Weddings Reality Check

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I love having kids at the reception. It's entertaining to the guests to see someone entertain them. They make me look like a genius. Plus just talking to kids over the mic and Q&A with them can yield some great dialogue. Kids say the darndest things. It allows me to use some wit to give the adults some inside jokes.

I'll give an example:

I played "You've got a friend in me" from Toy Story.
I asked the kids "Do you know what movie that's from?"
They respond loudly "TOY STORY!!!!" to which I replied (with great timing)
To which I reply: "That's correct children! That's the movie your parents would play on the TV so they could go in the other room and....um.....well um....start making dinner!!"

The place fell apart.
 
Keep in mind the original post was about dead ance floors for SEVERAL reasons.
I must say, everything that was mentioned is a factor in my area as well.
(Especially the bride's disappearing act)

Since so much attention is on the kids, I'll add this:
I prefer to NOT have kids at a reception, for ALL the reasons mentioned.
But since I do not make that decision, I will deal with it the best I can.
Which usually means I talk to the B/G...and have them take notice of the rowdy kids scaring people off the floor. It doesn't usually take long before the B/G go and talk to the parents.
But if the kids aren't a problem, I say nothing.

p.s.
I put the words "ADULT RECEPTION" on the invitations at my wedding...
25 years ago.
 
Ausumm said:
But since I do not make that decision, I will deal with it the best I can.
Which usually means I talk to the B/G...and have them take notice of the rowdy kids scaring people off the floor. It doesn't usually take long before the B/G go and talk to the parents.
Oh man...I don't know if I'd trouble the BG to walk around and talk to the parents. I think dealing with it the best you can is your only job.

You gotta remember these are whole families that deal with unruly kids at all the other things they do together. Unruly children sometimes run in packs within a family and the family just deals with it everywhere they gather.

The BG (who grew up around these people) probably don't even get one thought in their head about it being an issue. The most I'll do is encourage the BG to move the night ahead quickly so the unruly parents can dance and just go with the flow
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jtnichol said:
Oh man...I don't know if I'd trouble the BG to walk around and talk to the parents. I think dealing with it the best you can is your only job.
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I don't ASK them to do anything. I just make them aware of the problem.
It's just a way to show them that I am not the (only) reason for an empty dance floor.

jtnichol said:
The BG (who grew up around these people) probably don't even get one thought in their head about it being an issue.
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And that is why I let them know.
Just as I would for any other situation that may affect the end result.
It's not to dump the problem on them, it's a chance for them to make their reception better.
 
Ausumm said:
I don't ASK them to do anything. I just make them aware of the problem.
It's just a way to show them that I am not the (only) reason for an empty dance floor.



And that is why I let them know.
Just as I would for any other situation that may affect the end result.
It's not to dump the problem on them, it's a chance for them to make their reception better.
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Good man...Thanks for the clarification. Very good ideas.
 
rickryan.com said:
If ya'll can't make people dance with a few kids on the floor then ya'll must suck as DJs.
(ducking for cover) :laugh:
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sometimes it's not "making them dance"...
as much as it is makine them "put their lives in danger"
:cool:
and you better DUCK!
DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE, RICHARD!
 
You guys need one of these mounted on a tripod to deal with them pesky kids and their parents :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

 
if you have something you want to hear, just come on up and let me know, and parents, please remember to have fun with your children on the dance floor, but for the enjoyment of all guests, please make sure children are not left unattended on the floor
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I have never felt the need to get on the mic and tell parents how to babysit their kids. I don't let kids near my equipment. Besides that, it's not my business what they do. If there is a bunch of kids running around on my dance floor, I'm going to engage those kids. Nothing will get parents to the dance floor faster than watching their precious child engaged in a dance.


I find that the reason kids are running around is because they are bored. They'd love to dance. they'd dance with adults. But if the adults are just sitting there, the kids don't have much else to do. So I'll also try engaging the adults too.

I've also received many referrals from guests because we were able to engage the kids..A LOT. Sometimes the adults don't want to dance, and the kids dancing can be a highlight of their evening. We'll teach them line dances and things like that.....which almost ALWAYS draws adults as well.


To me, there are only 2 reasons for people not dancing:



1) The right music is not being played at the right times....when people aren't dancing, I'll try a bunch of different genres, after that still no one is dancing, I'll do a few slow songs, then a few other genres. Besides that, I'll ask for requests, and perhaps go to tables with some girls and ASK them if there is a song that they would like to dance to. If they don't request anything...then go to reason #2.

2) They don't want to dance...don't worry about it and play music they can still talk over.



Yes, with the bride and groom dancing, you'll instantly get a group dancing. But even that's only a temporary boost. I don't focus on who's not there....i focus on WHO IS there and what they want to dance to.
 
Scott Hanna said:
Yes, with the bride and groom dancing, you'll instantly get a group dancing. But even that's only a temporary boost. I don't focus on who's not there....i focus on WHO IS there and what they want to dance to.
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Plenty of good ideas there Scott, but sometimes that temporary boost is all you need, once it gets started a lot of times it will keep going. When I am working with a couple now on the music for their reception I always recommend that along with picking out their first song, they one or two others to be called to the floor to dance later in the reception and encourage other guests to join them. They love that it gives them more than once dance and time together at their reception, it provides the photographer additional Bride and Groom dancing photo opportunities and provides a boost to the dance floor.
 
Had a bride and groom do the "disappearing act" along with members of the wedding party." They were gone for about an hour during once the dance segment began. But they did stay around for 4 or 5 songs that began the set. It was a small wedding, too. I was left with a smattering of older family and friends and KIDS. I tossed "her" play list out the window and played to those left in the room. Some danced. It was mostly a "country" crowd, but they did enjoy some of the newer Top-40 music from last year. Hey, I agree...when the Bride & Groom disappear" so will most of their close friends. I found that most of the older peope left enjoyed dancing to slow songs.

To give you another idea of poor taste on behalf of the Bride & Groom, I had to go downstairs to the bar and alert her that her Last Dance song was about to be played. She kind of waved me off and said to go ahead and play it. Went back upstairs and annouced the "Bride and Groom's Last Dance" and everyone looked at me so I had to tell them "Hey, she said to go ahead and play it with or without them. About 2 minutes into the song, they arrived back up stairs and joined the crowd (small group of their close friends). It was a long day; Ceremony outside, Cocktails in the Lobby, and Reception Upstairs in the Ballroom...three equipment setups. It was at a Country Club. I couldn't resist playing just prior to the B&G's last dance the following; Family Tradition (Hand Williams, Jr.), Friends in Low Places (Garth Brooks), and Country Club (Travis Tritt). Most everyone was toast so they enjoyed dancing and singing along to those three songs. LOL
 
nope they also stayed home!!
 
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