Start Your Reception Off With a BANG!

Are you going to ban your DJ from playing the Chicken Dance at your wedding? I did. And now, in addition to having to provide your Disc Jockey with a "Special Dances" list, a "DO NOT PLAY" list, and a "Must Play" List, you also have to get him in on choreographing the overall entertainment of the evening.

These days you can't simply hand your DJ a bunch of lists and expect magic. Oh no, if you want a wedding that your guests will talk about long after the lights go up you need to be 100% committed to the enterainment process. You need to choreograph a Grand Entrance and/or First Dance that will have your guests clapping/laughing/singing or on their feet.

A close friend of mine choreographed a beautiful Grand Entrance with a Phantom of the Opera Theme. Her masked husband carried her theatrically through a cloud of smoke onto the dimly lit dance floor to the roaring sound of organs from the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. After the dramatic entrance the couple shared a beautifully choreographed first dance complete with elements of their characters acted throughout. It was enormously entertaining and completely unforgettable.

So make a note ladies and gents, you're now competing for the top entertainment card among all your family and friends who will be getting married in the next couple of years. If you want your wedding to stand out you have to make an impact.

To this end, so many couples are now seeking expert training to make their Grand Entrance, First Dance and/or their Wedding Party dance really spectacular. So I've come up with a few tips to help you make the biggest impact and ensure that your guests will remember your wedding as "the best they've ever seen". Here's how:

1. Choose a theme. When choosing a theme for your wedding make sure you carry it throughout. That means in the decor, the attire, the bouquets, the guest favours, the stationary, and of course, your entertainment. Choose music that suits the theme and choreograph a Grand Entrance or First Dance that suits the theme.

2. Find inspiration in books, magazines, movies, and on TV. If you're doing a beach theme, for example, consider doing your Grand Entrance to "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys (You know, from the movie "Cocktail" with Tom Cruise). As your wedding party dances through the doors have them present some of the guests with lays on their way to the dance floor. Then your Wedding Party dance could be some sort of fun choreographed Hula dance. Or you can go with a James Bond theme and have each of your bridal party couples barge in wearing sunglasses and creeping along like they're carrying guns. They can form a protective aisle for you to walk through to keep your guests from crowding too close ;)

3. Get your guests involved. Obviously, presenting your guests with lays as you walk through the door is one way to get them in on the action. But if you also name your tables after the places named in the song (Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahama, etc) it will bring everything full-circle. Your DJ could have each table either wave their hands in the air or sing out when their table name is sung.

4. Bring your DJ up to speed. Make sure your DJ is fully aware of your plans and knows exactly what's expected of him/her. This would be best taken care of during a meeting a week or so before the wedding. Don't ask your Best Man to brief the DJ 5 minutes before the Grand Entrance. Also, provide your DJ with clear written instructions so that there's no confusion. Make sure your instructions include the full names of your wedding party members listed in the order they will be presented.

5. Check with the facility Manager. Some facilities have restrictions on what you can and cannot do. So before rehearsing an Entrance with sparklers and confetti make sure that there's no rules preventing you from using these items.

6. Rehearse! Okay, so it's not always possible to get your DJ and your entire Wedding Party in one place prior to the wedding date to do a physical walk-through of the Entrance. However, make sure that your wedding party is fully aware of the plans and that each person knows what he/she has to do. If you're choreographing a dance, it goes without saying that you'll have to get your wedding party together at least a couple of times before the big day to run through the steps.

7. Have FUN!!! The absolute best way to ensure that your guest get into the right mood is to get into it yourself. Make sure your wedding party is smiling and dancing as they walk into the hall -- if it looks like you're all having fun your guests will have fun too. Watch for this when you go to other weddings. When the wedding party dances in with big smiles the guests' faces automatically light up. It really sets the mood for the rest of the night.