Elegant, Romantic Spring Wedding at the Abernethy Center - Patrick & Sandy's Dreamy Dance & Pictures

July 09, 2025

Elegant, Romantic Spring Wedding at the Abernethy Center - Patrick & Sandy's Dreamy Dance & Pictures

bride and groom enter dance floor to perform first dance at abernethy center oregon city

Patrick & Sandy enter the dance floor and begin their first dance

Patrick & Sandy got married at the Abernethy Center on May 18, 2025. We started lessons a few months before that. They came in with no previous dance experience (or so I thought - later it was revealed that Patrick had dabbled a bit in country swing). I choreographed a foxy routine for them to the popular song "Ordinary" by Alex Warren . When I choreograph, I start out pretty mellow. I put a lot of "safe" and "sure bet" moves into the first minute or so of a couple's dance - moves or steps I've found tried and true over my years of teaching - for a couple reasons. First, because most songs start out calm and slow but also because I want our first lesson to feel approachable and not intimidating. I learn so much about them during our first hour dancing together. I learn their strengths, I get a gauge on how much of their song they're wanting to dance to, we discuss their capacity for lifts and dips, if they have any current or previous injuries or limitations, their dance hopes & dreams, etc. And I could immediately tell that Patrick & Sandy were going to be a really fun couple for me to work with. They were ambitious, open minded and ready to push the limits and even though Patrick had no formal dance training, he had an incredible ear for rhythm which is a huge plus for a lead. He eventually shared with me that he thought that knack for rhythm and timing came from counting "game ticks" in the video game RuneScape. He said it helped him learn patterns and beats and I was astonished by this revelation.

bride and groom perform first dance lift at oregon wedding venue

One of the more challenging lifts I teach. The helicopter or as I fondly call it, the gravitron

Sandy was the perfect match for Patrick. She was a great follower, super strong but also graceful and willing to try anything. She even changed dresses for her first dance so she could move as confidently as possible throughout the choreography. And they were both really dedicated to practicing (which is KEY if you want to look polished). I put several dips in their routine and I think more lifts than I have in any other dance to date. The Abernethy Center was a huge help in this process too. They allowed us to have two different rehearsals on premise which gave Patrick & Sandy a sense of familiarity on their dance floor on their wedding day instead of feeling intimidated (and possibly getting turned around) dancing in a new space for the first time.

Our final practice at their venue was just two days before their wedding and Patrick's mom had flown in from Las Vegas early to help with wedding preparations. Showing her their dance for the first time was a moment I'll never forget. She wept and sobbed into her son's shoulder after they finished their dance and seeing her become so emotional made me immediately burst into tears too. It was such a genuine and raw shared experience. This is my "why" - creating moments that touch hearts and stir up strong feelings. Getting to watch others take in that live performance effect never gets old.

bride and groom smile at each other while they perform their first dance at abernethy center

All smiles mid turn

Patrick & Sandy pulled off a flawless performance on their wedding day. I was so impressed with what they accomplished. They also hired a fantastic photographer who captured all their stand out moments oh so well. Enjoy more pictures below of their timeless, stunning dance. Congrats to the newlyweds!