As a mobile entertainer and wedding host, it has been my privilege to take part in a number of unforgettable weddings. One important fact that I have come to know in this industry is the smallest flourish can create the biggest impact. There have been several instances where friends or family members have approached me prior to the wedding date with a unique idea or special surprise. At one reception for instance, the bride’s brother was unable to make his sister’s wedding because he was stationed abroad, serving in the military. As a surprise, the bride’s parents and I arranged to have him call during the wedding so that we could broadcast him over the sound system. When it came time to toast the newlyweds, the bride’s brother was able to make a surprise debut (via an overseas call) to say a few special words to his little sister and her new husband. It was truly an unforgettable moment for both the wedding party and the guests. I don't believe there was a single dry eye in the room that night.
I will never forget another wedding in which I performed where we had a special moment of silence after the bride and groom's first dance. It served as a memorium to the father of the bride. You see, he passed away not long prior to his daughter's special day (a little over a year). As tradition would have it, the father is supposed to have his dance with his little girl immediately after the first dance. Instead, what the family decided to do was to honor his memory by having that moment of silence, along with a montage of streaming photos running on the two projection screens in the background. Although it was a sad moment, it had a positive outcome. The brothers of the bride (there were five) all stepped in and took turns having their dance with their sister, followed by the mother of the bride. They came together as one unit with incredible love and support from all the guests. Near the wedding cake, we kept a candle lit, the flame signifying his light present on that very special occassion.Not all surprises are tear-jerkers though. On several occasions, the bride and groom have been surprised when their wedding party took the spotlight on the dancefloor to a choreographed musical number. In March of 2008, I made arrangements with a bride and groom to do the exact opposite. She was a banking manager, he an engineer. Albeit successful in their respective trades, the wedding party, nor the guests would have ever expected this professional couple to break out in a choreographed number three quarters of the way through their first dance. We set this up as a spoof making it seem that my CD player was skipping. The groom feigned anger as he started walking toward me. Even though I knew beforehand what was "really" taking place, I must admit it was a bit disconcerting for me to see this 6'6" man walking my way with an angry expression on his face. His performance was quite convincing! To my rescue, the song "I Can't Dance," by Genesis started playing and the bride and groom immediately began their choreographed number. When the audience realized what was happening, they went wild.!!! Everyone one was in hysterics (and I was relieved...).
The bottom line is creative input and imagination will get you everywhere. Do a little something different, what I call "that extra flourish," and I promise you that everyone will talk about your wedding celebration for years to come. A word of caution however. What may seem a spontaneous surprise will actually take a lot of rehearsal and practice to be effective. If you are planning on surprising your guests, or if you are a member of the wedding party and you want to surprise the bride and groom, make sure to assemble all members involved. Get them in-the-know well beforehand. More importantly, if a choreographed piece is what you'd like to do, make sure to plan, practice, and polish. It would be a great idea to employ the services of a professional dance instructor or choreographer to help. If you do a Google or YouTube search for "Surprising First Dances," you can see what some of these choreographed pieces look like. I have included a few of them below to check out. Good luck and remember keep it fun and practice, practice, practice....!
Wedding Party Dances to Michael Jackson's, "Thriller"
Another Michael Jackson surprise!
This is one of my favorites!!!
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