Dancing is one of the most popular types of wedding reception entertainment/activity. and because of the long history involving weddings, there are a few certain traditions that you may want to follow regarding the wedding dance order. The newlywed's first dance, the parent dances, and all the way to the last dance - these dances might seem less significant to warrant not planning well compared to the other million things you have to worry about at your wedding. but trust us when we say that planning the wedding dance order and planning it well, will not only make your wedding more memorable it will also help smooth things out in terms of schedule.
Most venues only let you rent their place for a certain period of time and it'll cost you a bit more if you want to stay longer. and most wedding receptions only last about four to five hours. so to maximize your time, and to make sure everyone's had their fun before the end of the party. planning your wedding program perfectly is key.
A wedding program or wedding timeline will help you manage your limited time by giving your guests enough time to eat, drink, mingle, listen to toast, give a toast, and dance all while having fun. working with your planner or coordinator to create your wedding timeline is very important to ensure that everything will go smoothly on the best day of your life.
And while every culture has its own wedding traditions and wedding dance order, there is a usual standard that anyone can do. and that's what we're going to be discussing today, so without further ado, let's begin!
The vows have been made, the grand entrance has been done, and the guests are all well-fed. it's now time for the first dance!
Quite literally the first dance of the reception, and the first dance of the newlyweds as a married couple. it's one of the best moments that'll happen at a wedding. whether a well-practised number by the couple courtesy of a few weeks of dance lessons, a simple waltz or just winging it. it's a truly magical moment.
Your closest friends and family cheer as you sway on the dancefloor while your favourite song is playing in the background. it's just pure bliss.
Time for the parent dances, such as the mother-son dance and father-daughter dance. while this sometimes takes place right after the first dance of the newlyweds. you can also do it at several points during the reception like after the toasts or after the cake cutting, but generally, it takes place at around the end of dinner, when all the guests have eaten and just mingling around waiting for the program to continue.
During this dance, it was traditional for the bride to dance with her father, and for the groom to dance with his mom. and other special relatives may join in the end like grandpa and grandma. but as it is 2022, you can do whatever you want, maybe the groom wants to dance with his father, or the bride wants to dance with her mother. some couples may want to dance with stepparents or other important persons in their lives. the point is, you can dance with whoever you want as long as you consider them to be somewhat of a parent figure in your life.
Right after the parents, it's time for the friends to light the dancefloor on fire. the wedding party dances to kick off the event. traditionally initiated by the best man and the man of honour, then followed by the rest of the crew.
While it won't much matter if you skip this wedding party dance and just simply invite all guests to the dancefloor, not all of your guests are confident enough or drunk enough to just let loose on the dancefloor. So giving them a little push from your groomsmen and bridesmaid is worth a shot.
Now that your groomsmen and bridesmaids have kicked off the party. the dancefloor is now open for all guests. if the wedding party dance didn't encourage a few brave souls. any skilful DJ or Live Band will get your guests partying in no time. an experienced wedding entertainer will be able to read the room and choose the perfect mix of fast and slow songs to get everyone moving.
Cover songs are an essential part of any wedding reception playlist. While many couples may consider having a live band or a DJ play original songs, cover songs can add an extra layer of excitement and familiarity for guests of all ages. Cover songs can also help bridge the gap between different musical tastes, making it easier for everyone to enjoy the party.
When wedding dance order is the subject matter, you can't forget about the Anniversary dance or sometimes called the bouquet dance. it is a charming little tradition where all the couples in the room are asked to dance to a slow and romantic song played by either a DJ or a Live Band. then a few minutes into the song, the emcee will say something like "Please take a seat if you have been married for less than a year." then continue with this pattern of asking couples to leave the dancefloor based on the years they've been married until the couple who is married the longest is the only one left dancing. the last couple dancing will receive a bouquet or simply a round of applause from the other wedding guest.
On the more optional side of the wedding dance order, there is the bouquet and garter toss, where the bride tosses her bouquet to a group of single ladies in the room, and the groom removes the garter from the bride and tosses it to a crowd of single men. the ones who catch the bouquet and garter are deemed the "winners" and are expected to dance together.
As we said, this one is optional, many couples feel that his tradition and the consequent dance can be a bit embarrassing and plays into gender stereotypes, it can also be a bit awkward to push guest to dance with people they don't know. but if you and your guests don't mind, it's still a fun tradition. and hey, maybe you'll actually create a spark between the winners, and the next wedding you attend will be theirs.
Another optional one is a tradition in many countries so it has many names like the money dance, dollar dance, apron dance, or prosperity dance. and also a lot of ways to do it. either the guest pays the bride or groom to be able to dance with either of them, or just the bride and groom do a slow dance in the middle of the dance floor while some of the guests pin money on the skirt of the wedding brides gown or the back of the grooms' suit. either way, at the end of the dance the couple would've received cash from the guest. this usually takes place towards the end of the reception, but before the last dance.
And now we are here, the last item in the wedding dance order, the last dance. for this one, you may select a slow and romantic song for more of an emotional tune to close out the evening. a really great way to just savour the last moments of your wedding. or if there is an after-party planned, you can opt to choose a more upbeat and lively song to foreshadow and kick off the continuation of the celebration at a different venue. either way, this is definitely one of the dances you can't opt out of.
