Bride's Guide: Q&A for the Big Day

April 30, 2010— -- The 30-Day wedding countdown is now at the halfway mark, which means I'm getting married in 15 days.

Which means it's time to start seriously freaking out.

I'd like to offer my apologies in advance to my husband-to-be, family, friends and colleagues if I behave strangely during the next two weeks.

My very wise mother has advised me to concentrate on rest and relaxation, but there are a few final things to cross of the Wedding To-Do list before The Big Day. One of them is to practice for the first dance.

I'm not a great dancer and I don't particularly like being the center of attention, so I'm pretty nervous about it.

We decided not to take a class, which likely would have only served to make me more nervous, so I asked celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss for her advice.

She recommends having the first dance at the start of the reception, right after the newlyweds are introduced.

"When the evening is still young, guests will give you their full attention," she writes in "The Wedding Book."

And her tips for the dance itself actually make it sound like fun.

Mindy's Tips for the First Dance

1. Smile the whole time during the dance.

2. Just hold onto each other and pretend no one is staring at you.

3. Practice a few times before.

Choosing Songs for Wedding Dances

We've already chosen the song we'll dance to, but Mindy also says she also believes in making your song choice personal to the bride and groom.

"The best first-dance songs couldn't belong to anyone else," she writes in "The Wedding Book." "Yours should be a song you love, one that has special meaning for you."

If you aren't sure about what song to choose, she has some recommendations for first dance songs and songs for the father-daughter and mother-son dances.

First Dance:

1. "Have I Told You Lately," Van Morrison

2. "One Love," U2

3. "Everything," Michael Buble

4. "I Will," Beatles

5. "Maybe I'm Amazed," Paul McCartney

6. "The Luckiest," Ben Folds

7. "True Companion," Marc Cohen

8. "All the Way," Frank Sinatra

9. "Better Together," Jack Johnson

Mother-Son Dance:

1. "What a Wonderful World," Louie Armstrong

2. "In My Life," Beatles

3. "Song for Mama," Boyz to Men

4. "I Hope You'll Dance," LeAnn Womack

5. "You Light Up My Life," Debby Boone

Father-Daughter Dance:

1. "Daughters," John Mayer

2. "Father and Daughter," Paul Simon

3. "Dance With my Father," Luther Vandross

4. "My Little Girl," Tim McGraw

5. "Isn't She Lovely," Stevie Wonder

6. "I Loved Her First," Heartland

Continue Reading:

CLICK HERE for Day 12, Mindy's tips on wedding dress selection and fittings.

The 30-Day Wedding Countdown:

Day 30: What's the proper invitation response etiquette? CLICK HERE to find out.

Day 29: What are Mindy's top 10 tips for the final month before your wedding?CLICK HERE for more.

Day 26: Great gift ideas for bridesmaids, groomsmen and other attendants, and how much you should spend. CLICK HERE to read.

Day 25: Seating chart strategy. CLICK HERE to read.

Day 24: Little things that make a big difference on your Big Day, from eating lunch to saying thank you.CLICK HERE.

Day 23: Juggling wedding planning with work, without losing your mind. CLICK HERE.

Day 22: Planning your wedding day timeline. CLICK HERE.

Day 19: Unique guest book ideas. CLICK HERE.

Day 18: Gifts for the bride and groom to buy for one another. CLICK HERE.

Day 17: Tips for the photographer. CLICK HERE.

Day 16: Advice on toasts and speeches at your wedding. CLICK HERE.

CLICK HERE to visit Mindy's Web site.