How Long Should Your First Dance Be?

November 29, 2023

How Long Should Your First Dance Be?

portland oregon bride and groom first dance

Congratulations! If you're reading this you're probably newly engaged, planning your wedding. There are so many things to think about when prepping for your big day. From florals to photographers, which shoes to wear to which desserts to serve - the options are endless. And so are the options for your first dance. For starters, you need to choose a song and style of dance that both you and your fiance are drawn to. And then, you need to think about how long you want your dance to be.

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So how long is the ideal length for a first dance? Most of the couples I work with have no previous dance experience whatsoever. For couples who fit in this category, it usually takes a one hour lesson to learn one minute's worth of choreography to a song. So, in my professional opinion, I feel like the sweet spot for a first dance is three minutes. This means you can learn the dance in approximately three lessons and then take another couple lessons to polish things up and work on performance. It's long enough to add some really cool lifts and dips in there but not too long that you lose your audience's attention or get overwhelmed with memorizing choreography.

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However, I also have another answer to this question: It completely depends on the couple! The real question I always ask my clients is how much can you practice? Practice is KEY to a successful, flawless first dance. I've had couples do 4 song mixes with various dance styles thrown in there because they were go getters and really wanted a show stopping routine! I've had other couples come to me, telling me they have very busy lives and very little time to practice. I usually recommend a one minute routine for them. The most important thing is that you are realistic with how much time you and your partner want to dedicate to your dance. Doing a clean, one minute long routine is much more fun and impressive than doing a sloppy three minute routine where you forget half your moves. There is no reason to stress out on your big day. That just makes your dance feel like a chore when it should feel like an endorphin booster!

Pictured here are David & Brittany, one of my incredible couples from 2023. They chose to dance a salsa to "Hypotheticals" by Lake Street Drive. This song is almost 4 minutes long but we ended it just after the 3 minute mark and the DJ faded it out (however I also have music editing services that I provide for many of my couples if you want to cut something out of the middle of your song and stitch it back together). They got married at the beautiful Mt. Hood Organic Farms in July, surrounded by many friends and loved ones. These two had a busy, travel packed summer but we had lots of discussions about the amount time they could allot to lessons and practicing at home and I think we found the perfect length for their first dance. Please enjoy more pictures below of their electric day. I especially love their guests' reactions in the background!