7 Reasons

Tag: wedding

  • Guest Post: 7 Reasons To Love The British Monarchy

    Guest Post: 7 Reasons To Love The British Monarchy

    As the catalyst for much social discussion, the subject of countless headlines and even the inspiration behind many protests, it’s difficult to argue that the Royal Family aren’t a conversation starter. Despite dividing the opinions of the public on occasion, there are seven very special reasons why you can’t help but love the British monarchy.

    7 Reasons To Love The British Monarchy

    1. Without the Royals, there would be no Pippa. In April 2011, the world was caught up in a whirlwind of fairy tale romance, bunting and street parties – it was time for the much-anticipated Royal wedding. Whether you loved it or loathed it, the inescapable pomp presented something to the general public other than misty-eyed monarchs; Pippa Middleton’s posterior. The bridesmaid’s bottom quickly gathered a following of over 225,000 fan on Facebook, and suddenly gave the Great British public a renewed interest in the Royals.

    2. Banking on a bank holiday. Each time that we are faced with an up and coming event involving the monarchy, almost all of us ask ourselves the same question; will we get an extra bank holiday out of this? Some of us may even and plan our much awaited long weekends around the schedules of the Royal Family. Whether it’s a jubilee or a wedding, you’re likely to find that every Brit can discard their stiff upper lip regarding the Royals in lieu of an extra day away from their desk.

    3. Rock star royalty. You might not expect a member of the monarchy to be prancing around a Las Vegas pool table crudely cupping their privates in a farcical attempt at modesty, but luckily for us that’s when it’s Prince Harry’s time to shine. Providing a little comic relief to the stiff regiment that is the Royal Family, Harry’s antics have ranged from poorly advised and politically incorrect fancy dress costumes to reported recreational drug use. Living a lifestyle that even the most well-seasoned rock star would shy away from makes the Royals seem a little more human; after all, wouldn’t we all do the same if we were born into a world of fame and fortune?

    4. Bringing Britain the bacon. It’s difficult to walk a few yards in London without being confronted with an array of keyrings, coffee mugs and keepsakes emblazed with the faces of the Royal family. The monarchy attracts attention from people all over the world which in turn increases the amount of revenue generated by tourism each year. The year ending March 2013 saw overseas tourists spend £19 billion in the UK, and the monarchy is a contributing factor to this staggering figure. As one of the few remaining countries to still uphold a monarchy, we have to be grateful. After all, hoards of cash-burning visitors wouldn’t stand in the howling wind and drizzle for just anybody!

    5. Prince Phillips’s classic clangers. Long before Prince Harry, Prince Phillip was dropping countless clangers during his duties, some of which were so outrageous they verged on the unbelievable. For example, just earlier this year during a trip to Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, the Prince remarked to a Filipino nurse “the Philippines must be half empty – you’re all here running the NHS”. Other toe-curling off the cuff comments include telling a robed president of Nigeria “you look like you’re ready for bed”. Even at 91, Phillip’s wit shows no sign of waning, so there may still be more mortifying moments to come.

    6. Make way for the Magna Carta. If you think that Prince Harry’s partying and collection of pretty young things was going mad with power, you haven’t seen anything yet. King Henry I implemented a levy known as “scutage” that was payable by knights who wished to exempt themselves from their fighting duties during his rule in 1100. However, the King soon saw the potential to make a pretty penny from this tax, and increased the fee by 300%. It is said that this outbreak of craziness later inspired the creation of the Magna Carta to carefully control the powers of the ruling monarch.

    7. Britain comes together. We may not know the words to the national anthem or be able to name each and every member, but the Royal Family does bring a certain level of unity to the UK. For example, when it was announced that Kate Middleton had gone into labour to give birth to Prince George Alexander Louis, over 6 million comments mentioning the imminent arrival were posted on Twitter within a 48 hour period. Along with a cup of tea and a buttered crumpet, the monarchy represents something that is quintessentially British that we can all share, whether we’re waving flags or just wishing it would all quieten down.

