One of the most anticipated moments of a reception is the couple’s first dance. A couple may choose to dance to a song that has meaning to them; something from their first date, what was playing when they proposed, “their song”. If this is not an obvious option the couple will be on the search for their special tune to waltz around the dance floor.
There are several routes the couple could go: classics, epic power ballads, modern hits….
You get where I’m going with this. So I’ve done some digging and compiled a list of lists by genre for you.
CLASSICS
- “At Last” – Etta James
- “Unforgettable” – Natalie Cole
- “The Way You Look Tonight” – Tony Bennett
- “Can’t Help Falling in Love” – Elvis Presley
- “When A Man Loves A Woman” – Percy Sledge
- “It Had to Be You” – Harry Connick, Jr.
- “Unchained Melody” – Righteous Brothers
- “Your Song” – Elton John
- “Fly Me to the Moon”- Frank Sinatra
- “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” – Stevie Wonder
- “Endless Love” – Lionel Ritchie + Diana Ross
MODERN
- “Perfect”- Ed Sheeran
- “A Thousand Years”- Christina Perri
- “All of Me”- John Legend
- “Make You Feel My Love”- Adele
- “Come Away With Me”- Nora Jones
- “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”- Meghan Trainor & Joh Legend
- “Conversations In the Dark”- John Legend
- “Stuck With U”- Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber
- “Black and White”- Niall Horan
- “Lover”- Taylor Swift
- “Thinking Outloud”- Ed Sheeran
- “Just You and I”- Tom Walker
- “Grow Old With Me”- Tom Odell
- “Everything”- Michael Bublé
- “Because You Loved Me”- Celine Dion
- “Wonderful Tonight” – Eric Clapton
- “I Will Always Love You” – Whitney Houston
POWER BALLADS
- “November Rain”- Guns N’ Roses
- “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing”- Aerosmith
- “Everything I Do (I Do It for You)- Bryan Adams
- “It’s All Coming Back to Me Know”- Meatloaf
COUNTRY
- “Amazed”- Lonestar
- “Speechless”- Dan + Shay
- “Bless the Broken Road”- Rascal Flats
- “My Best Friend”- Tim McGraw
- “You’re Still the One”- Shania Twain
- “It’s Your Love”- Tim McGraw
- “Me and You”- Kenny Chesney
- “You Move Me”- Garth Brooks
- “I Swear”- John Michael Montgomery
- “God Gave Me You”- Blake Shelton
- “She’s Everything”- Brad Paisley
- “Makin’ Plans”- Miranda Lambert
- “What I Never Knew I Always Wanted”- Miranda Lambert
MARRY SONGS
“Marry Me”- Train
- “Marry You”- Bruno Mars
- “Just Married”- Steven Lee Olsen
- “The Wedding Song”- Angus & Julia Stone
Tips for getting the best photos of your first dance
- Be in the moment, quietly – It makes it very difficult for the photographer to get amazing photos that look natural if the couple is talking the entire time (this goes for the mother-son and father-daughter dances too)
- Take your time – Some couples don’t like being the center of attention, and that’s ok. Give your photographer at least 2 minutes to get some awesome photos. And let them know ahead of time if you are cutting the song short. This way they can prepare.
- Tell your planner, photographer, and DJ about any choreographed dances or surprises during the first dance – By telling your photographer about your dance plans, they can be in the right position for any lifts, dips, surprises, etc.
