Expectations adjusted?
Check
Gracefully ditching the bouquet toss, thanks to SashaFierce? Check and check
Owning the dance floor?
See below…
My absolute favorite part of a wedding is the dancing. Hi my name is Jen and I am a wedding
dancer. I don’t like going out to clubs,
disco techs, or wherever the kids are going these days. But I do love to dance and a wedding is a
perfect venue to get down with your bad self (good self, conflicted self?).
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| Wedding Dancing in Action |
At my old apartment we had a Wii and my absolute favorite
game was Wii dance. That was my best
preparation for wedding season, because I was exposed to the latest songs and
learned little dance routines to go along with them. My absolute favorite moment last summer at a
wedding was when Katy Perry’s “Firework” came on and my roommate and I taught
the dance floor the moves to that song.
It was a spectacular moment! We
were all fireworks that night.
As I go into wedding season, I usually have a couple of
songs that are my songs. These are the songs that no matter where I am
and what I am doing I will run to the dance floor. As mentioned above, “Firework” is one of
these songs. Pretty much anything by
Lady Gaga works as well. There are of
course the various songs from the 60’s on that are favorites and unify a
wedding crowd. Ultimately though, music
choice will reside with the DJ and this person can make or break a
wedding. A DJ is like the bass player in
a band. You may not notice his/her
presence musically, but take out the bass and the music just seems a bit flat
and dull. A DJ doesn’t just pick out the
music, but knows what songs work at particular times and is adept at choosing
an amazing last song. For those planning
weddings, if you’re going to have dancing, don’t cheap out on a DJ (unless your
second cousin with an iPod really is that good - doubtful).
What makes wedding dancing so fun is that there really is something
worth celebrating when two people come together. If ever there is a reason to eat, drink, and
be merry, a wedding takes the cake (pun intended). No one takes themselves too seriously when
dancing at a wedding and it’s a great chance to see even the most uptight
person relax. For me, dancing at a
wedding feels like taking part in the human experience. I don’t mean to place wedding dancing on some
high and mighty pedestal, but it is interesting that this has been one of the ways
humans have celebrated for thousands of years.
One of the reasons I love the movie "Hitch" - awesome wedding dancing!
Now, some of you hate dancing. It doesn’t matter where it takes place, there
is no dancing for you. That is perfectly
fine. Ultimately, you have to discover
what it is you enjoy about a wedding, and sink into that. Do you enjoy beautiful wedding cakes? Take lots of photos and savor each bite. Do you appreciate connecting with old and new
friends? Connect to your heart’s
content. As difficult as weddings can be
as a single person, also allow yourself to enjoy and celebrate the parts of
weddings that are beautiful and joyous. You
actually may find yourself having fun.*
So, here are my questions for you, dear reader:
-What is your favorite part of the wedding?
-What songs draw you to the dance floor at a wedding?
*I don’t say this in an admonishing way to those who have a
hard time at weddings. Actually, I’m
mostly encouraging myself, because I need the reminder that weddings can be
fun, and thought others might feel similarly.
So, these words are for me and you friend.
2 comments:
I always think the best part of a wedding is the cake, that is, if it's delicious and even more so if it has buttercream frosting and none of that lovely-to-look-at-but-nasty-to-eat fondant. I love a good dance, too, however. One of my favorite weddings I attending was when my friend who was Japanese married a man who was Jewish. They had an awesome Klezmer band there, and they got everyone - and I mean, EVERYONE - onto the dance floor to dance the hora together. Even my friend's aunt who flew in from Japan and was wearing a full traditional kimono! It was a moment of joy, community and intercultural goodness I've never forgotten and will always cherish. Thanks for the reminder, dear Jen!
This may be surprising but the very first thing I go for at a wedding is the cake, have to check it out, take pictures, ask about flavors, who made it, etc. Then on to the cocktails!
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