Tricks to entertain at poorly planned weddings

[Entheos406]

During the lulls I've started mixing b tracks. Nothing they are gonna want to rush the dance floor over, but slowly turn up the heat and throw in some memorable one hit wonders, guilty pleasures etc. try to mix one from extreme to the other. Drop "Hanging Tough" by new kids into the end of some mild hair band song. Stuff to get their attention and make them giggle a bit. Make sure they can see you working. That works sometimes but the problem is:
Brides and grooms plan crap in awkward order and listen to photographers who don't care about the guests. Photogs keep stealing the bride and groom and making guests wait with nothing to do. People sit around for hours and are bored to death. If it's 3 hours from "I do" to first dance it's gonna take me and the bartender another 2 hours to get smiles on their faces and people enjoying a party again.

What can I do as a DJ to help combat this? (Other than roofying the photographer, dumping her in the coat check and claiming I saw her drinking out of a flask.)

Seriously, they kill the party, get their shots, leave and never see the damage they cause to the party. Why even invite guests If you're going to bore then to tears?

[Stephen Nawlins]

Well, A serious discussion with the couple about the Agenda of the Party before can help.

Over here it is mostly, that Bride & Groome arrive after their guests because in between the ceremony and the dinner Party they went for some Shooting with the photograph, then get an aperitive, then the dinner, in between the courses mostly there are some Input from the guests (like speech of the brides father, the Grooms Mum who made a photo-Slideshow, etc...).

THe Main discussion factor I have is that most of the couples want the Opening of the Ball right after the Main course and before the Wedding Cake. Which is an absolut no go for me. Mostly they want the Opening and 4-5 Songs "Directly Party Sound so that everyone is dancing" untill they bring the Cake.
Well the main Problem is that you have everyone on Party-Mood and dancing and then you nring the Cake and evryone sits down to eat a Piece of Cake and once they sit again...it's very complicated to bring them back to the Dancefloor. (The day has been allready Long for them all, the Digestion of the Dinner allready started and no matter which song you Play once they sit back...it's dead).

That's why I tell them to make the cake before the Opening, the People here naturally stand up and around the couple when the OPening takes place so once they all are Standing it's the easyest way to get into a Party Athmosphere.

So having a serious and professional discussion before the wedding day to fix the Details (Maybe one of the BEst men is in Charge of the Agenda, so ask the couple if this is the case, get in touch with him, etc...)