Today we’re talking all about first dances on your wedding day! They’re often an overlooked aspect of wedding planning, however they can really reflect your personalities and add an exciting touch to the big day. Ellen is a dance teacher from Yorkshire Wedding Dance and has been choreographing first dances for 12 years- she really knows her stuff! We’ve teamed up to bring you some fab advice about how to make your first dance unique to you. Find out if a choreographer is right for you, and get a load of wedding inspiration whilst doing so! Over to Ellen…
What to consider when choosing a first dance song for your wedding:
what reaction do you want?
Do you want your wedding guests sat back with misty eyes watching a romantic dance, or do you want them clapping along and tapping their feet?
find 'your' song
Is there a song that you remember from a date you went on or from a movie/concert that you enjoyed together?
think about the introduction
Do you like the idea of a song with a musical introduction to walk slowly onto the floor (to ease your nerves), or do you want to start with a 'fake beginning' (where you shuffle first then dramatically burst into a 'proper' dance!)?
search for inspiration
Are there any dances that you've seen on TV/ YouTube that you can take inspiration from?
Practice your first dance in secret to surprise wedding guests!
Almost all the wedding couples that I’ve choreographed for have had their lessons in secret to surprise their guests. Occasionally, couples may choose to involve their children or bridesmaids/groomsmen in their dance, but with this option, couples must factor in that more lessons may be needed due to the number of people- it will just take longer to nail it!
Some wedding venues have beautiful features that you can incorporate into your first dance such as a beautiful fireplace, staircase or pillar. I once taught a couple where one entered from a winding staircase to meet their partner on the floor. Some couples choose to replicate dances from movies, like the iconic Dirty Dancing!
First Dance Choreography queries
How many lessons will we need?
As each first dance is tailored to suit each couple, lessons can vary from 2 to 6 hours. I estimate that for a 2min simple dance with one couple, 2x2hr lessons could be enough. Often, I can arrange to meet couples at their venue for a lesson too. If all you’d like to learn is how to hold each other and a few simple moves, one lesson close to the big day would be ideal.
How far in advance of our wedding should we have a lesson?
If you know that you’re going to be busy with work, wedding planning or childcare, give yourselves a couple of months. This means you can leave gaps in between lessons to practice and then have a short lesson close to the wedding day to ‘brush up’. It really helps to practice in the shoes you’ll be wearing!
There are no hard and fast rules when it come to your first dance. The most important thing is
that it’s a dance that you’ll enjoy with a smile on your face or whispering sweet nothings
(or the next move) into your partner’s ear!
Those all important photo credits...
1) Cover Photo- Matt Badenoch
2) Capture Events
3) HBA Photography ft Tribe Member CRZyBest
4) The Dignums
5) Capture Events
6) The Dignums
7) Marni V Photography
8) Stephanie Butt Photography
9) James White
10) Aaron Storry Photography
11) Marni V Photography
12) Stephanie Butt Photography
13) Matt Badenoch
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