Dollar dance????

stlgrl76 · April 2012

Are there alternate ideas for a "dollar dance"? Our guest list is at 250 plus and I don't want to spend majority of evening dancing with everyone.

Gabrielle76 · April 2012

Dollar dances are frowned upon around here, it's not polite to ask your guests for money. So basically, no alternative is needed. Just skip the dollar dance and leave it at that.

MyNameIsNot · April 2012

The alternative is to just not have a dollar dance. You don't have to do something in it's place.

Lark2013 · April 2012

If you don't want to dance forever, but still want to do a dollar dance (which in my opinion is totally okay), you could have each person's dance only last one minute and only do it for two or three songs.

However, if you want to totally cut a dollar dance out, but still do something in it's place, you could have a couples dance. All couples are on the dance floor, and after a minute or so of dancing, somebody announces that all couples who have been together for less than a year sit down. At the end, the last couple standing (who have been together the longest) get's a small prize.

OBX2011 · April 2012

No....just no.

HobokensFury · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_dollar-dance-5?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:76658059-1158-4d3f-8819-8f9a9dfa07a0Post:52009444-db9d-4c0a-b333-280a65fdfbe1">Dollar dance????</a>:
[QUOTE]Are there alternate ideas for a "dollar dance"? Our guest list is at 250 plus and I don't want to spend majority of evening dancing with everyone.
Posted by stlgrl76[/QUOTE]
Yeah it's called not being tacky by having one and skipping it.

TiffannieF · April 2012

Just have DJ restrict how many songs (1-2). At the end of the last song he will make an announcement so that everybody knows the money dance is over.

Lisa50 · April 2012

The best alternative is simply not to have the dollar dance. You don't have to substitute anything else for it.

SugarFoote · April 2012

Dollar dances are extremely tacky regardless of heritage...

jenuine86 · April 2012

Are you looking for an alternative "fun" dance? You could consider an anniversary dance!

bsims726 · April 2012

Warning: You have opened up a can of worms. From my observation, whenever the words "dollar dance" pop up on these boards, then so does the negativity. I'm Hispanic and dollar dances are encouraged in my culture but I'm declining to do it for a number of reasons (i.e. I don't like to dance and I don't want my dress to be pinned). As PPs said, I would tell the DJ to limit the song(s) for the dance and the time limit for each guest to dance (I don't believe every single 250+ guest will get up to dance with you, just my opinion).

MyNameIsNot · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_dollar-dance-5?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:76658059-1158-4d3f-8819-8f9a9dfa07a0Post:21da56f4-1916-4920-a675-31d6cb917691">Re: Dollar dance????</a>:
[QUOTE]Warning: You have opened up a can of worms. From my observation, whenever the words "dollar dance" pop up on these boards, then so does the negativity. <strong>I'm Hispanic and dollar dances are encouraged in my culture</strong> but I'm declining to do it for a number of reasons (i.e. I don't like to dance and I don't want my dress to be pinned). As PPs said, I would tell the DJ to limit the song(s) for the dance and the time limit for each guest to dance (I don't believe every single 250+ guest will get up to dance with you, just my opinion).
Posted by bsims726[/QUOTE]

<div>They may be common in your circle of friends and family, but please do not pretend to speak for an entire culture. My H (also Hispanic) was put off by the one live dollar dance we've seen. He told his mother about it (during our wedding planning) and her reaction was similar. While their group traditionally does a dance where everyone can dance with the bride and groom, the idea of asking for money for the priviledge is unheard of. </div>

bsims726 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_dollar-dance-5?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:36Discussion:76658059-1158-4d3f-8819-8f9a9dfa07a0Post:8c11fdf9-6a07-413a-9a97-2ecd3e998c4b">Re: Dollar dance????</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Dollar dance???? : They may be common in your circle of friends and family, but please do not pretend to speak for an entire culture. My H (also Hispanic) was put off by the one live dollar dance we've seen. He told his mother about it (during our wedding planning) and her reaction was similar. While their group traditionally does a dance where everyone can dance with the bride and groom, the idea of asking for money for the priviledge is unheard of.
Posted by MyNameIsNot[/QUOTE]

I apologize. I am woman enough to admit I was wrong. I should know better because the Hispanic culture has many subcultures that have varied traditions, customs, etc. In the tradition of my specific Hispanic group, the dollar dance is encouraged but I do know that times have changed and not everybody likes or sticks to tradition anymore. You have given me an idea though, I may bring up the option of letting the guests dance with my fiance and I but not give us any money (I think it'll be a nice nod to the tradition without the stigma of asking for money, idk).

jemmini6 · March 2013

As you can see, dollar dances are not well received on here in general, however, I know many cultures/social circles still hold with that tradition. Regardless, that seems to be a moot point since you are looking for alternatives, so I'd suggest just skipping it all together.

They are popular with mine and my H's family as well, but neither of us wanted to be forced to dance with our family like that, so we just skipped it. No one missed it, it's better to have as few 'spotlight' dances as possible anyways, trust me, most people just want to dance, not pay attention to other people dancing.

kbiu89 · June 2013

SugarFoote said:
Dollar dances are extremely tacky regardless of heritage...

I'm really bothered by this comment. My mom's side of the family is VERY polish, and I even grew up in Polish church. Almost every wedding that I've been to has had a dollar dance because it's EXPECTED. My parents always come with dollar bills, and they used to send my little brother and I to dance with the bride. It was as much a part of weddings for me as was the wedding cake.

I'd rather not dance with 200+ people, but the fact is, people around here would miss it. It IS part of their heritage, and you have no right to call someone else's heritage "tacky" when you can't possibly understand their attachment to traditions. I can absolutely understand how it would be tacky in some circumstances, particularly when it is added thoughtlessly. To call it "tacky" within someone else's tradition and culture is ignorant.

If your guests expect this tradition because it is a strong part of your culture, and you elect not to do it because an anonymous face on a forum said it was "tacky", you very well might disappoint the people who are a part of your life and community. Obviously, it's up to you to decide how culturally relevant the tradition is, but make sure that you consider what you know about your guests before honoring the opinion of someone who you will never meet. This site is great for sharing ideas, but make sure you don't let other people's uninformed ideas change the things that are important to you and your community.

QueerFemme · June 2013

bsims726 said:

In Response to Re: Dollar dance????:
In Response to Re: Dollar dance???? : They may be common in your circle of friends and family, but please do not pretend to speak for an entire culture. My H (also Hispanic) was put off by the one live dollar dance we've seen. He told his mother about it (during our wedding planning) and her reaction was similar. While their group traditionally does a dance where everyone can dance with the bride and groom, the idea of asking for money for the priviledge is unheard of.
Posted by MyNameIsNot
I apologize. I am woman enough to admit I was wrong. I should know better because the Hispanic culture has many subcultures that have varied traditions, customs, etc. In the tradition of my specific Hispanic group, the dollar dance is encouraged but I do know that times have changed and not everybody likes or sticks to tradition anymore. You have given me an idea though, I may bring up the option of letting the guests dance with my fiance and I but not give us any money (I think it'll be a nice nod to the tradition without the stigma of asking for money, idk).

I married a Mexican. Dollar dances are VERY common in my partner's family. We spent a year of various friends and family members encouraging us to have one, and how fun it will be, etc. Guess what, we still didn't have one. Encouraged or common, or not. It's still tacky.

QueerFemme · June 2013

oh dammit. I'm so sick of these zombie threads.

Dollar dance????

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