Frugality in weddings a good thing

Browsing online I came across this article from the March 31st 2009 Daily News

Having had the opportunity of working at some of these locations and having been the only professional hired at several weddings I like seeing the return to the simplicity of weddings. No, they need not be over the top. They can be though. Everyone has their own sense of how their day should be and how it should run. This is just one of many ways to celebrate the beginning of marriage and I thought it would be appropriate to share. We may live in one of the more expensive locations in the nation for weddings. But we need not fall into the illusion that our wedding need be expensive. I think Colorblind Productions is in a unique place to offer services that can accommodate most any budget. And we have had some creative suggestions made to maneuver our way through this. At the end of the day, be it a million dollars or a few hundred, a wedding is bliss.

Be frugal & alter your wedding tab: Brooklyn brides find ways to save By Denise Romano Tuesday

Debbi Schwartzberg, 30, of Cobble Hill, bought a dress off the rack to save money, and offered cupcakes instead of a wedding cake to save about $400.

The Boathouse in Prospect Park is an inexpensive place for a wedding.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something . . frugal

Savvy Brooklyn brides are finding ways to cut wedding costs without sacrificing style.

"We did everything except for the catering and location for under $1,000," said Kimi Weart, 36, a graphic designer and fine artist from Clinton Hill, who got married at the Prospect Park Boathouse last September.

"My dress was a $68 dress from Target [Mizrahi] that I customized," she said. Her friends DJ-ed and took the photos, and the most expensive part was for her husband, Paul - a Burberry suit, bought on sale at Syms for $500.

"I made hundreds of paper flowers for decoration, did my own stationery, made matchbox favors, got over 100 candles for about $70," she said.

Weart wasn't the only bride to put her creativity to work.

Sarissa Singletary-Phillips, 32, a Clinton Hill fashion stylist, forgot the florist and took care of centerpieces and flowers herself when she got married last September at the Prospect Park Picnic House.

"I used curly willow branches that I bought from the flower district by the bunch, used pillar candles that I found online at a wholesale price and beaded garland from Michael's," she said, adding that her favors were homemade candy apples, purchased in bulk by a caterer and prepared with a recipe found online.

Phillips also saved money by having a wine bar instead of top shelf liquor, had a friend DJ and, instead of renting several limos, she rented one party bus.

"We used the party bus as a place to lounge and chill out before the reception," she said, pointing out that there is no bridal suite at the venue.

Also married at the Picnic House last September, Eric-Renner Smith and Maya Frank-Levine, both 27 and from Parkville, were happy with their choice.

"This was much cheaper than some of the other places we'd been considering, even the all-inclusive types," said Smith, a teacher. The couple used Naturally Delicious as a caterer. "We were happy to splurge on good food," Smith said, "because we'd saved money on the location and I wasn't too keen on fattening the pockets of some catering hall owner."

They also liked the familiarity of the location.

"Prospect Park is something I use nearly every week," Smith said, "and I felt that, as long as the money had to be spent, I was glad it was going to something I believe in."

Experts insist there are plenty of ways to save on weddings.

"If you have the time, you have ways to save," said Linda LaViolette, a former owner/chef of an off-premise catering business, who has overseen thousands of weddings.

"Any wedding benefits from having flowers on a buffet table and also on individual tables," she said. Roses, tulips and orchids are the best picks, she said, because they are not as delicate.

"You can buy a clay pot anywhere, sponge paint it to whatever color your theme is and plant an orchid in the pot," LaViolette said. "You pay $25 instead of $75, and it's simple and beautiful."

She also said, if you have a fall wedding, you can use gourds and pumpkins in a basket instead of flowers.

"Other brides have grown wheat grass in little square wooden pots," she said. "Then, they put pieces of the turf on the table and decorate it with votive candles as a centerpiece."

Debbi Schwartzberg, 30, of Cobble Hill, did just that.

"My friend bought all seasonal flowers and branches and supplemented the decor with other things like bird houses," said Schwartzberg, adding the Boat House is, "so beautiful that it doesn't need to be dripping with flowers, anyway."

Schwartzberg also cut down the cost of her wedding last October by getting a dress "off the rack" at Bloomingdale's for $500, doing her own makeup, eliminating favors and a bridal party and sending out an e-mail Save the Date.

But she didn't stop there.

"We bought thank-you cards at Target and rented a set of speakers and used an iPod instead of a DJ," she said.

