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When it comes to wedding planning, there’s so much to think about – the dress, the flowers, the venue, the seating plan… it’s easy for the first dance to slip down the priority list. But here’s the thing – a little preparation goes a very long way.
Your first dance is one of the most memorable and photographed moments of your wedding day. It’s that quiet (or not-so-quiet!) moment together after all the excitement – just the two of you, surrounded by everyone you love. So why leave it to chance with the awkward shuffle?
With just a bit of guidance, that shuffle can easily be replaced with simple, elegant dance steps – moves that help you feel confident, connected, and graceful on the dance floor. Whether it’s a gentle sway with a romantic turn, a stylish dip, or even a showstopping lift, we’ll help you find something that fits you as a couple.
And it’s not just about the dance itself. Those beautiful moves you learn often become perfect moments for your photographer and videographer to capture. A dip, a twirl, or a lift looks incredible in wedding photos and adds that extra bit of cinematic magic to your wedding film.
A little prep goes a long way
Most couples are amazed by how much they can achieve with just a small amount of preparation. In fact, one of our most popular options – the Bronze Package – is a one-hour private dance lesson where we help couples put together beautiful, natural movements that look and feel amazing.
In just an hour, you’ll walk away with plenty of great moves ready to wow your guests on your wedding day – and the confidence to truly enjoy that special moment together.
Hannah & Tommy, who booked our Bronze Package, said afterwards:
“We had such a wonderful time with Stefanie, who helped us to learn some dance steps that we could use at our wedding. She was so warm and welcoming and put us at ease right away in their fabulous studio. We had such fun, and we are so glad we did it as we felt much more comfortable during our first dance than we would have otherwise, and even managed a dip! The steps Stefanie taught us were perfect for what we wanted and we absolutely loved our first dance on the day! Not only that but we’ve made some happy memories practicing in the kitchen! We would highly recommend booking a dance package with The First Wedding Dance before your wedding!”
Stories like Hannah and Tommy’s are exactly why we love what we do. With just a little preparation, you can turn your first dance into a moment you’ll remember forever.
Your first dance deserves more than a shuffle
Preparing your first dance is one of the most romantic parts of wedding planning. You get to spend quality time together, step away from the endless decisions, and share something meaningful that will stay with you long after the music stops.
So don’t underestimate the power of a little practice. Your first dance deserves more than a shuffle – it deserves to be a moment you both love every second of.
Ready to start your first dance journey? Whether you’d like a single lesson to polish your moves or a full choreography complete with dips and lifts, we’d love to help.
It is a beautiful tradition for the bride to dance with her father directly after the first dance. This symbolises the love and appreciation you have for your father and how, although you are now a married woman, you will always be “your father’s daughter”.
Your wedding day traditionally has 4 key moments with your father:
The first look, walking down the aisle, the father of the bride speech, and finally your father-daughter dance.
While you are unable to overly plan or prepare the first 3 of these moments, the dance with your father is certainly something which can be prepared. And a little preparation here makes a big difference.
We often get approached by brides asking if we are able to help choreograph the father-daughter dance. The answer to this is of course yes. Like the first dance as newlyweds, this father-daughter dance is a very special moment and will create a meaningful memory.
Choosing a song for your father-daughter dance can be just a tricky as choosing the first dance song. We have listed 10 great songs below, which would be perfect to use:
- I loved her first, by Heartland
- The way you look tonight, by Frank Sinatra
- You’ll be in my heart, by Phil Collins
- Because you loved me, by Céline Dion
- Isn’t she lovely, by Stevie Wonder
- Stand by me, by Ben E. King
- Never grow up, by Taylor Swift
- Daughters, by John Mayer
- My girl, by The Temptations
- When you need me, by Bruce Springsteen
Your first dance is more than just a tradition – it’s the moment you step onto the floor as newlyweds and share a piece of your love story with your guests. It’s romantic, it’s personal, and it’s one of the most photographed moments of your wedding day. But let’s be honest – the idea of shuffling awkwardly in front of all your family and friends can feel a little daunting.
That’s where we come in.
A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way
You don’t need to be a natural dancer to feel confident on the floor. With just a few lessons, you’ll not only learn trusted moves that fit your favourite song, but you’ll also feel comfortable and connected – which is what your first dance is really about. Many of our couples are surprised at how quickly those nerves melt away once they’ve practiced a little with guidance.
Tailored to You and Your Song
Every couple is different, and so is every first dance. Some want to keep it simple and elegant, while others dream of show stopping
routines with twirls, dips, and even lifts. Whether you’re after subtle sophistication or a choreographed number that brings the house down, we’ll tailor your dance to your personalities, abilities, and chosen song.
