How To Get Guests To Dance at Wedding Receptions

One of the hallmarks of most wedding receptions is the sight of guests dancing on the floor, having a good time, celebrating the merriment that comes along with the joyous occasion. Let's face it, long ceremonies and even extended dinners can cause guests to get a little shifty in their seats. By the time the couple takes to the floor for their first official dance, most everyone else is ready to get out there as well. Nothing can put a damper on the party, however, like everyone remaining in their seats or heading for the doors when the DJ starts doing his or her thing. Here are some things you can incorporate to protect against this possibility.

Get Organized

If your guests are a bunch of wallflowers, you may need to do more than simply play music to get them on the dance floor. Wedding receptions are meant to be fun, but sometimes you have to coax people a little if you want them to let go of their inhibitions. Having a flowing bar doesn't hurt, but that isn't in the budget for every couple. Alternatively, you could have the DJ teach a dance to the guests. For those people in your party who have never been to a club and last danced at their own wedding, it might not hurt to teach them a few moves. It doesn't have to be the Macarena, either.

Play The Popular Music

Wedding receptions shouldn't necessarily need to mirror the local nightclubs, but if you're the type of couple more into soft classical or intelligent post-rock, you should understand that this music isn't necessarily going to get people out of their seats. Pop music is popular for a reason: it's fun and it has a danceable beat. Your tastes may run more towards groaning when the big pop star of the moment comes on the radio, but you're running a risk by limiting the DJ's repertoire to the genre you approve of.

Trust Your DJ

If you've spent the money to hire a DJ, you're making a big mistake by having them do no more than be your human iPod. Let them do what they do best. Someone who makes their living by being the life of the party should be good at it, right? Don't handcuff them by putting restrictions on what they choose to play. Yes, you can have rules in place (no songs with profanity, a couple of songs that must be played, etc.), but for the most part you should let them do their thing. Of course, if you're going to take this route, make sure you hire someone who has a thing they can do! Most wedding receptions would benefit from having an expert behind the turntables.