Wedding Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is the First Dance important?
Planning a wedding and reception can be complicated. Whether your wedding is a formal black tie affair or an intimate wedding on the beach, your First Dance is one detail that you should not neglect! Let us tell you why!
- The First Dance - just the two of you on the dance floor! It is your first moment to truly be together. Your wedding day will likely be a bustle of activities. Between morning preparations, ceremony, welcoming your guests, and photographs, you cannot miss the chance to share this special moment as Husband & Wife!
- The First Dance expresses the uniqueness of your relationship, and ”how you will dance” through life together. It is your chance to have some fun, show playfulness and express yourself as a couple! Your relationship is uniques and one of a kind, so your First Dance should be the same!
- You will not only learn your first dance, you will enhance your relationship! With your busy schedules and running around planning a wedding, the two of you need a date out! Spend some quality time together, grab a dinner out, have a glass (or two) of wine and enjoy a dance lesson where you will learn a fun pastime that you will continue to share for the rest of your lives!
- The First Dance sets the mood for the wedding reception! All your family and friends came to share the joy of this special moment with you. Let them see how much fun you have together, so they can also have a great time dancing the night away.
- The First Dace is a tradition! The First Dance is a tradition which goes back to the days of Kings and Queens.The First Dance by the King and Queen was the grand opening for the ball. It has now evolved into a tradition at our modern-day wedding.
2. How many lessons will it take to learn to dance?
There is no good answer to this question. The truth is that each of us has different dance abilities. It also depends on your song choice, length of the dance, how much you practice, complexity, and budget. Let’s face it, as a bride would you be happy with “one size fit all” option for your dress? Definitely not, it has to be tailored to your desires, just like a wedding dance!
3. What is involved in designing our First Dance?
We can only imagine how difficult planning a wedding can be! We have years of experience in helping many wedding couples with their first dance. You are in good hands, so relax, sit back, and let us handle it, while you enjoy your dance journey! We will first ask you a few questions about your vision for your first dance if you have one. If you don’t that’s fine too, we will help. During your initial lessons will get to know your personalities and recommend which dance style fits you. During your lessons we collaborate so your dance will be exactly what you have always dreamed of! With practice between lessons and the chance of overcoming any stage fright by dancing in front of our audience you, will look amazing dancing on your wedding day.
4. How far in advance should we start taking lessons?
We suggest that you start your dance lessons as early as possible. The more time you have, the better you will look on the dance floor, not only during your wedding dance but also throughout your reception and future dance events. Starting early will make you feel more comfortable and less stressed about your upcoming deadline. Your dance lessons will be fun date night for you and your fiancé.
Year or more
This is best option for you! We will begin by teaching you not a choreographed routine but basic dance steps and how to lead and follow. You will have a chance to explore all the different and beautiful dance styles from romantic Rumba, fun and lively Swing, Cuban Salsa, sophisticated Waltz and others! We will teach you timing, how to easily transition from step to step, the techniques needed for good execution, as well as how to express yourself through music.
Have you thought about having any dips, tricks or lifts in your wedding dance? If yes, then we will start working on those right away! This way they will feel easy and look polished.
Whether you are hoping to have a fully choreographed routine or a simple lead and follow dance you, will be able to feel the music, be confident on the dance floor and enjoy yourselves. On your wedding day, you will have a spectacular First Dance one you will actually have fun performing. In addition you’ll be able to dance socially to a variety of songs. Most importantly each lesson will feel like a fun date night out for you and your fiancé and you wont feel the stress of a close deadline. As a result your First Dance will be a memory that two of you will cherish forever!
Six to Nine months
With 6 - 9 months before your wedding, you will still be able to learn a lot of social dances and the ability to lead and follow while you and your partner have fun moving comfortably on the dance floor. You will learn how to recognize different dance styles and tempos. If you would like a customized introduction for your dance or an ending with a romantic dip, let us know. of your We will start working on those too. Whether you choose a fully choreographed First Dance or simpler lead and follow dance you will be well prepared to get on the dance floor and dazzle your guests with your Dance of Love!
Four to Six months
If you come to us with 4-6 months before the wedding, we will focus on a more limited number of social dances with an emphasis on the style you choose for your First Dance. Your learning process will still be relaxed and enjoyable.You will be able to learn leading and following techniques so both of you are comfortable moving together. For couples who don’t know what they would like for their First Dance, we will help and suggest elements that will work for you and your fiancé!
Three to One month
With 1- 3 months before your wedding, we get started on your First Dance right away! In addition, we will teach you on or two popular social dances. However, our main emphasis will be on your vision of your First Dance. We will start with teaching you some basic steps so that the two of you can feel confident dancing together to the rhythm of the song, as well as explaining timing so that you are dancing to the music. At this point we will not have sufficient time to master the idea of leading and following and other techniques, but we will make sure that you have a basic understanding of both.
One month or less
With having only one month before your wedding, we concentrate only on your First Dance! We will expedite your learning process by choosing specific steps and adding a few flairs to make it truly unique, beautiful and different. We will decide together whether you prefer a choreographed piece or learn a few lead and follow steps. Although we have a deadline in mind, we still want our students to have fun and excitement during the process of learning, so we ask that you spent this time to look into your partner’s eyes, and create something exciting together, that you can share with your friends and family and keep forever in your hearts.
5. At what point during our wedding reception do we have our First Dance?
There is no right or wrong answer for this question. In reality you can have your First Dance anywhere during your wedding reception. Here are some suggestions based on the experienced of our wedding couples:
- First Dance immediately upon entering the wedding reception.
