Where's the Bar?? - DIY Dance Party Ingredient #1

This is not about where you have to go to get a drink, but rather where is the bar in relation to the dance floor? It matters.  

Whenever a bride-to-be or event planner we work with highlights how important it is to them that their guests will enjoy the party and dance, I ask them "Where's the bar?".

A pretty simple (yet easy to overlook) detail which can maximize the dance-potential of any wedding or event is to decide where the bar is in relation to the dance floor.

Example 1: The bar is in an adjacent lounge. This wedding ended up with most guests congregating around the bar and sport drinking. (Don't blame the DJ)

The fact is people congregate around bars. They do at local pubs and swanky clubs, and they do it at weddings and events too.

When the bar is located far from the dance floor or even in another room it is the recipe for more of a good ol' 'kitchen party' than a dance party.  

Example 2: The stage/dance floor area is flanked by two bars. The party went downright on the dance floor as this bride-to-be had hoped.

A good band and good music will get people dancing - no doubt. But no matter how much time you've spent auditioning bands or DJs, and no matter how good the music is, people do get comfortable leaning on the bar and chatting with whoever comes next to get their fresh drinks! When the bar is in another room or very far away, it can have the effect of emptying the dance floor! This is just like how every house party seems to end up with all the guests crowded in the kitchen, no matter how beautiful the living room is or how great the stereo sounds out there.

If you want your guests to sing, dance and celebrate together on the dance floor then put the bar as close to the dance floor as possible to maximize the dance-friendliness of your setup.  Drinks will get refreshed, and conversations will rally around the bar, but the focus of the event dramatically shifts to the dance floor if the bar is nearby.  Voila, instant dance party! Now it's totally in the hands of your music provider. Find a good live band or DJ and the dance floor will be packed all night! 

Talk to your venue coordinator about this.  If this is important to you, mention the possibility of setting up a temporary bar near the stage/dance floor if their layouts are more fixed and the bar cannot be moved.  Or ... move the dancefloor. 

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