Choose a meaningful song

Dancing to a song you both love is sure to make you feel more at ease come dance time. Bring your song of choice to your lessons and from here, your dance instructor can choreograph or choose a dance style that best suits the rhythm. And don't forget to practise between lessons, suggests Elly-Anne Pritchard from The Dance Company . "It eliminates the need to count, look down at your feet and any little things that could make you look unconfident."

When is show time?
A high-energy audience will help take your dance to new heights, so while there's no set rule for when you should perform your first dance, the two most common times are either the beginning of the reception - after your intro as newlyweds - or after the first meal to help kick off the party portion of the evening.

Don't doubt yourself
Unless you're a professional, none of your guests are expecting a Dirty Dancing-worthy routine, so don't sell yourself short if you fear you have two left feet. "Usually couples come away from the lessons amazed at what they've achieved," says Julie. "A wedding dance lesson is all about giving the couple the best experience possible, so they can enjoy their moment on the big day." As cheesy as it sounds, the most important performance enhancer is genuine enjoyment. Even if you don't go down the professional route, hit up YouTube and choreograph a jumble of your favourite moves.
"I attended a wedding where the bridal couple danced a high-energy mash-up of steps - some copied from YouTube, some completely made up, to their shared favourite rock song.
They finished the dance beaming, puffing and red-faced. It wasn't expertly choreographed, but it was the best first dance I've ever seen," recalls Frances Olsen.

Still not feeling it?
If you and your partner really feel like the first dance is just not you, why not skip it? Try thinking of a 'first' you can do together instead; you might have a hobby or activity you enjoy. Or, play the 'shoe game', where you sit back-to- back and answer a series of humorous questions about each other.

Wedding Dresses at Styletheaisle.