SONG AND DANCE frequently asked questions in relation to weddings and wedding receptions

Browse from the following list of questions and answers.  Odds are, you've asked a few of the same.  Feel free to contact us with another question or for clarification on a question that has already been posted. 

Q.)  How many songs should I pick out for my reception?

A.)  The average song is about four minutes long, so only 15 or 20 songs are generally played in one hour.

Q.)  What type of music should I pick?

A.)  Too many times future bride and grooms will zip through a song list and pick familiar songs rather than picking those that might have a true meaning to themselves or their guests. Take a minute to think about the different stages of your wedding reception and choose accordingly. Love songs are great during the dinner, but too many can lull your guests to sleep. Hip-hop has a way of attracting the younger crowd to the dance floor, but has a tendency to alienate older family members. Don’t try to pick songs that are good for all, they don’t exist. Choose different songs for the many different type of guests that will be attending and let your DJ cycle each genre into the mix to ensure everyone’s happy.

Q.)  Do I need the DJ for the wedding ceremony as well?

A.)  That depends on the facility you’ve chosen. Don’t assume that a wedding chapel has a public address system; clarify that with the venue manager before it’s too late. The majority of facilities will have a CD player and a few speakers, but they may not have the appropriate microphone capabilities if you attend on having a soloist perform. SONG AND DANCE will be happy to perform a precise wedding ceremony for you at an affordable price. Call us for details.

Q.)  What is the best way to introduce the bride and groom/bridal party?

A.)  First, consider the people who should be involved in your introduction? There are many to choose from:  The bridal party, your parents, your children, or other important relatives?  Who do you, and don’t you include; and who will feel rejected when they’re scratched from the list? In many circumstances, it works best to place the emphasis solely on the bride and groom. Remember that no one is going to get their feelings hurt if the spotlight tends to shine on the bride and groom during their own wedding.

Next consider logistics (or the art of moving people from one place to another). It can be difficult to corral a half-dozen bridesmaids and groomsmen in a single-sight facility, much less a 20-person grand entrance from a separate location across town. Here’s why: Photographs begin immediately after the wedding. Generally, those who are to be included in those photos will stay at the venue while all other guests will be asked to convene at the reception area and wait for the better portion of an hour. Smart photographers will starting shooting the larger groups and will work their way down to the bride and groom’s portraits, all the while dismissing family members and the bridal party to rendezvous at the reception. Their must be a good level of communication to hold those to be introduced from entering the reception until the bride and groom arrives, otherwise it’s hard to pry those who have already joined the other guests. Once again, it would seem best to have a bride and groom’s introduction only.

Finally, a DJ can easily crush the fun-loving atmosphere at a wedding reception if he does not know all the facts. In fact, merely mispronouncing names or pairing up the wrong couple during the introduction of the bridal party can make everyone uncomfortable for the rest of the night. Please keep your DJ informed of separations, divorces or deaths. Let your DJ be aware of your children and their relationship with both the bride and groom. If there are hard to pronounce names, you may want to spell them out phonetically.

Q.)  Who should I ask to perform the toast?

A.)  Traditionally, the best man starts the toasts, followed by the maid of honor, any other special guests, to be finished by the fathers of the bride & groom. Sometimes the bride & groom may speak after the toasts to thank all guests for attending. Depending upon the length of your reception, long toast session can rob time from the open dance floor.

A word to the wise:  We strongly suggest that you never create an "open mic" toast session for all your guests to participate in.  Supplying alcohol and the chance to be the center stage at someone else's wedding can bring surprises that can overshadow other more heartfelt toasts.

Q.)  I've been to weddings that didn't flow well.  Can I structure the wedding the way I want it to be?

A.)  Every wedding reception should be an extension of the bride and groom.  The overall series of events should be dictated to you because it happens to be the easiest for the DJ or venue manger.  With a little pre-planning and advanced warning ANYTHING can be possible.  Simple choices like the desire for a bride and groom to perform their first dance upon their grand entrance to the reception area or going straight to the meal should be decided by the bride and groom, not the caterers.  Your SONG AND DANCE Wedding Workbook contains a Reception Chronology that enables you to choose a successful sequence of events yourself.

Q.)  What is the Marriage Celebration Dance? 

A.)  This tradition takes the spotlight off the bride and groom for a few moments and highlights other married couples who are attending the wedding. It’s also a sure fire way to get a large number of your guests to ‘get their feet wet’ on the dance floor for the first time! It starts a little crowded but younger couples are quickly ushered off the dance floor, allowing the longest lasting marriages to be honored. This event is a must for your grandparents and other relatives that have been married for a very long time.  You may even consider adding an extra bouquet of flowers to give to the longest married couple.

Q.)  I saw a wedding where the guy who caught the garter had to put it on the leg of the girl who caught the bouquet.  Do you do that?

A.)  Yes we do...but it can be tricky at times and you really have to know your guests before you end up upsetting someone.  The act in it self is meant to a little swankiness and embarrassing qualities to it, but remember, just because those participating are single doesn't mean they didn't bring a significant other that can really be offended.  What's even worse, is the possibility of matching up a 40-year-old bachelor with a pre-teen girl.  Yuck!  That's not a pretty picture.

What we do to guard against that is to offer an age cutoff at 16-year-olds and older.  Even then, when the yuck-factor creeps in with the random pair, the DJ will quickly discuss it with the bride and groom and in some cases pulls the event with no one the wiser.

Just give us a call or click here to contact us.