Close your eyes and imagine…
You’re at home, comfy & cozy after a long, stressful day at work, sitting with the love of your life.
You’ve just finished your dinner accompanied by a deliciously smooth glass of wine when your partner reaches over to you, gives you a sweet smooch, touches your hand, and says, “Are you ready?”.
You can’t contain your big grin because you know exactly what they’re asking you…
They take your hand and lead you to the living room where all the lights are dimly lit, candles surround you, and the beautiful moonlight pours in through the window, illuminating the night sky.
You’re a little giggly, but totally relaxed knowing exactly what comes next…
They pull you close, holding you tightly, confidently, and with passion as you start practicing your moves…
Your First Dance moves of course, what else were you thinking?
As you start practicing your First Dance alongside our online course, checking in on your progress, and learning your next set of moves, it’s undeniable how lucky you feel that you get to spend the rest of your life with your person, dancing under the moonlight in the home that you’ve built together forever & always.
And the best part? The First Dance you’re practicing for your wedding day will forever be with you.
For the rest of your life, whenever you’d like to bond or relive the magic of performing your First Dance – whether it be at home, on a trip, or even on your honeymoon, the moves will become muscle memory & ready to whip out at any time.
But the greatest gift of all? Your First Dance is the only memory from your wedding day that you can recreate at any moment. In fact, it’s the one thing that you can enjoy before, during, AND after your wedding.
But the thing is, you can’t have this kind of magic with just any type of dance lessons…
We wanna break down everything you need (and want) to know about learning your First Dance in person in a studio vs our online courses at home.
And after 15+ years of teaching wedding couples in person, online via Skype, and now through our online courses, we can confidently tell you all about the pros & cons.
You’re gonna wanna read on until the end…
Now, let’s break down the details together!
In-Studio:
Private Lessons: Many couples pay for private lessons with an instructor. What most couples are shocked by is that “private” lessons aren’t so private. In most cases, this means you will have an instructor working with you, but in a room with other couples and their instructors as well. If you’re looking for a “private room”, that’ll cost you extra on top of your cost for the instructor.
Crowded Room: Because you’ll be in a room with other couples practicing at the same time, you will have to deal with all kinds of music being played, a crowded studio, distractions, and feeling watched.
All Eyes On You: If you’re a shy dancer, it’s important that you know that you will be dancing in front of other couples, which to many people is very uncomfortable, borderline their worst fear.
Only 1 Instructor: One of the biggest surprises many couples have is that you will most likely only have 1 instructor teaching you, rather than two. Two will cost you extra if that’s even available.
Shy Fiance: It’s not always easy to convince your fiance to learn a First Dance, but it makes it extra hard when they have to learn under pressure in a room with other couples equally as shy, watching each other, and worried about feeling embarrassed messing up the steps.
Time: Your lesson will usually be 45 minutes of dancing, but that doesn’t include the amount of time it’ll take to drive to and from the studio in traffic, find parking, and walk to the studio. This means your 45-minute commitment could easily turn into a 3-hour commitment. Plus, when practicing with other couples around you, so much time will be spent keeping your focus on your own dance.
You’re On Your Own: As soon as you leave the studio, it’s up to you and your fiance to remember the steps and practice at home without the guidance of your instructor. If you forgot the steps, there’s no way to double-check until your next lesson. And since your lessons are usually only once a week, you risk forgetting a lot of the steps and losing progress.
Schedule: Unfortunately, you will have to work around the studio’s schedule & the instructor’s schedule before you can work around your schedule. Studio and instructors are only available on certain days and times, so if it doesn’t work for you, then you’ll have to hunt for a studio with the availability that works for you and your fiance.
Expense: On average, couples can expect to pay $100 – $150 per session for a 45-minute lesson. Most dance packages recommend you take a minimum of 5-10 lessons. To really feel comfortable performing your First Dance, instructors will recommend taking 10-15 lessons, at an average of $150 per lesson, coming out to approximately $1,500 – $2,000 total. But, you’ll also need to consider the expense of tolls, gas, and parking on a weekly basis.
Pace: You’re obligated to learn based on the instructor’s pace, not your own. You only have a certain amount of lessons within a certain amount of time, which means you’ll have to continue building on the steps regardless if you feel confident with what you’ve learned previously.
At-Home:
Comfort: Learning your First Dance at home is so comfortable for so many reasons. Not only do you feel safe at home, but you have the freedom to mess up without feeling judged by other couples, or even an instructor! Practicing in a space where you’re already comfortable will allow you to focus on learning 100% without any distractions.