    Author bio: Rosie Percy is a freelance writer who explores a diverse variety of lifestyle and human interest topics. She has previously written for the Guardian and a host of sites across the web, sharing her insights via blogs. Rosie currently lives in Brighton and spends her spare time seeing friends and strolling along the seafront.

  • Guest Post: 7 Reasons You Should Get Married

    Guest Post: 7 Reasons You Should Get Married

    If you’re a single, broke bachelor who spends his time hopping from bar to bar trying to get some action on a Saturday night, marriage might be the best thing that could happen to you. So what if the divorce rate is over 50 percent in the United States? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

    7 Reasons You Should Get Married

    1.  You Get To Have A Stag Weekend. When women get married, most of them want the wedding of their dreams, but what’s in it for you? If you have the right groomsmen, they will make sure you have the best stag weekend that you could ever imagine. Your stag weekend can last for as long as you want. You can have it all: scantily-dressed women, booze and music. Sky’s the limit. It’s like Mardi Gras meets your birthday. What’s there not to like?

    2.  Say Goodbye To Condoms. When you tie the knot, you are no longer under obligation to use condoms because you are both officially off the market. Even if you’re not trying to knock up your wife, she will be more willing to look into other birth control alternatives that don’t involve a slipping on a piece of rubber during moments of passion.

    3.  She’ll Do Your Laundry For Free. It’s probably been a while since a woman was more than happy to wash your dirty clothes. The last time that happened to you was probably when you used to drop off your laundry at your mother’s house during your weekends home from college. Take advantage of the opportunity.

    4.  Your Debt Becomes Her Debt Too. If you’re like most Americans, you’ve accumulated some debt. You probably have credit card and student loan debt, and you can have someone to share it with until death do you part. Marriage is about commitment, and your wife will be also held legally accountable for your debt.

    5.  She’s Under Contract To Love You. Even if you’re not a romantic, it’s nice to know that your wife has promised to love you no matter what you do. You don’t have to spend so much time impressing her because she must have been impressed with you to marry you in the first place. You can be yourself. Leave the dishes in the sink. Watch sports all night. Burp in bed. She loves you.

    6.  Marriage Makes You More Attractive. You may be a one woman man, but once you get married, single women will love you more than ever. Your attractiveness will quadruple as soon as you get back from your honeymoon. Even if you’re not one to cheat, it sure feels good to be wanted.

    7.  You’re Guaranteed More Sex. Once you put a ring on it, you’ve locked down your sex life too. The idea that married men get laid less than single men do is only based on 1 percent of the population, according to Kinsey Institute. While 23 percent of non-married men often go up to 12 months without sex, only 1 percent of married men experience dry spells that last an entire year.

 Everyone around you may be running away from marriage, but these guys don’t know the real benefits of marrying a beautiful woman who can make your life ten times better. After you say “I do,” you will not only have a built in sex buddy, cleaning lady and financial advisor, but a lifelong friend who has your back.

    Post contributed by Andrew Jones on behalf of Chillisauce.

  • Guest Post: 7 Reasons Why Planning Your Wedding Needn’t Be Stressful

    Guest Post: 7 Reasons Why Planning Your Wedding Needn’t Be Stressful

    7 Reasons Why Planning Your Wedding Needn't Be Stressful

    You’ve got engaged and feel on top of the world. The birds are singing in the trees, you have a spring in your step and your day is going swimmingly. But then it hits you; the thought of planning your wedding and knowing that you have every minute detail to consider before the big day arrives. Some feel prepared for this challenge; others feel drained.

