How to schedule wedding dances without boring the guests
Multiple full dances force guests to sit and watch for ten to twelve minutes straight, which creates an awkward and empty atmosphere. This problem stops couples from including special dances without feeling selfish or worrying that everyone will avoid the dance floor entirely.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Shortening each dance song to 1-2 minutes maximumDid this help you?
- 2Inviting guests onto the dance floor partway through the first danceDid this help you?
- 3Doing parent dances before the main couple's first danceDid this help you?
- 4Having the theatrical dance later in the evening after dinner when guests are drinkingDid this help you?
- 5Compromising with alcohol so the partner might try dancing slightly tipsyDid this help you?
- 6Going out dancing at a club later that night with the few people who will danceDid this help you?
- 7Making a playlist instead of spending money on a professional DJDid this help you?
- 8Considering structured dancing like contra, line, or swing with an instructorDid this help you?
- 9Planning to do the first dance right after the reception entrance to relax through dinner.Did this help you?
- 10planning a cocktail-style reception with no designated sitting timeDid this help you?
- 11serving all dinner courses at onceDid this help you?
- 12hiring a club DJ who does not make awkward jokes or announcementsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I hate the structured receptions where the DJ/mc is constantly making announcements and interrupting the flow of the night.”source ↗
“It feels like guests are constantly being told to sit then dance then sit then dance and repeat…”source ↗
“I'm a little anxious so we wanted to do the dance first to let us relax through dinner and enjoy the rest of the evening.”source ↗
“The problem is that we don't have any parent dances or anything planned after dinner (her father is deceased, my mother is in a wheelchair) and I'm not sure if that's setting us up for an awkward transition into open dancing for the evening.”source ↗
“Does this mean we have to either do the full dance with people just watching us, followed by two more entire dances of people just watching?”source ↗
“It seems a bit extreme to make people watch you for potentially 10-12 minutes while you’re doing different dances. 😂”source ↗
“How have you done this to keep it smooth and flowing?”source ↗
“I think I may be the only one who wants to dance at our wedding and I'm worried it would be selfish of me and might create an awkward dead empty space”source ↗
“basically all of our guests range from a scale of "dancing makes me a bit shy and uncomfortable so I likely won't do it" to "I absolutely hate dancing, you'll never see me do it >:("”source ↗
“I'd hate to spend a few thousand on a DJ and lights and dance floor and whatever and everyone avoids it including my husband.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5Wedding entertainment ideas for guests who don't dance
- 13Bridesmaids ignoring texts and not getting their dresses
- 23How to avoid chaotic seat scrambling at a reception
- 5What to do if you don't want to do wedding parent dances
- 5Anxiety about mixing different friend groups
- 4How to stop someone from inviting themselves to your wedding