learn to ballroom dance « OUR WEDDING DANCE BLOG

March 18, 2010

Western Weddings… Yee Haw!

Want a fresh idea that’s actually old as the hills? Try a Western themed wedding for something crazy and fun and sure to leave an impression on your wedding guests. Who knows you may want to bring in a mechanical bull and let them ride ‘em cowboy or cowgirl all night or day long.

From denim inspired wedding gowns in blues and dainty laces that lace up the back and cut up the leg to adorable table decorations with cowboy hats and boots doubling as flower containers… the big sky is the limit and the grass can be greener.

Blue and browns with touches of white and yellow seem to be the most common color schemes. Bachelor buttons and daisies can keep the costs down and the whimsey up. While you peruse cute cake toppers with horses and hitching posts and fun silver ring bearer horseshoes with white satin ribbons.

Accessories for a Western Wedding

Favor Ideas for a Cowboy Wedding

The bride can wear white in a western type period gown or go for something completely different with touches or whole parts of the gown in denim blue. Why not add some fringed white cowboy boots or cream or off-white granny style boots with pretty lace inserts? Top it off with a white or off white satin cowboy hat covered in lace, roses and tulle and you’re sure to feel romantic and country cool all at the same time!

Western Wedding Wear

Cultured Cowboy Wedding Dresses

Western Wedding Hat

White Cowboy Boots Granny Style Boots

(I love this denim halter for bridesmaids dresses in the Western themed wedding!)

Of course the variety for grooms is endless and who doesn’t enjoy duding up their best dude in the duds of a cool, clean cowboy? There are period style vests and ties and natty jackets with and without fringe as well as boots in all sizes, shapes, colors and textures. It’s a field day for the fellas and they’re sure to make a splash when they ride in off the range in today’s dashing designs.

Gentlemen’s Emporium

The Old Frontier Clothing Company

And last, but certainly not least, there are mother lodes of wonderful Country songs old and new from waltzes to 2-steps that will keep your first dance and your father daughter dance in the Western theme. Below are a few of my favorites:

First Dance Country Songs:

I Love The Way You Love Me by Faith Hill

Could I Have This Dance by Anne Murray

From This Moment by Shania Twain

The Wedding Song (Girl Forever) by Marty Falle

Fishin’ In The Dark by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

(Lyrics for Fishin’ In The Dark)

Father Daughter Dance Country Songs:

I Loved Her First by Heartland

My Little Girl by Steve Kirwan

Stealing Cinderella by Chuck Wick

I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack

Daddy’s Little Girl by Kippi Brannon

Happy Trails to you Western wedding fans…

Jillian

OurWeddingDance.com

949 400 7347

* Remember I put these links to other web sites up for your reference and don’t endorse any one in particular. I’ll let you do the research and remember always get your orders in writing and you can use my handy guideline, “If it smells fishy, it usually is”.

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December 30, 2009

Happy Almost 2010!

New Year’s resolutions come in all shapes and sizes. I’m sure you’ve got a few of your own ready for 2010! There are always the tried and true good old standbys: lose weight, make more money, travel, worry less and find a fun hobby.

But what about something that could combine all of the above? Now that would be one heck of a New Year’s Resolution! How about dance lessons???

Dancers can lose weight…
Dancing can get those endorphins going which can make for happier people in the workplace and who knows - ripe for that promotion…
Dancing brings out the travel bug to find fun social spots for doing your latest steps…
If you’re dancing, you can only think about the figures and your movement not stressing about the latest…
And dancing could be your next fun hobby…

It’s that time of year and I’m getting lots of inquiries from 2010 brides and grooms and also people who just want to take up dancing! It’s easy to get started and really all you need are your feet, some leather soled dance shoes and a willingness to learn. So what are you waiting for? Oh, that’s right two more days! Well, let’s start 2010 right!

Have a wedding? Have a special event? Have a desire to do something fun and frolicsome with your mate? Email me and we’ll start that music and get you moving. Until then, I found this quote rather amusing since it hits both sides of the coin:

“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” — Bill Vaughn

Happy New Year to all from Jillian of OurWeddingDance.com

champagne-glasses

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December 4, 2009

Grooms Get Points With First Dance!

A little while ago I wrote this article for a publication and I’d like to share it with you since I think a lot of grooms deserve to be praised for even attempting a first dance in the first place!

Dancing.

The very word can bring fear into a perfectly normal groom’s life.

Guys know that girls like to dance and, let’s face it, most guys learn to dance to attract a girl. So what’s the point in learning to dance once you’ve got the girl? Answer: The First Dance at your wedding reception.

Probably, given a choice, most grooms would opt out of the first dance and move right on through the reception. But the first dance can be a great opportunity for grooms to get those extra “love bank” points that they can use as collateral later on!

Grooms come through the door of a dance studio with two very real fears: 1) They will not be able to do a partnered dance and 2) They will look very silly trying.

But, the whole experience can be a very “liberating” one for them since they will be in-charge of the dance. Because the man leads and the lady follows, grooms find out they can dance with a partner and they don’t look silly because the couple then moves as one across the floor.

