Wedding Traditions for the Ceremony & Reception
Ceremony Music Provided By Your DJ...
More and more, couples are choosing to have their DJ service also provide their ceremony music. If your ceremony and reception are at the same location then we can provide this service to you within the time frame you book the service for. If the system needs to be moved from one location to another on the same premise, we do have a small additional charge for this. If you are interested in this service but your ceremony is at a different location, or you would like additional microphone systems included, we can still provide this service to you, please contact us for details.
When The Bride And Groom Enter The Reception...
Traditionally, the DJ would announce you in by your full, married name with your entire wedding party following immediately behind you. Today, in most cases, The Bride and Groom choose to have the entire wedding party introduced into the reception. Within our "Event Planning Form" we have a dedicated area for these introductions and the appropriate line-up order. Make your wedding party aware that they should not filter into the reception prior to you arriving because it makes it difficult to find and reorganize them for your grand entrance. 151 Entertainment Dj will then announce each wedding party-couple individually into your reception with the Bride and Groom being introduced last. If you would like, you can also include Ushers, Flower Girls, Ring Bearer, Junior Bridesmaids, and Parents into the introductions.
The Cutting Of The Cake...
You can cut your cake before or after dinner but you should check with your banquet facility and/or caterer about the best timing for this accordingly. If you plan to serve your cake for desert then it is usually best to cut it prior to dinner, as some cakes take quite a while to slice and prepare. If you are planning to have your cake wrapped for your guests to take home, then it does not matter whether you cut it before or after dinner. Either way, you should check with your banquet captain or caterer first before deciding.
The Toast...
It is etiquette for the toast to be proposed after dinner. It is a good idea to get your champagne ready and poured about 15 minutes prior to the toast. 151 Entertainment DJ will quiet the crowd and then formally introduce The Best Man for his toast. It is not uncommon for The Maid/Matron of Honor to also propose a toast. In some cases, The Bride and/or Groom's parents may also like to propose a toast. It is etiquette for The Best Man to be first, followed by The Maid/Matron of Honor, and then anyone else.
The Bride & Grooms First Dance...
The First Dance is done after dinner and the cake cutting ceremony have been completed. Most couples chose to have their first dance at the begging of the wedding dance. Traditionally, you would dance to the song of your choice and shortly thereafter, (approximately 1-2 minutes) your wedding party would join you to conclude your dance. More often today, Bride's and Groom's have been choosing to dance to their entire bridal song by themselves, and have a second song played for the wedding party. In this case, The Wedding Party Dance will immediately follow The Bridal Dance and includes the Bride, Groom and their entire wedding party. The parents, ushers, ring bearer, flower girls, etc., are typically not included in this dance.
The Father/Daughter Dance...
The Father/Daughter Dance is done immediately following The Wedding Party Dance. This is where The Bride dances with her father to the song of their choice. Traditionally, "Daddy's Little Girl" had been the favorite, however; over the years other selections have become much more popular and rarely is this song used anymore. Occasionally, step-fathers, uncles and/or grandfathers ect. will dance with the bride.
The Mother/Son Dance...
The Mother/Son Dance is not quite as commonly requested and is done after the Father/Daughter Dance. This is where The Groom dances with his mother to the song of their choice. Traditionally, this dance did not exist, however, about 15 years ago it started appearing as a requested specialty dance.
The Parents Dance...
The Parents Dance is the last of the specialty dances to be done. This is where The Bride & Groom and their parents all dance together. Traditionally, "Sunrise Sunset" from “Fiddler On The Roof”, has been the favorite, however, over the years other songs have become much more popular.
The Throwing of The Bouquet And Garter...
The bouquet is thrown first to the single ladies. Second, the garter is removed from the leg of the bride, by the groom, and then thrown to the single gentlemen. As to when this should be done, there are 2 options; Some brides choose to do this immediately after the last special dance song so they can be done with all the formalities and then just enjoy their party. Also, this is the last of the formal pictures to be taken, so if you are on a tight time limit with your photographer, this might be a good option for you. In most cases, the bride & groom prefer to wait 30-45 minutes into the general dancing before doing the bouquet & garter.
The Dollar Dance...
This is usually done anywhere from 45-75 minutes after the general dancing has started. Your guests come up and dance with you and give you a dollar to do so. The only downfall of a dollar dance is that it can be very time consuming, especially at larger receptions. If you decide on doing a dollar dance, we highly recommend having an organized plan! Before the day of your wedding, talk with your Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honor and assign them to be your collectors; They will stand at the head of each line and collect the money for you. In addition, they need to keep the line moving, no more than 1 minute per person. If your guests dance with you any longer than this, you are liable to burn 30 or more minutes of your reception with the dollar dance. Dollar dances are still somewhat popular, and as long as you can keep it within a reasonable time frame, the guests generally like them!
