First dance after dinner

Honestly, I think it can be done either way. Our DJ recommended doing it before dinner since we were being introduced he said it would be easiest to just go straight into our first dance. To open the dance floor, he recommended a slow song that guests could be included in. However, if it is done after dinner or as guests are finishing their meals it gives them something to do.

My fiance and I haven't really figured out our timeline yet. I partly want to do the first dance right away to get it over with (I don't really like being the center of attention), though we also are open to putting it wherever it best fits into our timeline.

We did our first dance after dinner.
I honestly don’t think it matters that much. If you wan to do it after dinner, go for it.

We are doing it after dinner too, to kick off the dancing.

I did mine before just cause i felt like it was a more natural transition coming from the reception grand entrance

We are doing ours after dinner. I've always found it awkward when the couple walks in, dances for 2-3 minutes, and then everyone pivots entirely to dinner. It's completely a personal preference. We want our first dance to kick off open dancing right afterward. It also doesn't matter to us whether the attention is on us or not (in fact, the less, the better ).

Every wedding we have been to with a full dinner served (few compared to just desserts or appetizers) receptions with dancing included, dinner is the first event. However they didn’t have cocktail hours either. People don’t pay attention to the couple during their first dance while finishing eating so there isn’t that ‘oh god they’re staring’ feeling according to the couples in question.


Plus we aren’t being announced at the beginning so that transition would not work. Since we are having a cocktail hour immediately following releasing the rows (no table visits during dinner) at the same location, it makes the most sense to us to have the first dance after dinner which immediately follows cocktail hour.

View Quoted Comment "we were being introduced": good point, to be honest. We aren’t being announced , this is why our DJ didn't recommend anything when we asked.

View Quoted Comment Wow, We're of the same mind on this,including the "It also doesn't matter to us whether the attention is on us or not (in fact, the less, the better )". Some of the guests will still watch you because they love to watch the 1st dance, but you are dancing for yourselves first.

View Quoted Comment I totally get it! My fiancee doesn't like being the center of attention either but thinks she will be in her own little world on our big day
(with me in it,of course LOL).

However, her comfort level comes first,I 'm willing to do it before dinner if she changes her mind and wants to do it as soon as possible.

We haven’t nailed down all our details yet, but I’m seriously considering doing a 1st dance/farewell dance at the end of the night just before exit. We have a small venue. We are not having open dancing (dinner reception only). But I really want to dance with my new husband! So I’m thinking a dance on the porch before we leave will be fantastic and ppl can watch or not...don’t care 😄

Ours is on the timeline for after dinner. I hadn't considered that it could be done before dinner, but why not? Do what makes you feel the most comfortable!

View Quoted Comment LOL. Are you serious about dancing on the porch?
Great point: ppl can watch or not...don’t care 😄 .We feel the same way because we are dancing for ourselves first.

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The historic home we are having our ceremony/reception in has this beautiful gazebo-like area that would be perfect for a 1st/last dance & our guests can be lining up to bid us adieu! Also, the logistics of dancing inside just doesn’t work well given we have to work with the layout of the home. I had considered not doing a dance at all, but I realized later that I absolutely would regret it. So, like you said, this is really just for us.

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This venue is beautiful!!

I totally get the reason why you want to dance on this porch! And why you wanna dance with mister of course 😃😆.

"we are dancing for ourselves first" ... Of course: I meant " for ourselves and each other" LOL.

We'll be doing ours before dinner right after we get introduced!

I feel like you could definitely do it either way based on your personal preferences! We’re probably going to do ours before dinner like your friends said too, but that in no way should necessarily make you feel like you have to do yours at that time as well! Your guests may become hangry or impatient and want to eat, so I get wanting to do it after dinner is served and people have more energy

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Dismissing the ceremony by rows? I have never seen this at weddings I've been to.

Does this save time vs the receiving line?

We are not going with table visits either, something we both dislike as guests.

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Dismissing the rows goes very quickly. I’ve only attended a couple weddings that had receiving lines and they went relatively quick since only the bride and groom participated.

We dislike the idea of table visits because it takes too long and is awkward from a guest standpoint. Similar to when the waiter at a restaurant waits for you to have your mouth full when they come by to talk to you.