    So how do you overcome the stress of planning your wedding? Is there anything you can do to reduce the time-consuming nature of the whole affair? Actually there is. Here are seven reasons why planning your wedding needn’t be stressful:

    1.  Planning Ahead Is Key. It’s just like when you were at school and your mum used to tell you to do your homework as soon as you got home, rather than leaving it to the last minute and rushing it. Funny how the same principle can be applied throughout your life as you grow up, with your wedding being the big one. As soon as you get engaged, talk to your partner about the best way to go about things and schedule it by month of what you plan to do. Don’t feel like everything needs to be done straight away, just take the next few months after your engagement as the planning stage and it will set you in good stead for later on.

    2.  Mum Knows Best. It’s a bit clichéd, but if you’re the bride and you’re panicking about where to start with planning your wedding, have a chat with your mum or soon-to-be mother-in-law and get their thoughts on the best way of doing things. They’ve been there and got the t-shirt, hence they’ll be able to point you in the right direction with those all-important do’s and don’ts. They’ll also be able to ease your mind with any worries you might have.

    3.  Prioritise The Key Things. Make a comprehensive list of all the things that need doing before your wedding and number these in priority order, 1 being “must do ASAP” and so on. You’ll find this helps to give you some structure for the months leading up to the event. For example, you might not need wedding invitations arranging straight away, so you can factor this in much later on your priority list.

    4.  Make it Fun. Of course there are some elements of planning your wedding that may seem boring, but interlace these more laborious jobs with the fun ones, like choosing the wedding dress, for example…a great opportunity to meet up with your friends and family and have a girly dressing up day.

    5.  Make Room For Error. The biggest cause of a stressful wedding is thinking that everything has to be “perfect”. Accept the fact there will be times when things don’t always go to plan, but its okay, honestly! If you obsess or dwell on every detail you’ll find it difficult to even enjoy your big day.

    6.  Budget Accordingly. Most wedding stresses are caused when people don’t budget properly right from the start. Know your limits, and don’t be too extravagant with your spend. If you’ve been offered some help from parents to pay for the wedding, don’t see this as an opportunity to over-spend. Keep everything in budget and be realistic with your expectations, from your choice of wedding venue right through to your choice of wedding invitations.

    7.  It Only Happens Once…Enjoy It. For most, the wedding day is the final “seal of the deal” and it should be special no matter what. The problems start when you’re stressing too much that you forget why you even agreed to get married in the first place. Take a step back from everything and look at it objectively. Love conquers all; enjoy the thrill of the ride and living happily ever after.

  • 7 Reasons it Must Have Been Terrible to Celebrate Your Wedding Anniversary in the 1930s

    7 Reasons it Must Have Been Terrible to Celebrate Your Wedding Anniversary in the 1930s

    In the 1930s it was decided (presumably by purveyors of gifts) that there weren’t enough things associated with anniversaries and a more comprehensive anniversary gift list was created.  Fortunately for contemporary celebrants of anniversaries, since then the list has been modernised.  This is no bad thing as I’ve seen a copy of the original list.  Here are seven reasons that it must have been terrible to celebrate your anniversary in the 1930s.

    1.  Wood.  On the original list, the fifth anniversary is wood.   This is rather fitting for the era because, after five long years of marriage, the celebration of their fifth wedding anniversary may well have been one of the last occasions that a married couple got wood.  Rather mean to remind them of that though.

    2.  Willow/Copper.  The ninth anniversary is a terrifying prospect.  According to the BBC (they who must be believed), after nine years you get the willow/copper anniversary.  The only feasible combination of willow and copper that comes to my mind is a policeman with a cane.  Imagine your surprise and delight when you sit down with your wife and she says, “Happy anniversary darling, here’s a rozzer to beat you with a stick.”  That doesn’t sound like too much fun to me.  Perhaps it was more fun back then.

    3.  Aluminium/Tin.  Times were clearly hard in the ‘30s and though your tenth anniversary present would be an improvement on the previous year’s beating, it wouldn’t be much of one as you’re likely to be presented with something in a tin or in an aluminium can.  This can mean only one thing: food.  But in the 1930s people didn’t have normal food, they had weird food: tins of tongue; tins of luncheon meat; tins of potatoes.  Is being presented with a tin of tongue even any better than being beaten by a policeman?  Well, should you have had your anniversary in the 1930s, you’d be in a great position to judge.

