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| March 2009 |
| Learning to Dance Can Make Your Wedding Truly Unforgettable Choosing Your First Dance How To Pick the Perfect Song For the Parent Dance Ten Things Your Wedding Photographer Should Ask You |
| Learning to Dance Can Make Your Wedding Truly Unforgettable by Linda and Chester Freeman Got2Lindy Dance Studios The location. The cake. The dress. The invitations. The honeymoon. The vows. The photographs. The food. The music. There’s so much to think about when getting married that most couples forget one of the most important elements of all: their wedding dance. The wedding dance is your first step forward as man and wife. It is your opportunity to show everyone how beautifully you move together. “My fiancee and I started taking swing dance lessons to prepare for our wedding,” reports Hudson Valley resident Emma Stokes. “We had no idea what we were getting into, and had no previous experience dancing together. Wednesday nights quickly became our favorite night of the week. The instructors, Chester and Linda Freeman of Got2Lindy Dance Studios, create a comfortable atmosphere for learning. We spent most of our time laughing, and we actually ended up being pretty good! We never thought we would swing dance at our wedding, but by the time we were done with the classes, we had so much fun that we signed up for private lessons. Chester and Linda designed a series of swing moves for our song, and we swing danced as our grand entrance! Dancing was a wonderful way for us to take the time to connect as a couple during the stressful planning periods, and we will certainly be back for more!” There is nothing more beautiful than watching a couple in love dancing together. “My sister watched us practice our dance a few nights before the wedding,” adds Emma. “She was moved to tears and rewrote her speech to say how touched she was by the obvious connection we had, and the joy and pride we had in each other while dancing.” At our Got2Lindy Dance studios, we’ve helped hundreds of couples like Emma make their dance dreams come true. But any skilled instructor should be able to work with you and your song, or help you select a song and appropriate dance style. The earlier you can begin lessons the better since you’ll be able to feel completely comfortable by the time you get to the wedding if you’ve had sufficient time to gain skills and confidence. But even if you can only squeeze in one or two lessons, they will help you look more at ease and not succumb to the stand-and-sway of most couples. Learning to dance together is not only a great way to look fantastic on your wedding day, it’s a great way to bring a new hobby into your married lives. And don’t forget lessons for the father daughter dance, mother son dance and for the entire wedding party! Linda and Chester Freeman of Got2Lindy Dance Studios have taught all over the world and on cruises. They specialize in providing private dance lessons to wedding couples. They also teach swing and ballroom in Kingston, Highland, Gardiner and Marlboro and run monthly dances in Port Ewen. Visit www.got2lindy.com for more information. |
| Choosing Your First Dance by DJ Bri Swatek Spinning with Style For a bride and groom, selecting your First Dance is an important aspect of your wedding, in terms of expressing the overall style of your event to your friends and family. Naturally, you want to choose a song that speaks to your taste in music. Lyrics that reflect your feelings toward each other are equally important. However, as the owner of Spinning with Style, a full-time professional disc jockey company in the Hudson Valley specializing in weddings, I, DJ Bri Swatek, feel that “dance-ability” is often overlooked and deserves serious consideration. Some songs are best described as “listening music” as opposed to “dancing music.” These are songs that sound great in your car or on your iPod or mp3 player, but don’t translate well to the dancefloor. If you truly love a song that is not easy to dance to, consider using it during another moment in your wedding, such as during the ceremony, during your reception’s grand entrance, after a special toast, or even during cake cutting. How do you determine what songs will work best for a First Dance? Professional dance lessons can be very helpful in narrowing down choices. However, if you want to make a more casual choice, simply put together a CD or mp3 playlist of your first dance possibilities, and then try dancing to them together. It may seem a little silly at first to try out a First Dance in, say, your living room. However, fairly quickly, you will both get an idea of which songs are too slow, too fast, have too many changes, or may be just plain awkward (what do we do during that guitar solo or rap break, anyway!?) Keep in mind as well that you may be asking your wedding party or all of your guests to join you on the floor during the First Dance. This option may further influence your song choice, including possibly selecting two songs–one for yourselves and a second song to share with your guests. Over the past few years, Standards from the Great American Songbook and Contemporary Country Ballads in particular have seen a resurgence in First Dance choices at weddings. This is mainly due to their dance-ability and the fact that they appeal to a wide range of audiences. However, contemporary pop ballads, 80’s rock ballads, and R&B selections from the 80’s to today continue to remain popular as well. In the end, selecting a First Dance is all about finding the rig ht song to fit your unique style as a couple. Choosing a special First Dance is just one of the many ways you can customize your wedding to share your unique style with your friends and family on your wedding day. For more ideas, visit Spinning with Style at www.djbriswatek.com. |
