The First Dance

When I was in college, I had the opportunity to study abroad in London. I arrived not knowing a soul, was super jetlagged, and a little afraid of fish and chips. But coming from a college in a small southern town, I was elated! And my first night there, a group of us students were anxious to experience some real nightlife. We arrived at a club, but I'm not much of a dancer, so I shuffled around in a corner when a rowdy English boy jumped at me and shouted, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?" I look around, wondering what he is talking about. "uuuuhhh...," is all I managed to say. He asked me again, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?" After about 7 seconds of brow furrowing, he replied to his own question, "It's a dance floor! Do you know what you do on a dance floor? YOU DANCE!"

So his statement of the obvious didn't inspire me to break out into the running man (yes, I am that cheesy), but I thought it was good advice. If you've got a dance floor at your wedding, then you've got to dance! And whether you like it or not, guests look forward to that first dance! Don't be afraid to kick it up a notch or use a less traditional song! My husband and I started with a slow song and then transitioned into a faster one, so guests were totally taken by surprise. (He won't let me post the video on here because we do look a little like monkeys with our arms flailing about, but maybe one day I can convince him.)


The Thriller. Taken straight from the classic Michael Jackson video, this one is a true favorite, but hard to achieve due to complex choreography. The thought of weekly rehearsals may scare off some grooms.


The Fake-Out. This usually involves a song that suddenly skips a beat or fades out, while the couple stands around for a second looking utterly confused before breaking out into a faster dance. This particular one involves dancers and strobe lights.


Separate Entrances. This bride and groom took a unique approach and entered separately to their own theme music.