Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! If you’ve already made arrangements to start taking wedding dance lessons, are currently learning, or are thinking about taking them, then you’ll certainly want to get the most that you can out of your learning experience and make sure that you’re a total showstopper on the day of. While a desirable outcome depends a lot on the quality of your lessons and the instructor’s qualifications, a weighty portion of that outcome also depends on you! Yes, you!

Below are 6 ways you and your partner can contribute to ensuring that the full stretch of your first dance lessons experience is a complete success, leaving you eager to debut it on your wedding day!

1 💍 Plan Far Ahead & Start Taking Lessons Early

Learning a dance should be fun and, if you start your lessons early enough, you can enjoy the process without feeling the pressure of the wedding looming over you. With so many important details that go into planning, one of the most important being your first dance, getting a solid head-start is best. In fact, scheduling months in advance is ideal – that gives you plenty of time to learn with comfort, practice as often as you need to, develop lots of confidence, and establish fluidity in your dance moves, technique, and the choreography that you learn. The last thing you want to do is hit the dance floor with an extra load of wedding-day jitters all because you don’t feel confident enough in your choreography. This dance, of all dances, should be the one that you remember and feel amazing about every time you think back to it! So make that happen and get the most out of your lessons by prioritizing your lessons just as much as any other planned component of your wedding. It is your first dance as a married couple, after all! Starting early gives you one less thing to be nervous about and you’ll be pros by your big day!

2 💍 Partner with a Dance Instructor Who “Gets You”

Another way to ensure that you get the most out of your first dance lessons is to find the best dance studio to meet your needs, particularly one whose instructors work with couples regularly. Whether they are dating couples, married couples, or couples who are planning to get married like yourselves, the fact that they work with couples on a regular basis means that they understand the dynamics of partner dancing and leader-follower dynamics, which is the expertise you need for this occasion! Typically, dance instructors who work with engaged couples can also serve as great consultants and advisors for song selection or the most popular first dance songs, dance style and song pairings, and possibly other aspects of wedding day preparation.

You’ll also want to make sure that the instructor you work with understands you as a couple. There are several traits that you’ll want to look for when you decide to embark on that search to find a good dance instructor, but most importantly, you’ll need to feel absolutely comfortable with them and be completely capable of having fun and being free in their presence! You should feel present with your instructor and they should be able to make the learning process engaging. You’ll want someone who is experienced, personable, and can expertly teach you everything you need to know about making your first dance a total hit!

This is a vetting process that should actually be addressed before you’ve signed up and started scheduling your lessons, but if you’ve already taken the plunge and feel any bit of uncertainty, then talk with the instructor(s) at your studio about your goals to ensure that your learning experience is the best it can be!

3 💍 Pick a Song & Dance Style Reflective of Your Relationship

Your first dance is a moment that the two of you will remember forever, so everything about it should be a deep reflection of your relationship. With that being said, choosing the right song and dance style can really bring it all together and when you feel good about the song and dance that you’ve chosen, you benefit more from your learning experience.

You might opt for a song that’s about being in love or a song that has a particularly special meaning to you and your partner. Perhaps a classic love song or a more modern ballad. Whatever song you choose, make sure it reflects how you feel about each other and that it’s one you’ll both look forward to listening to many times over in the future.

When it comes to dance styles for your first dance: there is a variety to choose from! Starting off, choosing one can feel like a lot of work, but it is best practice and most simple to select a style that pairs well with your song. Some couples decide to be a bit eccentric with their first dances, leaving tradition by the wayside with lots of fun, imaginative flair. Most couples, however, tend to select one of many ballroom and Latin styles of dance for their lessons, such as Swing, Foxtrot, Two-Step, Salsa, Waltz, and Rumba, all of which are just as fun! It’s up to the two of you and what you’re comfortable with.

At the end of the day, you’ll get the most satisfaction out of your first dance lessons when the song you’re dancing to completely resonates with you both, your chosen dance style is fun and romantic, and you’re completely immersed and invested in the learning process. You couldn’t be more ready for your wedding!

4 💍 Plan for Father-Daughter, Mother-Son, & Wedding Party Dances

You’ll want your wedding day to be as complete as possible, so, in addition to your first dance lessons, you might consider making father-daughter, mother-son, and / or wedding party dances part of the event. They’re pretty common and fall into that category of special wedding-day traditions, so if you’re considering including any of these dances in your day or have already chosen to, then you’ll need to schedule lessons plenty in advance.

Whether or not you include father-daughter, mother-son, or wedding party dancing, there’s no right or wrong way to go. It ultimately comes down to who and what you envision as being important parts of your big day. But again, if you are including these special dances, then scheduling your lessons far ahead of time (ideally months) and ensuring that all parties are active and invested will result in the best outcome.

5 💍 Practice Your First Dance as Often as You Can

Repetition creates memory and memorization helps things come to you like first nature – the same applies to dancing. As you take lessons for your first dance, make sure you bring home what you’re learning in the studio and put it to use in your spare time. You don’t need an entire ballroom to practice – a living room, kitchen, guest room, the back yard, a wild field, or even a beach will do just fine! You’ll want to return to each subsequent lesson ready to reach new heights and, because you’re putting everything to the test on your own time, you’ll be able to achieve just that! It goes without saying that practicing what you’re being taught will benefit you exponentially in your first dance learning journey and give you maximum results on your wedding day.

6 💍 Be Authentic, Happy, & Carefree

Be yourselves! Be free! Be confident! Have fun! Letting your hair down and embodying these traits every time you show up for a lesson will make it all the more easy for you to exude them on the day of your wedding! You and your partner will have such a great time learning while being your-natural-selves and bonding over the music and choreography. When it comes to performing your first dance, you’ll truly shine, because you’ll have had lots of practice being true to yourselves in the moment; you’ll glow and everyone in attendance will absolutely see and love it!

It’s a piece of cake! Getting the highest benefits from your first dance lessons while ensuring the best outcome on your wedding day means practicing what you’ve learned, exercising confidence, preparing in advance, getting everyone involved fully on board, partnering with an instructor who specializes in wedding dances, and selecting the song and dance style combo that truly represents the two of you! With these 6 tips implemented, there’s no reason why your wedding’s first dance would be less than stellar! If ever you feel that your personal goals aren’t being met during the course of your lessons, then talk to your instructor to attain clarity or discuss any adjustments that need to be made. Congratulations again and good luck!

Are there any extra tips that you’d like to share with couples who are planning to take lessons for their wedding? Feel free to share anything that you think will help others get the most out of their first dance lessons in the comments section below!