Does Your First Dance Attire Match Your First Dance Song? - Chase & Sarah's Cheerful Wedding at The Ecotrust

January 06, 2026

Does Your First Dance Attire Match Your First Dance Song? - Chase & Sarah's Cheerful Wedding at The Ecotrust

bride rolls across groom's back during first dance in downtown portland oregon

Chase & Sarah show off their "bowling chicken" during their first dance

Chase & Sarah got married in November 2025 and I started lessons with them a few months prior. We were nearing the end of wedding season and I was about to finish up my busiest year yet for PNW Wedding Dance. I absolutely love teaching, but as most vendors will tell you the end of the season is a time where you're running on fumes - fueled by caffeine and feeling a bit ragged. The only notes I had about their dance was which song they'd chosen and that Chase had a "weak left knee".

They stepped into the studio and I kept my expectations low based on my notes regarding Chase's preexisting injury. The song they'd chosen was very fast ("Carry You Home" by Alex Warren) but the choreography I had prepared for them was on the milder side, hoping for some build as the song progressed once I'd seen them dance a bit and had a better idea of their skill set. Chase had some former dance experience but Sarah had none.

Groom spins bride during first dance at Ecotrust

Once the hour was up, I was not only completely and utterly smitten with watching the chemistry between them and enjoying their bubbly personalities but I was completely floored and super inspired by how quickly they mastered any movement I threw at them. It was very clear to me that they had that "something special" that can take a first dance from a 10 to an off the charts experience. But, how far did they want to go?

The biggest lingering question was Sarah's dress. Now I KNOW how much time and thought gets put into choosing a wedding dress. It is often the most special dress that is worn in one's lifetime and it's a huge deal! So I didn't want to rip that dress away from Sarah. However, her wedding dress was a boho ball gown on the poofier side and there was no way we were going to be able to tackle grand, exciting tricks with that attire. She had encouraged me during our first lesson to watch the music video that went with their song and I went home and watched it that night. There was lot of dancing in it with stunning lifts and quick movements. I thought to myself - if she and Chase are deriving inspiration from this video for their first dance, and we want to match that vibe, I'm going to have to level with her.

Bride shows off her wedding gown in the Pearl District

Sarah's stunning wedding dress

So I somewhat reluctantly sent Sarah an email. I explained to her that her wedding dress would inhibit her movement and that we couldn't accomplish what I was envisioning for their dance with her current wedding dress, but we could adjust the dance to fit her dress if that's what she'd prefer. I could tell almost immediately from her response that she was bummed but she asked more questions about what I was specifically hoping they would be trying trick-wise, how her dress could hold her back and what might work in its place. After several email exchanges, she let me know that they were willing to change her dress for the dance in order to have a killer routine. I was THRILLED. And assured her that she could put her cherished wedding dress back on the second their dance had finished.

Sarah & Chase did something that most couples don't do - they pushed ME. Every time I was choreographing for them I'd say to myself "Is this challenging enough? What new tricks can I teach them that I've never put on anyone before?" It was an exhilarating experience and was exactly what I needed to wake me up at the end of a long wedding season. They rose to every challenge. Their dance got faster and faster and I felt like apologizing at the beginning of each lesson before teaching them because the choreography was so fast...but then I'd remember that it was them and not me who chose the fast song lol.

Another bonus to Sarah changing her dress for the dance was that it was no longer a secret from Chase and she was able to wear it to lessons, which took all guesswork out of whether it would work the day of (and this second dress was so beautiful too!) She also told me she was going to be wearing a floral crown during her first dance so she wore a plastic fake one to lessons. She completed her look with a pair of white sneakers to give her sure footing when landing her stunts.

The end result was pure magic. We had Sarah doing a fan kick with her legs as she rolled across Chase's back (also known as "the bowling chicken"). I taught them a new dip that included a spin to get into their final position. I pushed them hard and they never disappointed, not even once. Chase's knee turned out to be a non issue (although I did ask for his opinion frequently as I choreographed to make sure new movements wouldn't cause him any pain) and he was a strong and supportive lead. I hope you can zoom into some of these pictures to view the reactions from their guests, because that's my favorite part. The applause, the gasps, the jaws on the floor. This isn't the first dance for everyone but it was absolutely perfect for them. Full of energy, playfulness and everything that reflected their love for one another.

Chase & Sarah - Thank you for lighting my brain on fire and expanding my skills as a choreographer! And also just for being so real, true to you and fun. And sorry about that one practice Chase where you accidentally did the splits....ouch. You recovered well. Congratulations!