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Dollar Dance

fbmandy55
fbmandy55 Posts: 5,262 Member
edited December 2024 in Social Groups
I've been thinking about this tradition at weddings and wondering if I would include it in my hypothetical future wedding. I'll be going to at least one wedding this summer but haven't attended one about 5-6 years. I'll be interested to see if this wedding includes one. Every wedding I've ever attended has included a dollar dance, including fancy/luxurious weddings..

I realize this is typical in the midwest (I'm in Indiana), but for those who don't know, men line up to dance with the bride for about 30 seconds and women with the groom. The dancer usually donates $1 or so for the cost of the honeymoon or just cash towards their new life together.

Would you feel this is appropriate considering the region or just plain tacky?
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Replies

  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    I have never neither witnessed nor heard of this, and I'm almost positive I've attended wedding receptions in the Midwest. Something about that delights me. Apparently I need to attend more weddings. For me, I think I would just stick to an envelope with a card and some cash in addition to a wedding present if I felt more of a gift was necessary. Most brides and grooms I've seen look exhausted and I think i would just let them be.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,262 Member
    I have never neither witnessed nor heard of this, and I'm almost positive I've attended wedding receptions in the Midwest. Something about that delights me. Apparently I need to attend more weddings. For me, I think I would just stick to an envelope with a card and some cash in addition to a wedding present if I felt more of a gift was necessary. Most brides and grooms I've seen look exhausted and I think i would just let them be.

    I'd say it's more about tradition and a fun thing to do then about money. Then again, when the time comes for me, I'm sure our wedding would put us in debt since we won't have much coming from his family and just a modest amount from mine. So any extra cash, even if it's just a dollar from each person who participates, would be a big help for us. And a dollar shouldn't be too much for someone who's gettting a free party and meal. :wink:
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    I've had relatives who've done pot luck receptions, which I do think is a tiny bit tacky, but you make do with what you've got.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    Most of the weddings I have attended included a dollar dance. The ones I've attended that haven't had one seemed to be upper to high class weddings. I'm in Texas.
  • jamk1446
    jamk1446 Posts: 5,577 Member
    Interesting, macpatti. I'm also from Texas but I've never attended a wedding with a dollar dance. And I wouldn't consider many of them to have been upper class.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    Interesting, macpatti. I'm also from Texas but I've never attended a wedding with a dollar dance. And I wouldn't consider many of them to have been upper class.
    It's very popular in South Texas, and I'm from Corpus. It's a big Mexican tradition, so that is where it comes from in Texas, but I've been to non-Mexican weddings where they've had them. I think it's the Mexican influence.
  • adrian_indy
    adrian_indy Posts: 1,444 Member
    Almost all weddings I've been to have a dollar dance. Also, at gentleman's clubs, all the girls have a dollar dance as well. Which is a really messed up coincidence if you think about it.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,262 Member
    Interesting, macpatti. I'm also from Texas but I've never attended a wedding with a dollar dance. And I wouldn't consider many of them to have been upper class.
    It's very popular in South Texas, and I'm from Corpus. It's a big Mexican tradition, so that is where it comes from in Texas, but I've been to non-Mexican weddings where they've had them. I think it's the Mexican influence.

    Also a big polish tradition. And my understanding is that with the Polish, the dancer gets a shot also!

    I'm German and my bf is German-Irish. He is a bit more into his Irish heritage and I know he wants to incorporate Celtic rings into our marriage. If I DID have a dollar dance it would be for the fact that every Indiana wedding I have attended has had one.

    I'd like to add that I like participating in these because it gives me an less awkward way to introduce myself to a groom if I really only know the bride... Etc. I'm hoping the wedding I attend next month, as a guest of my BF, has one. It's a friend of my BF and I've never met him or the bride. I'd like to introduce myself as his good friend's girlfriend before he deploys. It's more fun that walking up to him and saying that, then trying to make small talk!
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    Almost all weddings I've been to have a dollar dance. Also, at gentleman's clubs, all the girls have a dollar dance as well. Which is a really messed up coincidence if you think about it.
    I hope you knew at the weddings to hand the dollar to the best man or maid of honor instead of sticking it in the bride's cleavage or panties...........
  • lorac321
    lorac321 Posts: 614 Member
    Almost every wedding I've been to, including my first. Not my second though because we had a pot luck!
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,294 Member
    So Cal here.....dollar dances are definitely very common in my experience. Not tacky, just fun :)
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,262 Member
    Someone just suggested a "Dollar Dash". The DJ plays upbeat music and the bride and groom have about 2 minutes to run around and gather as much cash in the air as they can. Everyone gets cheap, wacky entertainment!

