First and foremost, congratulations! This is a very exciting and happy time in life as you start, or continue, preparing for the big day! As you very well know, there are many aspects to consider when preparing and planning for your wedding. One thing you cannot forget to also prepare for is your first dance with your beloved and the first dance with your father or mother! I am here to help with making your wedding dance a dreamed one, and help you understand how your first dance lesson and consultation will look like.
Let’s face it, we are unbelievably happy for the newlyweds who are swept up in each other’s eyes, however, that moment is not as memorable as it could be.
Working with numerous clients throughout the years as a professional, I have learned that the couples have really enjoyed learning how to dance and performing on their big day! So whether you wish to begin your ballroom dancing adventure with a simple yet romantic rumba or take your guests’ breath away with a fiery tango, you have come to the right place for your first wedding dance lessons.
Here is a list I compiled that will help you feel more prepared, confident, and comfortable as you begin to your first wedding dance lessons journey!
What to Bring
- Bring Your Wedding Shoes — You will be dancing in your wedding shoes, so it will be best to wear those shoes. This is ideal so you can get used to how they feel on your feet and also to determine how easy it is to move in them. Obviously if you don’t have your wedding shoes yet, just wear shoes similar to them.
- Dance Attire — Ladies should try to wear a dress, preferably similar in length to your wedding dress (but keep the dress details to you and your teacher, we don’t want to give away the surprise to the groom!) Gentlemen should wear dress slacks with a dress shirt. Dressing up only enhances the experience of trying something new!
- Bottle of Water – Make sure to bring some water with you to the dance studio since ballroom dancing can make any dancer work up a sweat. Remember: hydration is key!
- Calendar — Probably one of the most important parts of your preparation is your calendar. Bring your calendar so you can make a clear plan with your teacher and map out your dance date time. Even if you wedding is months away, time will fly by!
What to Know When You Arrive
- Arrive Early — Please arrive 15 minutes before your very first lesson since your dance teacher will want to get to know you, your dancing goals, and add you to our system. This also includes elements of consultation. Normally, please arrive 5 minutes before your appointment time. Your instructor will be waiting for you and will be very eager to start on time to give you the best experience possible.
- Song Ideas – Have a few ideas of what you had in mind for a song. Knowing what song you wish to dance to will help create a clearer vision for your dance, especially throughout the consultation. Unsure of song ideas? Check out these fabulous suggestions: Top Wedding Dance Songs 2018, Under the Radar Songs, and Classic First Dance Songs.
- Consultation – During your first few lessons, your instructor will dedicate time to work with you and consult you regarding your first dance vision.
Fill Out Paper Work
Upon arrival, our fabulous staff will greet you and help acclimate you to the studio. They will provide you with the appropriate registration paperwork to fill out prior to your lesson and introduce you to our Wedding Specialist.
Meeting the Wedding Specialist
Together with your wedding specialist you will sit down and answer some of the wedding questions to learn about what you want to accomplish, dance experience, song choice, size of the dance floor at the reception, dress style and other important details. Together we will talk about your vision of the first dance, some couples want their dance romantic and slow, the others upbeat and fun, Or maybe you would like a mash up of both. We can do that too. All of our lessons are customized to your vision, desire. We make your first dance dream come true. Your teacher will fill you in on how we teach, the particulars of what couples do after the first lesson and more.
During the Lesson
- Learning the Essentials — Your instructor’s main priority is to show you that learning to dance can be fun, quick and easy. This will be done by showing you the components of dance and introducing you to the most popular wedding dances.
- Move to Music — Arguably, this is the most fun part of the lesson! When your music comes on and you are moving to the music, all your doubts begin to fade away. Something to keep in mind, is that before you begin dancing to your selected song choice it is essential to learn the basic steps, which rea best done with specific tunes.
- Keep an Open Mind – For those who are completely new to dancing, the steps you will learn are likely to feel unnatural, so it is very possible that you might feel like a robot during your first several lessons. Fortunately, those feelings are to be expected. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy learning your special dance for your special day!
At the End of the Lesson
- Review – Your teacher will probably spend a few moments verbally reminding you of the steps you learned during the lesson.
- Ask Questions – If you are feeling unsure about a certain step or anything that happened during the lesson, please ask. We love questions!
- Homework – Yes, there is homework. Your instructor is most likely going to assign you two homework, which will be to practice the steps you learned. Fortunately, this homework can often be accomplished at home!
At this point, I hope that I have eased some of your nerves about preparing for your first dance. Still feeling unsure or have any lingering questions? Here are some terrific resources: Lake Shore Dance Academy (LSDA) Website, our TheKnot page, other First Dance Tips, and our YouTube page.
Still have questions, please give me a call or send a message!