Privacy Policy

1. Who we are and who controls your data

“First Dance Ireland”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the business operating the First Dance Ireland brand and website.

For GDPR purposes, the Data Controller determines why and how personal data is processed. If you have a privacy question or wish to exercise a data protection right, please contact us using the details above.

2. Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data processed in connection with:

• our website and landing pages;
• first dance and wedding dance enquiries;
• private one-to-one dance lessons, online lessons and group classes;
• wedding-related services offered directly by us or enquiries we coordinate;
• telephone, email, WhatsApp and social-media communications;
• consultations, bookings, scheduling, payments and customer support;
• reviews, testimonials, photographs and videos where applicable;
• Google Ads, social-media advertising, analytics and conversion measurement where enabled; and
• business, supplier, collaborator and partnership communications.

This notice does not govern the independent privacy practices of third-party websites or services that you choose to visit or use.

3. Personal data we may collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may process the following categories of personal data:

Identity and contact information

• name and, where relevant, the name of your partner or other participants;
• email address, telephone number and WhatsApp contact details;
• social-media username where you contact us through a social platform; and
• billing or postal information where reasonably required.

Wedding and service information

• wedding date, venue or general location;
• chosen or proposed song;
• lesson preferences, package, availability and scheduling information;
• dance goals, experience level and choreography preferences;
• group size or wedding-party information where relevant; and
• information you voluntarily provide so that we can personalise or deliver the service.

Transaction and booking information

• services purchased, amounts, dates, invoices, payment status and transaction references;
• booking history, attendance and communications relating to a booking; and
• limited payment-related information supplied by payment providers.

We do not need or intend to store full payment-card numbers when payments are processed through an independent payment provider. The payment provider processes payment credentials under its own security and privacy arrangements.

Technical and website information

• IP address and approximate location derived from it;
• browser, device, operating system and language information;
• pages viewed, referring pages, dates, times and interactions with the website;
• cookie identifiers and advertising or analytics identifiers where permitted; and
• information used to maintain security, prevent abuse and diagnose website problems.

Communications and content

• emails, WhatsApp messages, contact-form submissions and other correspondence;
• feedback, reviews and testimonials;
• photographs, recordings or videos supplied by you or created during our services where applicable; and
• any other information you choose to provide.

Special-category or sensitive information

We do not generally seek special-category personal data. If you voluntarily tell us about an injury, accessibility requirement or other health-related matter because it is relevant to safe participation in a dance lesson, we will only use that information as necessary and where a lawful condition permits us to do so. Please do not send unnecessary medical or other sensitive information.

4. How we collect personal data

We may collect personal data:

• directly from you when you contact, enquire, register, book, pay or attend a lesson;
• from your partner or another person arranging a booking on your behalf;
• through our website, forms, email, telephone, WhatsApp and social-media accounts;
• from booking, payment, website-hosting or communication providers used to operate the service;
• from advertising and analytics platforms where you have permitted the relevant tracking; and
• from publicly available business information when relevant to legitimate business-to-business communications.

If you give us personal information about another person, you should ensure that you are entitled to provide it and, where appropriate, that the person knows you are sharing it with us.

5. Why we use your personal data

We may process personal data to:

• respond to enquiries and provide requested information;
• recommend an appropriate lesson format or package;
• arrange consultations, bookings, classes and schedules;
• provide and personalise first dance, wedding dance, online and group lessons;
• communicate changes, reminders or information relevant to your booking;
• process payments, issue invoices and maintain financial records;
• provide customer service and handle questions, complaints or disputes;
• maintain the safety, security and proper functioning of our website and services;
• measure website performance and advertising effectiveness where lawful consent has been obtained;
• improve our services and understand general customer demand;
• protect our legal rights, prevent fraud or misuse and establish or defend legal claims;
• comply with tax, accounting, regulatory and other legal obligations; and
• send marketing communications where we have a lawful basis to do so.

We will not use personal data for a materially incompatible new purpose without first considering whether a new legal basis and/or additional notice is required.