"We booked a photographer late, which made him more flexible with his rates and had gorgeous filled cupcakes instead of a wedding cake, which saves about $400."

To make the ceremony more personal, one of her friends got ordained online and performed the ceremony.

Schwartzberg isn't the only one with great ideas.

Kate Fermiole, 40, who works for the Brooklyn Historical Society, got married this past June at the Picnic House.

"Even before the economic crisis, we had a small-budget wedding due to our small nonprofit salaries," said Fermiole, whose husband works at the Tenement Museum in Manhattan.

"We asked our very talented friends and family - in lieu of gifts - that they contribute in some small way to our day."

Friends made the wedding cake, played the viola during the ceremony, took photographs and guided guests to the Picnic House.

One friend also had their band play during the cocktail hour and Fermiole had help planting herbs in clay pots that had triple use - decorations, centerpieces and favors.

In the end, the efforts were all worthwhile.

"Our wedding was beautiful, personal and the gifts of time and talent made it even more so," Fermiole said.

Here is a list of venues where you can get hitched without spending a bundle:

Parks You can get married in any park in the borough and have your reception there with a Parks Department permit. If you have less than 20 people, a permit is not needed. If you have between 20 and 100, a permit is only $25. Taking photographs and shooting video in parks is also free. Remember, alcoholic beverages and amplified sound are never allowed in the park at any time. Call 311 for details.

Fulton Ferry Landing The Fulton Ferry Landing and the Brooklyn Promenade cost nothing to get married on, and no permit is required.

Prospect Park Picnic House The Prospect Park Picnic House can hold up to 175 guests for dinner and dancing and 220 for cocktail parties. It is available for rental in eight-hour blocks, including tables and chairs. The fee is $4,250 plus $500 refundable security. If you plan your wedding in the winter months of January through March 2010, you get a $500 seasonal discount. Call (718) 287-6215 for more info.

Palm House If you have a daytime reception at the Palm House at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, you'll save about $1,600 on weekdays and $2,000 on weekends for the rental and about $20 on catering fees per person. Weekday receptions between November and February are $1,250. On weekends, the price is $1,500. Weekdays through March and April are $1,875; weekends are $2,500. Weekdays from May to October are $2,500; weekends $3,125. The venue holds up to 400 for a cocktail reception and 300 for dinner and dancing. The price includes a five-hour affair, open bar, food, linens and more. Call (718) 398-2400 for more info. The ceremony-only fee is $350 for up to 50 people. Only one wedding is done each Saturday and Sunday, between 9 and 10 a.m. Call (718) 623-7220 for more info.

Sahara 2337 Coney Island Ave., (718) 376-8594"The difference between us and a catering hall is that we do not charge for the room, just for the food served." Pay by the plate, $33 plus tax and plus service, maximum $50 a plate. They serve a full menu, salad, appetizers, main course and dessert, with 10 different menus. Rooms hold up to 120 people. Ask for Mercil.

Il Fornetto 2902 Emmons Ave., (718) 332-8494 You can have your reception right on the water in Sheepshead Bay. You'll pay up to $60 a plate, and they have options to add top-shelf liquor to the party for $18 per person, passed hors d'oeuvres and other extra options.

Astoria Caterers 1870 Bath Ave., (718) 996-8126 This hall gives you a reception with all the trimmings. Food, music and an emcee is $60 per person. If you want decorations and centerpieces, it is $100 per person. The hall holds up to 270 people.

Old Stone House Old Stone House accommodates 80 people standing, and 60 seated. When rented with the first floor gallery of the house, it can hold up to 120 for buffet and cocktails. You can also rent a tent to expand capacity. The fee to rent is $200 for four hours on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. plus $75 for each additional hour. There is also a $400 surcharge for weekend/evening rentals. Call (718) 768-3195 for more info.

Prospect Park Boathouse The Prospect Park Boathouse can hold up to 110 guests for dinner and dancing indoors, 200 for cocktail parties and 300 with optional tenting outside. The rental fee is $4,000 and you must use outside catering by Moveable Feast Catering. They can be reached at (718) 965-2900. The Boathouse also offers a ceremony-only option for weekend mornings for a maximum of 40 guests for $750. If it rains, you can be moved up to the balcony under an awning. Call (718) 287-5252, ext. 102, for more info.

GIVEAWAY

We are giving away one custom fotomural on the blog Everyday Celebrating. The contest ends tonight and the winner will be announced tomorrow so if you haven't done so already, now would be a great time to head over there.

