Wedding Behind the Scenes: First Dance

Our lovely invitations (once again designed by Rachelle Somma) invited our guests to “celebrate science, nature and love.” Keeping with the nature and science theme, Ryan and I selected Monty Python’s “The Galaxy Song” for our first dance.

Once we finally picked a song, it dawned on us that we were actually going to have to dance to said song. One morning on a whim, I took a “Which Choreographed Wedding Dance Are You?” quiz on TheKnot.com. It suggested a simple waltz. “Simple” sounded nice! Alas, YouTube could only get us so far.

As luck would have it, Ryan’s father is an avid ballroom dancer! With his connections, it was Marie Rants and Rants Ballroom Dance Company to the rescue! Exactly a week before the wedding, Marie snuck us in for a quick session. In just forty-five short minutes, she managed to make us presentable! With patience and encouragement and lots of reminders about not stepping on my dress, she taught Ryan and I just enough to moves keep our dance interesting, but not enough moves to overwhelm us. Ryan and his mother got some pointers too!

Ryan and his Mother Get Tips From Marie Rants

After we left Marie’s guidance, it was up to me and Ryan to practice. We practiced in the kitchen while we waited for popcorn to pop. We practiced on our back porch while the dogs sniffed around the yard. The day of the wedding, we practiced in our hotel room while we waited for the hotel gym to be mopped.

My favorite practice session was two days before the wedding. It was my 35th birthday and we went hiking at Merchant’s Millpond State Park. When the Lassiter Trail expanded into a wide, flat fireroad, we took advantage of the space.

Vicky and Ryan Practice on Lassiter Trail

With the fresh air and an audience of Long-leaf Pines I told Ryan, “This dance is going to end up meaning more to me than the real one.”

In that statement, I grossly underestimated the emotions of a wedding day…and how striking my new husband was going to look in a tuxedo!

Vicky and Ryan Dance at Virginia Living Museum

Although I was terrified walking up to the dance floor, when Ryan and I did the actual dance at the wedding, we were both surprised to find we were mostly unaware of the family and friends around us.

It was as if we were still dancing for the trees. : )

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Special special thanks to Ryan’s dad, Marie Rants and Rants Ballroom Dance Company for helping us out on such short notice!