6. Our legal bases for processing

Depending on the processing activity, we rely on one or more of the following GDPR legal bases:

Where we rely on legitimate interests, those interests may include operating and improving our business, responding to genuine enquiries, protecting our systems and property, preventing fraud, maintaining appropriate business records and establishing, exercising or defending legal claims. We consider the impact on your rights before relying on this basis.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before withdrawal.

7. Enquiries, bookings, consultations and lessons

When you contact us through WhatsApp, email, telephone, a website form or social media, we use the information you provide to answer your enquiry and, where requested, take steps towards a booking.

If you become a customer, we use relevant information to organise and deliver your lessons, adapt choreography, communicate about appointments, administer your package, receive payment and provide follow-up support.

Please note that communications made through third-party services such as WhatsApp or social-media platforms are also processed by those providers in accordance with their own terms and privacy policies.

8. Photographs, videos, lesson recordings, testimonials and reviews

Dance services may involve photographs or videos, for example lesson demonstration videos, practice videos sent for feedback, or wedding-dance footage supplied by a customer.

Content supplied for the purpose of teaching, feedback or delivering your service will be used for that purpose and will not automatically be treated as permission to publish it publicly.

Where we wish to use an identifiable customer photograph, video, testimonial or similar material for promotional purposes and consent is the appropriate legal basis, we will seek appropriate permission. You may withdraw consent for future use by contacting us. Withdrawal cannot retrospectively undo lawful uses that occurred before withdrawal and may not require recall of physical materials already lawfully produced or distributed where this is not reasonably possible.

If you post a review publicly on a third-party platform, that platform's privacy terms also apply. We may refer to or respond to public reviews where reasonably necessary for customer service or our legitimate business interests, subject to applicable law.

9. Direct marketing, Google Ads and social-media advertising

We may advertise First Dance Ireland through search engines and social-media platforms. Depending on your cookie choices and the technologies enabled on our website, advertising providers may process device, cookie or interaction information for functions such as conversion measurement, campaign reporting, audience measurement or advertising personalisation.

Non-essential advertising and tracking technologies will only be activated where required consent has been obtained. You can change or withdraw your cookie choices through the cookie controls made available on our website.

We will not add you to electronic promotional mailing or messaging campaigns merely because you sent a service enquiry. Where applicable law requires consent for electronic direct marketing, we will seek a clear opt-in unless a specific legal exception applies.

Every direct electronic marketing message we send will provide an appropriate way to opt out, where required. You may also contact us at contact@firstdance-ireland.com to request that direct marketing stop.

10. Cookies and similar technologies

Our website may use cookies, pixels, tags, local storage and similar technologies. Some technologies are necessary for the website or a service you explicitly request to function. Others may be used for preferences, analytics, performance measurement or advertising.

Strictly necessary technologies

These may be used without optional consent where they are genuinely necessary to provide a service requested by you or to transmit communications. They may support functions such as security, session management, load balancing or remembering a choice required for the website to operate.

Analytics and performance technologies

Where analytics technologies require consent under Irish ePrivacy rules, they will not be set or accessed before you consent. Analytics may help us understand aggregated website usage, page performance and visitor journeys.

Advertising and conversion technologies

Where enabled, advertising technologies may help us understand whether an advertisement resulted in a visit, enquiry or other conversion, and may support advertising measurement or personalisation. These technologies are treated as non-essential and require consent where applicable.

Your cookie choices

Our consent mechanism should allow you to accept or reject non-essential categories and to change or withdraw your choices later. Rejecting optional cookies should not prevent access to the core content of our website.

11. Who we may share personal data with

We do not sell personal data. We may disclose personal data only where reasonably necessary to operate our services, fulfil a booking, comply with law or protect legitimate rights. Recipients may include:

• website hosting, domain, IT, security and technical-support providers;
• email, telephone, messaging and communications providers;
• booking, scheduling, customer-management and form providers;
• payment processors, banks, accountants and professional advisers;
• analytics and advertising providers where the relevant processing is lawful and, where required, consented to;
• venues, instructors, contractors, collaborators or service partners where necessary to provide a service you requested;
• government bodies, regulators, courts, law-enforcement authorities or tax authorities where disclosure is legally required or permitted; and
• a purchaser, investor, adviser or successor in connection with a genuine business reorganisation, merger, sale or transfer, subject to appropriate safeguards.

