Rustically Elegant Wedding at the Foothills of the Coastal Range - Caleb & Carolina's Big Day and Dance at Rebers Riverside

 

Surrounded by luminous greenery and natural splendor, Caleb & Carolina said "I do" at Rebers Riverside near Yamhill, Oregon on July 6th, 2024. And after months of lessons and practicing their dance, they finally got to show off their polished moves to all their friends and family. When some couples initially reach out to me about lessons they know right away which song they want for their first dance. Caleb & Carolina were open to discussing options, which is always really great because then I can talk through their dance hopes and dreams and help pick a song that fits what they're wanting to achieve. After a little back and forth we landed on "Come Rain or Come Shine" by Ray Charles...however they weren't planning on playing the original track, but rather having a good friend sing this song for them as they danced. Of course I'm always a fan of these sentimental moments and personal touches like having a live singer, but it also makes me nervous because there are more "unknowns". Will the singer sing the song the same way as the original artist, with the same innuendos? Will the tempo of the song be the same? What if the singer is sick or has a family emergency the day of the wedding...what do you do then? Because of all these lingering worries and questions, I asked Caleb & Carolina to kindly request that their friend record a version of her singing the song that we could practice to. And they delivered. This really set them up for success and also helped me to choreograph their dance in the best way possible to every little note and detail that their friend sang in her recording (and man did she have a killer voice!)

Caleb & Carolina had no previous dance experience but they worked hard and had the most positive attitudes in every single session we had together. There was lots of laughing while learning and supporting one another. And Carolina did something that was incredibly unique: she didn't lead! That might seem like a confusing statement "wait...isn't the guy supposed to lead?" In all my years of teaching dance lessons I've always had the girl "try" to lead...at least a little bit. Usually even if the girl hasn't had formal dance training before she has at least done more social dancing, so they usually feel more confident and naturally tend to take the reigns and direct during lessons a bit more. But Carolina totally LET GO. It WOWED me. Because I myself am also horrible at following. Carolina fully and completely surrendered and allowed Caleb to show her the way and although that put a little more pressure on Caleb he rose to the occasion with grace (and very detailed audio note taking).

Please enjoy more of their dance photos below from their gorgeous day, and the last photo which is their end of the aisle dip (a common coaching ask from my couples which I was thrilled to help them with). Congrats to the newlyweds!

Photographer: Iron and Rye

Venue: Rebers Riverside

First Dance Choreography: PNW Wedding Dance