- First Dance during cocktail hour.
- First Dance during dinner.
- First Dance after dinner.
6. How do you envision your First Dance?
To answer this question let’s first take look at the options?
Would you like it to be classic and romantic, making you feel like Cinderella and Prince Charming?
Would you prefer it to be fun, playful and a bit energetic?
Or do you see it as a combination of both?
No problem. We have also worked with couples who wanted to surprise their guests with a mash up routine, combining two songs, one slow and traditional and the other fast and and funny.
Once you have considered these details, it will be easier for us to design the customized First Dance you have always dreamed of!
7. Do you already have a favorite song?
If you do that’s great! Some of our couples have always had “their song”, one that is meaningful and close to their hearts. We are more than happy to work with it.
For those who don’t, it’s not a problem! We have many songs to choose from. So take a moment with your fiancé to relax, grab a glass of wine, and listen to our playlist. Maybe one of the songs will really inspire you, or the lyrics will have a significant meaning to both of you.
8. How long should our First Dance last?
Our recommendation is that your First Dance should be up to 2.5 min long. Let’s make sure that the first dance is enjoyable for your guests and yourself. Keep it short and interesting.
Many songs are longer than 2.5 minutes, so we might have to get creative! It is OK to choose a longer song, but then we will need to edit it and choose our favorite parts.
If you want to have the entire song played then consider inviting your bridal party or quests onto the dance floor after the two minute mark to keep everyone engaged. Another good option is to start playing the song the before you enter the dance floor to use up some time, or have a sweet beginning choreographed. We love getting creative with those!
9. Should we include Father & Daughter or a Mother & Son Dance?
These dances are optional. Ultimately, you and your fiancé will decide which wedding traditions will be include in your big day. consider if they have any meaning to you. If yes, include them; if not then think of different ways for your parents to join the fun. Ask yourself these questions:
- Would it mean a lot to your parent to have that dance with you?
- Do you want to have that moment with your parent to reflect and chat?
- Do you share a song with your parent that has a special meaning to two of you?
if your have decided to have parent dance then these are our suggestions:
- Keep the dance short and sweet! The parent dance should not outshone your First Dance.
- Choice a song that has some meaning to you and your parent. Maybe its a song that recalls a special moment both of you shared in the past.
- If the two of you don't have special song then consider having Father & Daughter and Mother & Son dances together to the same song. This way it will also symbolize the new bond between your families!
10. At what point during our wedding reception do we have the Father & Daughter / Mother & Son dances?
We have had couples ask us this question many times. There are many different options. You can have all three (First Dance, Father & Daughter, Mother & Son) in sequence right after dinner. This might be a good idea but let’s look at this from your quests perspective. They just finished dinner and had a couple of drinks, and rather than dancing themselves, we are having them sit and watch 10 minutes of dancing! So our recommendation is to have the First Dance before dinner, and the parent dances during or towards the end of dinner. Another good option is to have the parent dances during dinner followed by your First Dance to get the party going. This is great idea if you envisioned having your quests join you on the dance floor during the second half of your dance!
11. Should we have a lead and follow or a fully choreographed routine?
Maybe a choreographed dance is the way for you to go, or maybe you would feel better with a lead and follow dance. Let’s just be clear here; choreography doesn't necessary mean a You Tube worthy extravagant piece. It also can be as simple as having a few basic steps put together in particular order. It is a great choice if:
- You and your fiancé like to know what to expect.
- You don’t like surprises.
- You would like to match dance steps to specific changes in the music.
- You don’t want to feel like you’re just winging it.
- You feel comfortable having a game plan.
The lead and follow option is great if:
- You don’t like to memorize choreography.
- You want to be more spontaneous and have more freedom.
- The groom has good leading and blending skills.
Whether you choose one or the other, we will make sure that you First Dance will be one of a kind and tailored to your needs. It will have a beautiful beginning, middle and a great ending. If your idea is to have a dip with a kiss, or a lift or two, we can make that dream come true.
If you have any other questions, feel free to call us to schedule your Introductory Wedding Lesson & Consultation! We are here for you!
12. What if my Fiancé is already a dancer?
That’s great! It will give your learning process many advantages! However, even though one of you has some experience with dance movement, we still highly recommend you take lessons together.
- We need to get you on the same page with certain steps, as well as teach you leading and following skills so the two of you can easily communicate with each other during the dance
- First Dance lessons are a great way to spend some quality time together. You can experience many other benefits and may even strengthen your bond together and discover new things about each other.
- Learning to dance isn’t about becoming a professional dancer, but to connect to each other through your body movement, and make you feel confident and comfortable together on the dance floor.
- Taking dance lessons together has many benefits including improvements to your physical and mental well being! Don’t miss the chance to experience it together.
- Please don’t teach your Fiancé how to dance. Even if you are an experienced dancer, we don’t want you to have any tension between you. Please leave the work to us while you enjoy each other’s company.
13. What if we have two left feet? Can we still learn how to dance?
Absolutely! We truly believe that dance is an art where age has no boundaries! People of all ages can learn how to dance. Students from 8 to 80 have learned to dance in a fun, easy way at Lake Shore Dance Academy!
Dancing is nothing more than just stepping and moving to a specific tempo of music. We will teach you a few simple elements of dance, such as stepping forward, stepping backward and side to side. These are basic ideas from which all dance steps are created. With our guidance, you will be able in no time to move on the dance floor comfortably, confidently and with joy. Most importantly you will not only dance, but will share this beautiful new hobby with your loved one creating memories that the two of you will cherish forever