Dance the Night Away: How to Plan a Wedding Reception with Maximum Dancing
After filming nearly a hundred weddings, we've witnessed a lot wedding receptions with some killer dancing. Don’t be surprised if you see us put the cameras down for a moment and join in! For many bride and grooms, the wedding reception of their dreams includes a lot of dancing, but when the wedding day actually comes, it can be a struggle to actually get your guests onto the dance floor. But don’t worry! We have some tips on how to plan a wedding reception that encourages maximum dancing, ensuring an unforgettable time that your guests will rave about for years to come. Oh and don't worry, we'll also address how to get your groom on the dance floor, even if dancing isn't his forte 😉.
Choose the Right Venue: To ensure an out-of-this-world dance party, select a venue with a spacious dance floor. Ideally, it should be centrally located, with enough space for everyone to let loose and feel comfortable. Having great lighting that can pulse and color-change with the beat is definitely a plus and sets the vibe. Avoid venues with small or awkwardly placed dance floors, as these can discourage guests from joining in on the fun. A larger space also gives some of us introverts some space to dance on the edges without feeling like we’re too noticed by the others. Bottom line- No one wants to dance in a small, dimly lit corner.
Hire a Professional DJ or Band: Truthfully, this is probably what is going to help your dance party the most. An experienced DJ or band can make or break the dancing at your reception. A good DJ is able to read the crowd and play a mix of music that appeals to all ages and tastes. After you book your DJ, be sure to communicate your preferences and provide them with a playlist of must-have songs and maybe some songs you’d like to avoid. We’ve worked with some TREMENDOUS DJs over the years, and we’ve worked with some… not so tremendous. If you’d like recommendations, we’d love to help.
Set the Tone Early: Once the reception starts, encourage dancing by setting the tone early in the evening. Begin with an upbeat entrance song for the bridal party, followed by the newlyweds' first dance (and father/daughter, mother/son dances if you’d like). Then as these planned dances wrap up, have the DJ call everyone else in the room to the dance floor with a really fun and familiar song. You may even have your wedding party prepped to pull their friends onto the floor at this moment! If your reception is more formal, have the DJ call couples onto the dance floor based on how long they’ve been married, starting with the very experience (50+ years), all the way up to the newlyweds and then all couples, so that by the end of the song you have a large group on the dance floor. This can help to create an energetic atmosphere and get people in the mood for dancing.
Offer Dance Lessons: If you want to get everyone on the dance floor, one unique idea is to offer dance lessons during the reception. You can hire a professional dance instructor to teach your guests some basic moves or even a specific dance style, like salsa or swing. This can break the ice and encourage guests to feel more comfortable dancing. Since we’re in Tennessee, we’ve seen some instructed line-dancing go over really well, too!
Plan Dance-Friendly Activities: Incorporate dance-friendly activities into your reception, like a dance-off or a group dance to a popular song. We’ve done the Cha-Cha slide and the Cupid Shuffle probably a hundred times, but as cliché as these might seem, they are usually a big hit! This can create a fun and engaging atmosphere that encourages everyone to participate. Again, this can be something you work with your DJ to plan in advance.
Encourage the Groom to Dance: Not all grooms like to dance. Honestly, Jared isn’t a big dancer, either! But their participation can inspire others to join in (and to Jared’s credit, he was on the dance floor most of our own reception!). To help your groom feel more comfortable, consider practicing some dance moves together before the big day or even taking a dance class. What you don’t want to happen is for the bride and groom to enter the reception with different expectations of their dance participation, so like many problems in marriage, get ahead of that and communicate about it beforehand! No one cares how good the groom is at dancing, but your guests are there to celebrate you and it’s way more fun when the bride and groom are both participating.
Lead by Example: Piggybacking on the last point, as the newlyweds, your enthusiasm and participation in the dancing can set the tone for the entire reception. Be sure to spend time on the dance floor, engaging with your guests and showing off your moves. The more you dance, the more likely your guests will join in. You’ll see in some of our videos below, often the bride and groom are saying “hello” and visiting with people while they are dancing! It can be a lot of fun.
With the right planning and expectations, your wedding reception can be a lively and unforgettable dance party. And remember, when you book with us, Noble Limits is there to capture all the fun, so you can relive the magic for years to come.
In fact, here are some wedding videos we’ve shot with some of our favorite reception dance parties!