If your wedding is coming up in October, November or December now is the time to consider your first dance!

Will it be slow and romantic or upbeat and swingy?  Will your dance have  lots of movement  to show off a big dance floor or are you working with a small square or runway floor and need something compact?

Don’t have a song yet?

Well, let me tell you what some of my couples are using right now so you can get those creative juices flowing!

Click on the (Lyrics) link to see the wonderful words to these great first dance songs and see if they don’t just describe your relationship perfectly!

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First Dance Songs!

“Wrapped Up In You” by Garth Brooks (Lyrics)

“Someone Like You” by Van Morrison (Lyrics)

“Yellow” by Coldplay (Lyrics)

“Better Together” by Jack Johnson (Lyrics)

“When The Stars Go Blue” by Tim McGraw (Lyrics)

“I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You” by Savage Garden (Lyrics)

“These Are The Days” by Van Morrison (Lyrics)

“L-O-V-E” by Frank Sinatra (Lyrics)

“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by Michael Buble (Lyrics)

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Whatever song you choose you’ll want to get started soon on learning how to lead (gentlemen) and how to follow (ladies).

I write everything down at the end of each lesson so you have something to practice with at home and you’re always welcome to bring your phone or camera and we can video some steps too!

Remember the further away from the big day you start the more the dancing steps and technique have a chance to get into your muscle memory.

After all don’t you want to be gazing into each others eyes rather than trying to remember what comes next in your dance

For more song suggestions visit my Music page at:

http://www.OurWeddingDance.com/wedding-music.htm

And… you can always text me at 949.400.7347 and ask me what type of dance would go well with the song or songs you’re thinking of using!

Happy September,

Jillian

OurWeddingDance.com

BallroomDanceWithJillian.com

ArgentineTangoWeddingDance.com

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EMAIL:  Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com

And I can tell you, as a ballroom dance instructor, I’ve gotten my share of emails full of  DWTS YouTubes and their fantastic choreography and wow moves.

My couples have been wanting to dance like DWTS for years now and every time I listen to them and watch what they like, I “make it happen” for them in just the best and most doable way.

After all if it’s your wedding day you get exactly what you want, right?

However, nothing prepared me for how exciting it would be to see DWTS in person.

And, I had no idea I’d ever even see one…  Suffice it to say it took a pretty special occasion to get me there.

My mom turned 75 this year, and I don’t know about you – but I think that’s pretty darn special.

About four months before the big day my sis and I decided to put our heads together and come up with something fabulous to do to celebrate the big day.

Right away we both thought and said… Dancing With The Stars live taping!

My mom had watched every single episode of all 12 DWTS seasons with so much excitement and dedication we just knew that was the very thing she’d love to do on her 75th!

But… how to get her there (she’s still walking but with assistance) and most importantly how to get her in!

A wonderful dancer friend of mine, quite connected in Hollywood, came through with friends of friends that thought we might just have a chance to get my mom her dream of a lifetime.

I didn’t dare tell her until it was a “sure thing” but I was bursting at the seams to let her know about my big surprise!

And then two days before the May 9th Monday night taping, word came through.

“My mom was ‘In’ and we were going!!!”

I called her and told her, first saying, “Mom are you sitting down?”.

She couldn’t believe it and said immediately, “What am are going to wear?”

Ha, ha – some girly things never change, do they?

We jetted up there in my sis’s big, comfy truck and had lunch at Johnny Rockets right round the corner from the studios and then were able to park right in the studio lot (another wonderful help from my friend) and drop my mom off at the entrance for a minimum of walking time.

My mom quickly made friends with everyone waiting and regaled them all with her favorites and the dancers of her choice to win!

Then we escorted her carefully ahead of the big group for the floor seats and as we rounded the corner she saw a gold chair with a red cushion and a full-sized piece of white paper with her name neatly typed in large letters on it.

What a thrill!  I saw an even bigger smile spread across her face!

The rest is a whir of color, costumes, music, fantastic dancing, celebrities and judges but the whole evening will not be soon forgotten by any of us.

And best of all my mom said afterwards, holding her Dancing With The Stars mug close to her heart, that this was the best birthday gift ever!

Now that’s just perfect in my book. 

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Now’s the time to make all your dancing dreams come true with first dance lessons for that big day coming up this Summer and Fall.

Call Jillian at 949 400 7347 and start learning your special dance today.

Or email me with your dream dance thoughts at Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com

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Ok, I couldn’t resist – here I am in front of the studios in my 5″ platform shoes bought to sparkle at DWTS!

DWTS Fun!

Well, I’m knee deep in corned beef and cabbage, homemade sweet potato biscuits and pistachio mini chocolate chip cupcakes but I just had to wish you a wonderful Wearin ‘o the Green day and also let you in on a great first dance song!

It’s called “Running” by No Doubt and here’s the video of it if you haven’t seen and heard it already.

