What Wedding Dance Style Is Best for Your First Dance?

Bridal Salon: Bridal Reflections; From Real Wedding: An Enchanted Garden Ceremony & Fairy-Tale Wedding Reception

This is the typical, go-to move for those couples looking to spend little to no time preparing for their first dance and focus energy on other aspects of wedding planning. Think of this as the “slow dance” you know from the high school dance floor – a simple sway back and forth with arms wrapped around one another. It can be performed to a variety of slower songs chosen for their personal meaning. This allows for light, sentimental chatting between the pair, and a chance to relax after your “I dos.”

Many people wonder how to slow dance, but it's actually pretty simple! This is a more formal version of “the sway,” as it includes a certain “hold” – right hands held together and left hands placed on either the shoulder/upper back or the waist – side steps on particular counts with the music, and some pivots. This wedding dance requires a touch more preparation than “the sway” in order to make sure you and your love are in agreement with certain moves on the dance floor, and the song choice will be similar to that of “the sway” as well. Adding in some slow spins, dips, and lifts is a popular way to customize this form of dance.

Contrary to popular belief, a Waltz is slightly faster than a traditional slow dance. There are a few different forms of a Waltz, including American, International, Country Western, Cajun, French, and Viennese. This style will require a bit of choreography – either by the couple or by a professional at dance lessons – as there are specific moves that make it into a Waltz: it involves a set of box steps and turning patterns. Song selection will likely be drawn from a sweet, modern ballad.

A variety of different styles fall under this category, including the Lindy hop, jitterbug, jive, boogie, East Coast, and West Coast swing. If you’re looking into this wedding dance, be wary of your attire and make sure you feel comfortable – it’s quite fast-paced with more than a few lifts, fast turns, and leg kicks. It’s a fun, lively way to kick off your marriage – especially if you have a flair for vintage details. We recommend a professional choreographer!

Lying somewhere between a Waltz and a swing, this wedding-dance style is fantastic for a pair with access to an instructor and a desire to incorporate a tune with a medium tempo and playful moves. In fact, a wide variety of classic and contemporary songs would work well with this form. As with swing dancing and the Waltz, the moves can get complicated, so we recommend taking a class on the subject before you hit the dance floor. The best news? Most modern wedding outfits will work nicely for a Foxtrot.

This Latin style is excellent for a couple looking to evoke a sensual vibe from their special dance in wedding attire. It requires a lot of hip work and fluidity from both partners, but it’s much easier to learn than other Latin styles, such as the salsa and mambo, but will definitely require some practice before the wedding day. There is a smaller selection of melodies available that will fit this form, but they’re easy to find and very enjoyable for the dancers and guests alike. Shoes may need to be changed, and ladies may want to check out how their dress handles hip movement and turns before she takes the floor.

Though technically different, the salsa and mambo share a few key characteristics. Both are more fast-paced than the rumba and incorporate some complicated steps. The mambo is a touch more staccato while a salsa is fluid and rhythmic. If you want to bring a certain sensual, but up-tempo, flair to your first dance, either of these styles is an excellent choice. Select a song that reflects the style: it doesn’t necessarily have to be Latin in origin, but those are always excellent tunes for this form.

If you and your beloved are more inclined toward modern music than the classics and you’re looking to get the party going right off the bat, a hip hop dance number would do the trick. As a popular dance style of only the last few decades, there are many different moves from hit songs to choose from. Depending on your dedication, a change of attire may be necessary to get into this wedding dance.

If you’re looking to include a variety of different songs or moves, the possibilities are endless. You can pick and choose your favorite dances and pair them with different tunes to expertly match your personal style. No need to hire a professional – unless you’d like to make it a truly incredible number – you and your love can coordinate the routine yourselves and just dance – wedding guests will love the genuine feel of love in the room. This style’s appeal is customization: decide if you’ll do a quick change, who you’d like involved, and in what order your moves take place.

As a phenomenon only prevalent in the last two decades or so, a “flash mob” requires the participation of other individuals as well as your partner. If you’re unfamiliar, a “flash mob” is a choreographed dance that begins with only a few people, and overtime, more and more gradually add in. By the end of the song, a whole mess of loved ones are doing the moves.