Bridal Veil Lengths

The wedding veil and… the first dance!

Will you be dancing your first dance with your veil on?

If you answered yes, how long or short is it?

Does it reach to the floor?

Just a “finger tip”?

A “blusher”?

Whatever the veil is let me know about it when I’m learning about your special clothing and shoe issues you have for your first dance.

A long veil has the hidden “opportunity” of getting wound-up around the groom’s arms as he leads the bride in a twirl or cuddle… and we don’t want him to end up trapped in a web of white netting!

Shorter veils don’t get in the way as much however, there is still the chance that the groom may take his lovely bride into the dance frame and trap the veil underneath his right hand on her back.

This would not be optimal since he certainly doesn’t want to pull anything (read that hair and veil attachment combs or pins) that might endanger the bride’s carefully coiffured wedding day hair-do!

Here are a few dos and don’ts for first dances with veils:

1. Do consider bringing a “practice veil” of the proper length to one of your dance lessons if you think your veil could be an important accessory for your groom to remember;
2. Do consider removing your veil if your first dance is going to be a frisky swing or salsa (you can always put it right back on afterwards!);
3. Don’t worry if you are really in love with your veil or it goes super perfectly with your amazing gown – we can always work out the logistics with your groom and you and the veil will be safe from embarrassing windups or hair disasters;
4. Don’t forget to let me know how you’ll be dressed either before your first lesson, so your groom won’t hear about THE dress, or we can send your groom to get a drink of water and you can show me a picture on your phone and give me all the details.

Want to know more about all the different types of wedding veils?

Visit this informative web page at http://www.wedding-veil.com/how-to-choose-a-veil-old.html on “How To Choose A Perfect Veil”.

Happy almost Halloween & hope you get lots of treats!

xxoo Jillian

Visit my couple’s testimonials page at http://ourweddingdance.com/couples.htm to read wonderful notes from so many of my fantastic brides and grooms.  You can always email me at Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com or text or call me at 949.400.7347 about your wedding veil!

“I’m so excited… and I just can’t hide it”!

OurWeddingDance.com

Well, it took some time but all good things do – don’t they?

There are lots of links to some great first dance and father daughter dance song selections as well as some even more wonderful (if that could be possible!) testimonials from my  students.

There is so much to see and experience on the site and I absolutely love the new top page full of beauty and color.

After all isn’t that what it’s all about?

Beauty in your dance for all to see your love for each other…

Beauty in your dancing with each other so you can feel fun and romantic…

And beauty in your marriage for the rest of your wonderful lives together…

With 69 pages on the site I think there is literally something for everyone here!

So browse a bit and let me know what you think…

And don’t forget to email me at Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com with all your questions about first dances and first dance songs.  I can’t wait to help you dance your reception away to your special first dance song and all your music!

Happy Labor Day,

Jillian (Click here, here and here for some sample first dances!)

Phuong & Richard

Visit the Our Wedding Dance page on Music at:

http://ourweddingdance.com/wedding-music.htm

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Visit the Our Wedding Dance page on Testimonials at:

http://ourweddingdance.com/jillians-testimonials.htm

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Visit the Our Wedding Dance page on my Couples at:

http://ourweddingdance.com/couples.htm

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Dance Lessons taught at Avant Garde Ballroom  at 4220 Scott Place Newport Beach, CA  92660.  Contact Jillian by phone or text 24/7 at 949.400.7347.

What with Thanksgiving and baking a sweet potato pie with marshmallow meringue for the first time and all this crazy weather… I can scarcely believe tomorrow is December 1st.

Around this time of year my thoughts always turn to holiday gift giving and what to get those friends and relatives who literally have everything they think they need or want. 

Well, almost…

What I like to do is give people something they might not give themselves.

Something that can give them joy and fun for more than just a day or so.

Yes, you guessed it – how about some ballroom dancing lessons!

Lots of friends and family members just love to watch Dancing With The Stars and So You Think You Can Dance but might not ever even dream about actually going into a dance studio and taking some lessons in steps and choreography and lead and follow.