Pricing for the fotomurals is now available on the website. We have some very creative folks asking us for some interesting pieces so we'll have some new photos to add to our gallery soon.

Colorblind Productions is gearing up for a great year of weddings, sweet 16's and special events so expect a great number of new concepts highlighted.

Tomorrow will begin our new blog segment Thrifty Tuesdays, giving advice on how to have a the wedding you imagined without breaking hte bank. Stay tuned.

Don't forget to vote for aFotomural for the 2009 Leading Moms of Business. No registration necessary, just a simple click on the VOTE FOR ME button.

Find us on Facebook

Are you on Facebook? If you are feel free to become a fan of Colorblind Productions! You can keep up with what we're upto, read and leave us comments and view photos and video clips.

Dispose of the Disposable Camera and get Photo Sharing Cards

If you have been a client of mine, you know that for DJ services you get to go through my 4 page check off list that helps me outline completely your reception and its flow. Maybe it’s a little too detailed but I like it that way. One of the questions on there is – Will you have disposable cameras?

Years ago these were all the rage. I mean, what better way to get even more pictures of your day from actual guests attending the wedding? Custom covers were put on them and little rhyming notes educated those guests unfamiliar what to do with them, or asking them to complete a scavenger hunt of sorts.


But the perfect idea was not without its limitations. Invariably, I found that many people complained about the same things after developing the film

• Dark pictures. Lets face it. Disposable cameras don’t have strong flashes. So trying to take a photo at any sort of distance in a dark room results in grainy and dark pictures that even the best of Photoshop pros cannot salvage successfully
  
• Repetitive pictures. As great as your first dance is – 100 pictures of it in poor quality weren’t the initial intention
  
• Inappropriate pictures. Yes folks, some people have jokers for friends who find photos of…um…anatomy…especially funny.
  
• Disappearing cameras. It’s a given the people will neglect to leave the camera in the table and take them with them, even though they were reminded otherwise. It’s an easy enough mistake. For a while, I advised brides to consider numbering the cameras so at the very least they knew which table’s camera was the disappearing one.
  
• Unused film. I cannot tell you how many weddings I have been to where I have collected the cameras at nights end to find them barely used.
  
• FILM. Remember that? No quick upload via USB. So you are made to spend money developing film which will no doubt be 85% unusable.

If you haven’t picked up on it, I’m clearly not a fan of disposable cameras. In fact I’m surprised when it’s mentioned as still being used. What I do love is the premise that started this as being a popular event item -pictures taken by guests. In every event that a professional photographer is hired, there will be great pictures. Pictures of the guests of honor(s) will dominate, but there will be some pictures of guests alongside, dancing, etc. Yet, those pictures taken by your friends are out there. Pictures that you are part of and will see on things like facebook. Lots of pictures take place now especially with digital cameras, pictures of sporadic groups, inside jokes, and silliness’s. How do you as the bride, groom or guest of honor get your hands on those pictures?

You ask. Lose the disposable camera and invest in the cute sayings to your guests on a photo website reminder. Sign up for a online photo sharing site. There are free sites and paid sites and more likely then not you are already a member of one of them. Sign up for a new account for your wedding specifically and print cards asking guests to upload their photos from the wedding to the site. This bride used an upgraded Flikr account.

You can read about her photo sharing cards here. It is a fabulous idea and you can go a step further in obtaining the photos by not only placing the cards on your tables on the wedding reception, but you can attach them to your favors. Even better, continue to use them by including them in your thank you cards. Before you know it, you’ll have a whole photo sharing site full of pictures of your wedding day or event. Even more pictures to remember the day.

Professional bustle fixer at your service

I was looking through our reviews on Wedding Wire, Project Wedding and the like and kept reading a similar topic beyond the accolades and praises.

she fixed my bustle and throughout the night as I felt it fall, she was right there fixing it as I was dancing, didn't even know she was doing it

was able to repair my bustle twice (thanks for stepping on it, Mom…heehee)

as soon I bustled my dress, someone stepped on it on it and ripped the bustle, so I was there like ok what do i do, I was about to tuck my train in my waist to keep it off the floor and here she comes with a tackle box full of stuff to fix things

Then at a recent meeting I pulled out my wedding album to illustrate to a bride who is an avid dancer (Salsa especially) how trains, albeit beautiful, are generally a catch 22. When Alex left after that meeting, I thought – that would be a great blog post and just as quickly I forgot about it. And then I received a thank you card in the mail from a past bride (I LOVE GETTING THESE!) and and I was reminded again.

