The venue is booked. The dress is purchased. The 'Save-the-Date' announcements have been sent. So far, you've managed to plan a wedding ceremony that is as beautiful and unique as you are! Now what about the reception? How does a newly wed couple have the time of their lives while ensuring their guests are also having a ball? There's nothing worse than a happy couple looking at an empty dance floor and a roomful of seated guests looking at their watches. We don't want this to happen to you, so our wedding planning experts at The Salem Convention Center are sharing some ideas to create a festive atmosphere where guests will have no choice but to get on their feet and dance the night away! Tip #1- Give a dance lesson. We found this brilliant idea while reading 7 Fun Wedding Entertainment Ideas You Haven't Heard Before and had to share! Hire a dance instructor to teach your guests an easy fun dance they can do together. You want all your guests to be able to participate and enjoy, so keep the “lesson” portion under 10 minutes. Tip #2- Include guests in a family or ethnic tradition. This could be a dance, a sing along or an event. A thoughtful narration explaining the origins and meaning can create a rich, authentic experience for your guests. Tip #3- Provide a diverse array of music. Another idea we found (and had to share) from From 7 Fun Wedding Entertainment Ideas You Haven't Heard Before, hire dueling pianos as a wedding entertainment! You get a larger variety of music, plus all the interactivity you want. Guests are able to make requests, play games, plus roasts and toasts if desired. Tip #4- Set up a fun photo booth. Choosing a photo booth from the vast array of style options (retro photo booth, open photo booth, photo lounge... including props) is an ingenious way to steer your guests from boredom. Since it's an optional activity, they can enjoy it at their own pace without interfering with the flow of the reception or upstaging the bride and groom! Plus they make great social media posts. Tip #5- Make them laugh. They say that a couple that laughs together stays together! Why not treat your friends and family to a delightful evening of comedy and fun? What better way is there to begin a new life together (and put your wedding guests in a good mood?). Tip #6- Make the evening magical. Hey, everyone's wedding night should be magical and wowing your guests with a professional magician is a great way to keep the magic going throughout the evening. It's also a great way to engage your guests during a potential lull in the evening such as while you're getting photos made, or as guests are waiting for food and drinks. It's also a great way to engage your guests to spark a lively conversation at the table! Tip #7 Seek out and invest in an experienced professional emcee. You can never go wrong with an experienced and talented wedding DJ or band to act as your 'master of ceremonies' and keep the evening's festivities going. A good emcee can always tell what the crowd is in the mood for and how to get them on their feet and dancing the night away! Do your homework and get a referral from friends or review sites like Yelp. We also have a list of entertainment companies we are more than happy to recommend. Click Here for Our Entertainment Options Tip #8: Be playful! As a general rule of thumb, people love games. Get creative and provide each table with some ice breaker activities and conversations starters (a Mad Libs story booklet is always fun) or with a list of amusing questions or topics at each guest's seat to prompt them to ask the person sitting next to them. You can even provide wedding-themed crossword puzzles, riddles, word searches and trivia and have guests complete them as a group or in pairs. Or leave a stack of cards at each table with simple 'get to know you' questions that will be fun for your guests to ask each other like 'What's the last Netflix show you binge watched?', 'What's the last book you read' or 'Who was the last person you sent a text message to', etc. Need more ideas? Read How Can The Salem Convention Center Give My Wedding a Unique Touch?