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.