The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your First Dance Wedding Song

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CHOOSING YOUR FIRST DANCE WEDDING SONG

Your wedding day is a canvas for the memories that will last a lifetime, with every moment carefully curated to tell the story of your love. Amongst these poignant snapshots, the first dance stands as a timeless tradition, a cherished ritual that celebrates the unique harmony of two lives joining as one. This ultimate guide will lead you through the art of selecting the perfect first dance wedding song, a melody that encapsulates the spirit of your romance, resonates with your heart, and creates a memory to treasure for all the years ahead.

First dance wedding song

When is the First Dance at the Wedding?

The first dance usually takes place after the speeches, meal and cutting wedding cake. It marks the beginning of the dancing portion, making way for the newlyweds to step onto the floor and share an intimate moment, surrounded by the love and warmth of their family and friends.

When Should You Choose Your First Dance Wedding Song?

Selecting your first dance song is not a task to leave for the eleventh hour. It’s an integral part of your wedding planning that deserves as much thought and attention as every other detail. Aim to have your song chosen at least a couple of months in advance. This ensures you have enough time to practice your dance if that’s part of the plan, and also gives the DJ or band ample time to prepare the music.

How do You Make Your First Dance Special?

The first dance is a canvas upon which to paint an expression of your unique love story. To make this moment truly special, consider customizing the elements of your dance, whether it’s a choreographed routine that wows your guests, a surprise mid-dance switch to your favourite upbeat track or a traditional musical number that highlights your cultural heritage. And don’t forget the details — your attire, the lighting, the dance floor, and the setting all play vital roles in elevating the magic.

Do You Have to Have a First Dance at Your Wedding?

While the first dance is a beloved tradition, there’s no hard and fast rule that you must have one. Every couple is different, and if dancing in the limelight isn’t your style, feel free to skip this tradition or make it your own. Some opt for a shorter, less formal first dance, while others choose an entirely different presentation, such as a group dance or a performance involving the entire wedding party.

How Long Should the First Dance at Your Wedding Be?

Typically, the first dance lasts the duration of the song you choose, but it’s important to keep the flow of the reception in mind. A four-minute song is usually the maximum time to keep your guests engaged without getting restless. If you choose a longer song, work with your band or DJ to craft a subtle exit strategy that respects the feel of the song and doesn’t abruptly cut off the moment.

Tips for a Wedding First Dance Song

Tips for Finding the Perfect First Dance Song

Finding the perfect song for your first dance is an intimate and personal process. Here are some tips to guide you to that perfect melody:

1. Begin with Your Narrative: Your love story is unique. Seek out lyrics that echo your experiences and emotions, giving your dance a personal touch.
2. Consider Your Comfort: Choose a song with a rhythm that suits your dance skills. You don’t need to waltz if you’d prefer a sway.
3. Remember Your Moments: Certain songs are inseparable from important moments in your relationship. They can make your first dance even more meaningful.
4. Set the Mood: Would you like your dance to be dreamy and romantic, or energetic and fun? The mood of the song should reflect the tone you wish to set.
5. Make a Playlist: Start a shared playlist and continually add songs that you both like and that could work for your first dance. Over time, you’ll find the song that feels just right.
6. Reflect on Tastes: Blend your musical preferences. A mix of your favourite genres can help you find a song that feels like a celebration of your love story.
7. Seek Inspiration: Ask for suggestions or look for recommendations from friends, family, and online forums.
8. Test the Song: Enjoy a trial dance to your chosen song. If you both can’t help but smile, you’ve found a winner.
9. Be Authentic: Forget trends and choose a song that speaks to you both, even if it’s not the latest chart-topper.
10. Consider the Length: Your first dance shouldn’t feel long. Pick a song that you can enjoy without making your guests restless.

First dance wedding song

30 Love-filled Titles for Every Romantic’s Ear

Without further ado, immerse yourself in the realm of romantic melodies. Here are 30 first dance wedding song titles, each accompanied by a single love-struck lyric from the track.

Romantic First Dance Wedding Songs

1. “At Last” by Etta James

• “My lonely days are over and life is like a song.”

