Around the globe couples celebrate their unions with a wedding dance of some sort. Most religions, with the exception of those who still frown upon dancing, have some sort of wedding dance that is a part of this joyous event or the celebration of this event. This is much more than a simple dance. It is the dance that will begin your life as husband and wife. For this reason alone, many couples spend a great deal of time and effort choosing the perfect song to symbolize their love for each. Once decided, this is the song that is to be played for their wedding dance.

Your wedding dance is one of the few memories of your wedding that you will have forever. Most of your wedding day will go by in such a blur of faces that there will be few moments that stand out above the rest. Your wedding dance however, is the one time during your wedding reception that you and your spouse are truly alone within the crowd. All eyes may be on you both but this is your moment together and no one else in the room should matter at this moment. This is the reason that most people will remember their wedding dance long after they’ve forgotten other details about their wedding.

Some couples actually take wedding dance lessons in order to make sure that nothing goes wrong during their wedding dance. Many instructors often suggest that you use the shoes you will be wearing for your wedding as well as a skirt that is very similar to your wedding dress in order to actually get an honest feel for how you will be dancing on your wedding day. It is amazing how much of a difference the height of your shoes and the length of your skirt or train can make when it comes to dancing. These classes are very important for couples that truly want to have the fairy tale wedding experience though not necessarily practical for couples that are already working at the end of their budget constraints.

Ballroom dance lessons will often suffice for wedding dance lessons and in many cases are much less expensive if you can take them at a local community center rather than taking private lessons. Group lessons are almost always more economical and can be a great way for you and your future spouse to learn to dance together in time for your big night and your wedding dance.

If budgets won’t even allow for this indulgence to make your wedding dance a little easier to handle you can always opt to purchase an instructional video or DVD. It would be great fun to practice your wedding dance together before the big night and it is a great way to have fun together as a couple even after the big night. You can find videos and DVDs that teach all manner of dance steps that you may find appealing.

Otherwise you can always wing it. Pick a song you love, a dance you like and have fun without worrying about getting it perfect. You are beginning your new life together as a couple and who really needs the pressure of dancing perfect, right? It is also your day and that is one thing that far too few brides really realize when getting caught up in the pressure of creating the perfect wedding within a limited budget.

The thing to remember when planning your wedding and your wedding dance is that you and your spouse to be are the most important people in the process. Do not allow yourself to feel pressured into something that you don’t want in order to appease others. Make your wedding day and your wedding dance completely your own if you are not interested in or comfortable with the idea of taking lessons from someone else. You and your partner will be glad that you did what was right for you when all is said and done.

Some brides these days are turning wedding receptions on their head and creating super long receptions that run through the night and into the morning. If this is you, planning some activities for those long nighttime hours is essential.

Generally, if an all-night reception is planned, it goes something like this: the wedding is held in the early evening and reception follows. By about midnight, many of the guests will have left and the group that is remaining (generally the younger guests, but not always) will continue to dance and party and revel into the early morning hours. At some point, breakfast will be provided and everyone will go home to crash.

Why do you need activities for such a reception? The answer is simple. You want to keep people entertained through the nighttime hours, you want to keep them at the reception and not let them give in to driving home to crash and sleep and you want to provide them with a real party. Let’s face it: if they are willing to hang in with you for the duration, they deserve something for their effort.

First, you need to be fairly organized about the activities you plan. Consult with your DJ about these activities and leave it to him or her to keep things on a schedule. Do not plan to cut cake in the middle of the night. That activity should take place during the more traditional evening hours, so those not intending to stay all night can leave. However, if you’re determined to keep your guests all night, you could hold one activity back with the hope it will keep guests in the house longer.

Depending on your guest list, you might hold off on the father-daughter dance until after midnight, or you could save a few toasts for the late night hours. In any event, having some other fun events is a great idea.