More Than Just Steps
Preparing for your first dance isn’t just another box to tick in your wedding planning. It’s time you get to spend together – away from seating charts, spreadsheets, and decisions. For many couples, lessons become a little wedding date in themselves: a chance to laugh, connect, and enjoy the process together.
Make Your First Dance Unforgettable
Your first dance should feel effortless, natural, and unforgettable. With the right preparation, you’ll step onto the floor not just with confidence, but with joy – ready to create a memory that feels as magical as your day deserves.
Because your first dance deserves more than a shuffle.
Are you planning your wedding? Now is the perfect time to secure your lessons with us and make sure your first dance is one you’ll treasure forever.
A winter wedding is so beautiful and amazing – we are a winter wedding couple ourselves, so naturally we are bias, as it is our favourite time of the year. But a Christmas wedding is very special and has extra magic to it.
If you are getting married at the end of the year, we are sure you have thought about incorporating lots of festive features into your Christmas wedding, but have you thought about one very obvious thing? To make your first dance a romantic Christmas song!
Can you imagine hearing your Christmas song on the radio throughout December for years to come? How it will put a smile on your face and take you back to your wedding day with all its memories.
We have gathered 9 great Christmas songs, which are all super romantic and would work perfectly for your first dance:
– Cold December Night, by Michael Bublé
– All I Want For Christmas Is You, by Mariah Carey
– Christmas Love, by Justin Bieber
– The Christmas Song, by Nat King Cole
– Underneath The Tree, by Kelly Clarkson
– Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, by Frank Sinatra
– Like It’s Christmas, by The Jonas Brothers
– Under The Mistletoe, by Justin Bieber
– Baby It’s Cold Outside, by Dean Martin or Michael Bublé & Idina Menzel
If you would like help preparing your first dance, simply contact us and we will add in some Christmas sparkle to your first dance.
Your first dance is one of the most magical moments of your wedding day – the music starts, and for a few minutes, it’s just the two of you. Our Silver First Dance Package is designed to make that moment truly unforgettable, with just the right amount of preparation, support, and sparkle.
Step One: Your Online Consultation
We begin with a friendly online consultation where we chat about all things first dance — your wedding style, song ideas, and how you’d like the moment to feel. It’s also a lovely chance to get to know each other and for you to share your vision for the big day.
If you’re still undecided on your song, don’t worry! We’ll help guide you with suggestions that suit your personalities, music taste, and the mood you want to create. Once your song is chosen (and potentially edited to the perfect length), we get to work creating a personalised choreography just for you.
Step Two: Your Dance Lessons
The Silver Package includes three 60-minute private lessons at our studio. We’ll teach you your full, choreographed routine step by step, making sure you both feel comfortable and confident.
We recommend spacing the lessons out – ideally with a week or more in between – to give you time to practice at home. (Yes, dancing in your kitchen absolutely counts – and it’s some of the most fun “wedding admin” you’ll ever do!)
At the end of each lesson, we’ll film your progress and send you the video so you can keep practicing between sessions and see how your dance is coming together.
Step Three: Your First Dance, Perfected
After your three lessons, you’ll have a beautifully choreographed first dance that feels natural, romantic, and uniquely yours. Whether it’s full of elegant turns, sweet moments, or even a showstopping lift – it will be perfectly planned to suit your song, your style, and your comfort level.
The Silver Package is ideal if you’re looking for a fully choreographed first dance but may not have the time or budget for our Gold Dance Package of five lessons. It’s the perfect balance of preparation and flexibility, giving you everything you need to shine on the dance floor.
What Our Couples Say
“We felt so comfortable during our first dance thanks to our lessons with you! Rather than it feeling stressful, it just felt fun and we got to really enjoy the moment.” Yasmin & Chris, Silver Package couple
Ready to make your first dance unforgettable? Get in touch today to book your Silver Dance Package – we can’t wait to help you take your first steps together as newlyweds.
Fennes is a stunning wedding venue set in a Georgian manor in the North Essex countryside. The manor is surrounded by picturesque grounds and gardens – including the iconic white bridge over a pond. If you are a Fennes wedding couple, a photo on this bridge is an absolute must!
We are very proud to be part of the list of recommended and trusted suppliers at Fennes. Furthermore, we are the only dance company on this list.
Fennes work closely with their recommended suppliers and have a very high standard to live up to in order for the suppliers to be accepted onto the list. This is purely as they have their wedding couples’ best interest at heart and want to make the wedding planning – and the wedding day itself – as special and easy-flowing as possible. These values are exactly the same for us at The First Wedding Dance, and we were naturally delighted to be part of the team of suppliers at Fennes.