2. “Your Song” by Elton John

• “How wonderful life is, now you’re in the world.”

3. “Amazed” by Lonestar

• “Baby, I’m amazed by you.”

4. “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley

• “Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you.”

5. “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers

• “Time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much.”

6. “Everything” by Michael Bublé

• “And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times, it’s you, it’s you; you make me sing.”

7. “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra

• “Yes, you’re lovely, with your smile so warm and your cheeks so soft.”

8. “All of Me” by John Legend

• “You’re my end and my beginning, even when I lose I’m winning.”

First dance wedding song

Classic First Dance Wedding Songs

9. “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith

• “I could spend my life in this sweet surrender.”

10. “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” by Stevie Wonder

• “You are the apple of my eye, forever you’ll stay in my heart.”

11. “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton

• “I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes.”

12. “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley

• “Take me to your heart, for it’s there that I belong.”

13. “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra

• “Fill my heart with song, and let me sing forever more.”

14. “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack

• “The first time, ever I kissed your mouth, I felt the earth move in my hand.”

15. “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King

• “Whenever you’re in trouble, won’t you stand by me?”

16. “Have I Told You Lately” by Rod Stewart

• “Have I told you lately that I love you?”

First dance wedding song

Slow First Dance Wedding Songs

17. “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole

• “Unforgettable, though near or far.”

18. “When I Fall in Love” by Celine Dion and Clive Griffin

• “When I give my heart, it will be completely.”

19. “Breathe (2 AM)” by Anna Nalick

• “‘Cause you can’t jump the track, we’re like cars on a cable, and life’s like an hourglass, glued to the table.”

20. “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer

• “Kiss me, beneath the milky twilight.”

21. “Feels Like Home” by Chantal Kreviazuk

• “You love like I’ve never known, and the memories of your touch remain.”

22. “Turning Page” by Sleeping at Last

• “I’ve waited a hundred years, but I’d wait a million more for you.”

23. “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones

• “Come away with me and we’ll kiss on a mountaintop.”

24. “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls

• “And I’d give up forever to touch you, ’cause I know that you feel me somehow.”

First dance wedding song

Upbeat First Dance Wedding Songs

25. “Can’t Stop The Feeling” by Justin Timberlake

• “I can’t stop the feeling, so just dance, dance, dance.”

26. “Happy” by Pharrell Williams

• “Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.”

27. “I Choose You” by Sara Bareilles

• “Tell the world that we finally got it all right.”

28. “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates

• “Well, well, you (oh yeah, you); you make my dreams come true.”

29. “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong

• “I see friends shaking hands saying ‘How do you do?’ They’re really saying, ‘I love you.'”

30. “You Make Loving Fun” by Fleetwood Mac

• “Sweet wonderful you, you make me happy with the thing you do.”

31. “Love On Top” by Beyoncé

• “You put my love on top, top, top, top, top.”

32. “Higher Love” by Whitney Houston

• “Think about it, there must be a higher love.”

First dance wedding song

Timeless First Dance Wedding Songs

33. “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri

• “I have died every day waiting for you.”

34. “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds

• “And where was I before the day that I first saw your lovely face?”

35. “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS

• “We could live for a thousand years, but if I hurt you I’d make wine from your tears.”

36. “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel

• “I said I love you and that’s forever, and this I promise from the heart.”

37. “Someone Like You” by Van Morrison

• “Sometimes I see your face, and I just smile.”

38. “Sea of Love” by Phil Phillips

• “Come with me, my love, to the sea, the sea of love.”

39. “When You Say Nothing At All” by Alison Krauss

• “The smile on your face lets me know that you need me.”

40. “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison

• “I wanna rock your gypsy soul.”

First dance wedding song

Indie First Dance Wedding Songs

41. “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors

• “This is gonna be the best day of my life.”

42. “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers

• “I belong with you, you belong with me; you’re my sweetheart.”

43. “I Will Follow You into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie

• “You and me, have seen everything to see, from Bangkok to Calgary.”

