Involving Your Friends and Family in Your Wedding Day

As a DJ, I get sent a lot of YouTube and Facebook video clips of “crazy” wedding entrances or first dances.  Most brides and grooms have seen at least one clip of the Evolution of Dance or a ballad with a scratching sound followed by “Thriller.”  This clip I received of a ceremony entrance did highlight some of the pros and cons of the practice:


After my initial reaction of a few laughs, my second thought about this entrance was how much time and effort the bride and groom and their friends and family put into this choreographed number.  I can only imagine the work and the fun that went into practicing this routine.

While a staged entrance or dance like this might not fit your wedding or your style as a couple, it does ask the question:  what could you do to set your tone at your wedding, and in particular, how could you involve all of the wonderful friends and family who are in your wedding party?  Could you use more than one song in your entrance to set different moods for different groups of family or friends?  What about having two first dances, one for you as a couple, and a second one where your guests join in, creating two different moods at the very beginning?  Who have you asked to give speeches such as blessings or toasts, and have you considered spreading these speeches out at different points throughout the wedding, depending on the speaker and their personality?  Could you dedicate a song to special family members or friends who were there for you, particularly throughout all the excitement and stress of planning your once-in-a-lifetime event?  Have you considered adding a photo slideshow during dinner at your wedding, highlighting all of your memories with these special people though the years?

As the owner of Spinning with Style, I, DJ Bri Swatek, always like to ask my brides and grooms, “who’s coming to your wedding?”  It’s a simple question with a complicated answer:  all the people who are closest to you and your fiancee.  How can you make certain to express your friendship, gratitude, and love for these people on your wedding day?  It doesn’t have to be an over-the-top dance routine–it’s the thought that counts.


DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your DJ for Your Unique Style
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Phone: 845.235.0080