I have a great picture of you under my dress fixing my train after it came undone.

I’ll be honest. I am a huge fan of a long train. (this is me)

I love the look of a train – the elegance as it flows behind a bride while they come down the aisle. I get a kick out of watching it billow behind as the doors open to the church and she steps forward down he walk to her groom. And who doesn’t love the picture from behind of that moment. It is beautiful.




But following the ceremony and onto the reception, the train is pt into a bustle. Here is where my issue lies and here is what advice I can give because I have been to hundreds of weddings and repaired hundreds of bustles.

1, Your gown designer or alteration person might suggest or insist that a small bit of the rear of your bustled train should skim the floor. It looks elegant. I myself followed that advice. And they are right. It is elegant. Downright beautiful. And I use myself as an example here. (don't Rob and I look adorable?)


But then it gets stepped on. And I’m not even blaming other guests, You step back ONE time and you will be the guilty party. And as I was a salsa dancer meaning I stepped back every second, well can you see where this is going?


And it got increasingly worse.


And finally frustrated with it, I decided to just put it into KNOTS





So, as elegant as the slight brush of the floor is – I’d recommend not going in that direction.

2. Bustling options are simple. You either are doing a ballroom/overbustle or a French/Tufted/underbustle or a variation of these. The ways to hold up these are either button hooks, anchor hooks or ribbon ties. It goes without saying that ribbon ties are the most secure. They are also the easiest to fix should the bustle come undone. Most times when an overbustle doesn’t work out, I fix the train by transforming it to an underbustle. Given the option of an anchor hook or a button hook, I’d recommend an anchor. For some odd reason, button hooks are in my experience, so much more likely to come undone, even though they really look intrinsically prettier. The key to anchor hooks is to tighten the hook once the bustle is in. Most times these come undone simply because during dancing the contact point jumps off the hook.

3. Finally – give yourself time for a bustle, especially ribbon ties. They will take far longer then you anticipate getting them put together.

And if you hired us for your events. Well rest assured that I'll be there to take care of whatever may happen with it.

Weddings & Events in a recession - Bartering

It seems that watching the news, reading the paper or even just talking to friends lately is peppered with saddening stories of jobs lost, businesses closing and economic downturns. It’s downright depressing but a reality of the society which we live in. It effects every individual aspect of our lives, from our hairdresser to our favorite lunch shops. Everyone is spending less, trying to save more and sacrificing luxuries.

With the air of negativity that seems to permeate everything, it’s especially interesting to be in the wedding and special events business. You feel the purse strings tighten and the number of people who look for some discount seems to increase. It seems in weddings, the first items off the list to help with a budget seems to be the planner and the videographer followed by larger photography & entertainment packages and extra items like candy buffets, cigar rollers and independent performances.

Yet it is at these times that you can find deals that are out there if you research enough. Creativity runs to extremes and can save you lots of money and make your wedding so much more personal because the decor and details are totally and uniquely yours. I will elaborate on more in future posts about other things but today’s is dedicated to Bartering.

BARTERING.

Have you ever considered what your skills are worth and if they can in fact be used as a payment method? I meet with clients all the time and most times I don’t’ even know what their profession is. They might offer a service which is comparable in price to the items they are looking for. So don’t be afraid to offer your services in lieu of payment. One of my favorite blogs recently mentioned Bartering for your Wedding and we recently joined Big Day Barter . So those of you out there that are…

• accountants, now would be the time to offer tax services
  
• lawyers are usually always needed
  
• painters, plumbers, handymen and contractors - a house always needs a little something
  
• marketing & graphic designers – advertising is always of importance to businesses
  
• bloggers – yes you can even capitalize on this if you have a blog with a large enough following.

Colorblind Productions has had success in this in the past and are open to doing it in the future. Have you visited our home offices and notices as you walked up the walkway the great cobblestone stamped concrete and stairs we have. Well, you guessed it the reason we have that is because we did the wedding of the owners of Novacrete (which I cannot recommend enough for not only great work but the speed and efficiency of it) We had our driveway, front walkway and a patio built in the backyard in exchange for a full wedding package including DJ, plasmas, photo, coordination and video services. Basically every service we offer with the exception of Karaoke. Do not underestimate the power of bartering.

