to wither away on their first dance.
It was the longest Boys 2 Men high school slow dance you’ve ever seen. Long enough to make you want to hate the song, to fight off a yawn, and to leave, do your taxes, write a novel, and return before it was over.
What a waste.
Present Day
OK, let's get this out of the way. We help Wedding Couples learn to do things like Tango, Salsa, or Swing for their first wedding dance. It's an unbelievable upgrade to swaying side to side, not dancing at all, or leaving the dance skills up to the "liquid courage gods".
From an investment standpoint, it’s really the statement piece on an extravagant wedding, or adds a classy upgrade to a simple one.
How Can I Get My Wedding Guests to Dance at my Reception?
Solution #1: Wedding Lessons for You
The worst thing is that you’ll probably enjoy it, use it a lot, and have a spouse as a dance partner. We’re sorry, but the bride and groom are the wedding reception example setters - and you need to be able to get up on the dance floor, and your first wedding dance is just the beginning of the party.
Solution #2: Train your Accomplices
Think of those paid infomercial audiences. They’d never heckle the pitchman selling his new product. They are planted there to endorse whatever is being shown to them. You’re going to do the exact same thing with members of your wedding party.
That’s right, you’re going to invite them in for some survival skills lessons in popular wedding reception dances like the Swing, Merengue, Salsa, and Foxtrot. That way, when Mr. and Mrs. Newlywed pitch their Dance Party idea to their guests, your accomplices will give it their full endorsement.
READ MORE: Best Practices for your Wedding Dance
Solution #3: Broaden Your Demographic
Get Mom and Dad, on both sides, in on the action. After all, you’ve got a Father/Daughter Dance to do, right? How about a Mother/Son dance? How about a cut in so the in-laws can get involved?
How many times do you want to hear Dad say, “do you know how much this wedding cost me?” Learning how to dance will give him the best keepsake from this entire Wedding expense, I mean, “experience”.
Solution #4: Party Planning
There are a few little party tricks you can do to get more and more people on the dance floor, but the best one is, without a doubt, “The Snowball Dance”.
Here’s how it works
About 90 seconds into your partner changing Father/Daughter/In-Law dance, the next partner change will be everyone on the dance floor selecting one person off of the dance floor. This immediately doubles the number of people on the floor. You can have your DJ say, “find your next partner” and continue to double the dance participation each time.
READ MORE: Wedding Music that should be Retired (Always and Forever)
Final Thought
Sure, there will be some moments where you just want to play a little MC Hammer, and do some vintage 90’s hip hop moves, but using dances like Swing, Merengue, Rumba, and Foxtrot can add class and sophistication to any wedding reception. What’s even better is that these dances are easy enough to teach alongside a couple of friends you want in on the action.
Turning your Wedding Reception into a Wedding Party is all about getting your guests on the dance floor... and it only takes one couple to get that party started right.
