WEDDING PARTY DANCE

Some questions to consider:
1. Do you want to do a wedding party dance?
2. When do you want to do the wedding party dance?
3. Who do you want to have be involved in the wedding party dance?
4. What song should you choose for the wedding party dance?
5. How can you modify the wedding party dance to make it different?


1. Do you want to do a wedding party dance?
Why you might want to do this:
This is mostly a personal decision. If you think you and your wedding party would enjoy it - go for it!

Why you might not want to do this:
A. There are an uneven number of men and women in the wedding party. (If this is the case, the problem can be pretty easily solved as long as the person(s) without a partner have a spouse or date to dance with them.)
B. The people in your wedding party don’t really get along with each other. (Again, this problem can be solved by having everyone in the wedding party dance with their spouse or a date)

What most couples do:
It’s a split. About half do, and half don’t. If you are unsure, reading the rest of this chapter might help you to decide.


2. When do you want to do the wedding party dance?
This has been addressed indirectly at several junctions on this website, so we don’t feel a need to rehash it again. Please refer to Question 2 in the Parent Dances section for an answer to this question.
The only addition we have to make here is that sometimes couples will wait until later in the reception (i.e. The last hour, or even the last dance) to have the Wedding Party Dance. The disadvantages to this are that by the end of the reception, your wedding party may not look or be anywhere near as presentable as at the beginning (bow ties come off, some of your party may have indulged in alcohol, etc.) and also, it may be more difficult to even find them at the end.

What most couples do:
Most couples will do the wedding party dance either right after the first dance, or right after the parent’s dances, just before or after the meal.



3. Who do you want to have be involved in the wedding party dance?
Some possible choices (beside yourselves):
a. Maid/Matron of Honor and Best Man only
b. “a” above with bridesmaids & ushers paired off to dance together
c. “a” and “b” above with their spouses and girlfirends
d. “a”, “b”, or “c” above with Parents/Step Parents of the Bride and Groom (or Parents with their new spouses or friends in the case of divorce, separation, or a deceased parent).
e. Any of the above with the flower girl(s) and ring bearer(s)

{Cute Flower Girl Dresses}

As you can see, there are many choices here. One word of caution: if you decide to include the flower girl(s) and ring bearer(s), make sure they are old enough to last at least through part of the song. Remember that the younger they are, the shorter the attention span. Also note that the dance may include only you and your honor attendants. This could be a good choice if you won’t have any bridesmaids or ushers. Finally, a special note. “c” above could be appropriate if there are an uneven number of men and women in the party, the members of your wedding party don’t get along, or if there is a member of the wedding party who has a particularly jealous spouse or boy/girlfriend.

 What most couples do:
There really isn’t a pattern here. It seems to depend on the circumstances.


4. What song should you choose for the wedding party dance?
Some possible choices:
a. A song from the list provided by your DJ/Band (most will have suggestions).
b. A song that pertains to friendship.
c. Choose a song that holds some special meaning for you and your party. (eg. If many of them are childhood friends, it may be a song that you grew up listening to).
d. Ask your wedding party members if they have a special song they would like to use.
e. Choose a fast dance song for the wedding party dance.

 What most couples do:
Most couples will choose a song that pertains to friendship.



5. How can you modify the wedding party dance to make it different?
Some possible choices:
a. As mentioned in Question 4, make the wedding party dance a fast dance.
b. Have the Wedding Party join you half way through your first dance.
c. Have the crowd join you half way through the wedding party dance.
d. Have the wedding party join you 1/3 of the way through your first dance, and then have the crowd join you 2/3 of the way through your first dance.

“c” and “d” above are particularly good for kicking off the open dance floor portion of the reception. Theoretically, you could use a fast dance in situations “c” & “d”, but a word of caution: unless the crowd is a big fast-dancing crowd, your best bet would be to use a slow dance, since more people will be inclined to join you during a slow dance than a fast dance.

What most couples do:
Most couples either have the wedding party dance as a stand-alone dance, or choose options “b” or “c” above.