traditional vs. modern wedding party entrance
This is the part right after cocktails, when everyone had entered the reception venue, and are just waiting for the wedding party to arrive. It used to be just the bride the groom with the big entrance, but nowadays, the whole wedding party is being introduced one by one, before the bride and groom’s grand entrance.
Traditional
The traditional way is just a simple entrance where the whole bridal party comes in, goes to their place in the head table or any assigned table, and then the final entrance is that of the bride and groom.
When my cousin got married about 20 years ago, I was her Maid of Honor. I remember it was right at the end of the cocktail hour, and all of the wedding party were lined up outside the door of the ballroom where the reception was going to be held. The cocktail hour area was just a floor down, so as the guests arrived to go the the ballroom, we met them outside, where they greet the bride and groom, say their congratulations and give hugs and kisses. After all the guests had arrived, we were then instructed by the Emcee to enter, and we were just introduced collectively as the “bridesmaids”. No name, no extra introductions. The only introduction were given was to my cousin, the bride, and the groom. They had the big entrance. They didn’t even do a dance or anything extravagant. When the doors were opened they were just standing there, all the guests were clapping their hands and it was a big congratulatory moment, very short, and simple.
Modern
I don’t know when it all started but for some reason, in the past 10 years or so, the entrance for the whole wedding party became this extra long, extravagant performance. It became bigger, and as the millennials say it, “so Extra”. LOL. I think it’s party due to the popularity of Tiktok, or just social media in general. When some people see what others are doing, they think to themselves, “Oh, that looked like fun, maybe I’ll do that too”, and so now every wedding is like that. Nothing wrong with it. People like to have fun, and dancing IS fun.
So here are some modern wedding party entrance examples I’ve seen at weddings recently.
Every couple entering (for example, the bridesmaid and groomsman), is introduced by their full names, and then they do a short dance to a song, chosen by either the married couple, or by themselves.
Everyone is introduced one by one with a background of how they know the couple. (very long process, I must say)
Everyone just enters the room, stands on the side and waits, and after the bride and groom enters, every person of the whole wedding party does a flash mob dance.
The bridesmaids and groomsmen do a dance off, before the bride and groom joins them, ending in a big dance performance.
The whole wedding party comes in with a marching band in tow. (unnecessary expense I tell you). The level of “extraness” (if that is a word) of this one is beyond me.
Personally, I prefer the traditional entrance where the wedding party is just introduced by their roles, not individually but collectively, and the big entrance is left to the bride and groom. I think the focus should just be on the bride and groom. The individual or group dances are just way too long to watch before dinner. I prefer to watch dancing, or any form of wedding reception entertainment while eating or at least after. It’s a matter of preference. Different people, different tastes. As for me, I’ve always leaned towards the traditional. I like everything just simple, and small. I’m not against dancing or anything like that, I just like to have it at the end or after the dinner is served. But some people really enjoy those kinds of modern entrances.
But of course, it is up to you. It is your wedding, so again, like I’ve said a hundred times already, it is your choice. Just remember to keep everything short, because the guests will be bored right away, no matter how good the dancing is. Remember, this is just the beginning, you still have a whole program for the whole night. The shorter the program, the longer the partying will be. Plus, there will be plenty of time for dancing and performances throughout the night. So better to start right away and make the sections of the program shorter.
If you prefer the modern way where every couple dances to a certain song, prepare the songs, and let the DJ know to stop the song after about 30 seconds. I think the maximum time is 30 seconds, if it’s longer than that for each one, the whole thing is going to be way too long and boring.
