THE FIRST DANCE

There are many aspects of the wedding that you'll never forget, but perhaps one of the most memorable is the first dance. With this in mind, it's important that you pay it the attention that it merits.

Traditionally, the Bride and Groom will be invited onto the dancefloor for their first dance as a married couple and this will kick-start the evening reception. After a minute or so, the parents will be asked to join the happy couple, then a few moments later the Best Man, accompanied by the Chief Bridesmaid, will also join in. Sometimes the Ushers and remaining Bridesmaids will then take to the floor, but this is entirely optional. Assuming that this tradition is to be followed, make sure that all parties are aware beforehand (including the person who is MC'ing the event) and that everyone knows who they are dancing with (paricularly when there are multiple Ushers and Bridesmaids involved). Other than that , it should be pretty plain sailing!

So now you know what's expected, then it's time to begin planning the first dance. Essentially, there are three aspects that you need to consider when planning this element of the proceedings - namely, the song itself, the way it will be played, and how you and your partner will strut your funky stuff whilst it is playing. Let's take a look at each one in turn.

The Song

When it comes to the piece of music that will accompany the first dance, whilst the vast majority will follow tradition and opt for a romantic number from the last 50 years or so, this is by no means a pre-requisite. So, if you're a big classical music fan or heavily into thrash metal, then there's nothing to stop you choosing a piece by Mozart or Metallica - granted you may get some strange looks bopping away to 'Enter Sandman', but hey, it's you day, so do things your way.

That said, most couples will opt for a romantic classic that has graced the recent pop charts. So how do you choose?

Well, to be honest there is no right or wrong - it's very much a personal thing. So, if you aren't lucky enough to have something you can pinpoint as 'our song', then you'll need to get looking. Make sure that you pay attention to both the tune and the words themselves - you'll find that many a romantic song is actually about breaking up and that's the last message you want to be hearing on the big day!