You don’t hire a DJ if you aren’t envisioning a dance floor at your party. But unfortunately, not every party has a packed dance floor! Why? The reasons your guests aren’t dancing might surprise you. Here are the top six reasons that you don’t have a packed dance floor all night:
Please, Stop the Music
Okay, maybe you expected this would be a possibility. The too-good-to-be-true bargain entertainer is playing Cotton-Eyed Joe for the second time in an hour, and your guests aren’t feeling it. His speakers aren’t sufficient for the size of your crowd and he’s blasting them to the point of distortion. Maybe you didn’t ask your DJ the important questions. Or you did and you bought the lie? We’re seating this as the first reason because it’s the easiest to prevent with a little diligence. Find a company that will listen to you!
Hashtag Distraction
Social media is cool. Trust us—we love instagram. So you’ve set up a killer hashtag for your wedding, but now all your guests are snapping #selfies instead of party-rockin’. You don’t want social media to make your guests anti-social! This rarely happens, but if you know all of your friends are way too glued to their phones, it might be good to enlist the help of your bridal party to set the etiquette for the night. Since many photo booths also connect to social media now, it might be good to save the hashtag for the booth.
Smoking Section
You can’t prevent your guests from smoking. If you or your guests are definitely a crowd that smokes, there is a good chance your dance floor won’t include a smoking section. What can you do to make sure the habit isn’t also a detriment to your event? One idea we’ve seen work is to find a venue with a limited smoking area. You’re less likely to go for a cigarette break if it’s a long walk to the front door. Another idea is to host your event outdoors. If your guests can see the dance floor and hear the music, they’ll be more likely to end their cigarette break quickly to join the fun.
Shots! Shots! Shots!
The groomsmen are calling for shots with the bride and groom. Everyone wanders off to the bar, out in the hallway or—worse—back in the cocktail room. What happened to the dance floor? It just wandered out of the room! This is venue-dependent and can be difficult to prevent. But if you have an open bar, consider setting a few wine bottles or mixed pitchers of your signature drink on the tables. You can also use these moments as an opportunity; grab your photographer and capture the memory!
Friends, Not Dancers
You may not realize it, but your bridal party isn’t just a group of your close friends! They are the taste-makers and tone-setters for your wedding. Not only should you enlist them to set the etiquette for the night (see hashtag distraction), you should hope they’ll hit the dance floor! Bridal parties aren’t generally small, and most members bring a +1. If you can get your bridal party dancing, you could have anywhere from 10 to 30 people shaking their butts! Give your DJ a few requests that you know will get your besties out of their seats.
Where Are You?
Sorry, but the number one dance floor killer can be that a bride and groom aren’t dancing. Yes, you should make the rounds and say hello to your friends and relatives, but your guests don’t really want a flip greeting. They want to have fun with you, and even the opportunity to dance in your general proximity counts! So grab your groom, drag him away from the bar, and start shuffling. Your bridal party will follow you and—regardless of the music—your room will be electric and alive.
Of course all of these reasons are things you should discuss with your MC and DJ before the event. A great MC can keep your wedding rocking all night, but even the best can only work if people are in the room. Making sure that your entertainer has a sense of your crowd can save them a lot of time, and save you a lot of frustration.
