What happens if no one dances at the reception?

I've considered this as well... I think that I'm mostly ok if people don't dance. I'm considering what I should do about music though... I might need to get a DJ even though I hadn't planned to originally

I've feared this. Not because people won't necessarily dance, but because certain groups have wayyyy different tastes in music that will get them to boogie.

I'm hoping by mixing up the playlist it will have everyone shakin' it at some point. Maybe not altogether, but sometime during the evening. We'll also have a live band that is pretty wicked and even if one doesn't like the style/genre of music who doesn't love jamming out with a live band?

To address your last question, maybe you could do that thing i've seen with the RSVP's and have a line that says something like "a song you would like to hear at the wedding" or "song request for the dj" etc.

Well, if there's no dancing, you have significantly lowered the risk of a sprained ankle occurring during the reception. Or a broken leg. Ok that was the bachelorette party.

But more seriously, Miss P's suggestion requires that I note that Wedding Wire's wedding websites have a "reception song request" feature.

I have the music request page on our website, but not sure if people will use it.

Maybe I'm overthinking it and maybe it's u realistic to think everyone will dance at the same time. I just want our guests to have fun though

Lots of alcohol works too

A good DJ should be able to get people out on the dance floor. Definitely talk to them about your concerns and see what they have done in the past.

You could stage a few dances by asking in advance of the wedding.

In the absence of a wedding party, you could ask a few close friends or relatives of yours and his (who like to dance) if they would be willing to help you get the party started by jumping on the dance floor when things get a little slow.

Find someone on his side and someone on yours that you could ask to recommend songs for the DJ's play list. Respect all cultures by playing a variety of music that will speaks to the diversity of your guest list.

Make sure the DJ is aware of your concern. They should know what to do to get folks dancing.

My DJ told me that the greatest start to dancing he ever had was when the bride dedicated a very fun, fast paced song to her deceased father. Everyone got up to help celebrate him, and they stayed on the dance floor all night. Of course, this isn't going to work for everyone (luckily) but you could do something similar. Maybe ask everyone to join you in a dance to thank your parents for all they've done for you, or a sibling, friend etc. Just get them up for one dance. They'll probably stay.

My DJ told me that the greatest start to dancing he ever had was when the bride dedicated a very fun, fast paced song to her deceased father. Everyone got up to help celebrate him, and they stayed on the dance floor all night. Of course, this isn't going to work for everyone (luckily) but you could do something similar. Maybe ask everyone to join you in a dance to thank your parents for all they've done for you, or a sibling, friend etc. Just get them up for one dance. They'll probably stay.

Our DJ started about 15 minutes of dancing right after our first dance. He said dancing in the beginning makes everyone hyped up to get back on the dance floor after lunch/dinner. He was right we had a lot of dancing at our wedding. But we didn’t do a dollar dance, photo booth, or games (which are all awesome) but can take away from dancing. The only thing to do was dance and that’s exactly what we wanted. If you went with a good DJ he should be able to get everybody up and dancing regardless!

I was worried about that as well which is why I decided that we would hire a DJ (I had thought about just loading up a bunch of songs onto my iPod but worried about getting people dancing). I think a good DJ makes all the difference in the world and is worth the cost!

I have only been to one wedding where people didnt dance and that was because the wedding was in the middle of july, it never got dark, and it was 104 the entire time. it was horrible, every other wedding people have danced. I was concerned about this also but I figured the more I was on the.dance floor the more my guests were and it worked :-)

OPEN BAR.

We had no alcohol (but I have to agree that probably helps!) but our DJ played a good mix of group dances (Hokey Pokey, Chicken Dance, Macarena, etc) and more upbeat music-- slow dances will send every single person to her seat, and once people sit down, it's harder to get them up. Also, DH and I were up and dancing the whole time. I think people take a real cue from the hosts-- if you're out of the dance floor, they're more likely to be.

We're not sure either so we're having an open bar and had a song request line on our RSVP cards.

We have an open bar so that should help as others have stated. We decided to pay for a very experienced DJ who can read the crowd and manage a party well. I trust him to keep the party going. He advised us against the online wedding requests ahead of time b/c he has had some experiences with guests getting very demanding/ignorant when their playlist was not played.

I think one sign request line on an RSVP works well. You can get a preview of the crowds favorites. I would be bummed if people didn't dance b/c I feel like people who aren't dancing tend to leave. I could be wrong about that though. I'm not an event expert

Well we will be having an open bar and our DJ was recommended by our venue and comes with great reviews, so fingers crossed!

Your title reminds me of this:

We can dance if we want to

We can leave your friends behind

'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance

Well they're no friends of mine

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/safetydancelyrics.html

People will gravitate to wear the bride (and the groom) is/are. If you want people on the dance floor, that's where you need to be. But, if you want to invite me, I will ensure the dance floor is occupied all night.

Oh girl, if you have open bar, you're gonna be FINE.

So, like, hey, can I come?