As guests begin to fade, bring in a piñata, which you can find shaped like a wedding ring, a bridal dress or a champagne flute. Fill it with a variety of goodies. Candy is always popular, but you could also fill it with silly toys found in the carnival section of the party store. Have the DJ play a spirited song and let everyone have a chance at the piñata. Do this on the dance floor and really let people have a swing at it. There should be plenty of room. Once the piñata breaks, everyone can enjoy a taste of sweet candy or can enjoy some silly little carnival game or toy.

People who stay for the duration of the wedding are going to need a rest. Plan a photo presentation or video viewing for this purpose. You could have someone who’s familiar with PowerPoint create a photo presentation or have someone  put together a video of photos. Do this around 2 or 3 am and have it last a good half hour to 45 minutes. This gives everyone a chance to sit down and relax and also gives the DJ a chance to sit, have a rest and rejuvenate for the next round.

In that same vein of allowing the guests a little relaxation, one activity that some brides employ is a non-activity. If the weddig is outside, you can provide inflatable mattresses and have some torches lit. If guests ant to sit down and relax, they can do so on the mattresses and still be part of the activity while resting. If it’s been a long day and someone needs to rest, those reception room chairs don’t seem the most comfortable. If the reception is indoors, think about providing large pillows for guests to sit on or create a corner with inflatable mattresses and lots of fabric. This can be a chatting area where people can go to rest but still be part of the fun. They can chat and catch up with other guests and then head back for more partying when they’re rejuvenated.

If you love music and have a decent collection, a good way to make extra money may be to become a DJ for live events. To get up and rolling may take a small investment as a DJ must have top of the line stereo equipment and a music collection that reflects a wide variety of musical tastes, but the financial rewards can be well worth the initial expenditure. DJs are hired for any of a variety of events from school dances to weddings and Bar-Mitzvahs, and the manner in which you…

If you love music and have a decent collection, a good way to make extra money may be to become a DJ for live events. To get up and rolling may take a small investment as a DJ must have top of the line stereo equipment and a music collection that reflects a wide variety of musical tastes, but the financial rewards can be well worth the initial expenditure. DJs are hired for any of a variety of events from school dances to weddings and Bar-Mitzvahs, and the manner in which you conduct yourself may need to vary depending on the event that you’re working. Weddings are a particularly valuable market for a disc jockey and the wedding DJ often has one of the most fun jobs of anyone associated with a decent sized wedding reception. Following are some tips that can help you find success as a wedding DJ.

Let’s Get it Started in Here:

A wedding reception is essentially a big party. Like any party, the reception will evolve slowly over the course of the evening and it is the responsibility of the wedding DJ to ensure that it moves along at the proper pace. When the reception first begins the wedding DJ will notice that people are milling around and talking, eating, and congratulating the happy couple. This is a good time to start playing music, making a selection that is both in line with the requested genres or tastes that should have been previously discussed with the couple or the person that hired the wedding DJ. Something upbeat but not overpowering is good here.

When it is time for the dancing to start, it’s time for the party to start. Sometimes people are a bit shy to get going. It is at this point that the wedding DJ needs to show some personality. Get on that microphone and motivate people to get on the dance floor and move. Make some congratulatory statements to the newlyweds and tell the guests to get out there and shake it.

Once You’ve Sold it, Don’t Buy it Back:

Now that you’ve got the music going and the dance floor is full, shut your pie hole! No one comes to a wedding reception to hear the wedding DJ blather on into the microphone like a wannabe Howard Stern. If it’s fallen on you to announce mini reception events like a dollar dance or the removal of the garter, then do so, but speak as little as possible. Let the music move the party and keep that microphone securely in the upright and locked position.

Hey, Mr. DJ… Put a Record on:

Requests equal tips for the wedding DJ. If a guest approaches you with a song request that falls into the category of music that you’ve been hired to spin, get it on there post haste. People get all warm and fuzzy inside when they hear a song that they specifically requested.

Finally, two things that every wedding DJ should have in his collection are copies of The Hokey Pokey and The Chicken Dance. Treat these like the American Express Card of the wedding DJ: don’t leave home without them.