| “How To Pick the Perfect Song For the Parent Dance” by Stephanie Padovani The DJ Solution I always say picking the music is one of the fun parts of planning your wedding. But sometimes the Parent Dance songs make a liar out of me. You want something that fits your relationship…something different…but not too different. The perfect Mother Son Dance is sentimental without being sappy…short…easy to dance to…and preferably something he doesn’t have to pick. When it comes to picking parent dance songs for your wedding, it’s the guys who seem to have the most trouble. I’m guessing it’s because he feels a little uncomfortable with all that emotion. He wants to make Mom happy without spending four painfully long minutes in the spotlight with her sobbing over his shoulder. Here are a few tips before you start beating your head against the wall in frustration over finding the “perfect” parent dance song: Ask your mom or dad if they have a particular song in mind. If they come up with a song that’s special for them, it’ s one less thing you have to worry about. Job done! Think back to your childhood. Is there any song or artist who makes you think of your dad? Does he have a favorite singer? If so, this could point you to the right song for your parent dance together. Don’t over-analyze the lyrics. (Most people don’t listen that closely anyway.) If you find a song that’s meaningful to you, it doesn’t matter if it’s an “official” parent dance song. You and your dad will get it. If you do choose a less traditional song for your parent dance, ask your entertainer to provide a simple explanation for your audience. For example, “Jennifer chose ‘Sittin’ On the Dock Of the Bay’ for her special dance with her father because he sang it to her when she was a little girl.” Instantly an unusual parent dance choice becomes perfect. My Favorite Specific Mother Son Wedding Dance Songs of 2008 “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)” by the Dixie Chicks - If you fancy a sweet, country tune, this is it. ‘Course, you’re gonna want tissues handy for mom. If my step-son gets married I am lobbying for this one. “Mama” by Il Divo - I heard this one for the first time in 2008. A bit operatic (think Josh Groban) with great lyrics for a mother son dance. “My Mother Said” by Mr. Heath - Okay, this one is a little outside the box, but I love it. I dug this one up for a groom who wanted a “goofy, silly” song to dance with his mother. It is totally silly, but still sweet. Steph gives it two thumbs up. I didn’t have a dance with my father at my wedding. Since it was rather non-traditional (Jeff and I had our dance on our backyard patio just after the ceremony) we decided to skip the formalities. But now, years later, I wish I’d had that dance with him. I know just what song I’d pick: “Daddy’s Home” by Shep and the Limelites, the song my father sang to me when he came home from work every night. The father and daughter dance is a special moment and one I recommend (from hard earned experience) that you take advantage of. I mean, how many times will you dance with your father in your lifetime? If you don’t have a song that reminds you of your dad, try these on for size. My Favorite Father and Daughter Dance Songs of 2008 “Daddy” by Kendall Payne - This one is a definite tear-jerker. A sweeter than honey voice with heart-felt delivery and piano accompaniment. Great lyrics! “Daughter” by Loudon Wainwright III - A bit more light hearted, a sweet and true bluegrass tune. Sung from a devoted father’s point of view. “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw - Country fave Tim McGraw sings straight from the heart, there’s no denying. It gets me every time. Still stuck on a song? Visit www.WedAlert.com for a long list of Parent Dance Song suggestions, along with audio samples so you can actually listen to them. Ask your entertainer for suggestions and throw in a personal dedication to make it the perfect fit your relationship. I promise it will be a moment you’ll remember forever. |
| Ten Things Your Wedding Photographer Should Ask You by Denise Edkins Your Day Photo 1. Do you want engagement portraits? Formal, studio portraits or candid “day-in-the-life” shots in your home or in a place you like? 2. Before the wedding do you want “Getting Ready” photographs? Does the groom? Where will you be? 3. Do you want to see each other before the ceremony? Where? 4. Where are you getting married and what is it about this place that is important to you? Where is the reception going to be held and what is important to you about this location? 5. What special events are happening in your ceremony or reception? Lighting a unity candle? Breaking a glass? Readings from a relative? Cutting the cake? Father/Daughter dance? Slide show? 6. When and where do you want to do the group photos? After the ceremony? Before the reception? During? 7. How do you want to group people for the portraits? Bride and Groom with each family? With just parents? With both families combined? What about your dog? What about bridesmaids and the best man? Who will wrangle them at the right time? 8. Do you want portraits to be formal? Do you want fun/funny posed shots? Do you like interesting camera angles and experimental processes or are you more traditional? 9. Do you want formal Bride and Groom portraits in the studio? Before the wedding day or after the honeymoon? 10. Do you like detail shots? (The cake, the invitation, the place settings, the bouquet, the band, the decorations?) Denise Edkins of YourDayPhoto.com is a wedding photographer for Hudson Valley, Westchester and New York City. Contact her at denise@yourdayphoto.com or check out her wedding blog at http://yourdayphoto.blogspot.com |