What matters most
Decide the trigger for opening the floor — after the last speech, the cake, or a set time — and who calls it.
Points to work through
- Build a short bridge of familiar, rising-energy songs rather than jumping straight to peak-time tracks.
- Dim or change lighting with the music shift so the room signals that dancing has begun.
- Start with a song broad enough to pull mixed ages up before narrowing to the crowd’s taste.
- Have the emcee invite people up at the cue so the first few minutes are not empty.