Wedding First Dance Tips Part 2 Wedding Tips for Brides
Welcome back to our Tuesday Tips hangout with Caffrey’s Photography, A Houston 
Wedding Photographer.
Last week we talked about the wedding first dance and its origins in the past.We found out that the origin of the dance was to announce to the clan that a groom had taken (essentially kidnapped) his bride. The Dance had signaled the beginning of the party that celebrated his catch. We found that they dance has evolved into its current version and without the ” kidnapping” ritual it continues to be the defining moment that kicks of the party to celebrate the bride and grooms marriage. Today we will discuss the dance itself.
In the more civilized and recent past, and before video games and TV were a common item in our homes, people turned to dance for entertainment. It wasnt uncommon for society to learn ballroom dances such as the Waltz and the Foxtrot as they were some of the main dances of the times. Consequently, the wedding first dance was traditionally a Waltz. For those of you that have seen the Waltz performed well will no doubt attest to the dances elegance and beauty. Unfortunately, ballroom dancing does not have the widespread appeal that it had in the past. So where does that leave the modern wedding first dance?
As wedding photographers for the last 10 years we can say that we have seen many different first dances. Anything and everything from a country 2-step, a Jr High slow dance to a formal Viennese Waltz. Along with this we have spoken to a number of couples that feel like the first dance is the MOST stressful event in the wedding. All eyes are on them as they announce their marriage and kick off the party. Anyone that is not really comfortable with dancing can see their dilemma. What kind of dance do we do? Should we take lessons? Do we skip it altogether? All great questions and hopefully we will answer a few of them today.
Lets cover the “do we skip the dance totally?” question. For some couples this isnt even a concern and they are having it. For some couples the thought of dancing in front of all those people is frightening. They are the ones that this is going to be directed to.
One reason to have the dance is that people really do connect it with the kick off of your marriage. It is a tradition and people like to watch you as a couple do one of the first things you will do as a married couple and that is your dance. It is a romantic moment in the day that everyone loves to be a part of. For those of you who do not know how to dance you can stand up and do what I call the “Jr High shuffle”. Take each other in your arms and sway to the music while you focus on each other. You will be surprised when you are looking into your new mates eyes how everything else just fades away and it is just the 2 of you and the music. This dance is easy that any one can do it and my guess is you have done this once in your life. For those that are terrified of this moment, this is an easy solution to get this done.
Another reason to do this first dance is that can be a super romantic moment in the evening. As a photographer, we like to photograph images that show a ton of emotion in them and the first dance has a tendency to do just that. Your wedding day is going to FLY by and it will be over in no time. Many couples cant believe that it is over at the end of the evening. The difficult thing about this is there is very little time that you as a couple get to spend just focused on each other. You will find yourself pulled in one direction or another as guests want to visit with you and offer their best wishes. The first dance is actually one of those moments that allows you and your newlywed spouse to have a few minutes of quality time together. Because of this intimate time your going to spend together, the emotions of the day tend to show really well. We find this to be one of those perfect unscripted moments that gives us some awesome images. This is our selfish reason for wanting you to actually have a first dance and not skip it.
With this being said, it is our advice that you have a first dance regardless of the type of reception you will have. If your nervous about this dance be sure to talk to someone about it. We are more than happy to help you with it as we feel it is an important part of the wedding day.
Check back next week as we continue to discuss the wedding first dance.
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Wedding Tips for brides
