Let’s Dance! Factoring The Dance Floor Into Your Wedding Reception Timeline
When it comes to dancing at your wedding, less is more! The last thing you want is ‘too much of a good thing.
As a professional wedding planner, I always get asked the same question: “How much is the right amount of time to keep the dance floor open at my wedding?”
Naturally, you want your guests to enjoy the party. To many couples, this means factoring in as much dance time as possible during the reception.
I have been privileged enough to have worked over 500 weddings. During my years in the industry, I have noticed a bit of a trend: the perfect amount time to dance always seems to fall at just under two hours.
Expert Opinions
In my line of business, it never hurts to look for a second (or third…or fourth) opinion. That’s why I went to some of our expert vendor partners from Delaware and the Eastern Shore to get their thoughts.
DJ Nan, who DJ’s in Rehoboth Beach and Washington D.C., recommends that you allot no more than 1.5 hours of your wedding reception timeline to dancing.
Others suggested that the real answer lies in a number of factors, including demographics, your guest count, the average age of your guests, and how those closest to you have reacted to the dance portion of past weddings.
You’d be surprised at how the answers to these questions can simplify the timeline building process!
That DJ Guy Justin (yes, that’s his DJ name!) agrees that the answer is entirely dependent upon the specifics of your wedding. ” I like a solid two hours for the after dinner portion. By the time we do the parent dances, warm the crowd up, stop for bouquet & garter tosses, get into the cake, and wrap up any other cultural celebrations, I feel that two hours turns into maybe an hour fifteen. We hit a few rotations of a few different genres and then crush it with whatever is working the best. Toss in a few slow songs and we’re good to go!”
Don’t think that your reception “To Do List” has to limit the amount of time you spend on the dance floor! “It’s always up to the Bride & Groom; they are the ones we work for after all.” says Justin. “I’ve seen three hours of dancing at weddings that should have gone for two, and I’ve seen seven hour marathons that could have gone all night long!”
A Final Note
The best advice I can give you is this: keep your guests in mind! My goal as a wedding planner is to give you exactly what you want on your wedding day, while always being considerate of your guests. You never want them wondering where the transportation is so they can rest their tired feet. Your best bet in this situation is to always leave them wanting more!
