Dancing is essential to a memorable wedding day. That’s true whether you’re part of the happy couple, a member of the wedding party, or a guest. Of course, there’s the wedding dance (the bride and groom’s first dance). But there’s also dancing at the reception entrance and group boogies with all of the guests.
So what happens if you’ve never taken a dance class or feel unprepared to dance at an upcoming wedding? Luckily, there are many popular wedding dances you can learn on your own and even master at home. Online wedding dance lessons are also available and can help you learn to dance and perfect your skills before the big day.
What Is the Traditional Wedding Dance Order?
The order of dances at a wedding will vary depending on the preferences of the happy couple. However, there is a traditional wedding dance order that serves as a solid template for most couples.
Whether you’re a regular guest or in the wedding party, you should be familiar with the order of dances at a wedding so you know what to expect and when you’ll be able to get out on the floor.
Here is the typical order of wedding dances you should know:
The First Dance
The bride and groom have their first dance following their introduction. If you’re a soon-to-be newlywed, it’s recommended to practice the wedding dance before your big day because everyone will be watching.
First dances often involve slow dancing or ballroom dance moves. If you select a challenging first dance song or want to wow your guests in-person or online, wedding dance lessons can help you master your first dance.
The Parent Dances
After the first dance, the parent dances typically follow. Usually, the bride dances with her father and the groom with his mother. However, there is a lot of flexibility here depending on the couple getting married. This part of the wedding can also involve several dances beyond the typical two we just mentioned. For example, the bride’s parents may also dance together as well as the groom’s.
The Wedding Party Dances
The wedding dance you’ll see next will be one involving the wedding party. Here, the groomsmen or bridesmaids have the opportunity to dance with the happy couple. Sometimes, if there is a larger wedding party, the bride and groom will limit these dances or have the wedding parties dance to only half a song.
Guest Dances
Finally, all of the guests should also have the opportunity to get on the dance floor. Every wedding is structured differently, so some events may not feature group dancing until everyone has eaten their entrees. In other cases, the floor may open up directly after the wedding party dances. If you’re attending a wedding as a guest, this is your time to shine and show off your best wedding dance moves.
What Are Some Popular Wedding Dances?
Most people know what a wedding dance is. But what’s a wedding line dance? Have you ever been to an event and heard a popular song come on with pre-choreographed moves? Does everyone rush to the dance floor and get down in unison? That’s a line dance.
If you’re attending a wedding as a guest or as part of the wedding party, it’d be helpful to get familiar with the most popular wedding line dances. That way, you know what moves to bust out when the songs come on. Here are some popular wedding dance songs you’re likely to hear at your next wedding:
Macarena
This popular wedding dance has been a crowd favorite since the Spanish Latin pop hit song “Macarena” came out in 1993. It involves simple dance moves, including extending your arms in front of you (one at a time) with your palms facing down, turning your palms upward, and then putting your hands on your shoulders, head, hips. After a quick shimmy or shake, you jump, do a quarter turn, and repeat the moves.
Electric Slide
The electric slide is another wedding dance you should definitely get familiar with. It is a catchy song set to “Electric Boogie” by Marcia Griffiths. When this jam comes on, dancers typically form several lines.
When you’re learning how to dance, practicing dances for beginners, like the Electric Slide, is a perfect place to start. This four-beat dance starts with stepping to the right using a grapevine move (side and cross-steps). You do the same thing to the left when the count hits one again. Then, you move back and forth, making a swinging motion with your arms. Finally, turn 90 degrees, and repeat the pattern.
The Cupid Shuffle
This is another wedding dance song that comes up frequently and has set moves you can quickly learn at home. Since its release in 2007, the Cupid Shuffle has been a crowd favorite and always gets people up and dancing. It’s also relatively easy to learn because the song announces the dance moves as you do them.
You’ll begin by taking four steps to the right, then four steps to the left. There’s no specific choreography for your arms, so get creative and let them move naturally with the music. You’ll then stand in place and kick your feet out in front of you in rhythm with the beats of the song. Next, you’ll “walk it by yourself,” which means standing in place and dancing on your own to the rhythm of the music. Finally, you’ll do a quarter turn and then repeat the process.
There are many other popular dances at weddings, but these three songs and dances are likely to come into play at some point. They’re simple, fun, and easy to learn.
If you can’t get the steps right the first few times, watch those around you and perform the turns in sync with the crowd to get a better feel for the music. Once you’ve done these dances a few times, they’ll become second nature, so it’s a great idea to practice at home before the big day.
What Are Some Wedding Dance Moves I Should Know?
There are many ways to learn how to dance at a wedding. If you’re the bride or groom or someone in the wedding party, it may benefit you to take in-person or online wedding dance lessons to perfect your skills.
However, even if you don’t want to take classes, it’s a good idea to practice your moves at home before attending a wedding, especially if you’re going to impress friends and family. There are many popular wedding dance moves you can learn that will come in handy in lots of situations, including:
Swinging Your Hips
One of the most important parts of dancing is feeling comfortable and doing what comes naturally. So when you first take the dance floor, get into the rhythm of the music and sway your hips in time. This is one of the dance basics everyone should be familiar with.
Many popular songs follow “common time,” which means there are four beats per measure. Try swinging your hips in rhythm with the beats and then add an extra move, like a foot tap on the first beat of each measure to feel the music and get into your rhythm.
Rocking Your Upper Body
This is another simple wedding dance move you can do to any song. Start by tightening your abdominal muscles and then rock your upper body back and forth in time with the music. You can do this move to pretty much any song, and you can incorporate other dance moves as you grow more relaxed and confident.
Sway from Side to Side
This is another popular dance move that anyone can do, and you can easily combine it with other wedding dance moves. Sway from one side to the other, and rest for one beat each time you come back to the upright position. When combined with foot-tapping and lifting, this can be an easy way to bust out your moves while keeping things simple as you learn to dance.
Tap and Lift Your Feet
Using your entire body is a great way to feel comfortable on the dance floor. However, it all starts with your feet, and if you’re new to dancing, one of the first things to master is rhythmic footwork. Start by tapping your left foot twice in rhythm with the music and then your right foot.
As you get comfortable with the song and tempo, you can add in foot lifts to bring your knee to your upper body. Combining foot lifts, taps, and other wedding dance moves can get you up and dancing before you know it.
Do What Comes Naturally
Wondering how to dance at a wedding? There is no “right way.” The best advice for wedding dance moves is to tune into the music and do what comes naturally. Dancing is all about self-expression and enjoyment, so don’t be afraid to improvise.
However, if you want to get more confident before hitting the floor yourself, take some time to observe the other wedding guests. See what kinds of moves they’re using, and then try to incorporate some of them into your own style.
There are a lot of simple dance moves you can learn quickly and at home. Practice makes perfect when it comes to dancing, so if you want to impress at your next wedding, take some time to practice and familiarize yourself with popular wedding dance songs. You can also look for a qualified dance instructor in your area or take online dance lessons to help in your preparation.
The Best Wedding Dances Are the Ones You Enjoy
While there are many wedding dance steps and moves you can learn and perfect, the important thing is to enjoy yourself. Pressure and anxiety are the enemies of dance, which is all about having fun and expressing yourself physically. The next time you jump out on the dance floor, just shake loose and let yourself get into the rhythm of the music instinctively.
Taking private lessons can help you learn or brush up on your skills, or you may want to practice independently. Either way, preparation will help you feel more confident when you get out on the dance floor. But even if you don’t have much time to practice, you should always focus on enjoying yourself when getting into the rhythm.
Have you tried to master a wedding dance or two at home? Let us know your experience in the comments below!
Phina Pipia