    4.  Ivory.  After fourteen years of wedded bliss – assuming you’d recuperated from your beating by the forces of law and order five years previously and eating your tongue the following year – it was time for the real presents to begin.  For your fourteenth anniversary, you could have expected to receive something without which no home is complete; a bit of an elephant.  Obviously your gift wouldn’t be in the form of a bit of an elephant, it would be a bit of one of those useless lumbering creatures from the other side of the world turned into something far more practical, like a letter-opener or a cruet set.

    5.  China.  For your twentieth anniversary you would have received the best gift of all, after which all other anniversary presents would come as an anticlimax.   For your twentieth anniversary you could expect to receive the nation of China.  Now China back then was war-ravaged and in the economic doldrums, rather than being the titan that it is now, but still, a whole country is an impressive gift.  All anniversaries after the twentieth would be a huge disappointment.

    6.  Pearl/Ivory.  After thirty years, while modern couples are receiving their first diamonds, couples using the traditional anniversary list are in for a rare treat.  They can expect to relive that fondly remembered fourteenth anniversary on which they received a bit of an elephant only now, as if the bit of an elephant weren’t enough of a treat, they can expect it to be augmented by a bit of calcium carbonate that had been stolen from a fish.  Yay!

    7.  Blue Sapphire.  After sixty-five years of marriage, the compilers of the list clearly believe that senility will have kicked in because you’re going to get a sapphire again, but this time it’s going to be a blue one (which will be so much better than the beige one you got for your 45th).  “Look darling”, your husband will bellow into your ear trumpet, “I bought you a blue sapphire…it’s blue!”.  “Well, fancy” you’ll respond, “a blue sapphire.  Well I never!  Are these my feet?”

     

    And now, I have a confession to make: tomorrow is my wedding anniversary (and my wife’s).  I’m not going to tell you which one, but you might be able to guess, as this is what I’ve got her.  Feel free to wish me luck!

    SPAM in a can

  • 7 Reasons This Is Wedding Photography At Its Finest

    7 Reasons This Is Wedding Photography At Its Finest

    Next year I am getting married. And, as luck would have it, so is my fiancée. Unlike the more obvious considerations – such as deciding on the date – one of the first decisions we made was that of our photographer. You do that type of thing when the groom is really vain. We’ve decided to go with this young lady. Now, I was more than happy with this choice. Until Monday. Because on Monday I was listening to the radio and Jeremy Vine started talking about wedding photography. In particular he was talking about the wedding photographer and videographer extraordinaire that is Clayton Bennett. I don’t know Clayton and he doesn’t know me, which is a great shame. Because if I did then he would almost certainly be the man in charge of capturing the greatest day of our life. He’s done some great work in the past and has quite rightly received tons of press coverage. The below is what I consider to be his finest work.

    7 Reasons This Is Wedding Photography At Its Finest

    I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a tremendous piece of photography, but just in case you have your doubts, here are seven compelling reasons as to why:

    1.  Style. Believe it or not, I am not a great fan of posing for photos. I’m not very good at smiling properly and I always look slightly constipated. That’s why I love candid photography. I love the natural look. Which probably explains my dislike for Katie Price, tattoos, make-up and transsexuals. Based on this, Clayton Bennett is clearly the photographer for me. Weddings are full of people wearing clothes they wouldn’t normally wear, being nice to people you don’t like and me pretending to enjoy dancing. It’s all a bit fake. Nice, but fake. It’s brilliant therefore that Clayton provides a bit of everyday naturalism in his work. And what is more natural than a pair of calves, ankles and feet walking across grass?

