The hottest wedding dance trends of 2016

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Wedding season is coming up! As the trees begin to bloom and the weather heats up, so will the pace of weddings. A wedding party is nothing without the dancing, and here are the biggest trends we’re looking forward to this year in terms of wedding dances.

 

Personalization

An overall trend emerging in weddings is personalization of every aspect. Nothing has to be traditional or formulaic, and couples are embracing that. There have been choreographed first dances, flash mob proposals and discos down the aisle. The world is ready for your wedding dance innovation, so read on to get some ideas!

 

Global themes

Couples are finding skillful ways to blend the traditions they grew up with a modern wedding style, to form beautiful tributes to their shared backgrounds. For example, Aaliyah and Benjamin Armstrong and their guests performed a beautiful Maori ritual dance, called a “haka”, during their reception, to send the couple off happily. And Youtube is bursting with dances performed at the weddings of Indian couples, like this one.

 

Dance back down the aisle

Dancing down the aisle has been a “thing” for a while, but dancing back down after the vows has recently grown in popularity. This trend gets the party of the reception started early with what could be either a quick walk or a choreographed recessional. Throw on an upbeat love song and show your moves with your other half! This is anaccount of the wedding of event designer Katie Kirby and Julie Lubin, who planned every moment to the minutest detail, including a dancing processional and recessional that included many of the guests.

 

’90s playlists

Now that the couples who grew up in the 90’s are starting to get married, we’ll begin to see a resurgence of the biggest hits of that decade on the playlists of the receptions. The 90’s spawned some of the best love songs ever, hands down, so it’s great that they’re getting a comeback. Here’s a playlist of the best 90’s songs to dance to at your wedding, from wedding website The Knot.

 

Choreographing tribute dances

Done both for the entertainment of guests and the delight of the newly-weds, choreographed dances are a way of showing how much love went into the preparation for the wedding. It takes a lot of effort, not just to learn the moves, but also to get up in front of everyone to perform them! And volunteering countless hours to make something personal for people to enjoy at the wedding or reception is a great way to make the day even more special. Here’s an adorable dance done by two friends of the groom, using songs like Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” and N’SYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me.”

 

Professional dancers opening the reception

This one came as a surprise, but we found that couples have begun hiring professional dancers to open the reception. The opening of a reception is a prime time for entertainment, and these dancers are a unique divergence from the typical band or choir. Anything from ballroom to Irish river dancing can set the tone for the whole reception and get the crowd in a festive mood. Here’s a samba performed by Eugenia Sportar and her partner Alexey. The whole crowd sang along to the song she danced to, and the cheers were deafening!

 

If you’re planning your wedding, Fred Astaire Dance Studios can help you out. Take on one of these trendy ideas, or stick with a classic ballroom dance. Either way, what matters is the time to celebrate with all of your friends and loved ones. On behalf of Fred Astaire Dance Studios, congratulations, and get dancing!