The Dress & The Dance
So you have the dress of your dreams!
It’s sooo perfect and sooo you!
Now you’re starting to learn a first dance and what about that dress of your dreams?
Does it dance?
I have had brides wear everything from the $5, 000+ designer dress to the white matching aloha muu muu and shirt.
Brides have come in telling me that they’re going to wear a “mermaid” dress, an “A-line” dress, a “Scarlet O’Hara” type ballgown and hoop, a heavy beaded dress (one was over 35 pounds!) or a gown with a skirt that is cathedral length with no bustle only a loop to go over the hand.
Gowns cut straight across the bust are a challenge since one does not want to “pop” out. Gowns with small sleeves are usually not made for the brides to lift their arms in them. And gowns with lots of embellishment need extra care when coming into close contact with the groom for a dip or leg work or cuddle.
Plus I’ve had brides wearing dresses culturally particular to various countries, some with pieces of material over five yards long that will need to loop over one arm, scarves that the couple entwine into and figure fitting tight knee length dresses with little above the arm reach.
It is challenging to dance certain dances in certain dresses but compromises can be made with dance steps to keep you looking like a princess in that dress of your dreams!
I always talk with my bride in advance about her dress (after all many of the fellas are still convinced that the dress is polka dotted with stripes so we need to keep the secret!) and we work through whether it will be bustled and also what kind of “reach” the bride will have when she steps forward and back and side to side.
If you’re totally in love with an Argentine tango for your first dance and yet the dress of your dreams is a Gone With The Wind ballgown we may have to rethink some steps!
Likewise if you’re special song is a waltz and your dress is totally form fitting with about a four inch walking step we will have to get creative about the dancing and do lots of beautiful arms.
Different dances do just “look better” in certain dresses but I always tell my brides that if they love their dress and they love their song and the two wouldn’t normally “go together” – we will make it work!
After all, years from now you want to look back on your wonderful day, dress of your dreams and first dance and song and say “This was totally how we wanted everything to be”!
Below is a wonderful testimonial from one of my very recent brides. She mentions her dress was challenging but they did it and loved their dance!
Email me at jillian@ourweddingdance.com if you have dress and dance questions and I’m sure we can come up with a wonderful dance to make you look gorgeous in your dream dress!
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Hi Jill,
It’s been a crazy week but we had to share with you how our guests loved our first dance… It was so nerve wracking that Rey and I didn’t know how to pull it off… but with all the steps you’ve taught us we were able to improvise.
We had a hard time with my dress but we made it through our grand finale. 
We don’t have the official photos and videos yet but we would like to share with you a link from our photographer.
Hope you enjoy the link and we’ll keep you posted when we receive the official photos and videos.
Take care, Rey and Shella
(Married: October 10, 2009, Reception: Anaheim Hilton, Song: “When You Say Nothing At All”)
