Wedding Dance

Your first dance together as husband and wife will be a memory of a lifetime. It is quite a tradition and should be fun.

By the time it comes to dancing at the reception people are ready to let their hair down and enjoy themselves.

It is an opportunity for the newly married couple to show their love for each other and surprise or entertain their guests with a slow waltz or a beautiful choreographed dance routine.

The dance and music you choose should be a reflection of you both as a couple.

Here is a fabulous video of Ryan and Frankie having their first dance and having LOTS of fun!

Growing in popularity is for the wedding party to perform a routine together after the bride and groom have performed their first dance. This idea can even add to the fun of preparing for the wedding with routine visits to the dance studio.

Tradition says the bride and groom dance together first and then the parents follow. The father of the bride will dance with his daughter and the groom dances with his mother.

Then the groom's father dances with the bride and the groom dances with his new mother-in-law.

This tradition came about as a way of showing the new mix of the two families.

The first dance is usually performed after the main course is served and ideally, directly after the cutting of the cake.

If you are performing a set routine for your wedding dance you will not want your guests joining you on the dance floor so an announcement by your MC is a good idea! Something like the following:

“ Ladies and gentlemen I would now like to welcome the bride and groom to the dance floor to perform their first dance as a married couple.  I would ask all guests to keep the dance floor clear until our couple have finished their first dance together. I would also suggest you get your cameras and tissues ready as I know they have planned a beautiful routine that is sure to capture your hearts."

When it’s all said and done though, it’s your wedding day so you can always start your own tradition and have a great time!

Vote and Win in the Wedding Cake Poll

We recently published an article on our Blog featuring 8 beautiful wedding cakes from our Real Wedding archives.

Let us know which one you loved by voting in our latest Poll and enter the draw for the chance to win a fabulous prize from the multi-talented in Melbourne!

You could win the luxurious gold-rimmed Signature Tea Pot and Cups - perfect for ladies of High Socie-tea from

Click Here to Enter

Good Luck!!

Wedding Day Hair Inspiration

On your wedding day it is an opportunity for you to wear your hair in a style that is different, more elaborate or perhaps just more suitable to accommodating your veil.

We have searched through our Real Wedding archives and found some beautiful hairstyles for your review.

Some of our brides had a wedding day hair up do that they could change easily for their reception. That's a fantastic idea!

 

Amanda Smith by Next Exit Photography

Claire has a Classic Hair for back veil look

Front view of Claire (Infinity Photography)

Emma Kaveney (Mint Photography)
with a beautiful hair up do!

Just added the veil on a comb for the day
and then easily removed the veil for the reception!

Oliva (Calli B Photography)
Added a jewelled hair piece

 

Stephanie Sarta (Featherstone Photography)

Alexis Hemphill by Elizabeth Messina Photographer

Carrie Lynch with a long hair style by Infinity Photography

This gorgeous Flower Girl for Cate Raynor wearing a classic flower wreath - so simple yet beautiful!  (GM Photographics)

Monique Mellor with bridesmaid's matching hair up dos
by Karen Visser Photographer

 

Beautiful symmetry photography of  Monique Mellor's Bridesmaids and of course Monique looking stunning with her hair down and wearing a veil!

 

Alice Baxter by Paper & Lace Photography

 

Carey's classy hair style and hair piece

Photography by Aaron Delesie

Leah wearing a lacy hair piece that stands out on her dark hair
by Anna Rose Photography

Megan Crockett by Lens to Life Photography

Rachel Siemring by Calli B Photography

Kate Stockwell by Samm Blake Photography

 

Kylie Hackett wearing an elegant hairpiece

 with long hair by Thurtell Photography

 

Sally Ryan started with a veil and changed to a hair piece later

Adrian Tuazon Photography

Zoe and John by Jose Villa Photography

Zoe and John by Jose Villa Photography

	This beautiful braid from Project Wedding http://www.projectwedding.com/

This beautiful braid from Project Wedding

http://www.projectwedding.com/

Just love the flower piece in the hair. A great alternative to a veil!
This piece is available from
The Prancing Fox- Style Inspirations for the Fashion Conscious Individual.

This amazing hair up style from LA Girl Secrets
http://www.lagirlsecrets.com/

This beautiful gown with matching hat from Gowns of Elegance is a great alternative or addition to a wedding day hair up do
http://www.gownsofelegance.com

Here is a video from Lilith Moon showing how to create a French fishtail braid for short medium and long hair

We hope you enjoyed these images and feel inspired with ideas on ways to wear your hair on your big day. We would love to hear your thoughts so please comment below!

Top Ten Wedding Day Dos

Vera Wang, leading fashion and bridal couture designer, released her Top Ten Wedding Day Dos which we would like to share with you.

