Evening reception without dancing

Hm... that's a good question. will there be a bar? toasts, cake cutting are time fillers. and even without dancing, i personally think you should still have music (a friend had a wedding reception like this with a string quartet playing in the background). Just be prepared for guests to leave sooner than expected.

I am planning to have music at all phases of the wedding: Ceremony, then cocktail hour, background at diner etc. Just do not know what type of musicians and what direction in which to head....I am thinking that after dinner, we should move to another area and have a dessert and cofee bar with after dinner type drinks etc, but the feel and party atmosphere may dissolve prematurely.

As you can see I am key-board iliterate, so please excuse the spelling and grammar erors on these posts. I also am thinking that the bouquet toss and cake cutting and toasts could be utilized in a non-traditional time frame to keep interest.

Light music like Kenny G or light Jazz

Thanks, that seems like a good idea. Maybe start with classical soft jazz, then more romantic type at dinner then move to a heartier type jazz....So based on the other response which indicates loss of interest by guests following dinner, if there is no dancing for entertainment...do you or anyone else have thoughts on this?

I think you just need to adjust the hours of the reception. It is fine to have a reception that is just a dinner party, but it won't last as long as one that has entertainment following dinner.

Definitely need to have music. People may start dancing on their own anyways. I think that that sounds like a cocktail reception. also, vintage nostalgic with no dancing?? Is she doing a first dance?

Maybe you could hire some other form of entertainment for guests.

We're doing this. We are just having dinner and then dessert. We'll have background music. No dancing- not even a first dance. My FH HATES to dance, and hates being the center of attention. I told him, "Don't worry- you're not the center of attention. I am!" HAHA!! THe atmosphere will be more like a dinner party.

Wow, that's a tough one to answer.

I'm inclined to say "do an iPod wedding" as much as I am opposed to them. Either that, or hire a string quartet to play quietly in the background. If you don't care about dancing, the music will only be played in the background and you don't really care about announcements and formalities (first dance, father/daughter dance, etc), then you don't really NEED a DJ.

HOWEVER... if you want to have some of those formalities, you should invest on a DJ so s/he can help you plan all your activities and fill in as needed. Chances are you won't be needing the DJ more than 3 hours or so, as your guests will start to leave after dinner/dessert. The DJ can play music that suits your needs/preferences, and can control the type of music to prevent the guests' desire to dance.

What is the message you want your guests to have? Fun wedding or nostalgic wedding? My guess is you won't be able to keep them long if you do the latter.

I really appreciate all the suggestions and comments. We are planning on having "live" music for the vatous aspects of the reception and like one of the previous correspondents, the feel my daughter has expressed is one of a dinner party. After dinner however, moving 80 people to another room for dessert and after dinner drinks preaents logistical and "momentum issues", and I do not know how to keep the evening flowing without the expected dancing. It would be alright if others spontaneously danced to whatever was happening but ...... We just want to get everyone away from the dinner tables and into another conversational area, but I fear everyone will be bored with each other by that time. As an aside I too am amazed (and not totally thrilled )that I am this involved in yet another wedding. ( But please do not tell themWith 4 daughters it seems to be playing out that way. This is the 3rd wedding and each bride has placed her respective day in my hands...the pressure mounts!

Yeah, my niece was not planning on having dancing at her wedding either...then her sister and uncle took matters into their own hands,and soon some tables were cleared and a dance floor created, lol! She and her new husband even decided to do a first dance, and her father danced w/her to "I Loved Her First", leaving her teary eyed, but happy!

Even if she does not want dancing, background music makes the guests more content to sit and talk, but do expect the evening to end earlier than if there is dancing.