Why Wedding Dance Lessons Are a Total Must Before Your Big Day

The first dance is one of those moments when all eyes (and cameras!) will be on you and your new spouse. That’s why wedding dance lessons are so essential. Just like you’re going to hire a professional hair stylist and makeup artist to perfect your look and a professional DJ or band to play the right tunes, taking wedding dance lessons from a pro instructor will ensure that your ever-important first dance goes off without a hitch. Yes, it’s an extra expense (but they also make a great gift from a family member or close friend!) and you’ll have to make time for these lessons, but we promise you, you’ll be so glad you took ‘em.

Need more proof? Here are five reasons why wedding dance lessons should be a non-negotiable.

You’ll know you picked the perfect first dance song.

When it comes to choosing a first dance song, it’s not only important to select a tune that’s meaningful to you and your partner, but also one that’s relatively easy to dance to. Sometimes it can be hard to know if a song is really dance-able, but wedding dance lessons can make the answer clear. Your dance instructor has likely heard dozens of first dance songs before, and will be able to tell if your chosen tune is appropriate. If it is, great! If not, he or she will be able to provide ample ideas so you can find the perfect first dance song for your big day.

Wedding dance lessons will help you build muscle memory.

It may surprise you, but dancing is similar to other sports in that you’ll need to train your muscles to do it well. Truly, practice makes perfect in any sport, including dancing. Sure, doing the samba or the rumba might feel a little awkward and difficult at first, but you’ll find that the more wedding dance lessons you take (and the more you practice at home!), the easier the moves will become (we recommend wearing your actual wedding shoes during your lessons, btw). By the time you hit the dance floor at your wedding, your first dance will feel as easy as walking!

Your confidence will soar.

Part of the reason why professional dancers look so amazing is that they exude confidence. They know they’ve got the moves, and they’re truly loving every minute of their performance. By taking wedding dance lessons, you and your partner will not only learn specific steps but also how to feel confident and amazing doing them. Even if you and your new spouse mess up the steps on your big day, you’ll easily be able to recover with smiles and grace because of all you learned during your lessons.

It’s a great bonding opportunity for you and your partner.

We recommend reserving time for weekly wedding dance lessons starting about three to four months before your special day. Not only will this give you ample time to learn all the right moves, it will also serve as a weekly date night for you and your partner. Yes, your dance lessons are for the wedding but you won’t spend the time stressing about the wedding. You and your partner will laugh, talk, touch, and exercise during this time, which is more than you can say about Netflix and takeout nights spent on the couch. And practicing at home gives you another activity to enjoy together, too!

You’ll be able to break out those moves anytime, anywhere.

While you’ll likely be preparing specifically for your first dance during your wedding dance lessons, you’ll learn moves that you can use anywhere. Remember that you’ll be dancing a lot at your reception (not just during the first dance), and you’ll likely be able to show off some of the moves you learned at other points on your big day as well—this will totally impress your family members and friends, especially if you’re usually not a big dancer. And when you attend weddings or other events in the future, you and your new spouse will feel super-jazzed about hitting the dance floor—you’ll be amazed at how long your newly-learned dance moves will stick with you!