Choreographed first dance

My FH and I just had this conversation last night. We are both pretty good dancers but I think a choreographed dance would be nice. We already have a studio in mind.

I'd love a choreographed dance but have nooo idea where to go.

Our venue has a dance studio that uses the space during the week and in our package includes 2 free dance lessons. My MIL really was nervous about dancing with DH so i told him to take his Mom and use the lessons for a first dance. She was so excited she cried! This is her first wedding she has ever attended that wasn't courthouse or justice of the peace, so she is extremely excited. I can't wait to see them dance! They are learning a basic dance nothing crazy.

Unless its a ballroom type dance I find them super awkward.

We're doing a choreographed one, but I was a bad dancer to start with and FH didn't know how to find a beat. Initially we just went to learn some moves, but then we decided to get a package of 10 lessons because it was a good deal and we were really bad, and at some point it turned into a choreographed dance. It's nothing that would get a ton of youtube hits, but it's more than just swaying back and forth (and I get to spin a lot in my twirly ballgown). Plus, it's turned into fun dates and has helped de-stress from the wedding a bit. I highly recommend at least getting a few lessons, whether you want to choreograph the whole dance or not. But start early!!! Our teacher tells us all the time about couples who come in the week of and week before with too high of expectations for choreography.

@donya- I found ours by googling "dance studio [city]". , and checked out Yelp for reviews. I don't know where you live, but most cities have some kind of dance studio. There are lots of Arthur Murray studios all over, or look for an independent place in your town. If they offer ballroom dancing, they should be able to help you out.

I find them awkward to watch.

We won't be doing a choreographed dance that would be Youtube hit or anything but we are going to take some dance lessons so that we have an idea of what we're doing. Because FH has only ever slow danced at a prom and god knows my slow dance moves are basically swaying back and forth and ugh, the thought of just doing that while people stare at us makes me cringe. So I'm hoping to get a little choreography going on - like a waltz or something (totally just pulling dance names out of my ass, no idea if that's even an appropriate dance to do to some modern music).

I find them awkward too.

I taught my FH a basic waltz and will run him through that a few times but no choreographed parts

We're going to practice dancing to our song but it won't have choreographed moves, maybe just choreographed timing.

I think these are cute (unless it's two horrible dancers who are embarrassingly bad). I think learning the waltz or foxtrot or whatever else is a great approach even if you don't choreograph it per se. It's more awkward to two people sway back and forth for 5 minutes than a choreographed dance IMO.

We are definitely choreographing ours, but then again, we are both ballroom dancers!

@donya, I second pp that suggested Athur Murray.

That's where fh and I dance, and we love it. It's not cheap, but it's totally worth it because the teachers are really well trained.

Just a general note on choreography. Depending on the studio you go to, you can dictate the level of "choreography."

At my studio, they ask couples if you want to make it a performance, or if you just want to learn four or five moves you can put together in your own order so it looks like you know what you're doing but it doesn't look staged.

We are winging it to a jazz piece.

We're not choreographing ours in the sense of a dance recital-esque feeling (I know that's all the rage on YouTube) but we are taking dance lessons to move elegantly through our song. I do think the choreographed dances are just as awkward as hands on hips/shoulders the whole time like a flash back to middle school dances. We both need the dance lessons & think our song needs it (lana del rey- young & beautiful). FH agrees & excited to spin me (which I think is super cute).

I'm a big fan of choreographed first dances. I've noticed that our couples who choreograph their first dances have so much more fun than if they had just slow danced in circles. It also engages the guests a lot more, because let's be honest, most guests don't even pay attention to the first dances. It definitely doesn't have to be anything crazy or cheesy.

I feel so horrible for saying this but I hate the first dance!

Ugh it's so awkward to watch and it's awkward to do while everyone's watching. I hate it lol.

I think such great choreographed dance and create the best performance