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If you want to make a fun statement with your bridal dances try an eclectic, playful song and really set the mood.
How about MGMT’s Electric Feel…
Sorry if this is stuck in your head for the rest of day. I know it is stuck in mine.
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A fun and stress-free wedding reception is a well-planned wedding reception. A step-by-step timetable of events, and an experienced DJ / Event Director to oversee them, will keep your party going.
Create a Timetable
Evening wedding receptions in southeast Michigan typically begin at 6 p.m. and conclude at midnight. Here’s an EXAMPLE:
6 – 7:00 Guests arrive. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are served.
7:00 – 7:15 Guests are seated. Bridal Party is introduced into the room. Bride and Groom enjoy their “Grand Entrance”. Cake is cut. Bridal party is seated at head table.
7:15 – 7:30 Toasts are made. Grace is said.
7:30 – 8:40 Dinner is served.
8:40 – 8:59 Dinner is cleared while Bride & Groom pose for photos and visit with guests. Guests are free to stretch, visit restrooms; go outside to smoke, call home, etc. DJ gathers bridal party for the special dances.
8:59 - 9:00 Special introductions (usually grandparents)
9:00 - 9:15 Bridal dances
9:15 - 9:45 Dance & party music
9:45 – 10 Bouquet & garter toss. Anniversary Dance (OPTIONAL)
10:00 – 12 Dance & Party Music
Important Considerations…
Regarding your Hall
If you have invited out-of-town guests, and there is more than an hour between the ceremony and the reception, ask your reception hall what time it will open its doors and if you’ll be charged for asking staff to open early for your visiting guests. Remember to share opening and closing times with your vendors, too.
Bridal Dance Alternative
Occasionally, the bride and groom will choose to do their bridal dance immediately upon being introduced into the hall. This has become fashionable in New York City where, due to time constraints, wedding receptions generally last 3-4 hours. However, in Michigan, where wedding receptions are much longer, it is best for the bride and groom to enjoy their first dance after dinner, thus inviting other guests to join the party immediately following.
Cake Cutting
Michigan brides & grooms have found that the best time to cut their cake is immediately upon walking into the room. If the cake will be served as a dessert course, it should always be cut right away. If cake will be made available on buffet tables for self-service, although not recommended, it can be cut after dinner,
Who Will Give Speeches and Toasts?
Once the Bridal Party is seated at the head table, toasts can begin immediately. Speeches which accompany toasts should be kept between 2-5 minutes. It is VERY IMPORTANT to do all speeches, toasts and grace consecutively. It is very difficult to interrupt your guests’ table conversations multiple times.
Traditional Order of toasts, speeches & grace:
• Father (or mother) of the Bride (IF he/she so desires)
• Father (or mother) of the Groom (IF he/she so desires),
• Best Man
• Maid or Matron of Honor (increasingly popular)
• Anyone else who wishes to toast or give a speech (Remember, less is best!)
• Bride and Groom (If they want to thank their guests, etc.)
• Grace (Always last. Usually said by clergy, parent or grandparent)
Bridal Dances
Avoid the temptation of having too many “formal” dances. If you want to share a special dance with your grandmother, for example, it is best to do it while guests can also dance. Remember, your guests’ attention will wander if asked to watch the newlyweds dance with everyone special to them.
Order of Dances:
Bride & Groom
Bridal Party (Including parents, flower girls, etc.)
Father – Daughter Dance
Mother - Son Dance
Everybody Dance (All of your guests are invited to join the newlyweds for a slow dance.)
Remember to use the timeline and considerations listed here as examples. Tap into the knowledge of wedding professionals to help guide you toward a timeline that works best for your wedding reception.
Start planning your wedding reception now!