I’ve seen grown adults sashay around in front of me saying,

“And then he took her like this and they dipped and they held this pose, oh dear, I’m not doing it justice, but it was sort of like this and I just loved it and thought it was so pretty and so romantic”.

So bring some of that sparkle this season to someone you know who watches the shows and ohhs and ahhs over the gorgeous costumes and breath-taking choreography!

Give a ballroom dancing gift certificate to your favorite dance enthusiast.

Give a wedding dance gift certificate to your friends who are getting married.

Give dance lessons this year to that couple looking for something fun to do for “date night”!

I offer gift certificates for hour long dance lessons in any denomination you’d like and I take credit cards over the phone and can even arrange everything through email.

You can have an emailed printable gift certificate in minutes to put in someone’s lucky stocking, or give as a hostess gift or even wrap up in a little box with cookies or chocolates.

Your friends and family members can learn lots of new dance moves, polish up old skills and lead and follow with ease and flair.

Call me today at 949.400.7347 or email me at Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com for more information.

Click here for my Ballroom Dancing Gift Certificates page and more information.

Happy almost December, Jillian

Happy Holidays!

]]> http://ourweddingdance.com/wp/2010/11/30/holiday-gift-giving-solved/feed/ 0 http://ourweddingdance.com/wp/2010/09/15/a-blast-from-the-past/ http://ourweddingdance.com/wp/2010/09/15/a-blast-from-the-past/#comments Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:07:27 +0000 admin http://ourweddingdance.com/wp/?p=475 I got a surprise last week.     Opening my email there was a blast from the past…  One of my marvelous couples from earlier this year sent me pictures and a very kind note.  I’ve included them below for you to see and read.

I can’t tell you how much I look forward to hearing news about “the big day”.  I get so excited being included in all the wedding plans that when it comes time to say good bye and send my incredible couples on to wedding bliss I do feel a bit misty eyed. 

Hearing the stories and seeing their smiling and happy faces is just a perfect end to a great time spent teaching dance to my wonderful wedding couples.

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Hi Jillian,

I know it has been a very long time since we last saw you, and even some time since our wedding, but I have been meaning to write you and send pictures. . .  and I am just now getting around to doing it!

Thank you so much for all your help, it was really so fun working with you and it was perfect to have a simple (yet choreographed) dance to do at our wedding despite our nerves!

Beautiful Cuddle

Actually, Chris did great and didn’t seem nervous at all, but I was – thank goodness he was leading!!

The dance went so well, although it did fly by!

I don’t think we missed a step.

The day was beautiful and our dance must have inspired all our guests because the DJ later told us that our guests did the most dancing he has ever seen at an afternoon (lunch) reception!

We all had a wonderful time and got some great pictures of the dancing.

Check out Mom of the Bride - so excited!

Thank you again for making it all so easy and just being a fun person to hang out with/learn from.

We wish you the best and will contact you if we ever need a brush up lesson!

Sincerely, Caitlin and Chris

(Photographs by Josh Aull.)

***

Remember call now or email Jillian for Fall and Winter weddings!

Reserve your favorite day and time today to look great on the day of your dreams…

Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com

949.400.7347

OurWeddingDance.com

ArgentineTangoWeddingDance.com

BallroomDanceWithJillian.com

Jillian & apples at Riley's Farm

Pictures* hot off the press from Lindsey and Scott’s romantic Summer wedding.

Lindsey & Scott Dance!

Oh my, oh my – I couldn’t wait to post these gorgeous pictures from Lindsey & Scott’s wedding reception July 24th at the Huntington Beach Hyatt.

They danced an adorable foxtrot to “So Beautiful” by Darin Hayes.

The bride was a tad on the shy side so we kept the moves intimate, fun and flirty and all angled toward the groom to keep the couple using the floor lots and showing off Lindsey’s amazing gown.

Lindsey sent me an email on July 26th just two days after the big day saying,

Hi, I just wanted to let you know everyone liked our dance.  We messed up a little but it was ok everyone thought it was cute and really enjoyed it!  So we wanted to thank you so much!!  Lindsey and Scott

And…

Their outstanding and charming wedding planner, Christine Baumgartner of The Perfect Day sent me an email as well!

