Alysha and Brenton Gospodarek were aiming for elegance with their first dance as a married couple, so they added ballroom classes to their list of wedding to-dos. What they didn’t expect was that the lessons would make the planning process altogether more fun – and romantic. “Our lessons were like mini-dates,” Alysha says. “We could actually forget that long list of wedding tasks and just have fun spending time with each other, which is what the relationship is really all about.”

Four months before their wedding, the couple signed up for lessons at Fred Astaire’s Mequon studio on the recommendation of a couple whose first dance they admired.

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In a series of eight classes, they sampled several styles from salsa to foxtrot, but Alysha and Brenton ultimately chose a classic: the waltz. The moves were a natural fit for their song, Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” and they were able to time out big moments in the melody with graceful twirls and dips. Thanks to the lessons, they were confident when their guests surrounded them to witness their first dance. They recommend the experience to any engaged couple, but especially those looking to make a statement.

Connie Reeves, owner of Topline Studio and dance teacher of 30 years, agrees. “Most of my couples come to me because they want to have something a little more put together than the high school sway that we’ve all seen and done,” says Reeves.

To ease couples into the process, Reeves starts with a get-to-know-you session. She then tailors classes based on her clients’ goals: some only want to learn a few steps while others go for a completely choreographed routine. And she uses the selected song to build a framework for the choreography.

“Typically, in just two or three private lessons, couples can learn a nice enough series of steps that they can work with for either dancing on their own or building a choreographed routine,” says Reeves.