Bride and Groom 1st Dance « OUR WEDDING DANCE BLOG

July 21, 2010

When a White Wedding is a Green Wedding!

Filed under: 2nd Time Around,Ballerina Brides,Green Weddings,How Cool Is That?,Moms & Dads,Wedding/Reception Venues — Tags: 1st Dance, Ballroom, Ballroom Dance Lessons, Ballroom Dance Lessons in Orange County, Ballroom Dance With Jillian, Bride and Groom 1st Dance, First Dance Instruction, Green Weddings, Orange County Dance Instructor, Orange County dancing lessons, Wedding Dance, Wedding Dancing — admin @ 10:09 pm

Everywhere I turn I read about green weddings these days!

Speaking as a lifelong gardener who has trouble entering her front door due to her menagerie of plants that are taking over, I can truly say… I love it!

Now, you might ask, “What exactly is a green wedding?”

One of my grooms laughingly told me it’s when all the guests shower him with money as he walks down the aisle…

Nice try

According to the Green Bride Guide,

“A green wedding is any wedding where the couple tries to decrease the impact of their event on the planet.”

What a concept

Everyone I’ve talked with about this great green idea from wedding vendors to brides to coordinators have all assured me you can be “super chic without the waste!”

Whether you want to go dark green and make everything earth friendly from the material of your dress to the flowers and food you use at your reception or just light green with eco-friendly invitations and favors; every little bit helps our environment.

Try doing a Google search on “Green Weddings” and you’ll be amazed at all the information out there.

Here are just a few of the URLs* I found:

Great Green Wedding

Tree Beginnings (favors and gifts)

The Spiraled Stem (eco-friendly flowers)

Green Weddings and Events

The Knot’s Green Weddings

How Green Is Your Wedding quiz

Books for Green Weddings

“Being green is not difficult, but it requires forethought and desire. Most weddings, on average, produce 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide gas”, says Kimberly Goetz in her article, Member Helps Couple Arrange Totally Green Wedding in the June/July 2010 Association of Bridal Consultants newsletter.

Wow, that’s amazing!

So if you’re still in the planning phases of your wedding or know someone who is why not share a little of the green.

With some unusual choices you’ll not only help our beautiful planet but you’ll create a one-of-a-kind, personalized experience for both you and your guests.

Happy Green Wedding,

Jillian

OurWeddingDance.com / ArgentineTangoWeddingDance.com

949.400.7347 / Email

Go Green!

*Please note I list the Green Wedding URLs above for your convenience. No endorsement is made of any particular one with the exception of Christine Saunders at The Spiraled Stem who is an Orange County ABC member with me.

As always, make sure you research any vendor carefully and if you’re purchasing on-line look for the SSL certificate that ensures that your credit card info is safe from prying eyes traveling along the corridors of cyberspace.

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June 16, 2010

“The Best Thing To Hold Onto In Life Is Each Other” – Audrey Hepburn

Well, I got my daughter graduated from UCLA – go Bruins! and I thought I’d share with you a little shop talk about the frame of the dancing couple since I get a lot of questions about that during my lessons.

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

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May 18, 2010

You’re Timeless To Me

Every now and then I get a couple who really wants to do something different!

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 Christoper 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. I can’t wait for a video of their dance from their wedding so I can post it for you here.

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 lovely picture of them on their happiest day ever.

***

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.

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April 22, 2010

First Dance A Last Thought?

Ok, so you’ve been totally swamped and now it’s just weeks or days away from your wedding and oh-my-gosh that’s right you have to do a first dance!

Never fear… you can do something simple and pretty even if you just plain have no time left.

In fact, I probably get at least five phone calls a week from brides or grooms getting married in under two weeks.

Of course, it would be preferable to have a month or two before the big day to get the first dance in your muscle memory, but what if you just want to have a bit of help with some turns and simply keep off of each others feet while dancing!

I’ve worked with students right before the big day very successfully and given them something quick and easy to work with for their big moment all alone on the dance floor.

One of my recent couples said they certainly felt better after their time with me than before and although they wished they’d had more time to work on their dance they felt a glow of confidence that would take them through it with flair and fun.