    I would probably pee myself laughing with everyone if I had to do this!
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    Ok, I've determined I must just be clueless then. Honestly, I'd rather have a Settlers of Catan tournament at my mine; I've never seen one of those at a wedding reception either. Then again I'm far too entertained by the phrase "I've got wood for sheep." (inside joke if you've played the game)
  • jamk1446
    jamk1446 Posts: 5,577 Member
    Almost all weddings I've been to have a dollar dance. Also, at gentleman's clubs, all the girls have a dollar dance as well. Which is a really messed up coincidence if you think about it.

    Cannot stop laughing. Now I will always think of this if I get the opportunity to go to a wedding with a dollar dance.
  • adrian_indy
    adrian_indy Posts: 1,444 Member
    Almost all weddings I've been to have a dollar dance. Also, at gentleman's clubs, all the girls have a dollar dance as well. Which is a really messed up coincidence if you think about it.
    I hope you knew at the weddings to hand the dollar to the best man or maid of honor instead of sticking it in the bride's cleavage or panties...........

    Depends how drunk I was. It pains me you only worried about the wives feeling and not the strippers. "You're a beautiful bushing bride" doesn't go over to well with dancers with daddy issues.
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,716 Member
    Pretty sure I've been to a few here in the Northeast even.

    Mandy honey, it's your wedding. Do what you want.


    For the record I have never been married and weddings make me cringe.
  • SwannySez
    SwannySez Posts: 5,860 Member
    Pretty sure I've been to a few here in the Northeast even.

    Dude. The northeast?

    I find these tacky, but that's frrom an unfortunate incident in which a bride was drunkenly calling out toward the end of a particularly low-rent reception, "C'mon, let's do the ****ing money dance and get the **** outta here."
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,375 Member
    I went to a wedding where the groom was of Polish decent, and they did it. It was cute and fun!
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,716 Member
    Pretty sure I've been to a few here in the Northeast even.

    Dude. The northeast?

    Well I wasn't going to flat out say "The civilized part of the country."
  • SwannySez
    SwannySez Posts: 5,860 Member
    Pretty sure I've been to a few here in the Northeast even.

    Dude. The northeast?

    Well I wasn't going to flat out say "The civilized part of the country."

    30 miles from West by God, pal.
  • DieVixen
    DieVixen Posts: 790 Member
    I have only been to two weddings in my life,and they didnt have them. I dont know that I would participate unless I could dance without having to touch the other person lol
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,716 Member
    I have only been to two weddings in my life...

    SO jealous.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,786 Member
    I've been to several weddings where this seemed to be the norm.

    I've been married 4 times and never had a dollar dance. Missed my opportunity, I guess. I could be Fred Astaire for a buck. Wouldn't be stepping on toes or nothing. For fiver, I'll dance real slow and maybe even dip you.
  • DieVixen
    DieVixen Posts: 790 Member
    I have only been to two weddings in my life...

    SO jealous.

    One was my own,but im not sure it counts since it was only me,my husband,my mom and son standing infront of a judge lol
  • atsteele
    atsteele Posts: 1,358 Member
    I didn't want to have one because I felt that everyone had been more than generous to us when we got married. I was trumped by the matron of honor who told me, and she was right, that people would have been upset that there wasn't a dollar dance. My family is very traditional and did the whole circle thing where the groom has to "rescue" the bride. I thought that was going to end up in a fist fight. We even had German and Polish polkas. My family was very happy. I was mortified by most of it. LOL
  • morganhccstudent724
    morganhccstudent724 Posts: 1,261 Member
    Love Dollar Dances...

    I think they tend to loosen up a stiff crowd....no pun :wink:
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,716 Member
    For Morgan I'm willing to go $5.
  • debloves2ride
    debloves2ride Posts: 386 Member
    I've been to several weddings where this seemed to be the norm.

    I've been married 4 times and never had a dollar dance. Missed my opportunity, I guess. I could be Fred Astaire for a buck. Wouldn't be stepping on toes or nothing. For fiver, I'll dance real slow and maybe even dip you.

    :laugh: my first response to this dip me in what?

    but I digress..... I'm from the south and we have them here, of course the bride may be dressed in camo and hard to find
  • Italian_Buju
    Italian_Buju Posts: 8,030 Member
    When I opened this thread, I thought it was going to be about the actual "Dollar Dance", a dance to a soca song:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmADWxyj_wk&feature=related


    Anyway, I think that it fine, I see it here in Canada all the time....most often, the bills are pinned to the brides dress.....
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
    I've never seen this in the UK at all. Possible that it may happen in some ethnic communities, but definitely not a part of mainstream wedding culture here. What I have occasionally seen is couples asking for donations to honeymoon or similar funds in lieu of gifts, especially older couples who are well-supplied with household goods etc. Honestly, this seems tackier to me than a dancing tradition which also has the function of helping the bride and groom meet/speak to at least half of their guests!
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