Never assume a wedding disco automatically means a buzzing dance floor. I’ve seen many a sad, lonely looking dance floors in my time as a wedding photographer, and at the same time I’ve seen crazy buzzing one’s that are never empty. So in comparing them both, I decided to look a bit deeper and find out what exactly makes a successful dance floor at a wedding.
1. Music can make or break a dance floor
We all have songs we absolutely love, but not all of them make us shake our butt. Really consider this especially if you are creating your own playlist. A fast beat, a classic song, these are what people want to dance to, and if I was absolutely honest, a playlist doesn’t work as well as a DJ, as a good DJ feels the crowd. If you are hiring a DJ, give them a list of what you like
2. Find out what songs makes your guests run to the dance floor
You’ll also need to think about your guests when it comes to music. You may be into happy house, but if your guests aren’t you’ll be dancing alone all night. To guarantee a buzzing dance floor I’d suggest sending out an email or create a what’s app group, asking your guests to recommend one song that makes them run to the dance floor. You will still be in charge of what get’s played and what doesn’t.
3. Start with popular easy songs…
I’d suggest starting with the most popular songs, the ones that everyone will dance to, and end with the hard core drum and base. I would also recommend grouping the music styles together as this warms up the crowd and then they have a chance to dance to loads of their favourites. And don’t be shy to have this conversation with your DJ either. For our wedding I just assumed our DJ would know what to do, but I was so wrong. I had a big birthday party last year and hired a DJ, and I made sure that there was lots of clear conversation between us before the day. For further reading have a look at That Event DJ’s blog post: HOW TO CREATE A WEDDING PLAYLIST LIKE A PRO
4. Dance floor props
I’ve seen this quite a few times now and it works a treat. There is something about hiding behinding behind a prop, a mask, or costume that really works, it brings out all the confidence and silliness in even the shyest of characters. I’ve seen hats, glasses, glow sticks, wigs, plastic microphones and inflatable guitars… everyone loves a prop, it gives them a reason to let their hair down and be silly.
5. Make sure the bar is near the dance floor
Everyone hangs around the bar, so the closer it is to the dance floor the better. It makes it easy for guests to hang around the dance floor and to be inspired to join in.
6. Make sure the dance floor space isn’t too big…
I know this sounds strange, but I worked with a very experienced band once who told me this was their biggest secret. If the dance floor area is too big it can easily look empty even if there are loads of people on it, and an empty looking dance floor is isn’t very inviting for guests to join it.
7. Have a silent disco at your wedding
So many venues now have a rule for the music to be switched off at 12am.. if you’d prefer your party will be going on til all hours of the morning, I’d suggest a silent disco. They are so much fun to watch and to participate in!
If you are having a DJ, or a band, or even playing a Spotify playlist during your wedding disco – I’m assuming you are desiring a bit of a buzzing dance floor, and I hope this post has helped you plan for your wedding disco party and you and your guests get to dance the night away.
If you’re looking for songs inspiration for your first dance, take a look at this blog post; FIRST DANCE SONG INSPIRATION (that aren’t cheesy)