So if you’re debating about whether to go ahead and do just one lesson for your first dance even though you’re in the eleventh hour of preparations why not go for it?

I think you’ll be glad you did and who knows maybe you’ll take a few lessons after the honeymoon to wow your friends at their weddings with your lead and follow and fancy footwork.

Remember dancing lasts your whole life long… burns calories… and let’s face it guys, is a real pleaser for most of the gals out there!

Call Jillian at 949.400.7347 or email her at Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com and squeeze a first dance lesson into that to-do list today!

Jillian of Our Wedding Dance!

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February 20, 2010

Calling all Dads…

Filed under: Dancing,Father Daughter Dance,Songs — Tags: Ballroom Dance Lessons in Orange County, Ballroom Dance With Jillian, Ballroom Dancing, Bride and Groom 1st Dance, Bride And Groom Dance, Dance Teacher in Orange County, Dancing, Father/Daughter Dance, Father/Daughter Dance Teacher, First Dance, First Dance Choreography, Isn't She Beautiful, Orange County Father/Daughter Dance Lessons, Wedding Dance Lessons — admin @ 9:28 pm

So Dads not only have to “help” with the wedding but they have to perform at it too??

What’s up with that…

Well, just in case you’re wondering the Father/Daughter dance is a hot topic these days.

Should it be short?

Should it be done after the Bride and Groom’s 1st Dance?

Should it be choreographed?

Should Dad be allowed to wing it or will he look silly and do that flapping chicken move he loves so well?

Well I don’t know about the chicken thing but I do know that I’ve noticed a few commonalities emerging with the Father/Daughter dance.

Dads are choosing their own songs. Songs that were popular the year their lovely daughter was born. Songs that they used to love to dance to in their youth and songs that just make them want to get up and dance!

Just recently I had a fantastic Father/Daughter song, “Isn’t She Lovely” and my bride floated along in Dad’s arms looking just that.

Her Dad had some disco moves but he hadn’t really done the foxtrot in years so we set about getting him up to speed.

He learned some fun underarm turns from the box step and the promenade to show off his daughter and her amazing gown.

We put a cuddle on the end and a twirl with him doing a quick sleight of hand switching trick that ended with him pointing out a la John Travolta.

“That’s so Dad”, my bride exclaimed and I think Dad got a hundred brownie points right there on the spot!

He said now that was a dance when he could incorporate some of his moves from his days of “doin the hustle”.

Of course after the wedding Dad now has some fancy footwork for Mom and can wow her on their night out on the town.

Ah, two gals happy with one dance lesson… too bad everything can’t be this easy.

Call me at 949.400.7347 and I’ll see that you’re not only the “founder of the feast” but also can turn in a Father/Daughter dance to be proud of!

In the meantime look up some of those favorite songs of yours and visit my Father/Daughter dance page at:

http://ourweddingdance.com/fatherdaughterdance.htm and let’s get started today.

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January 17, 2010

How Cool Is That?

I raced off to see Young Victoria the other night and was met at the Lido by a nice ticket attendant asking me if I was with the special event?

Hmm, what special event?

Guess not – we bought our tickets and found a seat in the nostalgic black light fish festival mural theater on the pennisula.

The preview came up and then suddenly shut down.

Another employee said they were experiencing technical difficulties… not unusual.

Then another “preview” came up and I noticed that the two people in it bore a huge resemblence to a man and woman who had entered the theater and sat four rows down in front of us. The longer it played the more I thought “wedding video” as it showed the blond gal doing lots of fun things with her handsome man all over the world.

Minutes later the film screen went to black and four wonderful words popped up on it, “Will You Marry Me”?

The lights came up in the theater and about fifty people in the balcony (yes, this theater is one of the last I know of with a balcony!) started shouting and whistling and throwing streamers. The bride-to-be was totally surprised and her fiance got down on his knee and proposed right then and there.

What did she say? – came the shouts from above.

Yes, Yes, Yes the bride responded, tears running down her face.

And then, Oh you poor people who just came to see the movie!, she added.

We didn’t mind and after the movie a couple of people announced with a laugh, Anyone else want to get married?, as they left the theater.

So… how cool is that?

Remember after you say “I do” say – “Let’s dance”!

Call Jillian at 949.400.7347

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