I keep glancing at this thread title and reading “wedding MONKEY dance”, and since it’s a constant distraction, I figured I’d add my two cents.
In addition to whether or not the wedding guests are familiar with this practice, one should consider how the dance itself will be handled. I say that it’s in NO WAY acceptable to bully, or even “gently encourage” people to participate. I’ve heard about too many money dances where some poor sap had to shell out $20 to dance with the bride for 7 seconds, because he didn’t have any smaller bills and therefore tried to blend in with the tablecloth and politely pass on the activity, but was loudly ridiculed and made to feel “cheap” for not participating, and/or asking for change so that he wouldn’t have to pony up $20 of his hard-earned cash.
If it were my wedding, I wouldn’t allow it, period–and I am broke as a joke. I just think that if you’re going to invite guests, make them feel like guests, like people whom you invited because they’re important to you and because you wanted them to share your special day, NOT like people you invited in the interest of sapping them dry. The day should, essentially, be YOUR treat (which means no cash bar, either), IMO.
But a wedding monkey dance? Whole different story. 