Hi Jillian,

I wanted to let you know that Lindsey and Scott did a wonderful first dance at their reception.  They looked lovely and happy.  They both told me how much they enjoyed working with you.

Thanks again for helping them, Christine

In Love!

I just love to hear back from everyone about their big day and see all the pictures.

Call me with any questions about your special first dance.

I can’t wait to get started, Jillian

OurWeddingDance.com

ArgentineTangoWeddingDance.com

949.400.7347

Just Dreamy!

*Photography by Priscila Valentina Photography

Visit her web site at PriscilaValentina.com

This past weekend kicked off the Irvine Barclay Theatre sponsored Summer Festival with a wonderful swing dance party to Swingtown Friday, August 6th and an equally rousing mariachi concert to Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles Saturday, August 7th.

I must admit I raced out the door to swing it with Swingtown not wanting to be late for their 8pm start, remembering the long snake-like lines of cars from last year that kept me tapping my toes in the car and not on the dance floor.

Much to my happy surprise the Park had rethought their entrance procedures bringing in people from the other side and having four ticket lanes prepared to take your $10 parking fee (up from the $8 of last year) parking cars in a closer parking lot with other attendants guiding you into the spaces a la Disneyland.

Golf carts were again available to ferry you and your friends on up to the front gate leaving me thinking all this needed was a nice glass of chardonnay to complete the pampered arrival experience. 

The band was placed on the short side of the dance floor this year giving a delightful view behind them of the Great Park’s vibrantly lit orange balloon going up and down all night in the cool summer sky.

We were greeted by an absolutely packed and well-lit floor with people of all ages swinging up a storm.  I spotted toddlers boinging like miniature Tiggers all the way to  senior citizens lindy hopping with enthusiasm.

Saturday’s fabulous all woman professional mariachi ensemble of ten ladies in very impressive giant sombreros was equally enjoyable and well attended.

Together for more than 16 years, this group of talented musicians and singers kept the audience singing along to familiar tunes, clapping their hands and swaying back and forth in their seats.

Of course, I had to drift to the back of the seated group and enjoy a couple of rumbas and polkas with my honey to the irresistible beats.  Who says you can’t dance just about anywhere??

So if you’re asking yourself  where you can go this Summer to dance or just plain be entertained where it doesn’t cost an arm and leg for admission, you don’t have to drive in wall to wall traffic to get to and it isn’t too hot and claustrophobic once you finally get in… give the Great Park Friday Night Dance Parties and Great Park Saturday Night Concerts a try.

I’ve written out their schedules with links below and if you want to ask me in advance for a couple of steps to have fun out of the dance floor, well I wouldn’t mind one bit throwing them in with our work on your wonderful  wedding dance.

Happy Summertime,

Jillian

949.400.7347

Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com

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Friday Night Dance Parties*

August 6:  Swingtown (Swing)

August 13:  Lucky 7 Mambo (Afro-Cuban)

August 20th:  DJ Hapa & DJ Casey Connor (NY/LA DJs spin the spectrum dance music)

August 27th:  Hector del Curto’s Eternal Tango Quintet (Argentine Tango)

September 3rd:  Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums with Miss Carmen Getit (Swing, West Coast Jump Blues and R&B)

September 10th:  Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys (R&B and Rockabily)

September 17th:  The Jerry Mandel Swinging the Standards Jazz Band (Gershwin, Porter, Sinatra, Bennett & more)

September 24th:  Waltz Me (Strauss and Ballroom)

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Saturday Night Concerts*

August 7th:  Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles (First all-woman pro mariachi ensemble in the US)

August 14th:  Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (A favorite from last summer – swing it!)

August 21st:  Last For One (World champion b-boy dance crew from Korea)

August 28th:  Te Vaka (Music from the Polynesian Triangle, New Zealand to Tahiti)

September 4th:  ScrapArtsMusic (World-famous group will play instruments made from recycled industrial scraps!)

September 11th:  Blind Boys of Alabama (Gospel, Soul, Blues & Funk)

September 18th:  Donavon Frankenreiter (OC native musician and pro surfer, hang ten!)

