Given that Jonathan of Music Source has worked hundreds upon hundreds of wedding receptions as a DJ, MC & Reception Director, below are some tips that he has acquired that may serve you well.
If seating is ‘not’ assigned you will most likely have a few tables that are going to be reserved for immediate family, closest to the head table. Please make sure they are marked reserved and that the guests that you want at the reserved tables know they are to sit at those reserved tables. It may also be a good idea to let your MC/Reception Director know who those guests are as well, or your greeters if you have them at your reception.
If seating is assigned, do not seat older guests right near the DJ, but instead seat your younger adult guests at that table, as that is the loudest place in the room. If seating is assigned, it is recommended that you have greeters at the door to direct guests to their tables.
Regardless of assigned or not, please do not place tables in-between the DJ and the dance floor.
It seems like 50% of the time the bride has a hard time getting her dress bustled prior to the formal introduction. There’ll be two bridesmaids and mom working on it for 10-15 minutes before they get it correct. Brides, please practice this as it is cutting into your own reception time and causing your guests to wait even longer.
The formal introduction is basically the start of all the formalities at most wedding receptions. Please tell everybody who is going to be introduced when and where it is to happen so they are not missing in action when the time comes. Whether you select one song for everybody or one song for each couple, make sure that it’s appropriate and can be spoken over without too much trouble. So for example, rap songs typically make horrible introduction songs as they are too wordy, there’s too much focus on the beat, and they tend to lack the musical instrumentation and necessary rhythm.
To see the 50 most popular wedding party introduction songs in 2017, go to pages 15-16 here >
https://www.djintelligence.com/charts/DJIntelligenceMostRequestedWedding2018.pdf
Also when setting up the tables and chairs in the venue, please be sure to create a clear path for the wedding party to walk in during the introduction.
The wedding party members doing a toast should be predetermined by the bride and groom, and should be no more then 3-4 total, including the Father of the Bride and/or Groom. It is never a good idea to allow just anyone to come up and toast for numerous reasons I won’t even go into here. Those toasting should have their toast written in advance and they should practice their toast many, many times, as most people are not natural born speakers. Toasts should generally be no more then 2-3 minutes each, so they should time themselves while practicing. While funny stories can be amusing, make sure that they are in good taste and will be found funny by all, especially the bride and groom.
Be sure to stand next to the bride and groom so the photographer can get that shot.
Those toasting should print out on a piece of paper, what they are going to say. They should use a large and easy to read font, with additional spacing between the lines. The people toasting should ‘not’ use their cell phones as they will lose their place and there will be an awkward silence.
At the end of their comments they should write ‘Don’t forget to toast the bride & groom.’ Sure it seems obvious but sometimes they are so glad they got through it without making a mistake, they simply shut up and sit down, forgetting to actually toast the bride and groom. So don’t forget to have the champagne already poured and ready to go.
Here’s a good video for those giving the toast to watch, that covers some of the do’s and don’ts.
Just because you are using a microphone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak up. The DJ can always turn it down if you’re too loud but can only turn you up so much before it will make that awful feedback noise. So please SPEAK UP. Hold the microphone ‘One Inch From Your Mouth AT ALL TIMES’. Do not ‘cup’ the head of the microphone with your fingers as this will cause all sorts of problems. Hold the microphone at an angle almost horizontally like you are singing on American Idol. Holding it straight up and down, vertically, is far less effective for the types of microphones that professionals use. If you turn your head or look down while speaking, please move the microphone so it continues to be ‘One Inch From Your Mouth AT ALL TIMES.’ Otherwise the volume of your voice will drop down considerably, and possibly not heard. And finally… DO NOT DO THE PIPE BOMB MIC DROP unless you want to pay me for a replacement mic. We use quality Shure microphones so it won’t be cheap!
Cake cutting shouldn’t take long, but it can if the knife, cake server, a plate and a napkin are not already on the cake table. Position the cake table in the room away from the dance floor if cutting the cake after dinner or plan on moving it immediately afterwards so as to not hold up your other formalities that will take place on the dance floor. If the cake table is against the wall, make sure there’s room to get behind the table to cut so your backs are not to your guests and photographer while cutting. If friends are going to be serving the cake to your guests, make sure they know when to do so and how to do so.
First Dance
Generally the first formality after dinner but could also be done immediately following the introduction. On a few rare occasions I have done the Father/Daughter Dance first, and then Dad hands his daughter off to her new husband. If the bride and groom are not comfortable dancing the entire song by themselves, we can edit the song down to be shorter or ask the wedding party to join in after a minute or two.
Father/Daughter & Mother/Son Dances
If you are unsure about dancing the entire dance alone with your parents, for whatever reason, we can either edit the song down to only 2-3 minutes. Or we can ask other fathers who are there with their daughters, and other mothers who are there with their sons, to join you after your photographer has gotten his necessary photos.
