Terms like "Doom" are never fun when it comes to a day as special as your wedding. But, then again, if that doom can be prevented, we'd rather equip you early than let you wait and see.
Listen, we know you've got a lot on your plate and that's exactly the reason why we want you to experience all of the stress-reducing benefits of dancing together.
How to Benefit from this Article
So if you're already taking lessons for your wedding, treat these tips as an insurance policy to make your first dance a wonderful success.
If you're considering dance lessons and your wedding is in the next 12 months, consider this article as your catalyst to get started, and with the best strategy.
The 3 Phrases to Avoid
1. "We'll be fine."
If this were moments before a potential explosion of stress the day of your wedding, this would be an ideal phrase. In fact, your teacher may need to remind you of this in the weeks before your wedding, but it's when this phrase is stated far earlier that it becomes a problem.
Pre-Dance Lessons: "We'll be fine." = No bueno.
Pre-Wedding after having lessons: "We'll be fine." = Muy bien.
Bottom Line: If the phrase postpones your lessons it will not make your wedding any better.
2. *"I think we can get a better deal someplace else."
Let's put this in perspective - you can always find a better deal. You could certainly save a lot of money making your own wedding cake or sewing your own wedding dress, but this is a great example of a different saying: "You get what you pay for."
With Arthur Murray, you're investing your time and money in a school, not a lesson at a bar or rec center with a teacher-for-hire, "lessons" in your living room with your mother-in-law, or your next big Groupon regret.
Bottom Line: At Arthur Murray you're receiving a premium experience utilizing a teaching curriculum that has been enhanced and developed since 1912, instructors who have each made teaching their full time occupation, and a management team to make your wedding dance a fun experience that can last a lifetime.
3. "We'll just practice a lot"
Remember the bottom line rule from #1? "If the phrase postpones your lessons it will not make your wedding any better." Well, no matter how positive your intentions are, unsupervised practice is the slipperiest of slippery slopes down a path of frustration.
Whether this is seen as a strategy to stretch the old wedding budget, or a natural inclination based on typical student/learning activity, this is an important hurdle to avoid. Here's why.
Your wedding dance is not a solo. In fact, it's like you're singing in two-part harmony with your other half. Due to these interesting dynamics it's important that your teacher acts as an objective advocate for both of you. Practicing alone and unsupervised eliminates the objectivity which can easily slip into unnecessary critique of your soon-to-be spouse.
In addition, your dance ability is based on precise muscle memory, not just rote memorization. Your teachers would rather build your skills the right way than to have to remodel a bad habit.
Bottom Line: Out of everything that you will do in preparation for your wedding, learning to dance can be the only one that reduces stress, brings you closer, and can, and will, become a date night. Practicing on your own is well intentioned but can lower your chances of enjoyment.
Final Thought
There have always been sappy sayings about your wedding day that sound like a combination of a the birthday cards you'd get from your grandma or the themes of your junior prom in high school. Nevertheless, your wedding dance is, without question, timeless.
This isn't just some altruistic statement about how meaningful it will be when you move together as your first demonstration as a married couple, it's literally timeless!
There will be video footage.
So why chance it? We want you to have (sappy slogan) the dance of your dreams, but to do that we'll need to set a strategy that is firmly rooted in reality.
That's how you avoid the doom of regret, of frustration, or fast forwarding the video from your wedding reception.
