Think of it as done-with-you versus done-for-you. First Dance 101 gives you our full beginner method plus a library of choreography built for real wedding songs, all yours to learn on your own time. It's perfect if you want a beautiful, natural dance and you're happy to run with it yourselves. Going custom means Andrei and I choreograph your dance from scratch, around your exact song, your story, and the two of you specifically. We can take it anywhere, from soft and intimate to full performance with a mashup, and we shape every step to fit your bodies, your comfort level, and the moments you want your guests to remember. The library gets you a gorgeous dance. Custom gets you your dance, the one nobody else could do.

It depends on the dance and how often you practice, but most couples are pleasantly surprised by how fast the basics come. Our whole method is built to feel natural quickly, using movements your body already knows how to make. Many couples pick up the foundation in their first session or two, then spend the rest of their time getting comfortable and adding polish. Short, consistent practice beats long, occasional sessions every time. Fifteen focused minutes a few times a week will carry you further than one exhausting hour once in a while.

Sooner is calmer, but you have more flexibility than you think. As a comfortable rule, starting 4 to 5 months out gives you plenty of room to learn, practice, and stop thinking about it well before the big day, so the dance becomes one less thing on your plate. Custom especially rewards an earlier start, because it gives us time to build, refine, and coach you through a couple of rounds of feedback. That said, we've helped couples pull it together on shorter timelines, so if your date is closer than you'd like, don't panic. Book a call and we'll tell you honestly what's doable.

Totally workable, and often a gift. A height difference can make certain moments look even more romantic and photograph beautifully. The key is choreographing to your bodies instead of forcing you into moves built for two people of the same height, which is exactly what we do on the custom path and what our method accounts for in the library. Nobody has to be reaching up awkwardly or hunching down. We work with the two of you as you actually are.

Also completely fine, and it opens up its own set of pretty options, like mirrored movement and certain frames and turns that read especially elegant when you're evenly matched. There's no "ideal" height gap for a first dance. There's just choreography that fits the couple, and we build to whatever the two of you bring.

This is the most common thing we hear, and it's exactly who our method is built for. We use movements that come naturally to regular humans, not trained dancers, and we build slowly from the ground up so nobody feels thrown in the deep end. You also get Andrei, which matters more than you'd expect when there's a nervous partner in the mix. Sometimes it just helps to have one guy tell another guy, "trust me, you've got this." Skeptical partners are usually the ones grinning the widest by the end.

Yes, and we'd love to. Those dances catch a lot of couples off guard because everyone's focused on the first dance, then suddenly realizes there's a father-daughter or mother-son moment coming too. We can help you feel just as ready for those. Mention it when you reach out and we'll point you to the right option.