September 25th:  BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet with Big Chief Monk Boudreaus and the Mardi Gras Indians (Cajun band, Mardi Gras to the OC)

*Admission is free, Parking $10/car, 8pm.

Jillian at the Great Park!

Lisa & Ryan Dancing!

Hot off the press!

Lisa and Ryan – just married Saturday June 26th – sent me an email to let me know how their big day went and included this adorable picture.

Lisa looks oh-so-sexy in her gorgeous gown with the perfect flower in her long flowing curls and Ryan is the quintessential adoring husband in his dashing white suit.

***

Hi Jillian!

We wanted to send you a quick pic of us dancing as a sneak peak before we get the video back.

Our wedding was simply magical.

And SO many people complimented us on our first dance.

It went beautifully and we greatly appreciate your support and guidance with our fun, fun lessons.  We will send you a video clip as soon as we receive it.

Cheers, Lisa & Ryan

***

Lisa and Ryan danced on their big day to “L-O-V-E” and also learned dance routines of five to eight figures in merengue, cha cha, swing and more foxtrot to their second fav song “Feeling Good” to wow their guests all through their reception with their fun and kicky couple dancing.

I can’t wait to see their video and hear more about their fabulous wedding and reception.  They were such a wonderful couple to work with and I shall think of them often, especially when I’m teaching dance in the early morning!

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Here’s their sweet thank you note and a picture of their gifts to me.  I got a bottle of  Old Moon zin that they served their guests and a large plant of what they did smaller for guest favors. 

Jillian,

Thank you for being the most patient, persistent, OUTRAGEOUS dance teacher ever!

Your guidance the past few months has meant more to us than you know.  We feel so much more prepared for our big day.

We’re going to blow them away!!

Many thanks, Lisa & Ryan

Lovey Gifts

Happy honeymooning in St. Lucia Lisa and Ryan!

And may you dance up a storm with your merengue and cha cha in the romantic tropical evenings…

***

Visit the Our Wedding Dance Testimonials page at http://ourweddingdance.com/testimonials.htm for more sparkling testimonials from my couples.

Happy Summer, Jillian

Tel: 949.400.7347 or Email: Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com

When your guests watch your first dance do you think they’re looking at your feet?

Probably not.

The bride’s feet are most likely hidden by her dress and the groom’s feet may possibly be as well.

Your guests’ gazes are on your radiant faces and your dancing frame, that is your arms connected to each other hand to hand on one side and the groom’s right hand upon the back of the bride on the other.

The frame can make or break a dancing couple.

A “noodle” frame can make the dancing couple look soft and squishy and make the lead and follow very difficult to give and take.

A “rigid” frame can make the bride and groom look stiff and awkward and may even actually hurt the bride to take the lead, especially if her dashing groom is a strong armed one!

So what’s the best frame for dancing?

The leader should always frame up or down to the height of the follower.

I like to start my couples off by having the bride put her arms out to her sides, horizontally from her waist so the groom can see what looks good with her shoulders.

Especially if the groom is six feet three and bride is four feet five I want to make sure that their dancing frame is angled to her height not his.  After all she would look rather silly dancing her arms way up to him for their first dance!

Having established her correct frame height, then we move on to the bride’s three connection points and I focus on  impressing upon them the necessity for an “energy transference” toward each other at all times.  No one person should pull away or just plain “not be available” to the other in the frame.

Once we have the frame we move side to side and forward and back in it.

We walk in it.

We sway in it.

We get used to it.

People don’t really dance like this anymore so it can take a little getting used to the frame once you’re in it.

My grooms sometimes say it is hard to keep holding up their arms.  This might mean the bride is being “heavy” and using her groom’s arms as an arm “easy chair”.

My brides sometimes say that they feel like they’re “in the harness” of the frame and can’t move easily within it.  This might mean that the groom is holding her too stiffly and not letting the lead be communicated easily through his arms and his connection points.

During our first lesson we work hard to alleviate any stress in the dancing couple’s frame and make it a positive part of the dancing.  Since the frame connection is the pretty part and, I think, the romantic part it is vitally important that it work for us in the first dance.

Be it a foxtrot frame, a rumba frame or a swing frame – the couple’s dancing frame is an integral part of the mechanics and beauty of their wedding dance.