    2.  Mystery. Whose body do these legs belong to? You get more than memories with Clayton, you get a game. Are they Aunt Mildred’s? Sally’s? Suzie’s? Stephanie’s? Simon’s?* No, in fact they don’t belong to anyone who attended your wedding. This is one of Clayton’s major attributes. Not only will he photograph your wedding, he’ll also get a photo of a randomer in there somewhere. Above and beyond the call of duty I think they call this. Fantastic.

    3.  Blending. Apart from when I say hello and accidentally break a tripod, I don’t want to see the photographer. Not because I don’t like her, but because the sight of her long lens might put me off my quickstep. Or my slow step. Or whatever step I decide to bring to the dance floor. I suspect it would be too much to ask if requested not to bring any step to the dance floor?** That’s why Clayton is a genius. This photo aptly demonstrates his technique at camouflaging himself. I can only assume he is dressed as a small mole here. A woman in a skirt is hardly going to walk over a photographer she can see, is she?

    4.  Reminder. You may think this is slightly strange, but I love the graves in the background. A lovely reminder that this life won’t last forever and to make sure you enjoy every minute of married bliss. And of course a reminder not to waste valuable time in marrying again. You’re already missing Wimbledon and the European Championships for this. That’s enough missed sport to last a lifetime.

    5.  Legs. So, who could be bothered to shave their legs for the day? This is when you find out who your real friends are. And which bridesmaid wants the ushers. All three of them.***

    6.  Shoes. Women like shoes. I know this, I live with fifty pairs. The thing about wedding photography though is that it is 99% above the knee shots. How ridiculous! One of the things women love most and yet hardly any photographers cater for it. Clayton does. And that’s why he’s a pro.

    7.  Different. Yes, it is. How many wedding albums have you seen with this kind of photo in it? If you’re a woman, probably none. If you’re a man, certainly none. In fact, if you are a man, you are probably wondering what a wedding album is. The truth is, you don’t need to worry about it. If you are a soon-to-be-bride though, Clayton will make your wedding album unique. No more, ‘Oh that’s nice’ and ‘Ooh, I like that’, instead you’ll hear, ‘That’s interesting’ and ‘What the fu…erm…that’s different.’ Which is great because it means they are paying attention.

    *Obviously not. They’d be a spoon attached. Or a set of salad spinners.

    **Yes. Apparently it would.

    ***Yes, I do know to which of my future wife’s bridesmaids I am referring to here.

  • 7 Reasons Not To Buy The Canadian Mint’s Royal Wedding Coins

    7 Reasons Not To Buy The Canadian Mint’s Royal Wedding Coins

    7 Reasons readers, news has reached us – a mere week after it reached the rest of the world – that Canada has decided to commemorate the wedding of Kate and William by minting (never let it be said that we don’t know technical terms here at 7 Reasons) some commemorative coins.  Here they are below these words (or above them if your internet is on the blink), and here are seven reasons not to buy them.

    Commemorative coins celebrating William and Kate's royal marriage, 2011

    1.  Because You Have Eyes.  Right about now, you’re probably going through the same thought process that I went through earlier.  Oh.  My.  God.  How have I never noticed this before?  My monitor has a sapphire stuck to it.  But I bought it from a respectable electrical retailer, not from the JJB Poundworld House of Crap.  It wasn’t there yesterday.  Has Kerry Katona snuck in and accessorised my screen in the night?  My God, what if the neighbours see it?  Or my in-laws?  They’d point at me in the street! I must get it off before people in shell-suits start complimenting me on the bloody thing…but wait…it’s not stuck to the screen at all.  It’s on the coin!  They’ve stuck it to the groom! The Canadian Mint have pimped Prince William and Pimp-Daddy Wills, he ballin’; he cash-money baby fo’ sho’. Move over, Fiddy Cent, His Royal Highness Twenny Dollars is in da house and all you bitches can suck his bad royal ass.