44. “You and Me” by Lifehouse

• “What day is it? And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive.”

45. “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap

• “A moment, a love, a dream, a laugh, a kiss, a cry, our rights, our wrongs.”

46. “First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes

• “This is the first day of my life. I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you.”

47. “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele

• “When the evening shadows and the stars appear, and there is no one there to dry your tears.”

48. “XO” by John Mayer

• “And in the daylight, I’ll be a fool; in the blue healing, you’ll be my princess.”

First dance wedding song

Oldies First Dance Wedding Songs

49. “La Vie En Rose” by Edith Piaf

• “When you press me to your heart, I’m in a world apart, a world where roses bloom.”

50. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli

• “You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you.”

51. “This Magic Moment” by The Drifters

• “This magic moment, so different and so new, was like any other until I kissed you.”

52. “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” by Mel Carter

• “More than just a dream come true, and everything I do is all for you.”

53. “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong

• “I see skies of blue and clouds of white, the bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.”

54. “Dream a Little Dream of Me” by Mama Cass

• “Stars shining bright above you, night breezes seem to whisper, ‘I love you.'”

55. “You’re All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

• “You’re all I need to get by, how can sleep at night, I need to get by.”

First dance wedding song

Pop and Rock First Dance Songs

56. “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz

• “Lucky I’m in love with my best friend.”

57. “Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service

• “They will see us waving from such great heights, ‘come down now,’ they’ll say.”

58. “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys

• “Some people want it all, but I don’t want nothing at all if it ain’t you, baby.”

59. “She’s Always a Woman” by Billy Joel

• “She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes, and she can ruin your faith with her casual lies.”

60. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John

• “The peace the evening brings, the world, for once, in perfect harmony, with all its living things.”

61. “That’s Amore” by Dean Martin

• “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s more.”

62. “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper

• “But I see your true colours shining through, I see your true colours, and that’s why I love you.”

63. “In My Life” by The Beatles

• “In my life, I love you more.”

First dance wedding song

R&B and Hip Hop First Dance Songs

64. “No One” by Alicia Keys

• “People keep talking, they can say what they like.”

65. “Always and Forever” by Heatwave

• “Each moment with you is just like a dream to me that somehow came true.”

66. “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo

• “And I thank God that I finally found you.”

67. “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross

• “I don’t wanna be a lonely fool, but I can’t help it, I love you.”

68. “You’re All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

• “Just like sweet morning dew, I took one look at you, and it was plain to see, you were my destiny.”

69. “Un-break My Heart” by Toni Braxton

• “Un-cry these tears, I cried so many nights.”

70. “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey

• “We were as one babe, for a moment in time, and it seemed everlasting that you would always be mine.”

71. “Come Rain or Come Shine” by Ray Charles

• “Happy together, unhappy together, won’t it be fine? Days may be cloudy or sunny.”

First dance wedding song

Unique First Dance Songs

72. “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper

• “If you’re lost, you can look, and you will find me, time after time.”

73. “The Book of Love” by Peter Gabriel

• “It’s full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes and things we’re all too young to know.”

74. “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne

• “Brings me life, you’re the best thing.”

75. “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová

• “I don’t know you, but I want you, all the more for that.”

76. “Home” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

• “Home is whenever I’m with you.”

77. “I Choose You” by Sara Bareilles

• “Tell the world that we finally got it all right, I choose you.”

78. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Haley Reinhart

• “Like a river flows surely to the sea, darling so it goes, some things are meant to be.”

79. “Latch” by Sam Smith

• “Now I’ve got you in my space, I won’t let go of you, got you shackled in my embrace, I’m latching on to you.”

Choosing a wedding first dance song

Selecting the song for your first dance is a moment of anticipation and love, as you choose a sound that will forever be woven into the tapestry of your marriage. Take your time, savour the process, and when that perfect tune finds you, your hearts will know. Your first dance is just that — yours. Make every note count, every lyric matter, and every step a testament to the love that’s uniting you in matrimony. It’s your special day, so celebrate it with a song that’s unforgettably yours.