Choosing your wedding or event date in the New York/New Jersey Area

Most of us, when we plan an event, especially something as important as a wedding start in the most familiar of areas, our personal opinions. Are they interested in a wedding based on the time of year (fall or summer?), theme (beach or December holidays), and the ever popular use of a ‘special day’ that already exists (the day we met, our first date, etc.) Beyond this the factors that further stipulate the date are availabilities of the church of choice, hall of choice or even vendor of choice. And then after this they have a date they are happy with and work from there.

Rarely do I find people who put further thought into their wedding date then the above mentioned, but I’m here to really draw attention to the reality of living where we live. The New York Metropolitan Area, encapsulating New York City, New Jersey, Long Island and lower Connecticut, is riddled with a busy event schedule. And this coming weekend reminded me of it. Remarkably, on Sunday we are free. No weddings, sweet 16’s or other respective events. When this comes about we usually front load a number of meetings to accommodate the schedules of our potential clients. One of these clients was coming from Brooklyn. It really is quite an easy trek to our location from New York City. When there isn’t traffic (and yes, there are times when there is light to no traffic in the region) we are no more then 20-30 minutes from many places in the city and outer boroughs. We had made plans to have them come out and then I looked at a notation in my calendar.

New York City Marathon

I generally place notations like this on the calendar for our information as these will provoke severe delays in travel. The NYC Marathon, of course, leads to a large number of street closures. Traveling by car is a disaster throughout many parts of the city on such days. So I moved the meeting to another time that would prevent our clients from dealing with delays. I wonder though, how many people made plans for their wedding on Sunday without looking at the calendar or taking into account the mayhem that the marathon could provoke on their day.

We look at the calendar most every weekend because there are so many events around this area. Bicycle tours, walks, marathons, street fairs, parades and any number of sporting events for the multiple baseball (major & minor), football, hockey, basketball, etc. teams within this area. All these have a significant effect on travel. Colorblind Productions takes initiative to know what is going on not only in the area of the wedding but beyond that, en route to the location. Our personal quest is to really prevent our delay in arrival. I can guarantee you that not all brides, grooms or event planners take this into account.

So this is my plea - make sure to really take into account these things in your day so you can make adjustments as necessary. Maybe not necessarily to your wedding date itself, but it will give you the information you need to provide a brief notation to your directions explaining to your guests that said and said is happening and there may be delays. Take into account construction projects that might affect the travel date as well. With luck there will be no issues to deal with, but similarly, you’ll save yourself the additional worry to find out too late in the process, that you planned your wedding or event on Superbowl Sunday.

iPod DJ or MP3 DJ for your wedding or event

I’ve read article after article about using your iPod or MP3 player in lieu of a DJ. Articles from brides & grooms and event planners about the merits of it. Articles from DJ’s and bands about the negatives of it. So here I sit, owner of a DJ company and I have to say I understand both sides of the coin. So much so that Rob and I have decided to bridge the gap between the negatives and positives and offer an iPod DJ Package.

From the DJ perspective…
Do I think the advent of people using their iPods and MP3 players will destroy the use of a Disc Jockey? Truthfully, no. Just like some people prefer a band over a DJ, this is adding an additional option to the mix. And yes, claims are valid on many of the complaints with using your iPod as a DJ. Dead air time between songs having an effect on a dancing scenario (most tracks have anywhere between 2 and 8 seconds of silence at the tail end of the song which sounds short but seems so much longer when the dance floor just comes to a stop). The fact that some songs are recorded at higher volumes then others. The necessity of having one body be in charge of the music and coordinate it rather then being a guest. These are all valid claims on the negative aspects of using this form of entertainment. But then there are the positives.

From a client perspective…
Lets be honest here: sometimes the budget does not allow for specialized services, sometimes the client has such a vast and eclectic collection of music as is, that they can in all honesty, compose their own soundtrack and sometimes, the event does not require an active vibe but does have a benefit to music being played. Not only have you saved money but you have customized your event even further. You just need to get yourself a viable sound system and a microphone either by rental or purchase and maybe a person who would be willing to set it up and coordinate it all that day. Overall this would be totally worth the negatives right?

