A lot can happen during the reception, especially on the dance floor! That’s why we advise having us stick around after the traditional stuff (aka speeches, cake cutting, etc) is finished. But how much open dancing coverage do you really need? Probably a lot less than you might think, when you hire the right photographer. By having us there for 20 minutes of open dancing, it will result in photos that make it look like we were there all night :)

The key to getting a lot of great dance photos, in a short period of time, is to get everyone on their feet right away. To accomplish this, ask the DJ to request that everyone hit the dance floor for a song or two. Maybe start with a big group photo, then immediately after the picture, ensure that the DJ puts on the perfect crowd pleaser song. Get that dance floor packed, and in 20 minutes, we will get the spirit of the room covered!

To illustrate our point, here are examples of photographs captured within the first 20 minutes of dance coverage:

At Jenn and Nick's wedding, we used a wide angle lens, showing the happy couple celebrating on the dance floor with their guests.

We always grab some shots of the VIPs having a blast!

This happy guy hitched a ride on his dad's shoulders to get a bird's eye view of the festivities.

To show the full scope of the party, we raised the camera above the crowd, and made use of a wide angle lens. This provided an expanded view of the dance floor, and preserved all the action occurring in the moment.

At Ryann and Manuel's wedding, while most of the focus was on the center of the dance floor, we turned the camera around to capture the action on the perimeter. In doing so, we got this great shot of a groomsman dancing to amuse Manuel's mother.

By asking guests to get together and smile for the camera, we can get great group portraits during the open dancing. We even welcome the occasional photo bomber in the background.

As the party escalates, your dedicated vendors are working hard, and making sure that everything is awesome!

By raising above the crowd, we were able to capture this unique perspective shot.

In some situations, off-camera lighting can give images a dynamic look, which goes perfectly with fun dancing photos.

Keep grooving and check out more fun wedding dance photos.