How Long Should the First Dance Be? : Music Cutting Services
“How long should the first dance be?” is a question we’ve come to expect upon meeting a couple for their first wedding prep lesson. Seven glorious minutes swaying in your loved-one’s arms sounds pretty much synonymous with enjoying seven layers of delicious chocolate cake, but it actually isn’t. Shocker, we know! After taking a few lessons, most brides and grooms are painfully aware of how long even just two minutes of dancing can feel, but they aren’t necessarily adept at knowing how to transform the seven minute ballad they’ve chosen into an abbreviated two minute version in a graceful, timely manner. Enter BDC.
At Ballroom Dance Chicago, not only can we teach you how to move with ease and style, we can also shorten your first dance song to a length actually enjoyable to witness (and dance!). Whether your song requires a simple fade to silence, a complicated cut and paste job, or a mash-up of multiple songs, we can definitely help you out.
Rates range from $25-$100
The final edited MP3 sent to you and directly to your band or DJ.
Collaborate with your instructor to create the best edit for your wedding
But shortening your song is only the beginning! There are many more reasons, some that you haven’t thought of, that you might need music edited for your wedding. Check out our list below.
7 Reasons to Edit Your First Dance Song or Wedding Music:
- The song is entirely too long
The first dance (or father/daughter, mother/son, or any other special dance) is undoubtedly an important moment to recognize, but is 5 minutes of swaying really worth the 2 minutes that your guests will actually be invested? Cut it out!
- There’s a lyric that you just don’t appreciate
While your grandma is very liberal, and relatively hip, she still probably won’t appreciate lyrics about one-night stands, drug use, how drunk you were when you met, or other less-than-flattering situations. Cut it out!
- There’s a dramatic shift in the middle of the song
All of a sudden your acoustic love song turns into a hardcore rock ballad. Everything was going great, until the song changed into something entirely different and you were left looking confused and indecisive. While you might appreciate listening to the multiple personalities of this song, dancing to it feels less than desirable. Cut it out!
- The bridge is completely undance-able
Does that 2 minute drum solo feel like the mess under your bed that you hoped never to confront? Unfortunately, people will notice if you continue to dance through it as if nothing has changed. The pros say: Cut it out!
- The Intro is Waaaay too Long
Does this song even have lyrics? We wouldn’t know, because we stopped listening after the first 45 seconds of piano solo. While we can all appreciate a little time to get settled on the dance floor as the song gets going, there’s a fine line between comfortable and boring. Cut it out!
- A Mashup of Moondance & Lady Marmalade Just Doesn’t Exist Yet
Please, don’t ever mix these two songs, but if you absolutely must, let us do it for you. We know that sometimes you want both Classic and Fun, the same way you crave Salty and Sweet. To satisfy your dance sensibilities, here’s a couple of our favorite Romantic/Entertaining Mashups to contemplate:“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran into “Shut Up & Dance With Me” by Walk the Moon
“At Last” by Etta James into “You Really Got Me” by Van Halen
“Crazy Love” by Van Morrison into “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce
You Can’t Decide on One First Dance Song
While you can appreciate the traditional “one song first dance”, you’re anything but traditional. For your first dance, you’d like to have a selection of Edelweiss, Michael Jackson, and even a tribute to your cultural heritage. Not for the faint of heart, but absolutely doable. Let us make your first dance song as musically diverse as you are!
Have a completely different idea or reason for needing your music edited? Let us know by emailing us at info@ballroomdancechicago.com, and we’d love to hear your ideas.