Contributed by Fred Astaire Dance Studios
Bride and Groom learn from pros to dance like the stars!
Engaged couples spend years and often tens of thousands of dollars to plan the perfect wedding with just the right venue, menu, band and clothes. Yet often the most celebrated three minutes of the big bash– the bride and groom dance– is a mish mosh of awkwardness and left feet – captured forever in embarrassing videos and photos. Not anymore! Now, in a new 2014 Spring/Summer wedding trend, couples are hiring their very own dance choreographer to teach them to dance like the stars to a happily-ever-after.
Wedding Waltz or Marriage Mambo?
“When couples watch their wedding video, they want to look back with pride at their wedding dance, not embarrassment because they were awkward or because they tripped on the gown,” says Paul Millington, owner of a Fred Astaire Dance Studio, a franchised dance company with studios throughout the country. “Now couples are hiring a highly skilled dance teacher to choreograph all the right moves so they cascade across the dance floor like pros. It takes a lot of rehearsal but it’s a ton of fun and a great way to distress from planning a wedding! Plus, you’d be surprised that the men have just as much fun as the women, even if they had to be dragged here.”
Dance Like the Stars At Your Wedding
The Pros at Fred Astaire Dance Studios created this list of 8 critical questions couples need to ask BEFORE they choose a wedding song/dance.
1) What’s the wedding date? – Most couples need two to three months of instruction and practice so they know the dance automatically without thinking about it.
2) What dress will bride wear? – Is there a long train? What about shoes and high heels? The couple should practice dancing in the wedding clothes so they learn to avoid tripping hazards.
3) DJ or band? – With a DJ, the choreographers can make a special cut of the music that makes it easier for a dance. Bands are trickier because performers often play their own song renditions. Couples should practice dancing with the band so they know their dance matches the band’s version of the song.
4) What kind of dance? Fred Astaire Dance Studio pros say most couples pick out their song right away, but they have no idea how to dance to it. Choreographers will help a couple pick a dance that works with the song. Or if the couple has a dance style in mind, choreographers can pick a song to match the dance.
5) How many guests and how big is the dance floor? Choreographers want to map out a dance so the couple faces the main audience most of the time. They’ll plan a dance around the layout of the room, the space and the location of the guests.
6) Photographer or Videographer? – Once couples know the dance, they need to meet with photographers and videographers so these pros know where to stand for the perfect shot.
7) Announcement of the bride and groom? Fred Astaire dance pros recommend couples dance when they first arrive so their guests can enjoy the dance and then move onto food and conversation. Otherwise, guests are caught off guard, in the middle of their meal.
8) How long is the dance? – Dance pros say the wedding dance song should be no longer than a minute thirty to two minutes. This reduces the stress on the couple, particularly the groom who may be making his dance debut before a crowd. Plus, after two minutes, guests can get antsy and bored.
Come interview young couples learning to dance for the biggest day of their lives and get a sneak peak at the hot, new dances of the wedding season.
Or have our wedding dance experts and their students to your studio or newsroom to discuss these tips for a perfect wedding dance while the couple demonstrates.
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