5 Tips for a WINNING Wedding Dance

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! It’s time to make the most out of your first dance (of MANY!)!
   
We’ve all seen this wedding dance: The couple is announced. The bride and groom move onto the dance floor, obviously uncomfortable. As the music starts, they lean on each other and shuffle back and forth. The song is too long and the guests have lost interest.

Avoiding the ‘monotonous’ wedding dance is easy with a plan.  Your plan can be working together to learn intricate choreography, or simply learning how to move together gracefully and making time for a little practice.  This wedding dance is one of your first joint undertakings as husband and wife. It is not only a beautiful expression of the love you share, but embodies the key element of marriage: teamwork.

Some additional tips will make that teamwork pay off with a beautiful first dance and a lasing foundation.

1.    Pick your song carefully.  Pick a few songs with meaning to you, and then talk to your instructor.  • Song Beat…  Some beautiful songs were not really recorded for dancing.  Typical dances used at weddings are Rumba, Night Club Two-Step, Swing, and Foxtrot.  Your dance instructor will help you choose a song and a dance that go together. • Song Length...  Whatever song you love, remember your guests, and be kind.  We often get antsy watching a 30 second commercial!  You don’t want your guests revisiting the bar  and talking amongst themselves.  Choose a shorter song, have the DJ fade your song out before it’s over, or have the DJ cut you a shorter version to play for your dance.  Keeping it to 2-3 minutes is a good plan.
2.    Plan a beginning and an end.   The entrance and an exit.  Planning this will make you much more at ease during your spotlight moment.  How you will enter the dance floor?  On each other’s arm?  Will you walk on before or after the music starts?  Will you meet in the middle?  How will you end your dance… with a dip, a kiss?  How will you move into the next activity?  A good dance instructor will help plan each aspect and make it seamless and effortless for you.
3.    Start well in advance.   Performing any wedding dance is a new skill, even if you already dance a bit.  Allow yourself time to feel comfortable.  Most couples getting ready for a wedding will need 10-20 private lessons, usually taken a week apart.  Set aside time for this, and time to practice.  Remember that as your wedding date approaches, you’ll be extremely busy with family and last minute arrangements, Practicing your dance will be hard to fit in.  Start early by calling a dance instructor now.
4.    Have fun practicing!   In between your lessons, be sure to practice your new dance skills.  This is a great time to get used to working as a team.  Learning something new can be stressful, though, especially under all the other pressures you may be feeling as you plan your wedding.  So, as you practice, remember why you are choosing to share this dance.  Remember how much you are in love, and have fun together!  Your dance instructor will have many additional tips and tricks for practice time so you are ready and feel confident.
5.    Talk to your DJ and Photographer.   Make sure your DJ and photographer know what you’re up to!  The DJ will need to know how you will enter and exit your dance so they can cue the music accordingly.  If you have a special CD cut, bring more than one copy with you.  Get the DJ to try it on his equipment prior to the wedding to make sure it plays OK.  Photographers are used to couples standing still and swaying in the middle of the floor.  If you plan more than this, be sure they know so they can catch all the important moments of your dance.

Some parting thoughts…
Your dance, no matter what you do, will be a beautiful expression of your love, and a great symbol of your future life together.  Your guests will love anything you do, and be impressed by any extra effort you make.  They love you and are pre-disposed to be happy for you on your wedding day.  So bring joy and love into your dance, don’t sweat the small stuff, and enjoy it all!

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