    2.  Because It’s Weird.  I have been unable to find a satisfactory explanation as to why Canada have taken it upon themselves to pimp Prince William.  According to the BBC, the sapphire is there to “symbolise the bride’s engagement ring”.  Now, I’m a married man, and my wife has a sapphire engagement ring, but we’re not royal, and, while I appreciate that they do things a little differently to the rest of us, at no point during our engagement did I have to wear a giant version of my wife’s (then fiancé’s) engagement ring affixed to my tie.  This is just as well, as women should never marry men who dress like Liberace’s gaudier cousin.  Nor should men.  Nor should anyone.

    3.  Because (if you haven’t poked them out while looking at the $20 coin) You Still Have Eyes. The bejewelled coin is gaudy, but the twenty-five cent coin seems to have come straight from the section of the Canadian Mint marked Argos.  It’s got a photo of the happy couple on it.  A coin.  With a photo stuck to it.  Because engraving a second coin would apparently be too much trouble for an organisation that works in the field of coin manufacture.  I don’t know what things are like in Canada, but where I live, if you find a picture stuck to your coin it’s an advert for a minicab firm, or for a bar with a drinks promotion involving WKD or Carling.  Canada: Coins are not photograph albums, and nor are they pieces of jewellery.  Coins are coins*.

    4.  The Free Market.  Don’t just take my judgement on these coins.  Well, you can, it will save you time if you just choose to agree with me as you won’t have to read the rest of this reason (the more sceptical amongst you will still have to) but the market has spoken.  According to the BBC, the twenty dollar coin – the one on the right – will cost you a hundred and five dollars.  But its value is still only twenty dollars.  So it costs eighty-five dollars more than it’s worth.  Or a hundred and five dollars more than it’s worth if you buy it with the lights on.  The market has spoken.

    5.  Because You Can’t Dry Your Royal Wedding Mug With Them.  In order to have longevity, a royal souvenir has to have a practical application.  In that way, the event is kept in the popular consciousness for a very long time.  I’m sure we all have great aunts and grandparents who still regularly dry their coronation mugs with royal wedding tea-towels and many of us learned about modern royal history by seeing those items as children.  The only practical application these coins have is that we will learn never to go to Canada (in case they pimp us too) and we’ll probably be able to purchase spinning wheel trims for a Vauxhall Cavalier with them, or one of those singing fish picture things.

    6.  Because I Beseech You.  Don’t buy these coins because – despite the random stones and pictures stuck to them – they’re still coins.  And where do all coins end up?  Yes, in my house down the back of the sofa.  Absolutely all coins end up in that sofa, and we don’t want them.  We have an innocent child in the house that we’re trying to protect from seeing such things.  Please, please don’t buy them!

    7.  What! Why are you still here?  Do you really need a seventh reason?  Fine, in that case, go back to the top of the page and look at them again then!  O Canada, what have you done?

     

    *To coin a phrase.

     

  • Guest Post: 7 Reasons The Wedding Day Can Go Wrong

    Guest Post: 7 Reasons The Wedding Day Can Go Wrong

    Today’s guest post is written by esteemed American Architect Nicholas Kennedy, who, as well as being instrumental in the building of the Burj Khalifa, is also a newly married man. Inspired by his experiences on the day, here are 7 Reasons why the Wedding Day can go wrong. You can follow him on twitter here.

    1.  The Date. Choosing New Years Eve as the day of your wedding may seem like a good idea at the time, but in hindsight it’s a total nightmare, especially when you consider ours was in New York City. The place is packed. The transport links are slow. There is snow everywhere. Having your aunt and uncle enter the church half way through the service is never good.

    2.  The Ring. Remembering to get the ring for your soon-to-be-wife to the church is one thing, remembering to wear yours later at the reception is another. Taking it off after the ceremony so you can have a shower is accepted. Forgetting to put it back on is not apparently.

    3.  The Best Man’s Speech. The best man is usually your brother or best friend. If possible give it to your brother. Not having a brother meant I had to give it to my best friend. This means he just makes up a whole load of crap. I do not have any wives in Dubai.

