Organize a flash mob at your wedding

First Dance Flash Mob- We are the Champions from Dale Mackey on Vimeo.

There's a 50% chance you rolled your eyes when you read the title of this post. Actually, the combination of the phrases “flash mob” and “wedding” probably ups the odds to about 75%. I know. Flash mobs are played out and you're sick of reading about quirky weddings on the internet.

But if you're someone who likes dancing, large groups of people, and feeling like a rock star, you should really consider it. We had our own first dance, and then immediately after, “We Are the Champions” started to play, and maybe half of the guests stood up and danced along, including my 80-year-old grandmother. The rest seemed pretty delighted with the spectacle. It's a fun way to include the guests in the evening's events, and to facilitate some pretty awesome group bonding.

Here are my five tips for an easy wedding flash mob:

1. Share your dance moves online. My sister choreographed the dance, and she filmed herself demonstrating the moves along with the music. It was taken on her computer's camera and was very straightforward. You don't need a lot of frills. Then we uploaded the video to Vimeo and shared it on our wedding website (and via email to some folks I knew for a fact were not checking in on our website).

2. Easy is the key word here. Any time you're asking a large group of people to participate in an activity, the simpler you can make it, the better. When my sister showed me the instructional video she made, I remember thinking it was way too simple when I first saw it, but once I saw everyone doing it at once, I realized how smart it was. While some people had practiced quite a bit before the wedding, many were just learning it the day of, and they had no problem since it was so simple. And the fact is, when more than ten people are doing the same movements in sync, they will always look cool.

3. Invite everyone to participate. Sure, many of your guests might choose not to participate, and might think you're a little wacky, but you'll likely be surprised who will choose to participate if you give them a chance. We invited folks by posting a video of my sister demonstrating the dance on our wedding website, and a few months before the wedding my mom sent me an email saying, “Can I be in the flash mob?” Of course, mom!

4. Don't pressure people into participating. Just as there will be people who you'd never expect shaking their tail feathers in your flash mob, there will be people who you thought would love the idea that just didn't bother to learn it, or decide they'd rather watch. Don't take it personally — flash mobs just aren't for everyone.

5. Send a reminder. You don't want to be constantly harassing folks — no one wants to go to a wedding where they feel like they have homework — but a friendly email reminder a week or two before the wedding with a link to the video is fine.

Now get those booties shaking!