The Top 10 Wedding Traditions to Say “I do” to: No 8

The First Dance

The First Dance at a wedding is an unusual etiquette. Unlike other traditions it actually has nothing to do with luck, ceremony and isn’t actually that historical. It is a purely European and American cultural activity, which developed around the 1930’s, by where the Bride & Groom as hosts introduce the night of dancing. One can understand the numerous fears and anxieties about this (there’s that famous episode in ‘FRIENDS’ where Chandler has secretly had dance lessons to prepare him for his and Monica’s first dance, only to find that his shoes slipped on the dance floor).

Ballroom dancing obviously isn’t a common skill these days; however taking ballroom lessons in preparation for the first dance has become popular. The concept might seem unappealing to many, however practically speaking it makes a lot of sense. Ballroom Dancing gives structure to movement, the basic steps are relatively easy to navigate and with the right teacher you can apply your strengths in a way you didn’t know was possible. If you’re dreading the First Dance part of wedding etiquette, why not give it a try!

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An alternative idea is to throw off any fears of serious dancing and simple get on the dance floor and wiggle about!  The choices of how you manoeuvre around the First Dance tradition are endless. Of course mishaps happen, some dodgy moves might occur, but you learn through trial and error and enjoy the process of perfecting your partnership.