Having Fun WIth Your Grand Entrance

I just returned from a very, very successful wedding reception at the lovely Elkridge Furnace Inn this Saturday night (I'm writing this 1:00 AM Sunday.)   It was successful in many respects -- everything went smoothly, the food was wonderful, the toasts were memorable, the crowd had a great time, and of course there was LOTS of dancing ... the dance floor was packed all night. It was an elegant reception, but very high-energy and fun.

One thing that contributed to this, I think, was the way we did the Grand Entrance. The couple, Sarah and Miles, did not want to do a traditional Grand Entrance, where guests are seated as the wedding party and the newlywed couple are announced into the room.  So we tried something different, and it was a hit!

Instead of the guests being seated for the Grand Entrance, they were invited to stand on the dance floor, leaving a path in the middle.

Instead of the whole wedding party being introduced, it was just the bride and groom.

And instead of them walking into the room, they practically ran on to the dance floor and immediately started dancing to a rock 'n roll tune they had selected (Katrina & the Waves' "Walking on Sunshine"), pulling in other guests to join them in this pre-dinner dance (which wasn't hard because the guests were already there on the dance floor). 

It was such a high-energy entrance, and we extended that energy with one more upbeat song (Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling") before inviting the guests to take their seats.

This kick-off shifted the reception into high gear, and it pretty much stayed there the rest of the night!

In future posts, I'll talk about other types of fun, high-energy Grand Entrances.

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THE GRAND ENTRANCE - DON'T BLOCK THE VIEW

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that during a Grand Entrance, the people being introduced can immediately proceed to their seats or can remain standing on the dance floor, forming a sort-of "welcoming line" for the bride & groom's entrance.

If you choose the latter, and if you are doing your First Dance immediately after the Grand Entrance, make sure that the wedding party, while standing, is not blocking the guests' view of your First Dance.

For example, say your guests are seated to the left and right of the dance floor, with the head table or sweetheart table placed along the far edge of the dance floor (by far edge, I mean the edge further from the ballroom entrance). In that case, have the wedding party stand by that far edge -- not on the left or right edges of the dance floor. Again, this is just one example.

The key thing is, if the wedding party remains standing during your First Dance, position them so that everybody can watch your First Dance (rather than staring at the backs of the wedding party).

THE GRAND ENTRANCE - REMAIN STANDING OR SIT?

During a typical Grand Entrance, the DJ announces the wedding party and the married couple, as they enter main ballroom where guests are already seated.

There are lots of options concerning the Grand Entrance -- ways to personalize it -- and these will be discussed in other posts.

Here, I want to pinpoint something that sometimes isn't clarified until the last minute, and sometimes decided on the spot rather than considered beforehand.

It's simply this: After they are introduced, should each member of the wedding party proceed to his or her seat, or should they remain standing on the dance floor, forming a sort-of "welcoming line" for the bride & groom's entrance?

Either option is fine. But what's not so fine is to have your wedding party, as they're about to enter, confused and unsure as to just where to walk and whether they should stand or sit after they make their entrance. I've seen this many times -- that's why I mention it here!

So talk this over in advance with your DJ, your wedding planner, and/or your site coordinator and tell them your decision. That way, after getting everyone lined up, your DJ or planner/coordinator can clearly explain to the wedding party how to proceed during the Grand Entrance.