Music Makes the Party

When planning a wedding, there are numerous details to consider. For many, planning the dance, or after dinner portion of the reception, is of paramount importance. The dance is a time for the wedding party to let loose after all the formal proceedings and after months and months of hard work planning the wedding. While the couple getting married probably wants nothing more than to kick back and have a good time, it is still important to remember that there are Wediquette issues that need to be addressed in order to ensure that your wedding guests also enjoy themselves.

I am sure that most of us have been to a wedding where the dance was a disappointment: the music was not great, there was no one on the dance floor, or the vibe of the party seemed more awkward than fun. If you want to make sure you don’t make these mistakes at your wedding, you need to put some thought into planning this portion of the event. To ensure maximum benefit for all, you need to hire a band, DJ or entertainment company that will work with you to make sure your dance is a hit.

I spoke with Brian Henry, President of Quality Entertainment, one of Ottawa’s largest and most reputable entertainment companies, and asked him to share his ‘secrets of success’ for a fun and memorable dance. Here are his top suggestions:

1. Plan your music list with the guests in mind, especially if your guest list is multigenerational. If you stick with the music tastes of the couple getting married, the rest of the guests may lose interest and stop dancing.
2. Keep the party flowing and don’t interrupt the dance.
3. The couple and wedding party should be on the dance floor as much as possible and interacting with all of the guests. You want to keep your guests feeling connected to the wedding, especially if there are people there who may not know everyone.
4. If the dance portion of the evening is important to you, choose a venue that is suitable for a dance.
5. In addition to making sure the dance is a hit, a good entertainment company like Quality Entertainment will also provide guidance for how to structure the flow of the event including: music played during other portions of the reception, timing of speeches, throwing of the bouquet, the first dances, and more.

Wedding etiquette experts also have a great deal to say on the top of music. Emily Post believes you should be cautious when making the decision to allow wedding guests to make music requests. Not only do you want to make sure that the music selected is suitable and will keep people on their feet, but you want to make sure that the songs being played are appropriate and not offensive (think angry rap music with a lot of swearing). You may want to make a ‘do not play list’ for your band or DJ or ask them to make one for you.

Weddings are very expensive, so some couples these days turn to DIY music; making a playlist on their own device, instead of hiring a DJ. While DIY music can work, couples need to make sure they put a great deal of thought into the playlist. Once music is playing, it is hard to change it without causing disruptions. In addition to that, one needs to make sure the speakers are adequate enough to fill the room with music.

Wediquette tip: Music makes the party! Your wedding guests will stay longer and be more engaged if the dance is planned with them in mind.

Wediquette is by Simply Sociable’s Kate Charland www.simplysociablekate.com

Photo by Kathi Robertson Weddings www.kathirobertsonweddings.com