Matt McElligott Photography
Good morning! You've been dreaming about your wedding day at least since you got engaged, haven't you? Have you thought about the end of your wedding day though? Probably not! You never want it to end, right? In reality, all good things must come to and end and the Altar Ego Weddings team would like to share one of our favorite end-of-the-day rituals with you! Stay with us here!
Have you heard of a private last dance, which is also known as a sweetheart dance? As wedding planners we see them all the time, but have recently found that many brides haven't heard of this idea. The look on their faces when we describe it is priceless! Talk about an emotional and logistical hole in one! Here's how it works:
Daisy Photography Studio
It's late in the evening and your reception is coming to a close. You've spent all day getting beautiful, feeling like a princess, visiting with family and friends and most importantly, enjoying your brand new husband. You may be on an emotionally high, exhilarated and overcome with the love surrounding you. You may also feel exhausted, emotionally drained and possibly stressed with all the hubbub and expectations surrounding a wedding. Mainly, you may feel like the whole day has flown by way more quickly than you expected. So, SLOW DOWN! Let the last thing you do in your reception venue be a private, intimate dance with just the two of you. Your DJ will ask everyone to exit the room for your dance alone and vendors will also leave (except your photographer and videographer, of course). He or she will turn on the song of your choice and there's nothing for you to do except take a moment, look into each others' eyes, hold each other and reflect on everything that happened on your wedding day. Relish the moment! It will never happen again. At the end of this dance, you can go on to your grand exit and be on your way to newlywed bliss.
McGowan Images
Doesn't that just make your heart soar? Practically, there's another reason we wedding vendors love it. Logistics! Having a private last dance signals the end of the reception. It's time for everyone to leave and this gives a nice, tactful opportunity to help guests out of the room without shooing them out. This is good for you because a) you don't have to worry about going over your allotted time at your venue and b) vendors and staff can break down the room immediately after without guests being around. It gives us a leg up on getting our items out the door in order to meet our venue time constraints and also allows catering, rental and entertainment companies to plan their staffing accordingly. No worries on paying for staffing overtime AND more alcohol!
As you can see, a private last dance, a private last dance is a win-winn for everyone! You get a sweet once-in-a-lifetime moment and we get a little boost logistically. It's a win-win for everyone!
If you'd like more tips and ideas for your wedding day and want to become stress-free in your wedding planning, please contact Altar Ego Weddings. We have planners in both Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin to serve you!