While some couples are naturals who glide across the floor, others start with four left feet.

'Some people have difficulties. They have different abilities and backgrounds, so as a teacher you need to adjust [the wedding dance] to their ability,' says Lam, who has taught ballroom, modern, ballet and Latin dance for more than a decade. 'Sometimes a couple are too ambitious, so I need to tone it down. I wouldn't choreograph a dance that's too difficult for them.'

As a minimum, Lam recommends couples start learning three to four months ahead of tying the knot. 'If you learn it and it's still very fresh in your mind, it'll be very mechanical. You want to learn and practise it so it's like a reflex, and your body and muscles naturally react to the music and your partner,' he explains.

When picking music, Lam suggests keeping the pace in mind. 'If you have music that's fast, you have to put in a lot of movements for the same amount of time [of a slower song],' he says.

'For ballroom or Latin dance, the man is very important. It's the leading position and they need to feel how to lead the woman. If a woman is too in control it makes the man look bad,' explains Hong, who has been teaching ballroom and Latin for more than 20 years.

She adds couples can learn a dance in about five to 10 lessons, with lessons costing about HK$650 an hour.

'Some can dance really well, but others are nervous and stiff. By the end, though, they feel very comfortable, and at the wedding their guests can't believe their whole routine.

'One of my clients thought 'I can't do it', but after they committed [to learning] they started to feel more confident with each lesson,' Hong says.