Everybody loves a good introduction. Be it an introduction to intriguing new friends at a party, your new girlfriends’ discerning parents, or to your new managing supervisor at work, there is a certain magic to that first contact where you have the chance to leave the ultimate impression.
Perhaps this is why over the years the wedding introduction has taken on a life of its own. It is a couple’s first opportunity to really set the tone at their reception and bask in all of the glory that is deservedly theirs. There are of course countless different ways to be introduced. So how do you go about choosing the introduction that is right for you!? Lucky for you this article will walk you (pun intended) through some of this year’s most popular wedding introductions (in all of their cheesy, self-aggrandizing glory.)
Photo Courtesy of Rick O’Brien Photography
The Happy Clapper
Let’s start the list with one of my favourites: the Happy Clapper is a true classic. This introduction can be done with any popular song that moves a crowd to begin clapping to the beat. While clapping seems like an easy enough thing to achieve, not every clap is created equally. It has a lot to do with tempo as well as the feeling of the song. My favourite is Barry White’s My First, My Last, My Everything, an absolutely ideal clapping speed and a classy romantic song to boot.
Another great “clappy” hit is Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough; popular enough that everyone knows it, a similar classy feel and a fantastic clapping speed: Not too fast, not too slow.
And don’t be fooled. A song like Pharrel’s Happy, while it does well on a dance floor and includes actual hand claps in the song, fares poorly at drawing claps for introductions. Not ideal clapping speed. Look for songs as slow as Stayin Alive, but no faster than Super Freak; Remember, it’s still early!
The Rockstar Strut
Every rock and roll fans’ dream come true. This is for a wedding party that wants to Rock and Roll all night and make love in an elevator. Props and fancy lighting are encouraged for this entrance as the idea is to emulate the rock star of your choice. Great intro songs for this include The Darkness’ I Believe In a Thing Called Love, Van Halens’ Hot For Teacher, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ All Around The World and Aerosmiths’ Walk This Way. The trick for this intro is to be as over-the-top as the song that you are walking into. For added effect, feel free to kick over a couple of chairs (being very careful that it isn’t your grandma’s chair!).
The Oscars
The yin of the The Rockstar Strut’s yang: this more understated approach is for the couple looking for a nice, crisp announcer voice, a spotlight and a classy song selection as the couple gracefully strolls from off the red carpet, through the entrance way doors, throwing in a few hand waves for good measure, and politely taking their seats. NOTE: This introduction is best used when the thought of The Rockstar Strut sends shivers down your spine.
The WWE Main Event
While this introduction is certainly not for everybody, it remains one of the most amazing I have ever witnessed. I was lucky enough to be a part of one working with wedding planner extraordinaire Zerlene Mekdeci of Impresario Events at the Shangrai-La hotel this past summer. The bride and groom both happened to be huge fans of the WWE. Not only did each member of the wedding party walk in to their own favourite wrestlers’ theme music, but they had the wrestlers’ video montages playing on the screen behind them while they acted out incredibly accurate stage moves in the middle of the dance floor.
This was made even better as the bride and groom walked into the room with sunglasses and wrestling belts draped across them, the wedding party coming together in some spectacular choreography to create a sizzling centre-stage effect. Again, this introduction is similar to The Rockstar Strut, but with an extra element of cheese thrown in to create an over-the-top experience that will have your old high school friends high fiving like it was the olden days. Take note: Your grandma will not appreciate this entrance.
The Throwback
Old School dance music is always a welcome addition to a wedding party introduction. Quite often, your guests will have grown up with you through the decades, so it makes sense to play some old tunes that represent the good times that you shared together.
It doesn’t have to be 2000’s hip hop either (although that is widely encouraged), “Old School” music for you might be 80’s new wave, 70’s disco or even cheesy shiny 90’s dance hits like Dr Jones by Aqua. Whatever it is, make sure to lay it on thick, doing the running man, making it rain with monopoly money or simply doing the “Carlton” dance to Tom Jones’ It’s Not Unusual (à la Fresh Prince of Bel Air.)
The Polite Introduction
If all of the previous ideas have you shaking your head in disbelief, then the Polite Introduction just might be for you. The cousin of The Oscars, this approach is quite literally a brief, polite introduction: the couple sneaks into their seats, enjoys a nice little round of applause as the MC introduces them during the toast. If you’re the type of person who feels anxious by the very thought of receiving wedding day attention, this method offers you the lowest profile so you can focus on enjoying your day.
In Conclusion
Your wedding introduction is just that; yours. Be sure to choose an introduction style that reflects your personalities and the tone that you would like to set. Chat it over with each other, bounce your wacky ideas off friends or pull a mega surprise on all your guests. Whatever you choose, have fun with it and enjoy it – it’ll all be over too quickly.
