First Dance - When?

sjersey86

When are you having your first dance? After you're announced or after dinner? My event coordinator sent me a draft of my timeline and she put the first dance after dinner but isn't it a little odd to be announced & to go straight to your table rather than getting up there & doing your first dance than eating? From the bridal shows I've seen it's almost always right after the announcement? What do ya'll think? What is the norm in SA?

girlychik

I thought about this too.  The best solution that we came up with was our cocktail hour will end at 6 and then our reception will begin and we will be announced (along with our bridal party) and we will go straight into the dances, i.e., first dance, mother/son and father/daughter.  The reason for this as our DJ pointed out (which he is great BTW) is that the whole procession shouldn't take longer than 20 minutes or so and you will have your guests full attention at that moment rather than people still eating, etc.  To me, I thought that worked best for our schedule and then we would begin our dinner.  It's all a preference I think, I'm sure it will be fabulous either way. 

TTiger03

It totally depends on what you want.  Most wedding's I've attended have had dances after dinner to start the dancing.  The couple is introduced and if everyone is sitting they pretty much walk to their table and eat.  My sister did this, but the minister did a blessing of the food before the buffet started.  At another wedding people weren't seated yet and the couple got to mingle a little before dinner.  They were introduced into the cocktail room instead of the dining area.

I went to one where they came in and danced.  Then actually danced around the whole room and ended up in the back and had to unceremoniously walk back to the front to their table.  They didn't get up and dance after dinner and the dance floor remained pretty bare until there were only a few guests left.  It was a shame because they had a full live big bang on the stage and no one was dancing.  

It was a really glamorous entrance.  

My only suggestion would be to have another special dance after dinner (maybe Father/Daughter) to get the dance floor moving again.  People don't like to be the first one out there.

sjersey86

I guess we will be doing the first dance after dinner than because we're not having any other special dances other than ours.

TTiger03

You can do your first dance after being announced and then go back out after dinner to get the party started.  It wouldn't be announced as your first dance.  You'd just go out there.