30+ First Dance Wedding Songs for You

What does it take to deliver a memorable first dance at your wedding – one that you can be proud of or, at the very least not embarrassed by? Not everyone is born a ‘twinkle toes’ – not every guy a Fred Astaire, and every gal a Ginger Rogers, but for one moment – your moment – it would be nice to feel like you belong on the dance floor.

But does it really matter what dance sequence you choose and the music you pair it with? In short, yes, especially if you are choosing a traditional first dance. You want to marry the timing of both step and sound together to put your best foot forward. You will also want to think about details such as the length of your song, the lyrics, the time signature, and more.

This article will share expert advice on both trending wedding music and dances for your special day. Remember to set up a Collection Pot for the big day to allow your guests to contribute, as well as being able to put song suggestions forward for the playlist.

Traditional wedding dance types

Whether you choose the Tango, Rumba, Waltz, Bachata, Salsa, Foxtrot, Swing, or the simple two-step sway – the floor is yours during the couple’s first dance. Do your homework before you decide which dance style is right for you. The step and the timing are important factors, but you also have movement elements, such as pivots, slides, pauses, spins, lifts, and holds. There are variations to the traditional styles to contemplate as well. If you like the idea of a waltz but you want a faster version, there are also the Viennese, French, American, International and more.

If traditional isn’t your thing, you could go for a quirky, street-style dance paired with “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”, or you might even want to emulate the Hitch closing dance scene, by getting your friends and family to participate in a dance off to Heavy D’s “Now That We Found Love”. 

Maybe you will choose to have a dance line, just make sure any choreographed dance steps are simple to pick up for guests not within the wedding party! Another fun and meaningful option is a dance circle made around the wedding couple, where everyone is joined together by hand and you don’t need to have a partner to participate.

But whoever you are as a couple, and whatever your approach, you want to feel comfortable, you want it to go well, and you want to show others what your love means to you.

The history behind the first dance

Wedding dances are rich in tradition in many cultures and date as far back as Ancient Greece and medieval Europe. Today, the first dance is a special moment in both European and American weddings. It is the moment you and your partner, as the guests of honour, take to the dance floor for the first time to display an intimate picture of your love by working together, and literally showing how in sync you are. It symbolises partnership, joy and celebration, and it represents the coupling of the two espoused.

Consider taking some dance lessons or watching an online tutorial to try out a few dance styles to find your groove.

Meaningful wedding songs

What does your song say about you? Do you want it to represent the sentiment of your vows in a tune? Or maybe it was the moment you realised you were in love? Perhaps, you want it to show a lighter side of your commitment to each other. All of these are some points to consider when choosing your song are length, tempo, style, and wording.

Choosing a song, where the dance step fits well, represents who you and your partner are together and what you mean to each other can seem daunting, especially since there are so many choices available.

We want to help make your decision easy for you, so we have put together 30+ first dance wedding song mixes with different styles and tempos for you to consider (not in any ranking order).

	Song Title	Artist
1.	Can’t Help Falling in Love	Elvis Presley
2.	Unchained Melody	The Righteous Brothers
3.	At Last	Etta James
4.	Amazed	Lonestar
5.	A Thousand Years	Christina Perri
6.	All of Me	John Legend
7.	The Way You Look Tonight	Frank Sinatra
8.	Beat of a Heart	Warren Brothers
9.	Can’t Take My Eyes off of You	Frankie Valli
10.	Your Song	Elton John
11.	Make You Feel My Love	Adele
12.	My Best Friend	Tim McGraw
13.	Perfect	Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
14.	The Luckiest	Ben Folds
15.	Lucky	Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat
16.	I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing	Aerosmith
17.	The Wonder of You	Elvis Presley
18.	Black and White	Niall Horan
19.	How Long Will I Love You	Ellie Goulding
20.	Wonderful Tonight	Eric Clapton
21.	Just the Way You Are	Bruno Mars
22.	Sugar	Maroon 5
23.	Lover	Taylor Swift
24.	La Vie En Rose​	Daniela Andrade
25.	Endless Love	Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie
26.	Beautiful in White	Shane Filan
27.	From This Moment On	Shania Twain
28.	Mine Would Be You	Blake Shelton
29.	I’m Yours	Jason Mraz
30.	Love Story	Taylor Swift
31.	A Moment Like This	Kelly Clarkson
32.	Everything Has Changed	Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran
33.	Everything	Michael Bublé
34.	How Sweet It Is	James Taylor
35.	Glory of Love	Peter Cetera
36.	Let’s Stay Together	Al Green
37.	It Had to Be You	Harry Connick Jr

With the music and dance style all but chosen, here are a few extra tips to think about.

Pro tips for wedding dances 

Pro tip 1: Take a few dance lessons, and practice dancing in the shoes you are going to wear on the day. 

Pro tip 2: If your wedding gown has a heavy skirt and you are not used to dancing in one, rent a wedding dress similar to your own to practice your dance moves before the big day.

Pro tip 3: Think about your wardrobe when choosing your moves so that there are no embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions. There are some things grandma should never see!

If your wedding dress has a low-cut bodice or is a form-fitting style, such as a mermaid dress, a low-dip finish may not be the right move for you.

Equally, if your suit pants are a slim, sleek fit, you might need to consider how easily you can move and how low you can go on the dance floor. You might consider having both wedding ceremony attire and reception outfits.

Your first dance should be an amazing display of your love and partnership, but it should never be a terrifying spectacle from which people are left dazed or blinded!

And finally, have you set up your Wedding Pot?

Unlike the cynical statistics in The Wedding Planner film, the song you choose and the colour of your bridesmaid dresses will not determine the outcome of your relationship. Your day is what you make it.

Set up your Collection Pot and get the funds you need to make it the ultimate day of a lifetime, or to kickstart savings towards your honeymoon or newlywed home.