Dancing in Your Dream Dress: Five things to look for to make sure your dress won’t get in the way of your big day.
When trying on wedding dresses, most brides focus only on how it looks. But you should also consider how it moves—or doesn’t move—when you do. After all, you’ll want
to be free to dance up a storm at your own wedding!
After years of teaching wedding couples to dance, we’ve learned to ask the bride (out of earshot of the groom, or course) about her dress as we plan their dance. Most express regret that they never considered movement when selecting their dress.
So here are five easy things to think about if you want to look good and feel good while dancing.
- Is the train removable or can it be bustled so you can walk—and dance—freely? It’s difficult to dance well if you are stepping all over your own gown. We once taught dance lessons to a bride who neglected to mention that she planned to drape her train over her arm during her dance. On the big day she discovered that she was unable to do all the fancy turns we taught them. So, in frustration, she just let the train drop and danced all over it.
- Is the gown too narrow or too full? One couple came to us for months to perfect a sultry blues-style number for their first dance. Pretty soon the bride started calling her gown—“My stupid dress”—because she realized that its narrow skirt would restrict her from doing some of the moves they were so good at.
- Is the headpiece too high? To look flashy on the dance floor you’ll want to do some turns, but is the headpiece so high that your groom will have to jump to clear it with his arm? A better plan is to remove the headpiece before your dance.
- Does the veil hang over your back? When dancing your groom will need to put his hand on your back to lead you through moves. If you want to wear a long veil, it’s a good idea to remove it before your first dance.
- Can you raise your arms? It’s a simple enough question but you’d be surprised at how often the answer is, “Not really.” Make sure that your arms are free to move.
In summary, move around in your dress as much as possible. A wedding dress should look as beautiful when you twirl as it does when you stand still. Taking a few turns around the dress shop floor will help you decide how great you’ll look and feel on your Wedding Day dance floor.
Linda and Chester Freeman of Got2Lindy Dance Studios have taught all over the world and 
on cruises. They specialize in providing private dance lessons to wedding couples. They also teach swing and ballroom throughout the Hudson Valley, NY. Visit www.got2lindy.com for more information.