Everyone was expecting glitter, fireworks, and spray tan. What we gave them was totally different.
There we were, husband and wife. The DJ announced us, we walked onto the dance floor and everyone cheered. We couldn’t hear a thing.
It was one of those numb to the world moments. The music started and we – swayed. Yep, we were rising to the top of our competitive dance career, the owners of a top dance studio, and we swayed like it was the junior prom.
Why?
Why Two Professional Dancers Chose to Sway
For us, it was the first dance we ever did in public that was just “for us.” We danced to a beautiful song by Louis Armstrong, “We Have All the Time in the World” from one of my favorite James Bond movies, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” It was intimate, simple, and exactly what we wanted.
Here’s something most people don’t realize about wedding first dances: The dance doesn’t have to prove anything. In fact, the most memorable first dances aren’t about technical perfection – they’re about the moment you share with your partner.
Did we know how to do lifts, spins, and dips? Absolutely. Did our guests expect an elaborate routine? Probably. But that swaying moment – with just the two of us in our own little bubble – was worth more than any choreographed spectacle could have delivered.
We also had a surprise up our sleeves.
IDEA: Wedding Party Entrance Music
The reception had actually started with a surprise for our wedding party. Entrance Music.
We picked songs that captured the “essence” of each of those in our wedding party. Everything from classic hip-hop, salsa, and “My Heart Will Go On” (as a joke). As they entered, their music played – complete with a bio read by our DJ – and many began dancing once they heard their song.
Want to make your wedding party feel like rock stars? This is how you do it. Your guests will love watching the reactions, and your wedding party will remember it forever.
IDEA: Wedding Party Group Dance Number
The next surprise took place when we decided to turn our money dance into a group wedding party dance number. This was not planned or choreographed, but it might as well have been.
We didn’t like the idea of people standing in line to dance for us, so instead, we decided to put on a show. When your wedding party is full of dancers, why waste the opportunity?
Here’s a thought for your planning: What would happen if instead of the traditional approach, you created a moment where everyone in your wedding party got to shine? Not everyone needs to be a professional dancer – the enthusiasm is what makes it memorable.
The Traditional Moments Still Matter
On the traditional side, we stuck with the father/daughter and mother/son dances, which were very meaningful and special. Some traditions exist for a reason – they give your family their moment in the spotlight too.
After greeting everyone, eating a fraction of our meal, and doing 24 toasts (yes, twenty-four) – we performed one of our competition routines. Bolero. Daisey changed into something more comfortable (not a dance costume) and we performed our routine in front of the most important crowd ever assembled: our closest friends and family.
IDEA: Perform a Second Wedding Dance
If you’ve been taking wedding dance lessons, why limit yourself to just the first dance? We gave our guests two very different experiences – an intimate sway and a performance-level Bolero.
The contrast made both moments more powerful. In fact, by starting with something simple, the later performance had even more impact because nobody saw it coming.
IDEA: Merengue Gets the Crowd Dancing
The rest of our reception was a blast, but nothing truly got the party going and got everyone involved more than the merengue. It’s the easiest crowd pleaser of a dance, and it got even the least likely to dance on the dance floor.
We did conga lines, tunnels, line dances, and came up with some bizarre new renditions of the popular Latin dance. If you want to get your reception going, merengue is the gateway drug to a packed dance floor.
Here’s the secret: When the couple leads, the crowd follows. When we grabbed our parents, aunts, and uncles onto the floor – suddenly dancing wasn’t intimidating anymore. It was just fun.
Your Wedding, Your Rules
The old saying “remember, it’s your day” never really made sense until we decided to do all that fun stuff at the reception (and there was that ice sculpture of a matador I asked for).
A reception can easily feel like someone hit the “repeat all” button from someone else’s wedding. But hopefully this article gave you some ideas and will show you that:
With some great music, and plenty of dancing, you can turn an ordinary reception into an event.
What would happen if you let go of the expectation of what a wedding “should” look like? What if you designed a reception that was actually – dare I say – you?
Safe to say, you won’t regret it.
Happy Dancing!
