Who wants their guests to stay longer at their reception?
We all dream of a wedding reception that goes late into the evening with a dance floor full of party people at the end of the night. Here’s a few tips to help ensure you have a packed dance floor.
- Don’t leave the ballroom after the formalities are finished.
- When you leave your room it gives the impression to your guests that it’s ok to leave. If you had some guests that were thinking about leaving after dinner, you just gave them the perfect excuse to go home. Your guests came to enjoy the day and party with you. If you have respect for that, most will respect you and party with you on the dance floor.
- Be on the dance floor.
- We’ve seen it time and time again, where the Bride and Groom don’t dance. Well guess what? Neither will some of your guests that “don’t dance.” But, if you get out on the dance floor, you project an image of fun, having a great time. People naturally want to be part of the party! So, they too will be more likely to get up off of their seats and dust off those dancing shoes. 9 times out of 10, the Bride and Groom can actually create and make the party go. So, be on the dance floor, where everyone can see you having a great time and they too will join in the fun!
- Don’t place tables between the DJ and the dance floor.
- There’s a few of reasons this can be a dance floor killer. First, it’s almost a guarantee that the music will be too loud at some point for these guests, making it more likely they will want to leave early (it’s almost a guarantee Grandma will be at one of these tables). Second, it puts a barrier between your DJ and your dance floor. A DJ needs to be able to read and connect with your crowd as he/she chooses music and has interaction based on this feeling. And lastly, you don’t want to be throwing sound and lighting over tables to the dance floor. Ideally, your DJ table, sound and lighting will be right up against your dance floor, making for the best party.
- Don’t go to the bathroom.
- You can NEVER go the the bathroom on your wedding day. We’re JUST KIDDING! But, if you spend lots of time pampering, that means you’re spending less time in your ballroom at the party with your guests. See #1 above as to why this can kill your dance floor.
- Cut the cake early.
- The less interruptions you have during the open dancing, the better. Whenever you have a break and clear the dance floor, it’s just another opportunity for guests to call it a night. The earlier you can take care of your formalities, the easier it will be to keep a dance floor full of dancing guests.
- Don’t let your photographer kill your party.
- You finish the meal, do your formalities, the party is ready to get going with open dancing, and your photographer pulls you away to take more pictures. You return to the reception 20-30 minutes later and see more than half of your guests have left. Once again, you cannot leave your own party and expect others to stay. They have come to enjoy the day with you! If possible, take care of as many pictures as you can prior to the event. Have we mentioned that anytime you leave your party, you open the door for others to sneak out and leave?
- Make sure your DJ doesn’t suck.
- This is a little harsh, but sometimes saying it blatantly is the best way to make it clear. Your DJ can make or break your event. They must be able to read your crowd, keep good flow, and emcee your event in a manner that creates a fun vibe for all your guests. If they cannot do these things, why would anyone want to stick around for something that isn’t fun? Sometimes the Bride and Groom don’t even want to stay at their own party… which is really bad. But this isn’t going to happen to you! Why? Because you have done your research and made sure you picked out a DJ that fits your style, and can create the best event designed with your vision in mind.
