Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Heeeaven, I'm in Heaven...


I was chatting with one of my coworkers today about dancing dates (Dave and I hit up the world's smallest salsa floor over the weekend), and she asked if Dave and I were going to take dancing lessons for the wedding. I won't stoop so low as to insult my future's husband's dancing skills (again. sorry puppy.), but I said that yeah, probably dance lessons would be fun, especially since our first dance might be to a 1940s romantic jazz song. I said something about wishing I could be Ginger Rogers, or at least having a dress like hers. Something about big romantic jazz which needs a low-cut, flowing dress...


The infamous feather dress from Top Hat
After the first scene they had to stop filming because
all the feathers were flying up Fred Astaire's nose


Note: wedding dress must have cape.


I love everything about this
from the Chiquita Banana shoulder ruffles
to the page boy collar
to the row of delicate front buttons
to the exploding bustle of hums
all the way on down to the sweet little rosette on the shoe


It's probably some kind of bad luck to post an image
from The Gay Divorcee on a wedding blog...


And because no post about the lovely Ginger
would be complete without a shot of her dancing:



Did you know she put lead weights in her skirts,
so they would fly up and twirl exactly right? Sigh

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Tips to Get People Up and Dancin

My Glenn Miller shout-out reminded me of something I saw at a wedding that I absolutely loved. A few years ago when our friends Jacob and Jeanette got married, instead of the traditional box-step first dance, they opted for an elaborately-choreographed salsa number.* It was awesome--Jeanette traded her wedding gown for a cute little short gown, Jacob worked his two left feet like a rockstar, and they left everyone equal parts impressed and jealous.

When they were done, they invited a friend up on to the dance floor and explained that she'd choreographed the whole thing and gave them all dance lessons. But what was more, she also offered to give everyone at the reception a dance lesson. It was great! Everyone got up on their feet, trying out a few salsa moves, and when the dancing began in earnest, people were already up and having a great time.

I don't really plan on putting on a show at my reception, because besides the difficulties of learning, remembering, and performing a complicated, show-stopping number on a day when I will probably be so nervous that BREATHING IN AND OUT will be trial enough, Dave is not really such a great dancer (he does what I affectionately call the white boy shuffle). Still, I love the idea of arranging a 10-minute dance lesson for our guests to help them get into a groove.

Sweet, simple, and fun--and one of my favorite wedding memories.

Don't have your own amazing salsa-teaching friend? Hello, YouTube:



*I'd also like to take this moment to recount one of my favorite wedding stories ever. Dave and I, tasked with picking up Jacob and Jeanette's cake, disappeared out a side door as soon as the ceremony was over, where we ran into the brand new Mr. and Mrs. Bryant. They were not giggly, they were not jumping for joy--Jeanette turned to Jacob and said with the straightest face I've ever seen on a bride outside a wedding dress catalog, "Hey. We just got married." And Jacob said "Yeah, you're right! That's pretty cool." And then they smiled at each other. I know, right?