4 Tips for Picking the Perfect First-Dance Song for your Wedding
Make sure your first-dance fantasy is fulfilled by following these 4 tips from our music experts.
It's a moment that you may have been dreaming about for much of your life—the first dance at your wedding. But now that it's here, maybe you're not so sure about the specifics. That song from Beauty and the Beast might have seemed like the ideal song when you were 9, but as a trendy adult you realize that maybe it's a bit too...cheesy.
Your first-dance is an important moment at your wedding and it deserves some thought. All eyes will be on you and it says a lot about who you are as a couple, so you want the song choice to be perfect. But how do you decide on a song? Here are some suggestions from our experts who have played a lot of first-dances.
1. A Good Wedding Song is Short
Bet you didn't think that was even something to consider when choosing your first-dance song. But unless you're planning a highly choreographed dance number with lots of crowd-pleasing moves, then a long song will seem like forever as you stand there swaying back and forth in each other's arms--with everybody in the place staring at you!
That doesn't mean that you can't dance to your song, it just means that you need to have a conversation with your band about the length of your dance. You can ask the band to play a shortened version of the song if you want to keep the dance all to yourself. Or you can ask the band to invite other wedding guests to join you on the dance floor after a minute of so of solo dancing.
2. A Good Wedding Song Has Meaning
Many couples choose their song as the song for their first-dance. Maybe it was the song playing when you first met or the song that was the background mood music to your first kiss. Linking this new experience to a meaningful moment in your romantic past can help to heighten your enjoyment of the dance. Your guests might not know the story behind the song, but that's OK. It's important to you as the wedding couple and that's what counts.
But what if you don't have a special song? You can still choose a song that has meaning if you choose a song that says something meaningful in its lyrics. If you're going to go this route, then start by figuring out what kinds of things you want to say to your spouse. Here's a list of some great meaningful wedding songs you might review.
“At Last” by Etta James, “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole, “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra, “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King, “Your Song” by Elton John, “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” by Elvis Presley, “Just the Way You Are” by Billie Joel, “Everything” by Michael Buble, “Lucky” by Jason Mraz & Colbie Callait, “Marry You” by Bruno Mars, "Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye, “This Thing Called Love” by Queen, “I Wanna Grow Old With You” by Adam Sandler
3. A Good Wedding Song is One that You Both Enjoy
There's a lot of ways you can go with the first-dance. It can be up-to-the-minute contemporary or a timeless classic. Maybe you're caught between something that's romantic versus a song that's just plain fun. None of these styles are better or worse than the others, it really depends on who you are as a couple. So have a conversation with your fiancee about what you want the first-dance to say about you.
If the two of you are the life of any party, then you'll want all eyes on you so doing something faddish or fun is what you'd enjoy. Imagine what you could do with a song like Franky Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes off You?"
But just because you'd enjoy that kind of spectacle, doesn't mean your partner will. Maybe he wants something classic and unabashedly romantic like Frank Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight."
Both of these are great first-dance songs, if you want them to be. Again, what's key here is to choose a song that you both feel good about and comfortable dancing to.
4. Ask for Suggestions
You know who has an encyclopedic knowledge of different songs AND has seen a million first-dances? The bands at DanceBands.com. If you really want some help in finding the right song to fit your wedding's style and your couple's groove then talk to your band. If you tell them the kind of mood you want to convey with the music and the kind of dancing you want to do, they'll be able to give you suggestions to help you narrow your choices. If you don't have a special song and you're not a huge music fan, then this is definitely something our bands can help you with. We want that first-dance to be everything you dream of, so make sure to ask for help if you're stuck.