In the age of viral videos, “surprise” first dances are no longer very surprising. But that doesn’t mean your only other option is to stick with a traditional first dance for your wedding.
By: Emma Sarran Webster6. Bring in the "real deal"
Surprise your spouse and your guests by hiring the actual musician behind your favorite song to perform while you do your first dance. If that musician is beyond your budget (or just totally ungettable — something tells us Beyoncé doesn’t really do weddings), just go with the next best thing. “A surprise appearance by The Blues Brothers or Celine Dion to sing the first dance — or an impersonator, if that works best for the budget — makes for a huge wow factor for both the happy, shocked spouse and the crowd,” says Lilly.
7. Incorporate your personal style with props
You don’t have to go to extreme lengths to make your first dance unique or memorable. If you want to stick with a mostly traditional format (or perhaps you’re dead set on a “surprise” first dance but want to make it a little different from the rest), try just adding a couple easy props. Think: funny sunglasses, stick on mustaches, or feather boas. Pick something that reflects your personalities, and it’ll add just the right amount of pizzazz to your first dance.
8. Hire a band or musician specifically for that song
Distinguish your first dance from the rest of the night by bringing in a musician specifically for that song, and let your main band or DJ control the soundtrack the rest of the night. Do you have any friends who are musicians? Ask if they can learn your favorite song. Or perhaps there’s a local artist who does the style of your first dance song especially well. Whoever it is, when there’s one person or group dedicated to your first dance song, it’ll make that moment extra special.
9. Do a flash mob
Okay, we completely agree that flash mobs are kind of played out — in any circumstance but weddings. As popular as flash mobs were for a while, they didn’t really make the transition to wedding receptions, especially not first dances. But Gretchen Culver, the owner of Rocket Science Weddings & Events, was privy to a matrimonial flash mob, and she highly recommends it. “One of my couples did a flash mob first dance utilizing their bridal party, parents, and even some of the wedding guests were in on it!” she says. “It segued right into the Horah; it was the perfect start to the dance. The dance floor was packed all night.”
Photo Credit: Hollywood Pro Weddings
10. Pick a song that’s so uniquely “you”
Don’t give in to the pull of picking a popular or traditional first dance song. You don’t even have to go the romantic route if you don’t want to. If Missy Elliot’s "Get Ur Freak On" is your all-time favorite song and you feel like it reflects the two of you better than anything else, go for it. “Make a statement about the two of you as a couple — your style, your personality — and bring that to life through the music,” says Lilly. Regardless of the actual song you pick, if it’s unique to the two of you, it’ll be memorable. “Some couples like to entertain their guests with first dance ‘performances,’ but sometimes it can be really special if the song has a meaning that’s just between the couple,” says DJ Mary Nisi, President and Owner of Toast & Jam DJs.
