If your wanting a packed dance floor at your wedding or party its easy! Hire a professional DJ as we know a thing or two about that. Once you've done that here are 10 more tips that will help too:
1. It might be too late for this but hire a smaller dance floor! A huge dance floor can appear empty, even when a nice-sized crowd is jamming away. A smaller dance floor will fill up faster which will increase the energy level in the room and give the shyer guests some much needed courage to join in with the fun.
Hire companies will tell you the dance floor needs to be 2.5 square feet per person after all the bigger the floor the more it’s going to cost.I say reduce this by 25%.If people want to dance, they’ll do so whether there’s space on the official floor or not so just make sure you leave space around the perimeter for additional dancers.
2. Turn the lights down as soon as you can. A dimly-lit dance floor with a splash of colour from the disco lighting works best. Remember that in summer months it can be light till 10pm and if there is are west facing windows they will need shades. Nothing puts off the timid dancer like a dance floor in daylight.
Good DJs design their light shows to attract people to the dance floor and to work alongside the music. Keep an eye out if your have a photographer or videographer who may try to light up the area which can scare away your camera shy guests and definately say not to spotlights on the floor.
3. Try not to hire a venue where the bar is in a different room to the dance floor. After dinner or talking the dance floor should become the focal point for your party. When guests leave the room for drinks they can't hear the music and fall back into chat mode. In many cases they miss their requests.
Also try to keep the hall doors closed which will keep guests in the room. Busy hallways can be distraction for your guests. Keep redirecting their attention to the dance floor by having someone on hall pass duty and ushering people back into the room.
4. Allow your guests to make song requests. People are much more likely to get up and dance to their favourite songs and love to hear familiar music. When a DJ is free to play their requests you are more likely to get people up on the floor. If your submitting a playlist of your own you should leave plenty of room in the schedule for your guests.
5. Make sure the DJ is right next to the dance floor and not in a corner out of the way. In many cases it's down to the venue where the DJ goes, but they will do their job best where they can see the dance floor and feed off the vibes. The DJ needs to be where the party action is to read the dance floor and so he is central for any requests and announcements. Your guests will need to find the DJ so they can give him their requests.
6. Hire the right DJ as they are all very much different. A great DJ has a winning personality and will earn your trust pretty fast. A good DJ will know that each of your guests is different in that some will rush to the dance floor right away and some need coaxed over a little more time. A DJ needs time to work the magic as they will be testing various types of music and creating lists to compliment any guest requests and your own selections.
7. If your eating do it early. In many cases people wait till after the evening buffet before they start to dance. Also at weddings some people are extra traditional and don't like to dance before your first dance so make sure this is one of the first things you do at your reception.
8. Get out on the floor and DANCE! If it's your party your friends and family want to be with you and want to see you having a good time often taking their cues from what you do. If the party host in on the dance floor enjoying themselves you can bet your bottom dollar the guests will be too.
Andy P