Author’s Notes: I’m revisiting this blog entry written in 2016. Also, I’d like to give my sincere and heartfelt thanks to Travis Monroe of Monroe Film & Photo for the accompanying video interview on this topic.
I lost count of how many weddings that I’ve done a LONG time ago. While I’m able to find records of quite a lot of them, records from the earliest days have been lost to eternity, thanks to a couple of family moves and paper records when I first began.
But you aren’t here to read about my lapse of memory in determining how many weddings I’ve done. If you’re here, it’s most likely because you came to find out a little more about today’s topic: The Table Race.
Now, before I dig in, I’ll start by saying that the Table Race is not for EVERY wedding. Some crowds just won’t get into it, especially if they’re more laid back. However, if your group is about having fun and being on the (somewhat) rowdy side for a few minutes before the spotlight dances begin, the Table Race may be something that you’d like to do.
Okay, Steve… Maybe I’m interested. You mind telling me what The Table Race is?
Yep. I can definitely do that.
The Table Race is an interactive way to get your crowd a little bit hyped about taking pictures with the newlyweds. We’re not talking the formal pictures that most everyone has as a requirement for their wedding scrapbook; we’re talking the types of pictures where the personalities of everyone featured are on display for all to see. It’s a nice way to transition from dinner to dancing that will help combat boredom of your guests during that “lull.”
You have my attention. How does it work?
Step 1) In an ideal situation, you will consult with your entertainer as part of your planning process to determine what song will be chosen as the “soundtrack” for the Table Race. You’ll want the song to be fairly upbeat and energetic; something that most everyone in your group can get into. If there is a really fun song that you and your fiance are into that screams “This is US!”, it would be an excellent choice.
In addition to choosing a song, you’ll also want to discuss in detail when the Table Race is going to occur during the evening. I personally suggest that it be done before the official dances begin; the transitional period between the completion of toasts/speeches after dinner has been the most popular time.
Step 2) Your entertainer and your photographer (even your videographer, if it applies) need to coordinate this together. It’s imperative that they communicate with each other and have a game plan in place for when and how the Table Race is going to work. They’re all part of your team; it won’t go off as smoothly as you’d like if they aren’t on the same page.
Step 3) While it’s not completely necessary, you may want to map out a possible pathway to take in order to visit each of the tables prior to the event. While I’ve seen some newlyweds visit tables at random, you don’t want to make a chaotic situation more chaotic for yourselves by having to criss-cross the room multiple times.
With those 3 primary steps laid out, be ready to get a little bit stoopid when it’s go time. The idea is that you and your new spouse are going to visit each table to get selfies in with the guests seated there. The catch…? You have to do so before the song that you’ve chosen comes to an end. You can be as wild and crazy as you’d like to be; ideally, your guests will come up with a theme that you can just interject yourselves into quickly before moving on to the next table.
Quick note about the timing: don’t sweat ACTUALLY beating the song to completion; one of the cool things about being a DJ is that we have technology that will allow us to extend a song for as long as we may find necessary. Your job… Enjoy the moment, have fun, get those crazy pix in for your scrapbook. It really is that simple.
If you’d like to know more about the Table Race and other ways to engage your guests during your wedding reception, hit me up here or here.