First Dance 101

Some good info on your first dance from:

Judy Lewis, Web Mistress
Hudson Valley Weddings
judy@hudsonvalleyweddings.com

Dancing at your wedding reception is a wonderful way to celebrate your special day with your friends and family. There are some traditions relating to "first dances" that are worth following.

After the bride and groom are formally introduced to their guests as "Mr. and Mrs.," the couple shares their first dance, as their special song is played. The lights may be dimmed to add to the romantic atmosphere, or should the couple choose a "raucous song," the lights may be turned up high and the spotlight turned on them.

The process of choosing a song for your first dance is fairly simple. Begin by selecting the type of dance that you would like to do. The fox trot, swing, and waltz are popular choices, but slow dancing, rumba, or any dance you enjoy is fine. Next, you'll need to find a song that fits that type of dance. Many couples don't know how to dance together and, if that's the case, it needs to be addressed when deciding on the song. If you select a song, but are unsure what dance would be appropriate, you can bring a recording to a local dance teacher, or look it up on one of the many wedding song listings on-line. Check song and web site suggestions following this article.

That brings us to the question of whether couples should take dance lessons together before their wedding day. If you have never done any partner dancing before, pre-wedding is the perfect time for you to start. The "payoff" is that you will have found an activity you can share and enjoy for the rest of your lives together. A word of warning . . . if you have decided to take dance lessons only because you feel that some sort of "performance" is expected of you, that's a bad reason to start dance lessons and certainly not conducive to success. As a couple, you will need to decide whether you have the inclination to learn how to dance and whether you have the time available to do so. Any local ballroom will have several teachers with experience in helping wedding couples (make sure that your teacher does), and if money and busy schedules are problems, there are several good instructional videos available that cater specifically to wedding couples.

After the bride and groom have danced for a while (about 2 minutes is enough time), the father of the bride will cut in on the groom and dance with his daughter. The music may change again to suit the change of partners. The groom "leaves" his bride and asks the bride's mother to dance. After an appropriate amount of time, the groom's father cuts in on the bride's father and then he dances with the bride, his new daughter-in-law. Next, the bride's father cuts in on the groom and dances with his (own) wife. The groom will then ask his mother to dance. Next, the parents change partners with their in-laws. The best man comes out to ask the bride to dance and the groom dances with the maid or matron of honor. To complete the wedding dance tradition, the entire wedding party, ushers and bridesmaids come out onto the dance floor and join in the dancing. Once the entire wedding party is on the dance floor, all the guests are invited to participate.

This process is a relatively simple one, made even easier when the couple discuss the particulars, well in advance, with whomever is supplying the music. The couple should make it clear exactly when they would like the father of the bride to cut in, so that it is not done too late or too early. A good MC, band leader or DJ, playing the right music and coming in on cue, can make this tradition run smoothly and create a lovely beginning to any reception.

Visit the WedAlert Wedding Song Directory for wedding song lists.

Here are some First Dance song suggestions:

WALTZ
The Lovers' Waltz by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason (Angel Records)
Could I Have This Dance by Anne Murray
Fascination by Nat King Cole
FOXTROT
I've Got You Under My Skin by Frank Sinatra
Our Love is Here to Stay by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
Cheek to Cheek by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
Moondance by Van Morrison
There's a Rainbow Round My Shoulder by the Brian Setzer Orchestra
Time After Time by Jack McDuff with Gene Harris
SWING
Let's Fall in Love- by Louis Armstrong and Oscar Petersen
Baby, You've Got What it Takes by Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums
I Will Be There by Van Morrison

Dianne Minogue from DJ Entertainment adds "Your first dance will, no doubt, be a special memory-maker. There are virtually an unlimited number of songs from which you may make your selection. Here are some favorites which our brides and grooms have chosen in the past."

Have I Told You Lately by Van Morrison or Rod Stewart
From this Moment On by Shania Twain
Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley
Amazed By Lone Star
Never Thought by Dan Hill
At Last by Etta James
Unforgettable by Natalie and/or Nat King Cole
Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton
I Swear by John Michael Montgomery
Could I Have this Dance by Anne Murray
Always and Forever by Heatwave
Here and Now by Luther Van Dross
I Love You Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel
Still the One by Shania Twain
Power of Love by Celine Dion
Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion
Always by Atlantic Starr
I Finally Found Someone by Barbra Streisand
How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You by James Taylor
I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden
Unchained Melody by Righteous Brothers
I Cross My Heart by George Strait

Whatever song you choose as your First Dance, it will always be special to you . . . and if you have taken the time and effort to hone your dancing skills (or build new ones), it will be a worthwhile investment in your special day and for every time in your future together that music for dancing is played!

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