When we first visited Fennes for a meeting, we were so impressed how the venue is able to accommodate so many different requirements: you will find an intimate atmosphere and historic rooms in the manor house itself, yet the beautiful pavilion and banqueting hall is able to host weddings with hundreds of guests. At Fennes you can truly experience anything from an intimate gathering to a lavish event. Not to mention, how the rooms and grounds are able to change with the seasons and make it truly special any time of year. Furthermore, Fennes attract couples from all walks of life, from couples dreaming of a very traditional wedding day, to multi-cultural weddings to weddings for the LGBTQ+ community. We love how the venue is able to accommodate couples to make their wedding dreams come true.
Fennes hosts many open days and open evenings which are great for engaged couples to visit to see the beauty of the venue for themselves. Sometimes, the recommended suppliers are invited to have a stand at the open days, where we get the pleasure to talk with the Fennes couples to-be. This also gives us a chance to answer any questions they may have about their first wedding dance and how to prepare it. Not only do we love to meet the couples and have a chat, it is often the case that we come home with new ideas, new songs to listen to and an even greater insight to thoughts of the wedding couples.
Check out Fennes on their website www.fennes.co.uk and on social media.
We are very proud to be part of the recommended suppliers at this beautiful venue, helping the couples of Fennes to prepare their magical first wedding dance.
As you embark on the exciting journey of learning to dance your first dance, we want to highlight a few bonuses you get from taking dance lessons prior your wedding.
Great photos throughout your wedding day
The moves you learn during your dance lessons, such as dips, spins or even lifts, can make amazing photos even off the dance floor. Leaving the ceremony as newlyweds? Why not perform a dip. Having a photo session with your photographer whilst the guests enjoy drinks and canapés? Make use of some of your dance moves and the photographer will love you – and you will get gorgeous pictures.
Taking the dance moves into other parts of the wedding day is a beautiful way of not only getting amazing content for your photographer and/or videographer, but it’s a real crowd pleaser and is genuinely incredibly fun and romantic. Being confident to do these things during your wedding day is a great benefit from learning a professional choreographed first dance.
If you are preparing your first dance before you have an engagement photo shoot, it is also brilliant to use the dance moves in that shoot. Imaging having the same photo taken of the same move/dip/lift/spin in your engagement shoot and again on your wedding day and again in your first dance! Three stunning photos of the same move but in very different settings.
The joy and skill of dancing together
Learning to dance together is something that will stay with you and can come in handy in the future. There will be numerous occasions in years to come where you will be able to have a dance with your spouse. A dance with the love of your life is a very special thing and will always be a moment to cherish – whether you are at a party, on vacation or simply at home.
Spend some quality time together leading up to the wedding
It is exciting to plan and prepare you wedding day, but at times it can also get a little stressful. Going to a dance lesson is a time and place where you get to switch off from your to do list and simply get to spend some quality time with your fiancé. We often experience how couples get to enjoy their dance lessons in a way which is not only fun but leave feeling more relaxed and happier after a little break from all the wedding planning and preparation. As you learn to dance, you are learning a brand-new physical skill, which requires your full attention, and this will naturally take your minds away from other wedding matters which need your attention. Your dance lessons can thereby become a little sanctuary where you just get to enjoy dancing together.
As The First Wedding Dance teachers, we get to know the couple we teach well and have the pleasure of building a relationship with them. We are normally one of the wedding suppliers that gets to spend the most time with the couple in the preparation to the big day – alongside a potential events or venue planner. Therefore, it is only fair that we introduce ourselves and give you a little insight to the people behind the team at The First Wedding Dance.
In this blog post, we are putting the spotlight on Stefanie.
Stefanie started dancing ballroom and latin at the age of 5 at a local dance school in Denmark. This after school activity soon went from being once a week to multiple times a week as the interest grew, and at the same dance school you would also find Stefanie’s two big sisters. Together, the family of 5 – 3 daughters and their parents – would drive to every competition in Denmark. As Stefanie’s sisters decided to focus their time and energy on university, Stefanie continued her dancing and soon started to compete internationally as well. As a youth dancer, Stefanie was a regular national finalist in 10-dance and was selected as part of “Team Denmark”.
In April 2008, Ben & Stefanie met and teamed up to start dancing together and specialize in the ballroom category. At the time, Stefanie was still studying her A-levels, but once she graduated in 2010, she moved to the UK. Ben & Stefanie are thereby one of the few couples in today’s world of ballroom dancing who has stayed partners from youth, through amateurs and then finally as professionals. Together they have reached some amazing results on the competition dance floor both in the UK and abroad.
Off the floor, they got engaged in October 2018 and had their winter wedding in February 2020 – just weeks before the pandemic hit Europe.
