At most weddings a couple steps out on the dance floor and shares their first dance.   During this time it is frowned upon if you are on the dance floor while the bride and groom are dancing.  I don’t care if it happens to be you 5 year anniversary on the same day the bride and groom are getting married and they have the same song you had, its not cool to get on the dance floor during the first dance.  Below are a few clips from www.thefirstdance.com to help me prove my point.

A website, http://www.thefirstdance.com/,  list the origin of the first dance:

It has two meanings for us and then the origin of the first dance comes from a point in history. First is the image of the bride and groom coming together as a couple and being in new kinds of relationships with parents, siblings, extended family, and friends…..

The origin of the first dance is said to come from eastern European immigrants in America who danced at their weddings. As post World War 2 immigration slowed down and those immigrants grew into the middle class they brought the dance with them to the point of it becoming mainstream.

Traditional etiquette, according to Diane Warner’s Contemporary Guide to Wedding Etiquette, says dancing isn’t required but if you have dancing, here is the traditional dance order for a wedding reception:

  • The bride and groom dance the first dance, usually to their favorite song
  • The bride dances with her father
  • The groom dances with his mother
  • The bride dances with her new father-in-law and the groom dances with his new mother-in-law
  • The bride dances with the best man, and the groom dances with the bride’s honor attendant
  • The bridesmaids and groomsmen join in, dancing with each other
  • All the guests join those already dancing

Final note

I did not see anything in there that mentioned that some arranging wedding guest get up and dance while the bride and groom are dancing.  In fact, if you look at the list the guest are at the bottom of the list.  So sit your butt down until its your turn to dance.

P.S. If the bride and groom wait to do their first dance after everyone else has begun to dance, please honor them by sitting your ass down and waiting out one song.

http://vimeo.com/2854478

Thanks for hearing this rant,

Derrick Perrin

Big Box Pro Wedding Video

Corpus Christi, Texas

www.BigBoxPro.com