Should I Have A Choreographed First Dance?

To choreograph or not to choreograph, that is the first dance question.  Choreographing the first dance has become quite the trend in the last couple of years.  Video hosting sites have become filled with first dance inspirations and failures which can leave you wondering if you should attempt a choreographed first dance or not.  Here is a helpful quiz provided by The Knot that will aid you in deciding whether or not to attempt an epic first dance. 

Wedding Dancing:  Choreographing Your First Dance?  Take The Quiz

If you do decide to choreograph your first dance there is a range of genres and styles to pick from.  Below are steps that will point you in the right direction when picking the best first dance for you and your fiancé.

1st:  Pick a genre:  Dancing will be a great deal more enjoyable if you both like the music you are swaying to.  Pick a song that has either sentimental meaning or something that brings out the dancing fool in both of you.

2nd: How grand do you want to go?  It’s important to discuss how grandiose you actually want to be with your first dance.  Although one of you may be a glutton for the limelight the other may not be so extroverted, time to start your marriage compromising early and find a happy medium.  Discuss your plans for a first dance with your sweetheart before you actually start creating choreography.  Maybe you are both up for a tantalizing, over the top tango but odds are one of you is not as dancing inclined.   If you decide to do a themed dance like a 20's swing than you can have your house band play a swing version of your favorite song or have them create a 20's playlist.  There are also theme specific bands like dixieland bands that will fit right in with a 20's genre wedding celebration.

3rd:  Decide between lessons or channeling your creative side:  If one of or both of you has taken dance classes before you may be more qualified than you think.  Youtube has lots of tutorials and guides in a variety of styles that can help you create your own personal routine.  If you want to take on a challenge and learn something more classical like a waltz or tango you may want to take lessons for some technical training.  Ask your local dance studios if they offer individual (or in this case couples) lessons for a faster and more personal approach or you can go cheaper by simply attending general classes with everyone else.

4th:  Make it short and sweet:  You may feel extremely confident about dancing back and forth for 3 minutes while you are practicing but don’t forget that you will be alone on the dance floor with hundreds of eyes watching you and it may become uncomfortable and lonely.  Pay attention to how long your song is before committing it to your first dance.  This link will advise you about some other wedding music mistakes.

--Nikole Higgins, Communication Director, Nikole@utahliveband.com