What happens at your wedding if you can't dance?

[QuickOchreFish]

Thinking more of the bride really, from the weddings I've been to it seems to be the norm/expectation for the bride to hit the middle of the dancefloor, sashaying and strutting around to the typical party hits, life and soul of the party.

I don't do that sort of dancing and I wouldn't feel comfortable with it, without wanting to sound like a killjoy. Not sure what to do, I really cannot do that sort of dancing.

You just don't! Your friends and family would surely hate you to be uncomfortable. One wedding I went to had no dancing as the bride and groom wanted a different activity. No one objected! Make your wedding about you. They're always the best ones

I'll probably end up awkwardly dancing for a bit to appease people, but if i sit down I know people will be trying to pull me up and saying "But it's your wedding!!".

We didn't want dancing so had a restaurant event only

Just don't have music. You could do basket weaving or a sound bath instead?

Thinking about it, our venue doesn't really have a dancefloor as such so may be ok.

You just don’t do it? We don’t really enjoy dancing so when we planned our wedding the dancing part wasn’t at the heart of it. We finished at 10.30pm, had an area for dancing but it wasn’t a demarcated ‘dancefloor’ in the middle of the room. Those that wanted to dance did, those that wanted to chat instead did that. I did the first dance, the last dance and a couple of others in between but in more of a silly jumping about way than a stylish dancing way.

Just don't have the dance/disco 🤷

We didn't. Just had a meal and went to the pub.

Do you want a dance at all? If so boundaries are your friend. If not, do something else... board games, a meal only, casino night, cocktail making... it's your day and you get to choose

It’s fine not to have dancing but you just need to think about the structure of the day a bit. If everyone knows each other so it’s a bit of a catch up opportunity then probably fine to just stand/ sit around chatting after the meal with a few drinks. However if they don’t people likely to drift off early ish.

Why on earth do you think you have to " appease" your wedding guests OP.?
Surely they are your family and friends and want you to have a wonderful day. Why would they want you to do something you dont want to do ?
Of course you dont have to dance! It's not obligatory .

Ugh I still cringe about our first dance. We both have two left feet (each) ! Hoping everyone was too tipsy by then to remember 🤣

If your venue has a dance floor and you want everyone dancing, you would typically give the Dj a song for the “first dance”. Or you can tell the dj to announce “bride and groom would like everyone to join in dancing” and then it isn’t people just staring at you.

You could always be too busy circulating to dance.

It's your wedding. So screw convention and do what makes you happy. Yes, most weddings traditionally feature a first dance where everyone watches the bridge and groom but I'm sure many don't.

Do some research and find an alternative to dancing/a dancefloor that makes you happy and excited.

If you have no dance floor and no music it’s unlikely there will be any dancing. Enjoy your day.

I hate dancing as a wedding guest so I'd love a wedding that didn't include any dancing! Its only Instgram weddings where they have some incredible choreographed routine... real life weddings are mostly couples swaying awkwardly waiting for the song to end!.

It's fine to skip dancing altogether or tell friends and family you aren't having a 1st dance but will have music later for those who do want to boogie!

Yeah friends of mine who don’t dance didn’t have a dance floor and no disco

We just didnt have a DJ or dance floor!
Started late (4pm, I think), so evening meal was at a typical time. Then there weren't hours and hours afterwards.

Why don't you get a few dance lessons, in some countries it very normal for people to do this still.Anyway you could just look it up on the Internet, and practice a few moves together it might be fun.

We had a ceidhl (sorry totally forgot how to spell it) where they told you how to dance. Was wonderful. So many people on the dance floor.

If the venue doesn’t have a dance floor, it there another activity that will let everyone move around after dinner? Eg get everyone to stand and watch the cake being cut. People often like swapping tables or just chatting in groups with cake.

It's your day, don't have dancing.

I've been to a wedding where there was no dancing at all, just drinks and food after. Just do that, in a pub or restaurant and don't hire somewhere with a dance floor.

I don't like dancing either, and a noisy disco and being dragged onto a dance floor I don't want to be on makes me want to leave the wedding early. Some people enjoy it, and that's fine, but it's not for me.

OMG this thread got me laughing out loud

firstly because it's such a non issue, if you don't want to dance you're an adult so just don't dance 💃

but your update ended me: "Thinking about it, our venue doesn't really have a dancefloor as such so may be ok"
why start a thread then if there isn't even a dance floor!?
Are you actually ok or just bored on a Sunday and wanted to start a nonsense thread?