YouTube Video

The lyrics go like this:

“Run
Running all the time
Running to the future
With you right by my side

Me
I’m the one you chose
Out of all the people
You wanted me the most
I’m so sorry that I’m falling
Help me up lets keep on running
Don’t let me fall out of love

Chorus:
Running, running
As fast as we can
I really hope you make it
(Do you think we’ll make it?)
We’re running
Keep holding my hand
It’s so we don’t get separated

Be
Be the one I need
Be the one I trust most
Don’t stop inspiring me
Sometimes it’s hard to keep on running
We work so much to keep it going
Don’t make me want to give up

Repeat chorus twice

(The future­)

Repeat chorus”

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So if you’re stumped for a fun song check this one out. 

Its romantic lyrics and catchy beat make it a lively, now tune for the wedding of your dreams.

Toast to the Irish and to all the upcoming weddings in March and April.

Make Sure You Wear Green!

Find out what brides are saying about Our Wedding Dance…

Visit the Our Wedding Dance FaceBook page for some great testimonials.

Jillian O’Forbath

949.400.7347

OurWeddingDance.com

Jillian and Brian whirl on the dance floor

So in love!

Let's Dance!

Jillian and Brian were married 1/1/11!!!

Below is their lovely testimonial…

Wonderful photographs are by David Casas of Full Spectrum Photo Studio.

Please click here to visit his web site.

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Jillian is a very sweet woman who really listened to us about what we wanted and how we wanted to express ourselves on our very special day.

We went for a total of five lessons and we were completely comfortable working with Jillian.

Everyone LOVED our first dance, thanks to Jillian our dance instructor. We were able to dance and feel like we actually knew what we were doing! We were a little nervous on the big day for our first dance, but it went off without a hitch! Now we are thinking of doing some salsa lessons with Jillian.

Thank you for everything, Jillian

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Visit OurWeddingDance.com for more wonderful testimonials!

Call 949.400.7347 to start dancing today!

I just opened my email and what did I see?

I had a YouTube video of one of my couple’s awesome wedding dances from their wedding of July 1st 2007!

What a blast from the past!

And wow, what a dance they did!

Watching it again brought tears to my eyes and I remembered all over again what a great time we had putting together their totally amazing dance. 

Here’s the video below and their incredibly sweet email:

Hi Jill!

We finally posted our wedding dance on YouTube.com and we wanted you to see it.

Thanks for making us look so great!

Wedding guests STILL tell us it’s the BEST wedding dance they’ve ever seen.

Just as an update, we have a 2 year old son named Elijah Samuel.  He’s talking and trying to control his environment (and US!)  He has a great sense of humor and keeps us BUSY.

Hope all is well with you.  We miss you and we will eventually find our way back to you.

Love, Lena and Jeff

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Can’t believe they have a son!  My, my time flies…

BTW they danced to BJORK’s “It’s Oh So Quiet” and it was spectacular. We worked on the slow parts with waltz and Viennese waltz steps and the fast parts with some kicky swing and disco moves.

You can see in the video Lena worked super hard to keep her upper body looking gorgeous in her dress and really emphasized her beautiful arms and hands and Jeff lead everything with a great eye to keeping off of her dress and creating a fun and romantic dance!

Click here for the lyrics to this real crowd-pleaser of a first dance song.

And remember if you’re getting married in 2011 start thinking about your dream first dance now!

Happy almost February!

Jillian

OurWeddingDance.com

ArgentineTangoWeddingDance.com

BallroomDanceWithJillian.com

Email me at Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com soon to get started on your first dance for your 2011 wedding day!

Well, it was a crazy Halloween weekend what with my wonderful students giving a fantastic tango complete with chair and rose and fedora at their Dia de los Muertos party on Saturday and 430 trick or treaters on Sunday night!

And earlier this month I received an adorable video from Aaron and Kate who got married on October 9th and looked so pretty dancing to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love”.

They took their time with their lessons and spread them out over the months before their wedding.  And Aaron even learned a night club two step to do with his Mom.  Now that’s dedication to dancing!

He said he was nervous but I think he performed quite well under pressure and Kate looked dreamy in her gorgeous gown. 

Here’s his testimonial…

Aaron

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So grab your fiance and let’s get started on those early 2011 wedding dances!

Remember wedding dance gift certificates make great gifts for the holidays.

Click here to learn more about gift certificates.

Jillian of Our Wedding Dance

949.400.7347

Happy Thanksgiving!

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.)

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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

Well today I opened up my email and what should appear?

But their fabulous YouTube of their surprise belly dance!

Thought you might get a kick out of it, so here it is… great music!

We did some gorgeous shimmies and shakes while keeping everything “wedding reception appropriate” and then the bride invited the groom out of his chair to do some dancing of his own!

If you’re thinking about doing something a little different with your first dance – go ahead, I would love to help you realize your dream! Your first dance is your expression of your individual relationship and your special love for each other so let your imagination roll.

Call Jillian at 949 400 7347 and get started today.

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.

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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

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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…

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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