Here are 5 quick and fun facts about Stefanie
1. Stefanie does not drink coffee but is a big lover of herbal teas and has quite a tea selection at home.
2. Stefanie has had the pleasure of being the model for the biggest dance dress company in the ballroom industry, and has on several occasions been modelling the newest practice wear, fabrics, and competition dresses, featuring on the front page of the company’s catalogue.
3. Stefanie loves to travel, but most often the destination is Denmark, so she can spend time with her family.
4. After turning professional, Stefanie decided to study the scrutineering system and successfully took the exam making her one of the few female ballroom and latin adjudicators in the UK who is qualified to be the chairperson of the adjudicating panel.
5. As a fan of Disney songs, she manged to persuade Ben to incorporate some elements of this into their wedding. “Tale as old as time” from Beauty & The Beast was beautifully played by a harpist as they signed the register during the ceremony.
Following on from the latest blog post getting to know Stefanie, today we are directing the spotlight to Ben to share with you his dance background and some fun facts.
Ben started ballroom and latin dance classes at the age of 8 a little accidently. A handful of his friends from school had entered a dance class, and Ben decided to come along. Once he showed an interest, Ben’s parents committed to taking him to the best dance school in East Anglia, which was over one hour drive away, in Ipswich.
As a naturally competitive person, Ben loved the competitive scene of the dance world, and slowly developed his dancing to the point where he became England’s number one youth together with his dance partner at the time. Whilst dancing at an international level, Ben still managed to study at Royal Holloway University of London, where he graduated with a BA in Geography in 2009.
The year prior, Ben and Stefanie had met, and started dancing together despite living and studying in two different countries. This meant Ben did most of the commuting to and from Denmark, as he happened to not have any university lectures on a Friday, and would therefore spend his weekend in Copenhagen with Stefanie as they developed their dancing. Stefanie moved to England in the summer of 2010 and from that point, they settled in the UK and fully committed to becoming the best dancers they could be.
Together, Ben & Stefanie has reached some amazing results in the ballroom world including being ranked number 1 in the UK as amateurs for two years consecutively, and being selected to represent GB at the professional world championships.
Here are 5 quick and fun facts about Ben:
1. He is, always was and always will be, a Manchester United fan.
2. He proposed to Stefanie at home in their living room late on a late October evening in 2018 as they had returned home from a big dance competition.
3. Ben likes a wide variety of music from 50 cent to Frank Sinatra.
4. As a child, Ben had several pets from cats and dogs to parrots and fish.
5. Ben understands a lot of Danish but is not very confident speaking it. This is with the exception for his groom’s speech at their wedding where he wowed all the guests and Stefanie by delivering part of it in Danish.
Let’s face it—planning a wedding is a whirlwind of decisions. Guest lists, colour schemes, catering choices, seating charts… the to-do list can feel endless. Amongst the spreadsheets, emails and Pinterest boards, it’s easy for couples to feel like they’re ticking boxes rather than enjoying the journey.
That’s where dance lessons come in—and trust us, they’re more than just learning a few moves.
A Pause in the Planning Storm
Dance lessons offer something rare in the wedding prep process: a break. A chance to step away from the inbox, the budgeting, and the never-ending stream of choices. When you walk into the studio, you leave the planning stress at the door. It’s just the two of you, moving together, laughing, learning, and enjoying each other’s company.
Quality Time, Fully Present
In the lead-up to a wedding, time spent together can often be filled with logistics and timelines. Dance lessons create a space where you can be present—with each other, not just with your calendar. It’s a chance to reconnect, to share a moment that’s about joy, not details. Many of our couples say it’s one of the few times they really pause during the planning process and simply enjoy being together.
A Weekly Date to Look Forward To
We love that many of our couples turn their dance lessons into a date night—grabbing a drink or a meal before or after their session. It’s a reason to dress up a little, celebrate your progress, and soak in the excitement of what you’re creating together. Even practice sessions at home become moments of fun, a glass of wine in hand and music playing, as you revisit the steps and perfect your routine.
More Than Just a Dance
Your first dance isn’t just a performance—it’s a symbol of your partnership, and the journey you’re starting together. Taking time out for dance lessons adds something truly special to the wedding prep experience. It becomes a treasured part of the lead-up, not just another task to tick off.
Falling in love all over again
Gillian, one of our lovely Fennes brides (shown here with her husband James) wrote this is the testimonial:
“My husband & I absolutely loved the lessons, it was the time of the week we looked forward to, the time we could spend together and focus on each other. It’s a feeling you can’t really describe apart from saying it’s like you fall in love all over again.
We decided to make our first dance a special moment and memory for us as a newly married couple and it was the best decision ever!”
So if you’re feeling the wedding planning pressure, consider this your gentle reminder: your first dance can be more than a moment—it can be a much-needed break, a bonding experience, and one of the highlights of the entire process.
We’d love to help you make that happen.
