Couple of the Week

Dara & Ari Bernstein

**Wedding Dance Song:**
“If I Ain't Got You”- Alicia Keys
**Wedding Date:**
9/5/21

In terms of your wedding dance, what were your biggest concerns? What were you most afraid of?
The dance floor and band were our #1 priority when it came to our wedding because we wanted everyone out of their seats the whole time, and knew our dance was a great way to kick off that excitement. But we're not the most coordinated people, especially when it comes to dancing. We didn't want to have to memorize anything too elaborate with exact counts or do anything that would make us look stiff/formal/robotic. We just wanted some basic steps that were within our skill set and would make us look more coordinated and confident.
How did you feel after your Maya Moves lesson(s)?
We felt so comfortable after our Maya Moves lesson. We were amazed at how quickly we were able to pick everything up. You made us feel like experts in a short, easy lesson.
Did you feel prepared on your wedding day?
Extremely! We practiced at home a few times, in slightly different spaces like Maya suggested, and had a video of our lesson to refer back to if we forgot anything. But we really only had to practice a couple more times before the big day!
Do you have any advice to give to couples who may be hesitant about a wedding dance lesson?
I think a lot of people worry about looking awkward or uncomfortable, or not knowing what to do during their first dance, and shy away from the whole thing altogether. Instead, they should get a dance lesson to feel way more comfortable and excited about the whole thing! Our lesson really gave us the confidence to look great on the dance floor to set the right tone at the start of the party, and allowed us to worry about other things leading up to the wedding than our dance moves.
Any additional info you'd like to add?
Really cannot thank you enough for how great we felt up there! Our friends and family who all know us very well, know that we're not good dancers. They were absolutely blown away when they saw what we were doing, and their faces in the background of our photos show it. I've also been to weddings where you can clearly see the couple saying the counts out loud, making sure they don't miss a step, in what feels like a really uptight and difficult routine. Ours was nothing like that, it was loosely timed to the music so we could be comfortable and not caught up with memorizing counts and moves.