Bouquet & Garter Toss
Be respectful and tasteful but have fun too. Beware of things that hang down from the ceiling. While bouquets have some weight to them and fly through the air easily, garters not so much. Wrapping the garter around a small squishy ball of some sort is one way to control it a little bit better.
ALTERNATIVES to the Bouquet and Garter Toss: LONGEST MARRIED COUPLE – No removing or throwing but giving the bouquet and garter to the longest married couple in attendance and/or winner of the Anniversary Dance, should you choose to have one. FORMAL PRESENTATION – Do a presentation to an engaged couple that are in your wedding party or attending your reception. ROLE REVERSAL – Another fun choice is to throw the bouquet to the married men attempting to catch it for their wife, and the garter to the married ladies attempting to catch it for their husband.
Dollar Dance
In a survey among wedding guests that asked the question: “What is the most boring part of a wedding reception?” The overwhelming answer was ‘The Dollar Dance’. Now I’m not saying you should not do it but let’s not allow it to take too much time. The number of guest you have will have some bearing on how long it may take, but what you don’t want is it lasting 45 minutes to an hour. Ultimately the bride and groom control the speed of the dollar dance. Dances should last no longer than 30 seconds with most guests. I highly recommend that the bride and groom enlist the assistance of their Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honor. They can help form the lines, collect the money and keep an eye on the clock. If someone is taking too long then they can send the next dancer up, that way they’re the bad guy and not the bride or groom. Plus they know how much money was given so if Uncle Rich gives the Maid of Honor a $100 bill, well maybe he should get more than 30 seconds of dance time.
ALTERNATIVES to the Dollar Dance: Money Tree, Kiss Bucket, Dash for Cash Challenge, Smash for Cash, Selfie Dance, Auction, Raffle Drawing, Make it Rain & Lip Sync Battle.
Anniversary Dance
Another formality that we don’t always do but when the bride and groom want to include it. Generally two songs so as to not have to rush through it and still give me time at the end to talk to the winning couple with the bride and groom at my side. Ideally as couples are eliminated it’s nice to have them go and stand on the edge of the dance floor with the bride and groom until we finish. Always nice to have some sort of gift for the winning couple, maybe the garter and bouquet if not doing a formal toss.
ShoelyWed Game
This can be a lot of fun if set up correctly. It can be done with just the bride and groom or we can also include the bridesmaids to ‘help’ the groom, and the groomsmen to ‘help’ the bride. While I have a list of questions that I can choose from another option is to take questions from your guests, in advance, and screened for use as well.
Sure it’s a party and you want to have fun, but you don’t want drink too much and not remember it. Or worse yet embarrass yourself in front of family or get sick or pass out. Moderation is the key and not starting too early in the day. And while we are on the subject of drinking, always have non-alcoholic choices available for your guests, and if possible for free. Water, soda, tea, coffee, lemonade, whatever. Just because dinner is over doesn’t mean everybody there will be drinking alcohol all night right up to the very end. Be a responsible host.
Top 50 Most Requested Bride & Groom First Dances • Top 50 Most Requested Bride & Father Dances • Top 50 Most Requested Groom & Mother Dances • Top 50 Most Requested Bridal Party Dances • Top 50 Most Requested Bouquet Toss Songs • Top 50 Most Requested Garter Toss Songs • Top 50 Most Requested Cake Cutting Songs • Top 50 Most Requested Wedding Introduction Songs • Top 50 Most Requested Last Dances • Top 50 Most Requested Money Dance Songs • Top 50 Most Requested Ceremony Processional Songs • Top 50 Most Requested Ceremony Recessional Songs • Top 50 Most Requested Ceremony Songs
Download the above wedding charts:
https://www.djintelligence.com/charts/DJIntelligenceMostRequestedWedding2021.pdf
Top 200 Most Requested Songs • Top 200 Most Requested Pop Songs • Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 2010’s • Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 2000’s • Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 1990’s • Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 1980’s • Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 1970’s • Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 1960’s • Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 1950’s
Download the above party charts:
https://www.djintelligence.com/charts/DJIntelligenceMostRequested2021.pdf
Buffet Lines: If you are having a buffet, for the sake of your guests and the
amount of time it can potentially take, please talk to your caterer about
having at a minimum, 1 TWO-SIDED buffet line. If you are having 200+
guests, please talk to your caterer about having 2, TWO-SIDED buffet lines.
The goal should be to get everyone through the buffet line in 20 minutes.
Unfortunately on too many occasions I’ve seen this process take 90 minutes,
which throws off your time line and effects many aspects of your reception.
“Jon is awesome! We couldn’t have asked for anything better for our wedding day! The planner he gives is a lifesaver and really took away a lot of anxious feelings of wondering how the wedding would go, because the planner literally maps out the whole ceremony to the end of the reception. If you are someone like me who finds it hard to know where to start to organize your wedding, Jon is the best! Thank you Music Source for an amazing day and night! So many of our guests came up to us throughout the reception to tell us how much fun they were having!”