Most everyone has seen the recent video clip of the wedding party making their entrance to the wedding ceremony by dancing down the aisle—very creative and funny!

However, for those not quite that bold, I thought this would be a great way for the wedding party to make their entrance at the wedding reception. Most receptions begin with the wedding party introductions. Each member of the wedding party could enter the reception dancing. Or the wedding party could enter the reception with a choreographed dance. This is actually a rising trend in wedding receptions. Naturally, the bride and groom would be the last to enter, which could flow right into their first dance.

I think this is a great way to kick off the wedding reception giving the guests a great view of the newlyweds with a little wedding reception entertainment to boot.

One of my favorite songs is the classic “At Last.” I can see that being a perfect “first dance” song, but any song that is meaningful to the bride and groom would work well. After the first dance, the bride and groom could proceed to cutting the cake or greeting guests, and then continue with the father/daughter and mother/son dances. I’ve attended receptions where the official dancing didn’t start until the reception was well underway, and I really like this idea of starting the reception with some upbeat, celebratory music.

Who Dances the First Dance at a Wedding?

Traditionally the first dance is for the Bride and Groom. It is a symbolic dance expressing that the two are joined in union. In traditional European weddings the dance was usually a Waltz. This tradition carried forward as Europeans immigrated to the USA. Of course in today’s modern world, the bride and groom have musicians and wedding singers play more contemporary music, so the dance is not as formal as it once was.

The second dance is traditionally the father-daughter dance. This is the dance where the bride and her father dance. The symbolization is the father giving his daughter away so the dance carries the wedding Read the rest of First Dance Wedding Tradition »