My experience at a wedding this past weekend illustrates how important it is to keep things simple. Especially when planning an already complex event for which there is no rehearsal and no second chance to get it right.
Most wedding receptions already have their share of formal events. The entrance, toasts, first dance, cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, etc. You also need time to eat, meet and greet your guests and dance.
If you want to add a slideshow or other special event, go ahead. Just beware of incorporating too much into an already complicated affair. The more you add, the more difficult the logistics get and the greater chance for something to go wrong.
At this wedding, not only were there all the aforementioned formalities, there was also a long list of personal introductions, a welcome message from the bride's father, a blessing, THREE best men who gave toasts, TWO maids of honor who gave toasts, a video montage (more about that later), a father daughter dance with two songs, a mother son dance, a centerpiece giveaway and a planned special anniversary dance... and the bride and groom still hadn't gotten all their formal pictures done yet!!!
When it was time for the video montage, 200 guests were assembled in anticipation. Then the sound didn't work. After several failed attempts, I suggested we cut the cake instead, while the facility's media guys figured out the problem. Finally, the video was attempted again. This time only half of the room had sound and it was too bassy. The in house employees clearly didn't have a handle on their own media center.
Then it was time to finish the formal pictures. When a bride and groom have to leave the room to finish getting pictures along with their close relatives, it can put a damper on the party. Lucky for me, these guests were ready to dance but I still felt bad for the newlyweds who were missing out on their own party while they were out finishing their pics.
All in all, dancing was interrupted several times for different events and/or video attempts. At many receptions, repeatedly killing the dance floor momentum like this can have a very negative effect.
Finally, the bride and groom were able to rejoin their guests on the dance floor. Judging from the bride's reaction, this was one of the highlights of her day. As time was now short, the planned anniversary dance was nixed in favor of continuing the open dancing for everyone. A wise idea, in my opinion.
To keep your day flowing and lessening the chances of time consuming mistakes, keep it simple. Don't get too ambitious or you may find that instead of running your wedding, your wedding runs YOU. Whenever possible, hire pros for everything.
This couple ended up having a successful reception partly because their guests showed lots of patience. Other receptions I have performed at would not have faired so well.
DJ Craig
How NOT To Screw Up Your Wedding Day
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