Now that spring wedding season is gearing up, many new students will be visiting my home studio for their first wedding dance lesson. Many students ask what they should wear and if they need to bring anything specific to their wedding dance lessons. Besides payment (I accept payment on the day of the first lesson), there is little else you need to bring besides an open mind and a positive attitude.
Should I bring my music?
Don't worry about bringing your music, unless you have a special recording of the band or a singer who is going to perform the song on the day of your wedding. If you are planning on dancing to the live version of a song versus the original album version, please let me know so I can plan accordingly. I use Spotify to find and organize the music for my students. You can explore my wedding dance playlists on Spotify by logging in with your Facebook credentials.
What should we wear?
While dancing is a physical activity, unless you are planning an acrobatic first dance, wearing your work clothes or regular after-work clothes is fine. Be comfortable and wear comfortable shoes for your first lesson so you can focus on learning the steps and not trying to balance in high heels. If you are planning on wearing high heels for the big day, you can bring them for subsequent lessons and start breaking them in. For your final lesson/"dress rehearsal," I recommend that ladies practice in a long dress and their wedding heels and men practice in a suit jacket and their dress shoes.
What happens during the lessons?
We dance, of course! But specifically, during our first lesson we'll spend a few minutes chatting about what you want to accomplish and I will share any ideas I have with you about your song and your dance. We talk about whether you want to do a choreographed dance - steps you learn in a specific order to your song - or if you want to just learn general dance steps that go with your song. Most couples do choreography; I find that most couples enjoy having a plan that they can both follow on their wedding day.
Depending on your skill level coming in, we often learn one to three steps during the first lesson that you can practice at home in between lessons. If you are doing a choreographed dance (typically those taking five or eight lessons), we will start putting it together on the second lesson and usually finish most of the dance by the fourth or seventh lesson. That way, the final lesson can be devoted to practicing and polishing the dance and making it wedding-ready!
Don't wait to get started!
My calendar tends to fill up quickly and completely leading up to spring weddings (March - June) and fall weddings (August - November). If you are ready to start dancing, visit my wedding dance packages page or fill out the get started form and I will be in touch with you shortly. I can't wait to work with you on your first dance!
Photograph of Jaimie and Drew by Rebekah J. Murray Photography