If you’re in the process of planning your wedding you’ve probably had that scary thought “what if none of my guests are dancing?”. Well, fear not. With these 5 Simple Tips, you’ll have your guests dancing throughout the night!
Oh and if you don’t have musicians yet, you can find the perfect band here.
Need more general advice on planning your wedding music? Read our Ultimate Guide to Hiring Wedding Musicians
Tip 1. Poll Your Guests
This really is one of the best ways to ‘engage’ 😉 your guests. Simply ask invitees to RSVP along with 1 song they’d love to hear on the night. You don’t have to include every request but it will serve as a great way to programme the soundtrack of your evening.
In fact – you should probably make sure to filter some requests! You can find examples of songs to avoid at your wedding in the post 10 Songs NOT To Play At Your Wedding.
Tip 2. Play The Oldies First
When it comes to filling the dance floor, parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles will often be the first up. So fill the earlier portions of your set lists with classic songs that they’ll know. You’ll find some great thought starters in the 23 songs for old ppl article.
Tip 3. Hire An Amazing Band
Like any great DJ will tell you – a big part of keeping people on the floor is having the talent to read the audience and calibrate on the job. If your guests are all singing along to a Foo Fighters song it might not make sense to go straight into an R&B slow jam – you want to build on the moment. A great band can do exactly that.
Tip 4. Limit The Slow Songs
Controversial. Particularly because I’m personally all about the slow jams. But the fact is slow songs are a fast way to see guests drop the dance floor for the bar. Most DJ’s and bands will suggest keeping the slow songs to about 2-3 max out of your overall song list.
Tip 5. Lead By Example
If you and your wedding party are already on the dance floor then your guests are going to follow. A nice way to transition this can be to invite guests up towards the end of your first dance.
So there you have it. Follow these 5 Simple Tips and I promise you’ll create a memorable night of singing and dancing for both your and your guests!
To simplify the search for your own band you can create an enquiry at encoremusicians.com to receive quotes from the UK’s top wedding bands that include videos, song lists and customer reviews. You’ll only receive quotes from artists that match your style preference, budget and are available for your event date.
Photo Credit: Lochnagar Ceilidh Band