    4.  The Groom Speech. It doesn’t matter how long you have practised for or how many rewrites you have made, you will be prone to nerves. So much so that trying to get the words out of your mouth without swallowing them is quite hard. At least that’s what I found.

    5.  The Sister. She can do any number of things to try and ruin your day. Mine decided to sneeze throughout the service.

    6.  The Bridesmaid. If you are my new wife your best female friends are quite short. This means they like to wear high heels, particularly if they are a bridesmaid. The problem is that high heels can snap off if they get lodged in a drain outside the church. It’s the Best Man’s job to carry superglue, unfortunately mine was too busy working on his ‘jokes’.

    7.  The Seating Arrangements At The Reception. Leave this type of thing to the fiancee or the future mother-in-law. If you get involved you will end up trying to separate parents from their four year old daughter. Something that doesn’t go down at all well.

  • 7 Reasons not to Dance

    7 Reasons not to Dance

    drunk-dance-fail1

    1.  Marital Disharmony. In the Edwardian era, dancing was a gentle affair and the worst thing that could happen while dancing with your wife was that you might tread on her foot.  This may have led to some resentment, but nothing that would distract a man from guzzling brandy and smoking cigars in his library or waxing his moustache in the bathroom.  Modern dancing, however, is less well structured and far more vigorous.  These days, when dancing after a sherry or two, it’s all too easy to inadvertently stumble and face-plant your partner onto the dance-floor.  This can lead to months of tutting, silences and chores that urgently need doing on a Saturday afternoon.

    2.  Deviance. George Bernard Shaw said that dancing is the “…vertical expression of a horizontal desire.”  This is a fair statement.  Salsa dancing and the Tango, for example, have a degree of eroticism that would seem to indicate carnal intent.  What though, should we make of Riverdance?  What could the stiff, immobile arms and motionless head, neck and upper torso in combination with the preposterous, maniacally-flailing leg movements of Riverdancers indicate that they want to do in the bedroom?  Whatever it is, I don’t want any part of it, and I don’t want to hear it through the wall either.

    3.  Death. Ah, the Tango; that moody dance from Argentina; so sensual, so visually arresting and so beloved of film-makers.  If you meet a lusty, long-limbed, raven-haired, wild-eyed beauty, under no circumstance should you dance the Tango with him/her because, as we have learned from Hollywood movies, you will die.  It’s one of the rules of cinema that if you dance the Tango in a film you will be stabbed or shot by your partner’s jealous lover/former lover, usually in an alley outside a Buenos Aires dance hall.

    dance-steps

    4.  Geography. This is a map of where your feet need to be when dancing.  If you don’t understand this diagram (and I think that’s all of us) you shouldn’t be dancing.  Who knows what could happen or where you might end up?  If you do understand this diagram then your chances of meeting a dance partner are negligible, by the way.

    5.  Strictly No Dancing. Ballroom dancing is a great reason not to dance.  If you have no desire to paint yourself orange and dress in tight, sequinned, garishly-hued, puff-sleeved creations (the ladies outfits are even more preposterous) and twirl around with your teeth clenched then you should avoid ballroom dancing at all costs.  Not ballroom dancing also minimises your risk of having to go to Blackpool.

    6.  Boycott. One of my local bars has a sign that says “Do not take  lasses onto the dance floor”.  There’s no way you should go and dance without taking your lass, so we boycott dancing at this venue.

    7.  Weddings. If there is an occasion that you shouldn’t dance at it’s a wedding.  If you do anything freakish or memorable on the dance floor in front of the friends and family that you rarely see, you will forever be defined by it, as witnessing whatever it was that you did on the dance floor will be your extended family’s shared experience of you.  They will bring it up at every social occasion you attend from that moment on, and if you don’t believe me, ask Sweaty Uncle Richard.