Service providers acting on our instructions are expected to process personal data only for authorised purposes and with appropriate contractual and security protections where required by law.

Some linked or integrated third parties may act as independent controllers for their own processing. Their privacy notices apply to processing they independently determine.

12. International data transfers

Some technology, communications, analytics, advertising or cloud providers may process information outside Ireland or the European Economic Area (“EEA”).

Where GDPR applies to an international transfer of personal data, we will rely on a lawful transfer mechanism as required, such as an adequacy decision, approved Standard Contractual Clauses or another legally recognised safeguard, together with supplementary measures where appropriate.

You may contact us if you would like further information about the safeguards relevant to a particular transfer.

13. How long we keep personal data

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, tax, contractual and dispute-resolution requirements. Retention periods vary according to the type of information and the reason we hold it.

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete it, securely dispose of it or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify an individual, unless retention is required or permitted by law.

14. How we protect personal data

We use reasonable organisational and technical measures appropriate to the nature of the information and the risks involved. These may include access controls, account security, reputable service providers, device and software protections, secure communications where available, backups and limiting access to people who reasonably need the information.

No website, email, messaging platform, cloud service or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, while we take reasonable measures to protect personal data, absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

If a personal data breach occurs, we will assess it and make notifications to the Data Protection Commission and/or affected individuals where required by applicable law.

15. Your data protection rights

Subject to the conditions, limitations and exemptions in applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Access personal data we hold about you and obtain information about its processing;
• Rectify inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
• Erase personal data in circumstances where the right to erasure applies;
• Restrict certain processing;
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests in applicable circumstances;
• Object to direct marketing at any time;
• Data portability for certain information processed by automated means on the basis of consent or contract;
• Withdraw consent at any time where processing relies on consent; and
• Complain to the Irish Data Protection Commission or another competent supervisory authority.

These rights are not absolute. For example, we may need to retain certain information to comply with a legal obligation or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

To exercise a right, email contact@firstdance-ireland.com. Please describe your request clearly. We may ask for information reasonably necessary to verify your identity before acting on a request.

We aim to respond within the time required by GDPR. In certain circumstances, the response period may be extended where permitted by law, in which case we will inform you.

16. Children and young people

Our website is primarily directed at adults planning weddings and related services. We do not knowingly use the website to solicit personal data directly from children for advertising purposes.

Where a minor participates in a dance lesson or group activity, booking and relevant communications should normally be handled through a parent, guardian or other responsible adult, and we may request appropriate consent or authorisation where required.

We ask parents and guardians not to send unnecessary information about children and to contact us if they believe a child has provided personal data to us inappropriately.

17. External websites, WhatsApp and social media

Our website may contain links to WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and other external websites or services. Clicking a link may allow the external provider to collect or receive information according to its own privacy policy and technologies.

We do not control independent third-party websites and this Privacy Policy does not replace their privacy notices. We encourage you to review the privacy information of any external service you use.

18. Automated decision-making

We do not currently make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on customers solely through automated processing. Advertising platforms may perform their own automated audience, delivery or measurement processes under their respective terms and privacy arrangements.

19. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, suppliers, website technologies, legal obligations or data-processing practices change. The current version will be published on this website with an updated “Last updated” date.

Where a change materially affects how we use personal data and applicable law requires additional notice or consent, we will take appropriate steps before applying the new processing.

20. Contact us and complaints

For privacy questions, requests or concerns, please contact:

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission (“DPC”). We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concern first, but this does not affect your right to contact the DPC.

Data Protection Commission
6 Pembroke Row
Dublin 2, D02 X963
Ireland