Dancing at your reception is a lovely way to bring an air of elegance and family togetherness to a wonderfully happy and joyous occasion.

Traditionally, the bride and groom will be the first to dance as their special song is played softly. Lights dimmed low create a romantic atmosphere.

As the music continues to play, the father of the bride will cut in on the groom and dance with his daughter. The groom asks the bride's mother to join him in a dance and together they grace the dance floor.

The groom's father then cuts in on the bride's father and dances with the bride himself. The bride's father will then cut in on the groom and dance with his wife.

The groom will then ask his mother to dance. Following this, the parents exchange dances with the other couple.

The best man then comes out to ask the bride to dance and the groom will dance with the maid or matron of honor. Finally, the entire wedding party, ushers and bridesmaids join in the festivities. Once the entire bridal party and their parents are on the dance floor, the other guests are invited to dance.

However, if you would like things more casual.....

Although the ‘old’ days had a very basic structure to the wedding schedule of events, times have changed … and those rules don’t always apply anymore.

So, when it comes to who dances with whom at the reception, these days you can pick and choose.

Lining up the Dance Partners

It goes without saying that the bride and the groom dance first. This creates a beautiful photo opp for everyone who brought a camera. The next dance can include the wedding party and their respective partners, along with the new couple.

The parent dances come next. The bride dances with her father, and the groom dances with his mother. Then the bride dances with her new father-in-law, and the groom dances with his new mother-in-law. In the case of extended families, it’s thoughtful to switch it up so that each half of the couple dances with all the stepparents, too.

If the bride or groom has a deceased parent, another relative can step in. Someone should announce to everyone why this is happening. This is a great way to honor those who’ve passed while still celebrating the moment.

After these traditional dances, you’ll find more opportunities to plan dances with other special people in everyone’s life. But keep in mind: it can be boring for guests to sit at the tables and watch dance after dance. It’s sometimes more fun if you invite everyone on the dance floor after the crucial dances finish.

More Popular Dances

Some brides enjoy drumming up interest in participatory dances. These often start by inviting on each married couple, then slowly working backwards until only the longest-married couple is left on the dance floor.

Although the slow and sentimental dances are wonderful, the younger set (usually the wedding party) usually groove to more upbeat tunes. It’s increasingly popular for the bride and the groom to honor each member of the wedding party by playing a special song just for them — something nostalgic, a “theme song,” or just something fun for everyone to dance to.

Dancing at a wedding is a time that you shouldn’t be worrying about what you look like; it’s just the time to let loose after all the formality and have a lot of fun.