Advice for Brides and Grooms: First Dance

I am back today to elaborate on the advice I gave in my Trusted Tips video, created in partnership with The Dandelion Patch and Bowen Films, regarding how to best handle your first dance.  Did you see my earlier advice posts on wedding transportation advice, wedding reception seating tips, and eating the morning of your wedding? If not, please check them out.

In the advice video I mention that if you are very nervous about the first dance, feel free to ask your wedding band or DJ to end it early. There is no shame in this, and your wedding guests will be happy to get out to the dance floor sooner rather than later. To go a step further, if you are very very nervous about it, then don’t do it at all! While most couples do share a formal first dance at their wedding reception, I’ve had a handful over the years who skip the tradition altogether. If you are just a bit embarrassed about it, and want to look really good during your first dance, you should take some dance lessons.

While I have you, I’m going to talk a bit about other formal dances you may be considering for your wedding reception. For the traditional bride/father or groom/son dances, if you want to, you could combine these traditions into one song. Typically in this combo situation, the bride will start with her dad, and the groom with his mom will join in after the first verse of a song. I’ve also seen bride/mother dances when the bride’s father wasn’t at the wedding, which were very sweet. I don’t see many other formal dances at weddings anymore. The Anniversary Dance is still a popular option, if you are going to have a number of married couples on your guest list that would enjoy the spotlight.

Are you worried about your first dance? What steps are you taking to alleviate those nerves? Leave me a comment below! Also, bonus points if you include your first dance wedding song – I love seeing what couples pick!

First dance photo credits from top to bottom: Lisa Boggs, Shelby Leigh, Connor Studios, Deb Lindsey, Eli Turner, Orange Lemur, Jaxon, Lisa Boggs, Kristi Odom, Brian Tropiao, and Debi Parker