First Dance Nerves
So you love music, and you already have your favorite songs picked out to play at your reception. But there’s one problem. When there’s music, there’s usually dancing, and that terrifies you. Just the thought of the first dance has you shaking at the knees!
If that scenario sounds familiar, here are a few tips for you.
Identify what terrifies you and rationalize.
Maybe you’re just scared of dancing in front of people. If so, think about it rationally; you’ll be newlyweds! No one is looking to laugh at you or judge your dancing skills. They’ll be too caught up in how happy you two look together. If necessary, plan to dance with your eyes closed, and share your fear with your fiancé so you can support each other.
Take a dance class
Maybe you’re just nervous because you’re not used to dancing. If that’s the case, get yourself and your fiancé along to a dance class. There are group lessons or one-on-one lessons that you can partake in, to learn the moves. The more you practice, the less nervous you’ll be, and the more people you’ll impress with those steps! Be sure to check out Arthur Murray Dance Studio for your lessons.
Get people to join in
While the first dance is a pretty traditional part of a wedding, it’s up to you how closely you follow tradition. If you hate the attention, feel free to invite the rest of the wedding party up to dance a minute or two into the song, so that you don’t have to be in the spotlight the whole time. Here is a first dance mashup remixed by Music By Design.
Don’t take yourself too seriously
Have a sense of humor about it, and just have fun. Dancing is not supposed to be terrifying or add to wedding day stress. Just relax and keep it simple. Talk to your new spouse while you’re dancing, and laugh it off if toes or dresses get stepped on! If you stop worrying about what others will think and just have a good time, then you’ll forget you were even nervous in the first place.
Nix the dancing
This seems like drastic action, but not necessarily, depending on your style of wedding. If you have an occasion that’s more relaxed and laidback, you might find that many people are happy listening to music in the background and chatting with friends and family instead of dancing. If you don’t make a big deal about it, chances are no one will even notice if this traditional feature was skipped. If you don’t want to skip it, sneak a first dance unannounced to your guests, and don’t feel pressured to have your wedding dominated by the dance floor.
Here is another idea…have a “couples dance” dedicated to all the couples from the bride and groom. This dance can start off the dancing (after dinner) and will ease the pressure.
