In its first annual wedding entertainment survey, GigMasters—the largest wedding and event entertainment booking service—found that despite popular belief, only 8% of couples’ first dance songs had been “their song” before the wedding. Most couples (40%) chose the song together specifically for the first dance of their wedding. The survey, which polled nearly 800 respondents (70% brides), is the first wedding survey specific to entertainment trends, choices and concerns. To date, over 60,000 couples have used GigMasters to book wedding entertainment onhttp://www.gigmasters.com.

“Because of our unique, direct contact with couples and entertainers, we notice trend changes in wedding entertainment traditions first,“ says Marta Segal Block, GigMasters’ Editorial Director. “This survey furthers our knowledge of how couples feel and think about entertainment for the big day.” More findings from the survey include:

First Dance Song Choice Not Like “In The Movies”

“We hear from couples who say they feel like they’re not romantic because they don’t have ‘a song,” says Block. “But the reality is, most couples don’t—that’s a movie thing! In real life, picking your wedding song is just one of the wedding tasks that helps you learn how to work together and compromise.”

•     70% of couples plan to have a first dance but only 8% choose “their song”
•     40% choose the first dance song together, 20% have one person choose it.

She Did It “Her Way”

•     Although 10% of brides feel that they are planning the wedding on their own, the majority are receiving help (40% said from their parents).
•     In addition to the expected large percentage of grooms who are helping to plan (56%), 18% of couples answered that the parents of the groom are the ones helping the most with planning.

Just Dance!…Please!

•     The majority of polled couples (60%) revealed that they are most worried their guests won’t dance or will be bored at the reception.
•     Contrary to the stressed out Bridezilla stereotype, the majority (64%) of both brides and grooms say that they never or “almost never” have actual nightmares about their wedding.

It’s My Wedding And I’ll Cry If I Want To

•     22% of brides expect to cry during that first dance, but many more (36%) expect to cry during the Father-Daughter dance.
•     38% of grooms expect to cry while saying their vows.
•     Over 80% of respondents expect to shed tears at some point during the wedding with a near split of those tears happening while walking down the aisle (47%) or saying the vows (49%).

A Custom That’s Getting Kicked To The Curb

•     30% of respondents plainly “hate” the idea of the garter toss and don’t plan on doing it.
•     70% of couples intend to blend their individual tastes with classic wedding traditions.

For a complete copy of the survey results, email marketing(at)gigmasters(dot)com.