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Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
Here’s your wedding checklist for a successful first dance!
Deciding on a Song: This can be a tricky maneuver, especially with two opinions. Try to set some time to brainstorm together. Open up your ITunes accounts and each of you, make a list of your favorite artists and some appropriate songs. Then get a bottle of wine and sit down and play those songs for each other telling the other person what that song means to you and why it makes you think of your wedding day. You will narrow the lists quickly with the other person there to yay or nay. When you’ve got a list of under 10 or so songs, spend the next few weeks playing them in the car or at the gym and make you decision from there.
Choose a Dance Studio: Fred Astaire Dance Studios are the place to learn to ballroom dance. With 24 locations in CT and MA we are convenient to get to and host a team of talented and certified instructors. Usually one partner will have some nerves about going to a dance studio and learning to ballroom dance. If the either partner feels comfortable dancing or has taken some form of dance before it is even more imperative, as your fiancé will more than likely be doubting their skills in comparison to yours.
Booking Your First Appointment: Select a studio with the studio locator tool. Call or fill out a web form, and book your first appointment sooner than later. If you have 12 months until your wedding, time is on your side. You can always learn your dance and then spend some time practicing on your own. Don’t wait until the last minute if possible. Learning to dance is easy and fun, but requires some time to sink into your body. The more time you have the better your dance will look and feel on your big day. If you need a crash course, our instructors will help you to get by. But, a few lessons with months to practice will always come out better than the same amount of lessons a week before your big day.
What to Tell Your Instructor: When you show up for your first lesson, DO tell your instructor every detail you can think of about your dress, shoes, venue, schedule or other father daughter dances, groomsmen dance, speeches etc. If you have ever danced before or need help with a final selection of music or if you need your music cut. Sometimes prior dancing experience is not as helpful as one may think, depending on the style of dance. It’s helpful for your instructor to know what obstacles they might have so they can approach teaching you as individuals.
To Choreograph or Not to Choreograph: That is the question. Every couple is different, and everyone’s vision of their first dance is different. You may want to “just get by” but your fiancé might need to know exactly when and where to move. Choreography is simply planning out the movement to the entire song. Social dancing in some cases is actually harder. The leader needs to be able to think on his feet enough, know how to lead and have a decent understanding of his options for steps to be able to pull it off. The follower needs to understand the cues and the foot patterns well enough to be able to go with the flow. Each couple needs to learn a few steps and make that determination; there is no one size fits all.
Taking Your Lessons: Keeping your lessons close together is important. Just like learning another language the less time you have to forget new material, the more likely it is to stick. Try to carve out at least 2 hours per week to dedicate to your dancing.
On Your Wedding Day: Try to plan 30 or so minutes to have the actual floor to yourselves before the reception starts to run through your dance. It will help you to remember what to do. With so many things running through your mind on your wedding day, it is helpful to have a moment to just focus. Remember there will be photos and videos of this moment so you want it to go as planned. It’s also helpful to use the actual floor incase anything comes up. There might be an imperfection in the wood floor, a table encroaching on one side or cords taped down for DJ or lighting equipment. A quick practice will help you to clear your mind and take into account any unknowns.
