Orange County Dance Instructor « 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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July 5, 2010

Shake, Shake, Shake

Remember when I told you about Janet and Keith who worked so hard on their beautiful first dance and then surprised their guests with a follow up belly dance number complete with red coin skirt over Janet’s wedding dress and Keith in turban???

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.

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June 4, 2010

WE’RE MARRIED!!!

Filed under: Dancing,How Cool Is That?,Testimonials,Types of Wedding Dances — Tags: Ballroom Dance Lessons in Orange County, Bride And Groom Dance, First Dance, First Dance Choreography, Jillian Forbath, Orange County Dance Instruction, Orange County Dance Instructor, Our Wedding Dance, Wedding Dance, Wedding Dance Blog, Wedding Dance Lessons in Orange County, Wedding Dance Testimonial, Wedding Dancing — admin @ 3:32 pm

Testimonials are sooo exciting and it’s that time of year when I’m getting a bunch!

This first one just in from a fantastic couple that worked sooo hard over several months to make their dance beautiful and meaningful to each other and their guests. They even included a piece of their dance on video which you can see if you click on the link below!

Adam and Denise’s Dance Video

***

Hi Jillian!!!

WE’RE MARRIED!!!

Thank you so much for everything that you taught us, it made such a difference and we were so comfortable out there, even though we were a little disoriented and didn’t move around the dance floor as much.

It was still a huge hit, especially the patty cake move – you’ll hear the screams [on the video].

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!!

THANKS,

Mr. and Mrs. Leonhardt

Married May 16, 2010 at the Old Ranch in Seal Beach

Song: “At Last”

***

And this second one in from a wonderful couple who did two dances – one a fun and beautiful first dance but the second a great surprise.

The bride donned a red skirt with gold coins over her white dress and did a… you guessed it… a belly dance for her adoring groom whom we had seated in a chair for her sexy undulations! At the end he got up and went down on one knee and took her in a swan-like dip!

***

Jillian -

Thank you so much for attempting to teach us to dance! Both our dances were a hit – especially the belly dance! We’ll send the video.

Thank you!

Keith & Janet

Married May 1st 2010 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club

Songs: “My Life” by The Beatles and a beautiful Arabic song

Keith & Janet's Adorable Postcard!

Remember…

if your wedding is coming up it’s time to begin thinking about your lovely first dance!

Call Jillian at: 949 400 7347

Or visit the website at:

OurWeddingDance.com

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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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February 26, 2010

Words to the Wedding Show Wise

Filed under: 2nd Time Around,Ballerina Brides,Dancing,Father Daughter Dance,Grooms,How Cool Is That?,Moms & Dads,Wedding Shows — Tags: Ballroom Dance, Ballroom Dancing Lessons, ballroom lessons, Bride And Groom Dance, bride and groom dancing instruction, costa mesa dance teacher, Dance, Dance Instruction, dance instructor, Dance Lesson Teacher, dancing at reception, Dancing at Wedding, dancing lessons, father daughter dance lessons, father daughter dancing instruction, foxtrot, groom dance, huntington beach dance teacher, irvine dance teacher, Jillian Forbath, laguna dance teacher, laguna hills dance teacher, latin dance, newport beach dance teacher, orange county, Orange County Dance Instructor, Orange County Wedding Show, Our Wedding Dance, salsa dance, social dance, social dance instruction, Social Dancing, swing dance, Tango Dance, tustin dance teacher, Waltz, wedding 1st dance, Wedding Dancing, Wedding Shows — admin @ 1:21 pm

Wedding Shows

Two words that conjure up images of lots of people, lots of noise and lots of choices!

Is a wedding show good for you to attend? I believe it is but first let me qualify that.

Having been a participant at over 25 wedding shows in the Orange County area during my many years as a wedding dance instructor I can tell you from experience they are not all created equal!

There are gigantic ones at the Anaheim Convention Center all the way down to intimate ones at various wedding reception venues all over Orange and LA Counties and the Inland Empire.

In fact this Sunday, February 28th from 11am-3pm I’ll be dancing at a lovely local complementary wedding show in San Clemente, 111 Avenida Vista Montana San Clemente, Ca 92672. Visit this link for more information.

Some are expensive to get into, others are free. Some feel super high end, others feel home town and local. Some are run by conglomerates who do three to six shows a year in several counties and even many states and others are offered by reception venues and cater to brides and grooms who have already decided to use their services.

Whatever the show, you’re sure to find lots of cake, food samples and vendors of every type to satisfy your wedding planning needs and maybe even a fashion show or two.

But be prepared…

Bring a large bag since the show might not provide one for you to collect paperwork and you don’t want to be balancing a lot stuff as you walk around and sample food.

Some really on-the-go brides and grooms even bring their own address labels complete with their wedding date on them so if they want to fill-out a raffle ticket or info card for a vendor they don’t have to waste time and tire themselves out writing but just stick one of their labels instead.

Definitely wear comfortable shoes. You will be walking and standing a lot. Keep in mind too, if you’re bringing along your groom his comfort as well. I see more and more grooms coming to wedding shows and I always try to make them feel especially welcome and not like they just stepped into a “girls only” sector.

If you are just getting started in this great big task of putting on a wedding (read that – you’re a year away from your big day) you might want to attend what I call the “overall picture” wedding show.

This show is usually fairly large about seven dollars or less per person for entrance and held in a local hotel. Be sure to take a look at the vendor list in advance and see where the vendors are based out of and what kind of web sites they have. You can tell a lot about a vendor from their web site and also the testimonials listed on it.

Often you can call a vendor listed on that particular wedding show list and they might have a few free tickets available for the show they’ll be at and they can send you some or leave them at the door.

