Awol Dance Music

It seems like for many couples these days the most important consideration when planning a wedding is how to end up as the latest YouTube sensation. Anyone who watched Pam and Jim’s wedding on “The Office” now knows that even the ceremony processional is another chance for the bridal party to do something outrageous and memorable (as Jim said, as soon as he saw the video on YouTube of a bridal party dancing up the aisle to “Forever”, he knew they were in for it!). This is a look at the YouTube wedding phenomenon.

Some of the wedding videos on YouTube get literally millions of hits. Think about that; you could have two million people around the world interested in your wedding. The “JK Wedding Entrance Dance” video that inspired the scene on “The Office” has been viewed by over 28 million people! The bridal party who was in it even ended up on the “Today” show. For many couples, that kind of internet fame is simply too enticing to resist. Apparently everyone wants to be featured in the next hot viral video, and to grab their 15 minutes of fame.

Most of the popular wedding videos on YouTube are centered around a surprise (and almost all of the hot videos involve dancing, usually done by people with no special talent in that area). What makes them so fun is the gotcha! moment. As in, the doors to the church open, the bridal party is poised to march down the aisle, and surprise! they do a wacky choreographed dance instead of the expected dignified procession to “The Wedding March”.

Brides and grooms are definitely a big part of the YouTube phenomenon. The first dance used to be a moment when brides in their fine gowns and elegant bridal jewelry sets took a sedate spin around the dance floor with their beaming new husbands to “Unforgettable” or a Frank Sinatra song. These days, it seems like the surprise is when the bride and groom dance to the classic song all the way through. The guests are perched on the edge of their seats waiting for demure brides in their bridal gowns and sets of pearl jewelry to kick off their white shoes and start shaking it to “Crank That” or “Baby Got Back”.

Another sure fire way to get on YouTube is to do your own version of “The Evolution of Dance” instead of a standard first dance. You know, when the bride and groom dance to a melange of songs that work their way through musical history, decade by decade. If you ever have the urge to see a groom doing his best “Karate Kid” moves to that 1970s hit “Kung Fu Fighting”, this is your chance. You thought you could live the rest of your life without seeing that? Sorry, this is the YouTube age of weddings, and virtually every bride and groom want to be famous on the internet!

Actually there is one famous wedding video on YouTube that I think is the exception to the idea that all of these crazy dances are disruptive, which is the very sweet toast to “Amy’s Song”. Several things set this clip apart from the pack. For one thing, it is a special tribute to the bride, and done in good taste, rather than with the intention to shock. It also ties in with her interests, as the bride was a music theater person. And last, but certainly not least, the performers from the wedding party were also music theater people, meaning that they had the talent to pull the whole thing off gracefully. It was a heartfelt gift to the bride that will bring a smile to the face of anyone who watches it.

Everyone is getting in on the act. From outrageous father and daughter first dances to entire bridal parties recreating the video to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, wacky choreographed dances are fast becoming a mainstay at otherwise formal and traditional weddings. Personally, I think that there is a trade-off; what you gain in laughs and internet celebrity, you lose in dignity and classic good taste. However, each bride and groom has the right to have the wedding that they want, and if what they choose is to try to get their reception to be a big hit on YouTube, they will certainly have plenty of company!