#1) Have upbeat and fun seating music and cocktail music.
Often times having serious or formal seating music can have your guests yawning, wondering to themselves "When will this thing be over!" Its the last thought you want your guests to have while they wait to see you in that stunning dress you so meticulously chose. The same rule holds true for cocktail hour, entertain them with good vibrant music before the slow down of dinner. Its a great way to break tension, it won't be long before all that toe tapping and swaying will turn into a full dance floor. Take this opportunity to entertain your guest and throw in some music that might not fit well during dinner and dance. Set the standard for your day.
#2) Keep your guests informed.
There are moments following key events when guests are left wondering what's next ie. after your ceremony. Make sure your guests know whats coming, the message should be clear and on time. Have your emcee announce what is next on the agenda. Remind them of key meeting times and points of interest, a guest book or snack bar and direct the crowd accordingly. Nobody likes to be in the dark, make your guests feel like they're part of a movie that you're directing and that they are starring in. Keep them happy, and they will be with you all night.
#3) Do your speeches before dinner.
This is opposite of what is generally thought of as proper but does require some consideration. If you cocktail hour didn't run too long and people haven't been waiting hours for your return then have everyone top of their drinks and head to their assigned seats. Start with your least energetic and most nervous presenter and end with your highest energy crazier speech. You'll have more of you guess attention, trust me! If you wait until after dinner you'll sure to lose some to the bathroom, a few to the bar and a couple to the smoking section. If you have an open mic make it quick and make sure those people know when they will be presenting. This will have your party kicking off a lot sooner.
#4) Cut the cake as soon as dinner is done.
Don't wait too late into the night to you cut your cake. Some guests head straight for the door as soon as the lights come on if the cake cutting is too late in the night. Have the cake cutting announced properly as soon as the last table is finished eating. Give everyone five minutes to get organized and have everybody that you need there taking pictures as required. Then move to the first dance. This is a key indicator that your dance is going to start soon.
#5) Keep the special dances short
Now that the cake is cut move onto your special dances. Remember to keep them short and get your wedding party involved near the end. A good DJ knows that no couple wants to dance out there for a full five minute song and it's true for every special dance, so keep them short. Have you read DJ edit and cut your songs down to two minutes. Once all of your special dances are done have your bridal party join you for a quick slow dance before turning up the energy, this is a great way to kick of the dancing. Having your bridal party on the dance floor as soon as dancing starts is a great way to attract more guests to the dance floor. There's no better moment then seeing a full dance floor surrounding smiling newlyweds.
Think in terms of entertaining and maintaining interest throughout your day. These guidelines are a good starting point for organizing and optimizing your day. Making it easy fun and stress-free! Feel the flow beautiful brides, feel the flow.
Felix