Iowa-Des Moines

Dollar Dance alternative

In case you don't know what the Dollar Dance is this is what it is:  guests pay $1 (or more if they choose) to dance with either the bride or groom for about 30 seconds; it's a chance for the couple to get some more money to use for whatever (honeymoon, house, savings, etc.).

Both of my sisters had a Dollar Dance at their weddings, and I would love to do that at our wedding.  There's a problem though, my FI doesn't like dancing in front of people unless he's drunk, so he REALLY doesn't want to do a Dollar Dance; I finally got him convinced that we should have a first dance together.  I'm trying to think of something that is the same idea, but doesn't have anything to do with dancing.  One sister suggested that they could pay $1 to limbo with us, or let them pay $1 to get their pic taken with us.  We are going to have a designated place outside the barn for them to get their pic taken for the guestbook, so I'm not sure I want to have to pay $1 to get a pic taken with us.  Do any of you have suggestions?  Thank you for any ideas.

Re: Dollar Dance alternative

  • krysh2302krysh2302 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I was really hesitant about the dollar dance as well....for different reasons, so I have been looking into it myself.
     
    I was worried it would be awkward because there are lots of people on my FI's side that I dont know very well, but he reminded me that it's a great way to meet people and break the ice, so I'm warming up ;)

    I love the limbo idea!! How cute! The pic idea is cute too...but the limbo is way cute!!!

    Good ideas!
  • edited December 2011
    I posted this on one of the special topics boards and those girls jumped all over me about how it was such a bad idea.  It must be an Iowa thing. lol  I've only been to a couple of wedding where they actually didn't have a Dollar Dance.  He's right now, it does give you an opportunity to meet and/or talk with people that you might not get the chance to speak to the rest of the night.

    I like my sister's ideas too, but
    1st- I don't know where we would find a limbo thing.  My FI or dad could probably make one, but Mike is so busy already just trying to get the house done and Dad has a lot to do on the farm to get it ready, so I hate to ask.
    2nd- If we did the picture idea, would be make them choose between which one of us they want to have their picture taken with? Basically, make it a competition?  We would also have to getthe pictures printed off, but as long as snapfish.com keeps their low rates we will just use that.

    I don't know... I'm still looking for at least one more idea to give us some more options.   I'm so busy with school right now that my creative juices just aren't working to well for me right now.  lol  If you come up with anything, let me know.  :)
    FYI- I can't spell today. lol
  • edited December 2011
    I'm on the phone with him right this very moment.  Now he says we can do the Dollar Dance if I want us to.  lol  And they say girls are confusing... oh well, I can't help but love him.  I would still like to come up with something different if I can so that I know he's happy.  If we did the picture thing, we could use disposable cameras; I just got that thought. lol
  • edited December 2011
    We didn't do one, and we still were able to talk to our guests plenty during the recieving line and table visits. DH and I really didn't like the idea of it, and I don't think anyone missed it.
  • edited December 2011
    Why are you charging your guests to get a picture with you? I personally think the dollar dance is tacky, but understand that it is a way to get to talk to your guests. that being said, the other ideas sound like you are just trying to get $$ out of your guests.
  • edited December 2011
    We are going to auction off a dance with the bridesmaids and the bride... a good alternative for the shy guy :) It may sound tacky, but it will be funny and get everyone excited to dance.
  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_iowa-des-moines_dollar-dance-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:80Discussion:6153fc83-7840-4a51-9997-7d01c7caa3daPost:b2d4f14d-282a-4bcd-bdc4-136f13100413">Re: Dollar Dance alternative</a>:
    [QUOTE]We are going to auction off a dance with the bridesmaids and the bride... a good alternative for the shy guy :) It may sound tacky, but it will be funny and get everyone excited to dance.
    Posted by courtney-kimzey@uiowa.edu[/QUOTE]
    hm... a good idea.  My MOH might now be able to dance at all, depending on how her MS (the medical condition) is treating her that day.  My sisters are the other two bridesmaids, and they like to dance.  Thanks for the idea.
  • edited December 2011
    if you are trying to raise funds... auction off your garder! I saw it at a wedding one time and the bride had an iowa/iowa state garder and then the hawkeye and cyclone fans all pooled their funds together to bid on the garter. I believe the HAWKEYS FANS WON!  It was fun though. I think it sold for like $700-800 to the bride's boss (ok that part is a little creepy), good money though!!
    ~basquing in the wedded bliss~
  • edited December 2011
    DH loves golfing so we had Putt for a Buck which was a mini golf hole that people could golf at. If they got a hole-in-one they won a "prize" (candy bar).
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • edited December 2011
    I am doing the dollar dance my parents and his did it so we are too. I love to dance and he doesn't and I asked him if it would be weird. He said no! A shocker there so we are doing it. His parents said they made at least $1,000 so they took it on the honeymoon, great way to have a little extra cash and break the ice!
    JAMIE LYNN ** 6-4-11
  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://minneapolis-stpaul.weddings.com/Sites/weddings/Pages/FindByPoster.aspx/local-wedding-boards_iowa-des-moines_dollar-dance-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:80Discussion:6153fc83-7840-4a51-9997-7d01c7caa3daPost:41c2e5b5-c191-43c3-8805-a5abfaf79a59">Re: Dollar Dance alternative</a>:
    [QUOTE]I posted this on one of the special topics boards and those girls jumped all over me about how it was such a bad idea.  It must be an Iowa thing. lol 
    Posted by farmgirl8806[/QUOTE]

    If being rude is an Iowa thing, then go for it.  "Those girls" are just being honest with you.  It's tacky beyon belief to charge your guests.  Why don't you just cut them the bill for the meal too, while you're at it?