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Our DJs, photographers and videographers were able to spend time with some amazing people this weekend. Congratulations to all of the wonderful couples who allowed us to be a part of their families for a day. Here are some highlights from the weekend…
Two of our couples this weekend put on international, multicultural affairs. Modeled after a traditional Indian ceremony, one couple’s affair lasted 2 days to include Indian dances … performed by the bride’s family … and the bride herself. The event continued not to disappoint with 2 opera performances by the groom’s aunt who sang for guests during a portion of the first day and during the processional on the second day. The night continued with a traditional Indian buffet, an ice sculpture and a special song rewritten by the bride for her groom. The event concluded with every one joining on the dance floor to celebrate the couple. Awesome!
The other multicultural event that took place over the weekend represented the love of a Jewish bride and an Italian groom. They paid respect to several ethnicities, and ages … which included a performance by the La Corda Ensemble during cocktail hour. The couple and their 220 guests did the Hora, watched the blessing of the Challah, listened to toasts over sorbet and watched a slide show of the couple. The icing on the cake included an homage to the couple’s alma mater … Michigan State. They sang the MSU fight song, and welcomed an actual MSU cheerleader. The guests enjoyed the party, and all danced the night away.
Mike Staff Productions are experts at ethnic and multi-cultural weddings. Click here for a FREE consultation on how we can help make your wedding great.
You don’t have to be on “Dancing with the Stars” to enjoy your first dance together as husband and wife on your wedding day. Use these tips…
1. Choose a meaningful song. Select a song you both love and one that keeps an easy beat, especially if you’re beginning dancers. When your song lasts longer than the usual three minutes, ask your DJ to fade the ending. Remember: frazzled dancers don’t dazzle.
2. Take a couple of dance lessons. Group lessons can be intimidating, but private lessons remove the pressure of dancing for an audience. Your instructor will teach you according to your ability level. With private instruction, beginners can quickly master the basics with confidence. Dancing, like music, lifts the spirit and is so much more enjoyable when shared with your significant other.
3. Decide who leads and who follows. Gender no longer has anything to do with your decision. Choose the pattern that makes you comfortable. There’s nothing wrong with following a simple lead. The object of dancing is to enjoy the dance! Being able to follow the leader creates confidence in the follower and makes a more pleasurable dance for the leader, too. If you’re feeling brave and brassy, create a dance that switches leads once or twice during the routine.
4. Learn a couple of exciting steps. A pre-planned (choreographed) dip or a twirl makes a splashy statement without the tricky toe work of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. These moves are not only easy, but they offer impressive photo opportunities for still shots and videographers. When you look at them in the future, your photos will take you back to these moments with pride and a satisfied chuckle.
5. Plan your entrance and your exit. Will you clasp hands and kiss before you begin your dance? Will you sashay in from the left and leave to the right? Whatever you decide, be sure to tell your camera operators where and in what direction you will start and finish your dance, as well as any choreographed moves you plan to make. That way, they can prepare to capture the moment in its best light and with the correct angle.
6. Familiarize yourselves with the dance floor. Check out the floor you will dance on. Make sure you know its dimensions. Some styles of dancing (like Foxtrot) require a bigger space. Other styles like nightclub two step don’t require much space. Have a good idea of the size and shape your wedding reception dance floor will be so that you can practice and get used to dancing in that amount of space.
7. Practice, practice, practice. Practice on a busy dance floor in a public place. You can also practice at home, of course, (preferably in front of a large, floor-length mirror), but you also need the experience of dancing in front of an audience. Practice your routine at least a couple of times per week, for several weeks, until your feet seem to move without much help from your mind. Concentrate on having fun during your first dance, and your guests will jump to join you on the dance floor.
For a FREE consultation to learn how Mike Staff Productions can help you have the best wedding reception ever … click here.
About the Author
Mike Staff is the owner of Mike Staff Productions, an award winning Wedding DJ Entertainment, Photography and Videography Company located in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. Mike is also a well known Detroit radio personality, having spent over 14 years on-the-air at one of Detroit’s most popular music stations, 101-FM WRIF.
Copyright: 2009