Traditional Wedding Dances

People get weird about tradition. The purpose of tradition is to guide us, not constrain us. Use these traditional dances as a starting point for planning your own ideal wedding dance:

• First Dance
  After the meal, and after wedding photos have been taken, the newlyweds are introduced onto the dance floor. This is their introduction as a couple and it can say a lot about who they are as a couple. What type of dance do they choose? How do they work together during the dance? Is it fun or serious? Light and carefree or sexy and romantic? The couple should think about the "tone" they want to convey with this dance.
• Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Dance
  This second dance symbolizes the couple inviting their parents to be part of their new family. It can have overtones of thanks and gratitude or new beginnings.
• Anniversary Dance
  This is a good way to start getting people on the dance floor. All married couples are invited to dance. After a short time, couples who have been married less than 24 hours are dismissed. (The bride and groom leave the floor.) Shortly, those married less than a year are dismissed. Then those less than five years, ten years, etc. This keeps going until there is one couple left dancing. This dance not only is a chance to invite others into their new lives as a couple, but it reminds those in attendance of their own wedding and commitment and gives the newlyweds examples of committments that are strong enough to survive.
• Dollar Dance or Wish Dance
  Originally, the Dollar Dance was to give the bride and groom money for their honeymoon. The bride and groom return to the dance floor and the gentlemen line up to dance with the bride while the ladies line up to dance with the groom - all with their dollars in hand. The best man and the maid of honor stand at the front of each line and collect the dollars and also co-ordinate how long each person dances with the newlywed. Again, this is a good way for the couple to invite others to be part of their new identity as a couple and allows them to spend time with each of their guests. You can do the same thing without the dollar and it is called the Wish Dance.
• Snowball Dance
  The whole wedding party takes the dance floor for an upbeat dance. When the music stops, each member of the wedding party pulls someone new onto the dance floor to dance with them. Again, the music stops and the same thing happens. This goes on until everyone is dancing. This is a good dance to get everyone up and dancing and is great to use as a signal that everybody is invited to join in the dancing now.
• Last Dance
  Usually a slow dance, this is usually a special song for the newlyweds. It is also the last dance of the evening before the couple makes their exit. If the wedding reception has a "hard stop" time, this dance is a good way to signal the end of the evening.