One of the very special moments of the reception is the bride and groom’s first dance. Having your first dance after the grand entrance, or right after dinner, is a great way to start the party. The more traditionally honored time to have your first dance is shortly after dinner. However, in recent years, many couple have been choosing to perform their first dance immediately after their grand entrance and arrival.
If you do decide to dance after dinner don’t delay your first dance to visit with your guests. Many couples like to visit at each table but that causes a lot of people to wait for a lengthy time. You have to remember many guests arrive at 5pm or so for cocktail hour, listen to toasts and speeches, sit through dinner for another hour or so and before you know it the time is 8pm. Waiting this long will deflate the energy of your reception! You’ve selected your favorite ballad, but that five-minute song may seem like an eternity both to you and your guests. Have your DJ fade out the song at a designated time if it lasts more than a few minutes. Shorter songs and fading them in and out applies as well to the father daughter dance, mother son dance, your bridal party dance, parents dance, etc.
Make sure guests have fun while you still enjoy your day!