How To Plan The Perfect Welcome Dance For Your Big Day

The wedding entry is one of the most exciting and important parts of the wedding ceremony. Family and friends gather at the venue and get to see the bride and groom adorned in their beautiful attire.

To set the stage for the perfect wedding entry and create a festive mood, many couples choose to have a welcome dance on their big day. There are many elements that go into this from the song selection to the choreography. To help you make your wedding day a memorable one, we’ve created the ultimate welcome dance guide.

1.The types of dance

The first and most important factor when it comes to planning the welcome dance is to decide what type of dance you want to have. If your friends and family will be participating in the dance, it is important to keep in mind that the entry to the wedding venue is likely to be crowded, so the dance needs to be easy to and memorise.

However, if the dance happens once you enter the venue then let the dancers bring their killer moves to the stage. Here are a few dances you can incorporate:

a. Bhangra 

In North India, the most common type of welcome dance at weddings is the Bhangra. It is a folk dance that originated from the state of Punjab. This dance is a lot of fun because people of all ages can participate and it does not require any training or choreography. You can learn the steps as you go and join in the fun to the beats of the Punjabi Dhol.

b. Garba 

In Gujarat, the Garba dance is performed at every wedding. It involves dancing with a partner and is a great way to foster family relationships at the wedding. As part of the wedding tradition, a dance event called the Raas is held, this is when couples dance with Dandiya sticks.

c. Folk dance

As part of the wedding traditions in South India, folk dance is performed. The songs reflect the love between the bride and groom in dance form. Some common dances performed include Parai Attam, Kummi and Kolattam.

d. Destination wedding

If you have a destination wedding, it would be a real treat for all the guests to incorporate the dance that is specific to the culture of the country you are getting married in. If your wedding destination is Thailand you can have dancers perform the Khon at your wedding.

2. Who should dance

Once you’ve decided what type of welcome dance you want to have at your wedding, the next step is to think about who will be performing the dance. This could be anyone from your siblings to your parents, your grandparents or even your bridal squad.

Having an idea of who wants to perform and how many people are performing can help you plan the dance better. Here are a few people you can incorporate in your wedding dance:

a. Team bride/ Team groom

A welcome dance by the bridesmaids or groomsmen (or both) has to be one of the most fun experiences ever. Depending on their dance skills, team bride and groom and professional choreographers can work out a dance or add their own moves to a popular dance song. Either way this welcome dance is sure to be a wedding winner!

b. Mom/Dad and their friends 

Another totally cute wedding idea is to have a welcome dance number by mom or dad and their friends. You can have old-school, upbeat songs that everyone can join in and dance too!

c. Professional dancers 

If you want to incorporate a certain type of dance at the wedding, you can hire dancers to entertain your guests. This can either be a traditional Indian dance or if you have a destination wedding, you can get local dancers to perform their traditional dance.

3. Wedding Functions

Each wedding function calls for its own special welcome dance. Dance has a way of bringing people together and incorporating it at each wedding function is a great way to foster harmony and happiness among your wedding guests. Different ceremonies can incorporate various forms of dance. Here are some of the most common dances seen at these wedding functions:

a. Mehndi

A welcome dance at a Mehndi has now become a tradition just like the rituals. More recently this dance has been heavily influenced by Bollywood culture with a fusion of Western hip-hop music. This can either be a choreographed dance or the whole family can dance to the music and join in the fun!

b. Sangeet 

One of the highlights in any Indian wedding is the dance performances at the Sangeet. While the party itself includes various dances by members of the family, the welcome dance gets the party started. Before the big day, you need to decide who should perform the dance and plan the choreography accordingly. There are no set rules when it comes to the Sangeet and you can get creative with the music and the dance.

c. Wedding day 

Every bride dreams of walking down the aisle surrounded by her loved ones so the welcome dance has to be totally fun and festive. Some brides and grooms choose to have their bridesmaids or groomsmen perform a choreographed welcome dance and the other family member can dance along. Other couples prefer hire a professional dance troupe to perform a traditional Indian dance. Either ways, this welcome dance should be a memorable one!

4. Ideal songs

The choice of song in the welcome dance is sometimes more important than the dance itself because it helps set the tone for the wedding. You can choose popular songs so that the rest of the family can join in as well. Here are a few song ideas for each wedding function:

a. Mehndi 

Bollywood songs are popular choices for the Mehndi ceremony as they have easy dance routines. A few songs include:

• Kajra Re- Bunty aur Bubli
• Mehndi laga ke rakhna- Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
• Sadi Gali- Tanu Weds Manu
• Nagada Nagada- Jab We Met

b. Sangeet

The dances at the Sangeet are more choreographed and since the welcome dance kickstarts a power packed night of fun, the song choice needs to include party numbers. Here are a few ideas:

• Ghoomar- Padmavat
• Dil Chori- Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety
• Gallan Goodiyan- Dil Dhadakne Do
• Nachde Ne Saare- Baae Baar Dekh

c. Wedding day 

The welcome dance on the wedding day signifies the starts of the festivities. Here are a few fun dance numbers:

• Bole Chudiya- K3G
• Maahi Ve- Kal Ho Na Ho
• Banno- Tanu Weds Manu Returns
• Tune Mari Entriyaan- Gunday

Welcome dances are all about celebrating the beautiful couple and creating a festive mood at the wedding. While it’s important to plan ahead and know what type of dance you want to do, don’t focus too much on getting the dance right as you are ultimately there to have fun and enjoy the wedding experience. So live in the moment and make the wedding day a memorable one for the happy couple.

Have any more ideas for great welcome dance songs? Let us know in the comments below!