Whether you have been dancing since childhood or have never stepped foot on a dance floor, you’ll want to be prepped to cut a rug at your reception, and look good while doing it.

The First Dance

Mike Del Campo, owner/operator of Del Campo Dance Studio, recommends engaged couples consider the following details when preparing for the first dance as husband and wife:

•    surface and size of the dance floor
•    how many sides guests will sit on
•    shoes and the surface of the soles
•    length and fit of the bride’s dress
•    length of the song.

If you need extra help, have little experience movin’ and groovin’ to the music, or don’t know what jig fits with your song, Del Campo says dance lessons are a good route to consider.

While he says, “private lessons work the best,” group classes can be good for those interested in learning a few steps.

Start private lessons six months before your wedding, says Frank Williams, owner of Carmichael’s Arthur Murray Dance Studio. This will ensure you are comfortable moving together, and allows ample time to learn more than one dance. “You look so beautiful dancing the first dance,” he says, “but you still have the rest of the reception to impress [people],” he says.

Typically one private lesson starts at $65, says Williams, but some studios also offer wedding packages, which include group and private lessons.

Please see a copy of the Fall/Winter 2008 Our Wedding magazine for a chart on Entertainment Cost Comparisons.