What to do if your guests aren't dancing?

This is a great question, and as your DJ (or your prospective DJ -- e-mail us to get a quote!), we'll do our best to answer it. As a rule, there are a lot of variables that are out of our (and your!) control.  So here are some ideas and tips to get your guests up and moving.

Bridal party dance-off

Your guests are at your wedding to visit and celebrate with you. That being so, they'll take their cues from you, so you'll want to be on the dance floor at least occasionally.  A fun way to start things off would be to have the bridesmaids and groomsmen square off in a dance off, or you the bride and groom could dance off against each other.  The trick is to keep everything light and fun, as your guests will feed off of the tone you set.

Group dances rock

Group dances that most people know and love, such as the Cha Cha Slide, Cupid Shuffle, and the Macarena, are a great way to get people out on the dance floor.  By encouraging a large number of guests onto the dance floor at once, it eliminates the pressure and hesitancy some people may feel individually when it comes to dancing.  We can then follow that up with another more popular song and start to get your guests feeling comfortable.

Games can be fun

Probably the most popular game that can engage a number of guests is the anniversary game.  The premise is simple: we invite you, the bride and groom, and all the other married couples onto the dance floor.  We'll play a classic slow dance and then call out for all of the couples who have been married for 1-5 years, 5-10, 10-15, etc, to step to the side of the dance floor (think musical chairs) until we're left with the couple who has been married the longest.  Then we'll ask them to give a word of advice along the lines of what makes a marriage last.  There are a couple of ways to play this particular game.

Allow guest song requests

At ZGM Productions, we keep this option completely up to you.  We're willing to take standard requests, but we make sure that we discuss this with you prior to the wedding.  Our favorite time to take requests is during your cocktail hour before your grand entrance, but if you're open to it, guests can request songs all night long, and we'll do our best to fit them in.  This is nice because it allows guests to engage with us and makes them feel more comfortable -- and you're entrusting us to keep your party going!

Have a varied song list

Unless otherwise requested, we'll do our best to showcase danceable tunes that span the ages: classics, Top 40s, viral songs (who doesn't know Tik Tok famous songs?), house, hip-hop, etc.  By having a varied set list, it allows us to play towards the crowd easier and allows for more people to feel welcomed on the dance floor. Just because your particular friend group might love to party to underground British house music doesn't mean that your grandma wants to.  After all, variety is the spice of life!

Other thoughts

Here are some other things to consider as to why your guests aren't dancing:

A big one is the collective age of the group.  Many times, older-leaning parties tend to prefer slower-paced music and are more apt to visit with people rather than dance on a dance floor all night long.  Other considerations to take into account are the cultural and religious background of your guests.  We'll discuss this in the weeks and months leading up to your wedding.

Another consideration is the time of day your wedding takes place.  If you're having an outdoor wedding on a Sunday afternoon, the dance floor is going to be much less packed than a Saturday night reception that has alcohol being served and a 'younger' crowd.

Finally, often overlooked is the venue lighting.  A lot of us feel uncomfortable about dancing, and low light situations help us to feel more at ease on the dance floor.  We'll do our best to set the mood with lighting that we bring. However, we may also want to work with your event venue to ensure the optimal lighting for your reception.

Ready to talk about having us DJ your wedding or event? Let's set up a time to speak-head over to our contact page and send us a message.