    And before you jump on me for commenting on the Iowa board: I lived in Iowa while growing up and I wandered over here to see how your local board would respond.   It's a shame... I dont' remember any of my neighbors/friends being this rude when I lived there!
  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_iowa-des-moines_dollar-dance-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:80Discussion:6153fc83-7840-4a51-9997-7d01c7caa3daPost:0d487a63-b353-438f-bf8f-44eaa2e74c49">Re: Dollar Dance alternative</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Dollar Dance alternative : If being rude is an Iowa thing, then go for it.  "Those girls" are just being honest with you.  It's tacky beyon belief to charge your guests.  Why don't you just cut them the bill for the meal too, while you're at it? And before you jump on me for commenting on the Iowa board: I lived in Iowa while growing up and I wandered over here to see how your local board would respond.   It's a shame... I dont' remember any of my neighbors/friends being this rude when I lived there!
    Posted by Steph0871[/QUOTE]

    While I agree with your sentiment that the dollar dance is tacky and rude, I think it's pretty rude to generalize everyone on the board - I am from Iowa and had a beautiful wedding and didn't do a dollar dance or anything along those lines and neither have any of my friends or previous knotties on this board. I didn't have a cash bar or any of the other "tacky" things that costs guests money and all of my thank you notes were out within 2 weeks of my wedding. So I don't really appreciate you generalizing Iowans/Iowan brides as rude because a couple people think the dollar dance is okay.
  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://minneapolis-stpaul.weddings.com/sites/weddings/pages/main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_iowa-des-moines_dollar-dance-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:80Discussion:6153fc83-7840-4a51-9997-7d01c7caa3daPost:17103c7b-3868-44a5-bd2a-3dcacbb24446">Re: Dollar Dance alternative</a>:
    [QUOTE] I think it's pretty rude to generalize everyone on the board - I am from Iowa and had a beautiful wedding and didn't do a dollar dance or anything along those lines and neither have any of my friends or previous knotties on this board.
    Posted by nataloo314[/QUOTE]

    Thank you.  You proved my point exactly.  I do not think all Iowans are rude and tacky.  Which is why I'm even more annoyed with the OP and PP for supporting the dollar dance idea.
  • edited December 2011
    I find your judgement of these women rather ostentatious myself and think the only rude or tacky things mentioned on this bored were the obvious demeaning comments made to them. If you could give your opinion with out the condescension, I am sure it would be greatly appreciated.
    ~basquing in the wedded bliss~
  • edited December 2011
    I was only "condescending"  because the OP was ridiculous in the first place.  She attacked those of us on the national board over here where she thought no one would notice.  I simply stated that it's unfortunate that people on this board are supporting her idea of having a dollar dance.

    I never judged anyone on this board.  In fact I said "I do not think all Iowans are rude and tacky. "  I'm from Iowa! which was my original point. I'm only judging the responses and the support of OPs dollar dance desire.
  • chuygrl77chuygrl77 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Many people do the dollar dance, guests can choose and choose not to participate.  It's not rude, it's a couple's choice.  Being rude on a board post is worse than offering the dollar dance at the wedding.  Some guests look forward to it.  I think the point of the post was for supporters of the dollar dance to comment and to get alternative ideas.  I was born in Iowa, I was raised in Illinois and it has nothing to do with my opinion on the dollar dance...people do it.  Get over it. Didn't your mother's tell you if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all? 
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_iowa-des-moines_dollar-dance-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:80Discussion:6153fc83-7840-4a51-9997-7d01c7caa3daPost:fee7209c-0ee1-41cf-9ae7-a8b63329e018">Re: Dollar Dance alternative</a>:
    [QUOTE]Many people do the dollar dance, guests can choose and choose not to participate.  It's not rude, it's a couple's choice.  Being rude on a board post is worse than offering the dollar dance at the wedding.  Some guests look forward to it. <strong> I think the point of the post was for supporters of the dollar dance to comment and to get alternative ideas.</strong>  I was born in Iowa, I was raised in Illinois and it has nothing to do with my opinion on the dollar dance...people do it.  Get over it. Didn't your mother's tell you if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all? 
    Posted by chuygrl77[/QUOTE]

    Thank you, and you are exactly right.  I don't care of a person agrees or disagrees with a Dollar Dance.  We are going to do it, or something similar, regardless of what others think.  I simply wanted some ideas.

    And since I'm being attacked, this is what I said: "I posted this on one of the special topics boards and those girls jumped all over me about how it was such a bad idea. <strong> It must be an Iowa thing. lol</strong>...."  I wasn't trying to be mean or rude even though majority of the other people were being rude to me (some, not all).  I was simply trying to make the point  that it must be a regional thing because most of the others outside this region thought it was a bad idea, and I tried to make a joke about it by saying "lol."  I have basically ignored all of the rude comments, and have just tried to take the comments that were actuall of value (the ones that had ideas).  Sorry, I didn't know I was on trial.
  • chuygrl77chuygrl77 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    You're welcome!  I understood the "it must be an iowa thing" to mean that it must only be Iowa that does dollar dances (Illinois does them too by the way Smile)  Good luck on your alternatives and best wishes on your upcoming wedding! 

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • edited December 2011
    Iowa brides do it best :)
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