Keep in mind, if the show has a lot of vendors based out of your area that might not be a good show for you to attend if you’re looking for local people so you don’t have to drive too far for consultations and follow-ups.

During the early planning stages you want to attend shows that will give you the maximum amount of knowledge for your time spent researching. Other considerations include how big your wedding and reception are going to be and what your budget is for them.

If you know you’re having an intimate ceremony and reception for under a hundred you don’t need to go to a giant wedding show. In fact you might only go to a wedding show in this case just for the fun of it.

Yes, guys – wedding shows can be fun. Where else will everyone be really nice to you because you’re getting married and ply you with goodies and cake to eat and freebies and coupons to take home?? Just think of all the brownie points you’ll get to use when you need to have guys poker night or game practice.

At any rate, I’ve only just touched on the giant area of wedding shows here. I’ll post more later on this year so check back often to see what’s up!

Email me at Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com if you have questions.

You can also visit my wedding show page on my web site to see more of my experiences at wedding shows.

Jillian at the Richard Nixon Library Wedding Show

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November 21, 2009

Dare to Dance

I think we’ve all experienced the feeling at one time or know someone who has the feeling a lot of the time of being afraid to dance. Sure, we laugh it off and say that it was just that particular circumstance or there weren’t enough people on the floor or the music didn’t move us etc. etc.

But the fact is a lot of times dancing doesn’t seem like that great an idea.

I’ve got students who take lessons every week to learn whole foxtrot, swing, Argentine tango, salsa, samba and hustle syllabi and still if there aren’t a few people on the floor or if they’re tired or if the music isn’t just right it is hard for them to get out there and just do it.

I’ve had students tell me that they feel like they’re “performing” for others when they get on a less crowded dance floor and that feels like pressure and heaven knows we’ve all got enough of that in our lives!

I’ve had students tell me that they’ll get out there when they “get better”.

I’ve had students tell me that there’s no place to go dancing anyway so they’ll just dance at their lesson and call it a day.

All perfectly acceptable excuses… but do they work in the long run??

Ultimately I believe that the more you dance, the more you start to understand it and feel comfortable within your body doing it.

In this technological day and age we’re up in our heads a lot of the time. Getting into your body and doing something that uses your body is not exactly second nature for us.

Sure, it is scary getting out there with just a few steps and techniques under your belt and you need to accept that you will have a few scary feelings and work through them or the next time it will be even harder!

Give yourself permission to feel a bit awkward during your dance lesson… on when you go out social dancing… or even practicing on your own.

It’s not going to feel “perfect” right away and that’s ok!

Dare to Dance and see what happens… you never know… you might be the a secret swinger or a fabulous foxtrotter in the making, but you won’t know until you at least give it some time.

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August 4, 2009

You I Have Loved All Along

Filed under: Testimonials,Types of Wedding Dances — Tags: Ballroom Dance Lessons, Ballroom Dance With Jillian, Bride And Groom Dance, Bride and Groom First Dance, Dance Instruction, First Dance, Orange County Dance Instruction, Orange County Dance Instructor, Orange County dancing lessons, Orange County Wedding Dancing Lessons, Waltz, Wedding Dance, Wedding Dance Blog, You I Have Loved All Along — admin @ 12:31 pm

Testimonials are so wonderful! You’ve just got to hear what one of my very recently married brides (July 25th 2009) had to say about her fantastic first dance.

BTW, she and her adorable groom, Jeremy, danced to the waltz You I Have Loved All Along. We incorporated their standard waltz figures from their days in UCI’s DanceSport into an American waltz routine a la Sean and Mark’s Dancing With The Stars winning routine to the same song!

What a show! Spin turns, heel turns, flip flops, paddy cakes, pivots, A-lines, shadow turns, tango cortes and tango flicks adapted to the waltz and a stunning conclusion with switching places, lean, twirls, dips, and the groom down on one knee with the bride backbending over his leg!

Hi Jillian,

Yes, the entire dance was recorded. We haven’t seen it yet, but are anxious to see how it turned out. We had to adjust a couple things because of the weight and length of my dress, but it turned out fantastic. Everyone was jaw-dropping impressed and we got a standing ovation. Thanks again for all your help in making our first dance so stunning and memorable. ~Dianne

Click below to see Sean and Mark’s routine on the Ellen DeGeneres show that we based our work off of and also to hear the song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiM-12Q_hlc&feature=related

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July 28, 2009

Stickshifts and Safety Belts

Filed under: Dancing,Types of Wedding Dances — Tags: Cake, First Dance, First Dance Instruction, Jillian of Our Wedding Dance, Orange County Dance Instructor, Orange County Wedding Dance Instructor, Our Wedding Dance, Stickshifts and Safety Belts, Swing Dance Lessons, Swing Wedding Dance, Wedding Dance, Wedding Dance Lessons — admin @ 11:16 am

It’s just loads of fun to dance a swing as your first dance and this song by Cake is a fast and furious one, I’ll admit, but it just brings a smile to your face every time you hear it. Here’s a live version of the song on YouTube below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkgXArxRxy8

My couple using this song is “graduating” tonight and I really will be sorry to see them go.

They’ve learned some wonderful swing steps and have an adorable side by side pantomime of the groom “shifting” and the bride “safety belting in and wiggle-jumping close to him” that makes you want to clap and hollar.

They’ll be winging their way out of state for their wedding soon and have promised to practice their dance once they get settled in.

I’m sure they will because every lesson they’ve showed up with their parts well rehearsed, ready for more.

With the “helicopter” and “sugar push” as some of their signature steps I’m confident that their guests will be wowed and they’ll have a great momento of their wedding dance.

Maybe they’ll let me take a video of their dance tonight and you can see for yourself!

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