During private classes, instruction should be kept in every-day language with work on the dance frame, the couple’s posture, simple walking steps to their song and basic dance patterns. This way a three-way “creation process” can start that will eventually produce choreography that the groom can remember and the bride can look beautiful dancing.

Brides and grooms need to start their first dance as soon as they can spare the time.

Couples can master simple routines in foxtrot, waltz, rumba, tango, and night club two-step in about five to fifteen lessons.

More elaborate first dances with props and costume changes and first dances that combine two or more dance types may take a little longer to feel second nature.

Personalization is the underlying theme with today’s weddings and the first dance can be as personal as the bride and groom want it to be.

No matter what you think you might like to do or even if you have no ideas whatsoever and just want some help “not looking stupid”, a professional dance instructor who specializes in bride and groom first dances can work with you to create your dream first dance.

With time and patience you can have a dance to remember and even keep dancing for other special occasions all your married life.

Happy Holiday Shopping and don’t forget to include a few dance lessons on your New Year’s Resolutions list!

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October 5, 2009

Twice the Songs for First Dance

Filed under: Types of Wedding Dances — Tags: Here There & Everywhere, learn to ballroom dance, Orange County dancing lessons, Our Wedding Dance, Slow Dance for Wedding First Dance, Swing Dance for First Dance, The Beatles for First Dance Songs, Two Songs for Your First Dance, Wedding Dancing, When I Saw Her Face First Dance Song — admin @ 1:21 pm

I’ve had many couples choose two songs (or more!) for their first dance for the many years I’ve been teaching wedding couples.

In fact I’m not sure if you remember the crazy trend of inserting a wild piece of music in the middle of the soft wedding song with a “scratch of the record” sound but that was quite the rage.

We would start out with the traditional “clutch and sway” and then “scratch, scratch” and suddenly the bride and groom would be doing the robot, or reeling in one or the other like a giant fish, or catching up on some side by side hip hop moves. Then in less than a minute it would be back to a traditional wedding waltz, foxtrot, rumba or slow dance to end the hilarious piece.

These days that’s not so popular anymore but having two songs seque-way one into the other is!

I’ve got a beautiful dewy-eyed bride and Jim Sturgess look-alike groom now using two songs by The Beatles – “Here, There and Everywhere” and “When I Saw Her Face”.

This is super fun to work with and my couple, who admit they loved the movie ”Across the Universe”, are really doing up their first dance in their very own style with pizazz!

We’ve got some beautiful romantic moves for the first song where they use the melody to just float in each other’s arms and then they let loose for their swingin’ second song. I’m sure this will have their guests clapping and cheering and talking about their first dance all night!

So if you’ve got two songs that you both really like don’t be afraid to use them both for your first dance. As long as the total piece stays around three to four minutes you’re fine and the mixing up of tunes will keep your guests guessing about your beautiful and meaningful first dance.

Beatles

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August 10, 2009

Mom & Dad Dance

Filed under: Moms & Dads — Tags: dancing lessons, First Dance, follow, foxtrot, jitterbug, lead, learn to ballroom dance, Mom and Dad Ballroom Dance, Mom and Dad dance at the wedding, Orange County dancing lessons, swing, Wedding Dance, Wedding Dancing lessons in Orange County — admin @ 11:51 am

Are you a Mom or Dad who would like to learn how to dance for your daughter’s or son’s wedding?

It’s not uncommon for me to get phone calls and emails from Moms and Dads saying they want to look good at the wedding they’ll be attending or planning since everyone will know them and be watching them to see how they look!

No pressure, right??

You’re only planning or working on the biggest event ever with your daughter or son… and the last thing you need to be worrying about is dancing lessons…

Well, I tell my Moms and Dads to think of it as one hour a week where they don’t have to think about the planning. The only things they have to concentrate on are following or leading, a handful of steps and a few technique points.

And it works!

I have a fantastic Mom and Dad right now who are learning Foxtrot and Jitterbug. I think it’s a bit of a surprise for their guests so I’ll keep their names a secret for now.

Suffice it to say, she’s having a blast getting her husband of many years to finally Jitterbug with her and he’s enjoying “Master and Commander” status as leader and getting tons of brownie points he can pretty much use for the rest of his life!

Their Foxtrot is coming right along with him making gorgeous heel leads and using his leading arm to communicate to her – something she tells me they have never done while dancing together – and she’s following like a dream and gliding across the floor like Cinderella at her very own ball!

I love to see the look of relief as a Mom and Dad realize that they can dance together and that they look good doing it! Often they haven’t tried dancing together in years or they do try to dance together and it is difficult and not that much fun.

With just five hours of instruction before the big event, Moms and Dads can learn following and leading skills and have at least five to ten steps to show off on the dance floor.

So treat yourself to some “you” time in the midst of the all the pre-wedding excitement.

You’ll be glad you did – both to preserve your sanity and also your status as the “party giver extraordinaire”.

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