First Dance Tips
The Wedding Dance Coach team has worked with hundreds of couples and throughout the years we have learned a lot about how to best prepare for your first dance. We hope you will find these tips helpful with the planning, rehearsing and performing of your Wedding Dances.
Planning
1. Schedule your dance lessons at least 3 months prior to your wedding. This way you will have a lot of flexibility with scheduling and it is still close enough to the wedding that you won’t forget the choreography. Take the pressure off yourself by planning ahead and give yourself time to learn a new skill!
2. Have your song picked out by your first lesson. Or if you are not sure, bring in your top 2 or 3 songs and your instructor can help guide you to the song that would work best for dance. Your time in the studio is very valuable and you want to spend your time wisely.
3. If you are doing a melody of songs, be sure to have your music professionally edited before your first lesson. It’s important to know what the final vision is for your dance before we get started.
4. Try to keep your wedding dance around 3 minutes. The key is to keep your guests engaged and entertained the entire time. Keep it short, sweet and impressive!
Rehearsals
1. Be sure to bring your wedding shoes to your lessons. This is especially important for the ladies! Dancing in heels is totally different than dancing in flats. You don’t want any surprises on your big day, so bring and practices in your shoes (or comparable shoes if you are worried about marking them up). Men can also benefit from rehearsing in their dress shoes. We find that many men’s shoes are slippery on a wood floor, so it’s always a good idea to take them for a test drive.
2. Brides, be sure your dress won’t interfere with your dance. Remember your partner won’t have a “dress” rehearsal with you in it, so check the length, whether anything is too delicate or restricts your movement, etc. Let your instructor know about any restrictions and we can make modifications to your dance.
3. Bring a video camera so you will have a video to practice with at home. Smart phones and tablets work great! This is a wonderful practice tool and used often by our clients. It also helps alleviate any disagreements while practicing.
4. Be sure to go home and practice the choreography or steps that you learn. That way your instructor can answer any questions you have when you return and quickly move on to the next set of choreography. It’s all about maximizing your time in the studio and the more you practice the better you will feel on the dance floor.
5. Remember that dancing is all about having FUN with your partner! Try not to correct each other (leave that to the teacher) or put too much pressure on getting every move right. You are in this together and the more supportive you can be, the better. This is your time to connect and enjoy being in each other’s presence with no distractions.
Performance
1. First and foremost, remember that no one else knows your routine or what you are supposed to be doing, so just have FUN and smile. Even if you make a mistake, it’s OKAY, no one will notice if you keep going and have a grin on your face.
2. Be sure to let your DJ or Band know that you are performing a choreographed dance and inform them about where you enter and exit the dance floor. It’s important that they know when to cue your music and that everyone is on the same page.
3. Inform your photographer and videographer that you had your dance choreographed so they will be prepared to capture all of your magical moments.
4. Try to relax. This is your moment with your partner and no one else…. get lost in each other’s embrace.