Bridging the Gap…
Rob and I understand the plight of both sides more then I think most people know. Back in 2002 when we got married, one of the very reasons we picked the reception venue we did was because it came with a sound system. Instead of hiring a DJ or asking one of our friends to be the DJ at our wedding (which we did not want to do because we wanted our friends to not work and enjoy the event) Rob spent the day before pre-mixing the music in different CD sets. It worked out perfectly for us and because this is what we do for a living and because we have the access to equipment needed to do this we were able to pull it off. So I understand the allure of the MP3. It has made what was not easily accessible previously to people – accessible. It’s what we ourselves use for showers, picnics and 1^st birthday parties. Music plays in the background without the need of someone handling it other then to ensure things pause, play and perform the way they need to.

Colorblind Productions has the equipment at hand to do this. Speakers and microphones and such. So now we want to provide that to people LOOKING for that in lieu of DJ services. Instead of buying an inexpensive sound system and having a friend man the music, we offer an iPod package. You provide the iPod/MP3 and we provide the sound system, the person to set up and man the music and make sure dead air is limited, music volumes are where they need to be and YOU and your guests get to enjoy the soundtrack you have put together for your event. Be it background music for your baby or bridal shower, or music for your wedding or birthday. No, it’s not a full scale DJ service, but it’s a need that we feel we can meet at a price that cannot be beat.

Wedding & Event Fears - Nobody is dancing!

Let me be honest here. Not every wedding has a packed dance floor. That does not mean that the music is enjoyed any less when it’s good. I will tell you that as a DJ it is a bit disheartening to not have achieved the full dance floor consistently throughout the night. But that’s not always a reality. As the host of the party, you know your guests, your family and friends best and have seen them at other events. If you’ve seen them dance then it is likely they’ll dance. If you know that they would never even bother with looking at the dance floor, you can just hope that they will somehow find their inner dancer. This is one of the most prevalent fears many brides and grooms and hosts have. That their dance floor will be empty. Ever DJ wants to have a client who has this to say when all is said & done.


But how do you do it. As odd as it sounds, getting the dancing portions of your event to the level which you want it depends on many factors. Some you have control of, some the dj has control of, and a myriad of other details you wouldn't have even considered. We all know about dimming the lights, but what else can be done?

JUST LIKE MUSIC
To quote Eric Sermon/Marvin Gaye’s Just like Music - “Music is the soul of the man, Music makes a happy day…” Music does move you, regardless of genre and independent taste. Having a music selection that is entertaining, diverse and that simultaneously caters and defines your style and mood while entertaining the many different tastes of those around you is something that is taken advantage of in many events. There are songs that one hears at most every party that you may or may not want to hear, there’s songs that have special significance to individual cultures or associated dances to, and then there’s millions of other songs out there that will pick you up and bring you joy. And of all that music, there are only a few hours to really create a soundtrack, blend it so that nobody feels left out and so that people can even learn to adopt a new style they’ve never thought they'd enjoy or that they've never heard of before. Don’t underestimate the music. Don’t feel you have to conform to expectations of the electric slide or hot hot hot. At the same time if those are the songs you wouldn’t imagine your event without then have them played. There is so much music out there that the time of your event will allow only a brief taste of it. So mix it up!

PEOPLE WANT TO CELEBRATE WITH YOU - GET ON THE FLOOR
I cannot stress enough the importance of having the guests of honor out on the dance floor. The whole purpose of the celebration and in turn your guests attendance is to celebrate you as a couple for a wedding, as a person for a private celebration or as a group for a company. So get out there and celebrate. You are at a moment of bliss - it radiates through you and to those around you. There is an intoxicating draw towards you on your day so being out on the floor will draw other out of their shells and into your happiness. Ride the high and enjoy the time. It goes all to quickly.



TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE SIZE OF YOUR DANCE FLOOR
This nobody ever thinks about when visiting potential venues. You see color scheme, the linens the design of the place and then you see this large dance floor and you think what a photo opportunity or how elegant it will look. It envelops you and you seem to forget that even if every guest at your wedding was out on that floor it will still look empty! Just because you have 200 guests does not necessarily mean that you need a dance floor that will fit every one of them. Limiting the size of the dance floor has 2 effects. It allows for the floor to look more full even if/when its not. It also gives those guests who would be otherwise shy the impression that they will be lost in the group already out there. Getting over the initial hurdle of getting ON the floor is many times the one thing that keeps people at their seats. So keep your dance floor size to a decent level. I cannot tell you how many events I've done where the party didn't look as outrageous as it really was because the dance floor was overpowering for the group size.