What works fashion wise for that trek down the aisle?

"1. Feeling comfortable in your appearance is incredibly important. If you feel comfortable with the way you look, you will radiate the most confidence."

Brittany Baldwin married Mitchell Clough
at the Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast.
Their Real Wedding features in The Bride's Gown Look Book.
She radiates confidence on her special day!

"2. Determine what kind of wedding you are having. The volume, silhouette, proportions, amount of adornment, tailoring and other elements of the dress should have a lot to do with not only where you have your wedding, but what time of day it is being held and what the temperature is. The dress is not only about how it looks on your body."

Lou Fitzhardinge & Paul McDougall
A Real Wedding in The Brides Gown
Lou is dressed beautifully for a wonderful cold Autumn wedding.

"3. It's really important to see the whole look - the dress, the headpiece, the size of the bouquet and the shoes. I would go so far as to include the makeup. A lot of girls put a tremendous amount of effort into the dress, but they don't give a lot of thought to the headpiece, tiara, barrettes or other accessories. Very often they are an afterthought."

Kimberley & Daniel Tuillo featured as a Real Wedding
in our Autumn 2012 Issue 20 digital magazine.
Great hair do, tiara, matching earrings and complimentary makeup!

"4. Go easy on the bouquet. Bouquets that are too large or too loud will detract from the dress."

Katie and Matt - The Secret Garden
Such an intricate dress of beauty subtly complimented by the bouquet!

"5. Hem lengths are very key. You have to make sure you don't see the shoes. The dress should definitely be floating above in the front. If it is too long in front, it's treacherous. In order to make a wedding a success, the bride should not have to lift the dress. Someone tripped in my most recent show. It can be a particularly long walk down the aisle."

Natasha and Paul Cooper featured
as a Real Wedding in our The Brides Gown Look Book.
Natasha negotiated the stairs out of the church with no trouble at all !

"6.  Makeup is another thing to think about. I'm not crazy about strong red lipstick with a white dress. If you never wear blue eyeshadow or purple eyeshadow or glitter, why wear it on your wedding day? You want to avoid any makeup that makes you look disguised or that makes you no longer look like yourself. That is huge. It should be the same with the hair. Sometimes stylists can get too elaborate with hair styles and colours. Wearing hair accessories and bobby pins are very much about editing."

Hannah and Rhys Clark featured as a Real Wedding
 in The Brides Gown Look Book
Her makeup is professionally applied and accentuates her natural beauty!

"7.  I have to say I prefer a shoe on the quieter side whether it is a fashion shoe (though it doesn't have to be) or something with a bit of a wedding feeling. I like a shoe with a tapered toe box. I'm not someone who is into a full-on Swarovski-covered glittery shoe. I don't think you want that much attention. A little kitten heel is nice if you are marrying someone shorter than you, or a platform if you are marrying someone taller."

Amy and James Tracy-Inglis are featured
in our Autumn 2012, Issue 20 digital magazine
Amy's shoes are from Kurt Geiger 

"8.  It is just as important to have black-and-white photography done as it is to have colour. Black and white is chic and timeless."

Leonie and Chris Davenport featured as a
Real Wedding in our Autumn 2012 Issue 20 digital magazine
Black and white is chic and timeless!

"9.  Step into your dress whether it is large or narrow. There are things no one can compensate for. I once had a bride get red lipstick on the front of her dress when she pulled it on over her head. Keep anyone with colourful drinks, beverages or makeup away from you."

May and Adrian Wong featured as a Real Wedding in our
Autumn 2012 Issue 20 digital magazine
May is carefully helped into her gown by her bridesmaid so as to not
disturb the gorgeous hair do.

"10.  Savour the moment. There's a tendency when people get married to rush down the aisle as soon as the ceremony has ended. I'm not sure if it's relief or what. But you have to remember the guests have spent most of the time looking at your back during the service. So much work goes into planning. Take your time when walking back down the aisle. Let them see the dress."

Amy and James Tracy-Inglis are featured
in our Autumn 2012, Issue 20 digital magazine
Gradually and happily walking down the aisle after a beautiful ceremony!

Great advice! Thanks Vera!



Vera Wang

Bibilography:
1: Studio Sixty Photography & Todd Hunter McGraw
3: Jennifer Oliphant Photography www.jenniferoliphant.com
4: http://www.styleandbride.com/2012/02/katie-and-matt-the-secret-garden/
5. Ryan Heywood www.ryanheywood.com
6: Ryan Ahern www.ahern.com.au
7 & 10: Popcorn Photography http://www.popcornphotography.com.au
8: Tim Coulson Photography  www.timcoulson.com
9: Pobke Photography  http://www.pobkephotography.com