Expert answer: Help, we’re terrified about our first dance!

Absolutely Weddings’ experts answer your wedding planning questions. Here, Jess Brichto, founder of Start The Dance, offers guidance on how to ensure your first dance goes off without a hitch

Q: We are terrified about our first dance and don’t know how we’ll carry it off in front of guests. What would you suggest?

A: You are not alone! We find couples fall into three broad groups. Many are terrified about dancing in front of a crowd. Some others want guidance without looking as if they’ve had dance lessons. We also work with couples who have a big idea and would like our team’s help to create an original choreographed routine.

“Couples usually see the first dance as their last wedding day ‘formality’, so they really want to have fun and make it memorable”

For all couples, mastering the first dance is a practical, confidence-building process. We consider what you are trying to achieve, and also practical details such as style of music, the size of the space, the dress you’ll be wearing and your heels. We work on elements such as how and where to stand, how to hold each other and how to move together. We also help you plan how the dance starts and ends – for instance cues to move onto the dancefloor and then cues for bridesmaids/groomsmen to join you or the DJ to up the tempo. Typically, within one to two classes couples feel confident and tell us they have one less thing to panic about on the day. We film the finished routine on a mobile phone so couples have a reminder if they need it.

For a more complex first dance, our UK-wide network offers expertise in everything from ballroom and disco to street and Indian classical and can even help select and edit the music. Couples usually see this as their last wedding day ‘formality’, so they really want to have fun and make it memorable. Making time to work out your routine with a professional – whether you want a graceful waltz or a complex storytelling dance – is the best way to own that dancefloor.