Shameless plug-I was featured in the television show Bridezillas that just aired recently: The episodes are titled ViralZilla-Season 12 episodes 7 and 8. Go check them out and remember not everything you see on TV is real life!

Have you ever wondered what makes a wedding celebration turn into an over the top, crazy, end of the century party? Ever wonder what causes it to be boring, lifeless and one that makes your guests want to cringe, roll their eyes and leave early?

The answer in most of these cases is ENERGY! But the energy at your wedding is not typically something that is really thought about during the planning process-Unless you’re anal retentive about those things like I am. So, let’s talk about the energy at your wedding and how to shape and form it to create an unforgettable event.

A lot of times, my couples assume that “if you build it, they will dance” wedding-wise. This is very rarely the case. Remember, your guests (and very likely you) have been to their fair share of weddings and for the most part they all follow the same timeline, the same formalities done the same way with little variation in HOW they’re done. This means that your guests are happy to be there on the biggest day of your life but their expectations are that this wedding will be the same thing they’ve seen over and over again. IT IS NOT SAFE TO SIMPLY ASSUME THAT YOUR GUESTS WILL JUST SWITCH INTO PARTY MODE WHEN DANCING TIME COMES ALONG.

The excitement level and participation that occurs at your event is not something that will simply fall into place because people are happy for you. This is where one of the most dynamic, and powerful roles of a Master of Ceremonies comes into play. The energy at your wedding is like a piece of clay that can be shaped and molded to create the level of success that you want and that is something that will be made or broken by your choice of M.C.

*DISCLAIMER TIME* Setting your event up for success is absolutely VITAL for the M.C. to do their job properly and assuming they have had at least some training and experience, you will see results. Things like the age range of your guests, music selection (aka music that will actually keep your guests dancing), bar setup and others will help to insure the success of the overall night. Not every wedding will be an over the top awesome party (nor do all couples want that for their event) even if the M.C. is doing everything right.

Throughout the event I do things-some big, some little- that help to build energy and excitement. Just before the grand entrance as I’m introducing myself to the guests, I will mention that there will be things that happen at this event that they have never seen before. I can say that confidently as I strive to do things differently at each of my events than other DJs/MCs are currently doing. Then throughout the evening, I reinforce that by executing on the various things that make me and my couple’s weddings unique-from interactives or special moments that are created to unique music selections. The then guests begin to realize that I wasn’t just blowing smoke at the beginning of the evening.

The timeline is a great way to switch things up and provide dynamic. The standard midwest timeline is Grand entrance, blessing (if there is one), dinner, cake cutting, toasts, formal dances, open dancing, end of night. Not only is this the run of the mill timeline, but it’s often presented in the exact same way. Switch it up and flip things around. If you’ve chosen a professional DJ/MC they will tell you whether it will help or hinder the overall success of your event.

I encourage my couples to think outside of the box and to do things their guests won’t see coming but that aren’t cheesy, or inappropriate. In a recent wedding during the ceremony the bride and groom did a unity candle ceremony. Most of the time, the song there is a love song or instrumental of some sort. This time, however, the b&g chose “Fire” by The Ohio Players. The guests reaction was AMAZING. They roared with laughter! Most importantly, where the guests were passively observing the ceremony before, they were now smiling, entertained and ENGAGED with what was happening! You could feel the energy level in the room rise dramatically!

So feel free to launch into some dancing after dinner and spread out your formalities into the evening. As long as your Master of Ceremonies understands HOW to create that energy and make it dynamic, you’re sure to have an amazing time!