Unlimited & Instant Replay: You have unlimited access and watch time until the day of your wedding. This means you can replay the same step, twist, lift, or turn over and over until you feel comfortable to move on to the next. Learn at your own pace and never again feel embarrassed to take extra time to learn a certain section, step, or special lift. It’s like having your dance instructor in your pocket all the time!
Feedback: We’ve added pop quizzes within the course that tests you on how well you’ve learned the choreography to give you confidence as you continue learning. Plus, as soon as you feel like you’re ready, you can record yourselves dancing the choreography and send it to us for feedback on what you could polish up. Even if you’re learning from home, you always have access to our guidance, support, and expert instruction whenever you need it.
Schedule: The most convenient and helpful part about learning online is that it works with your schedule, not the other way around. Whether you’ve got 20 minutes after dinner, 45 minutes on a Saturday afternoon, or 2 hours before brunch on Sunday, you have the ability to practice wherever, whenever, and for as long or as little as you’d like. Schedules are already so hectic, let alone during wedding planning, so being able to click play at any point of the day is an incredible benefit.
Bonus: Are you in a long-distance relationship or aren’t able to learn your First Dance alongside your partner? The BEST part about learning online is that you & your partner can learn your dance and practice completely separately, then come together when you can!
Commitment: The farthest you have to travel to learn your First Dance is from your kitchen to your living room. Other than being committed to learning your dance and staying consistent with practicing, you are in control of the amount of time you put in for your dance! You & your fiance decide how much time and how often you’d like to practice, and then have fun learning! The beauty of online courses is it’s created to work around your schedule, not the other way around.
Expense: The only expense you have is the one-time fee for the course…and maybe some special candles to light when dancing! We created these online courses with your wedding budget in mind – we were young & broke once, we totally understand how important it is keep expenses in mind. Since everything’s online, we’re able to cut down major costs and offer a course that’s 5-10x cheaper than other First Dance options. That’s why our courses average at $299, rather than $2,999.
Distractions: When learning at home, you won’t have to worry about any uninvited distractions, like other couples dancing around you, random music blasting around you, or the discomfort of dancing in front of others. It’s you, your fiance, and a romantic Friday night at home.
2 Instructors: With every course, you’ll receive step by step instruction from two instructors, not just one. We will demonstrate your steps for each partner, individually and then together, and from multiple angles. Each partner has their own instructor to learn from.
Shy Fiance: If you fall, trip, or mess up, it’s totally okay because you’re the only ones that see it. With the privacy of learning at home, you have the perfect opportunity to learn, grow, and bond over learning something brand new together, just the two of you. You don’t need to convince them to drive to a studio, just walk to the living room!
Reconnect: After a busy work day, you have learning your First Dance as a dedicated time in the day or week to reconnect with your fiance. Make some dinner, pour some wine (helps your shy fiance too!), light some candles, put away your phones, and take this time to dance, be present, and reconnect with one another.
Learn & Bond: Learning something new with your fiance is the best way to continuously bond over the years in your relationship, especially if it’s something meaningful & new you both are learning. You’re going to bond like never before: seeing how both of you take on a new challenge, how you communicate, how you learn and recover when you fail, but most importantly, doing this all and figuring it out together.
Be You: Practice in your pajamas, legging, or sweats, or dress up in your favorite outfit, whatever is you, be you. Wear what makes you both feel comfortable, confident, and cozy. This is your dance, you’re practicing in your home, which means you will never have to feel an added pressure to “look” a certain way when learning.
As we mentioned, there is beauty to learning in person in a studio with an instructor, but nowadays, all our couples want, and we’re sure you do too, is to have a First Dance that’s simple to learn step-by-step, works with their level of dance experience, feel confident practicing & on the dance floor, and feels like a fairytale on the most special day of their lives.
And now, all of that can be done in the comfort of your home, allowing you to truly enjoy practicing without any added stress, or extra eyes watching…
Because learning your First Dance should be as easy as falling in love.
Wanna sneak a peak at the First Dance courses our couples learned from? Click here to view all of our courses and see which one excites you the most!
Lots of Love,
Pasha and Daniella 🙂
After over 15 years of experience choreographing, teaching, and working specifically with wedding couples, we’ve discovered every detail of what works and what doesn’t for a First Dance.
Close your eyes and imagine…
You’re at home, comfy & cozy after a long, stressful day at work, sitting with the love of your life.
“If I could have just one dance with you, I would pick a song that never ends.” – unknown
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