And as Audrey said, “The best thing to hold onto in life is each other” – we may as well do it right for the dance!

***

It’s wedding season so email to Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com or call Jillian at 949.400.7347 today and reserve your favorite day and time for lessons now!

Happy almost Summer!

Dance With Jillian

Sandra and Mike were just such a couple.

Read on to find out about their dream first dance.

They loved the song You’re Timeless to Me from the musical Hairspray and decided to adapt the lyrics of it to their relationship and the year 2010, record themselves singing it and come to me to choreograph and block moves and dancing to this almost five minute ditty.

Click here to see this fabulously funny rendition of it on YouTube from the movie with Christopher Walken and John Travolta.

Well, needless to say, after about ten or so rehearsals and a heap of practicing they were absolutely show-stopping!

They mimed movement to the lyrics of their song and in the middle of it danced a full foxtrot, tango AND waltz with zesty abandon.

They said they nailed it and I believe it from all the fun and hard work we put into the practicing.

Here’s their testimonial and a partial video of their amazing 2nd first dance! on their happiest day ever.

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Jillian!

We had to get back to you to tell you how our dances [they also did a regular first dance to At Last - can you believe it?] went on Saturday!

WE NAILED IT!

We did not mess up at all!  They were beautiful!  What a surprise the second dance was to our guests!  They were in awe!  We can’t wait to see it on video!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

It was all because of you we did so well to entertain our guests.  I wish you could have been there!  Rose was great getting that chair on the dance floor for Mike and then removing it.

People were in shock that the CD was us singing!  Once we find out how to send you some pics our friends took of us dancing we will send them!  The nun surprise was fantastic!

It was the perfect wedding!

It was a dream wedding.

Thank you so very much!  Hope to see you soon!

Sandra and Mike

Sandra & Mike

***

Happy Almost June!

Call Jillian at 949.400.7347 for 1st Dance Lessons

Visit Our Wedding Dance for more information.

And all the little buds are getting ready to burst into bloom on the trees and flowers.

Kerchew! 

And it’s that time of year for those lovely high school debutantes to come out in their Presents!

What a beautiful tradition…

The debutantes in their gorgeous white long dresses  and their dads and escorts dressed to the nines in their pressed tails and white gloves.

The hotel ballroom busting with elegant flower centerpieces and a stage all set up for the girls to be presented for all to applaud.

These well planned and  elaborate evenings often include slide shows of the girl’s years from childhood all the way through high school spotlighting their accomplishments and adventures as well as an elaborate sit down dinner for family and friends and, you guessed it… lots of dancing!

An important part of the evening, and dear to my heart, is the father daughter group dance.

A spectacle that brings tears to everyone’s eyes as they watch the flurry of white satin and tulle and the looks on the dads faces as they waltz their lovely daughters around the floor.

This year I’ve been fortunate to teach dancing steps and choreography to two groups of debutantes and their dads.

What fun!

We’ve got some great songs and the dads are super positive about learning the steps and dancing their daughters confidently through their dance together.

I overheard one debutante say laughingly, “Dad, come on – remember the turn and make me look like I know what I’m doing!”

Her dad nodded obediently and they danced through the Ladies Under Arm Turn one more time with a flourish.  Of course just a few eyelash battings and daughters have their dads right where they want them!

Wikipedia Definition

The word debutante comes from the French word meaning “female beginner” and traditionally was a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who had reached the age of maturity.  As a new adult she was then allowed to be introduced to society in a formal manner known as her “debut”.

Originally this meant the young woman was now eligible to marry!  And part of the debut’s purpose was to “display” her to eligible bachelors and their families with a view to marriage within her “class” circle.

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Well, we’ve come a long way since those days but the quaint old custom is still a lovely one.

Of course these days debutantes also give back to their communities through extensive volunteerism and supporting philanthropies with hands on activities on a local level.

If you’d like to learn more about the Debutante Father Daughter dance visit my web page here:

http://ourweddingdance.com/debutantefatherdaughterdance.htm

Happy Spring!

Jillian

Smile and say "Debutante"!