Picking Your Most Memorable First Dance

Like your anniversary date, your first dance at your wedding will be a memory you won’t forget. Every time you hear it on the radio or playing on your phone, you’ll think back to those special moments.

Picking your most memorable first dance, then, takes some thought, and maybe even some planning (for example, if you plan to take dancing lessons). For some, you’ve had your special song that reminds you of each other for a long time. Perhaps it was the first song you slow danced together to, or it’s words bring some sentimental meaning. Maybe you quote the lyrics to each other often, or you can’t listen to it without tearing up. For some, your first dance song is a no brainer.

Others may not have that special song already selected. Don’t worry, I’ve listed the current top 20 first dance songs below!

 But don’t scroll down there quite yet.

Whether you already know your first dance song or not, there are 2 questions or concerns that people ask me about often.

• Do we have to dance to the full song?

It’s up to you. Your first dance is special because you’ve just been officially married, and have spent the last several months planning this day. During this song, you can finally exhale, relax, and enjoy those moments with your spouse. You can block out the world, and just dance with the love of your life. I would encourage you not to rush it for this reason. After all, it’s YOUR day.

At the same time, some slower songs are several minutes long. It can feel long for you, as well as for your guests. We can certainly plan to cut the song a little early. If you let me know well enough in advance, I may even be able to shorten the entire song for you. Even the day of, if, while you’re dancing, you want to cut the song shorter, we can do that.

It’s completely up to you; there is no right or wrong answer here.

• I can’t dance. Do I need to learn?

Of course you don’t need to! Remember the purpose of the first dance. It’s not necessarily to show your best moves. All you have to do is hold each other, and rock left and right. It’s nothing tricky!

Some people sign up for dance lessons beforehand. I think that’s great! It’s a great way to connect with your soon-to-be-spouse before the wedding, and it’ll be a fun way to start your celebration. You could learn to slow dance more elegantly, or learn the tango, or even learn a song with dance moves.

Kim and I surprised everyone on our wedding day. We started our first dance with a lovely song: Love Never Fails You by Brandon Heath. It was a song with lots of meaning for us both! But then we asked the DJ to switch over to Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) by Silento. It was the popular song at the time, and our guests went CRAZY as we danced together. Nobody knew it was coming, not even our bridal party! It’s such an incredible memory for our first dance!

The choice is up to you. It’s your special moment with your spouse! If you’re looking for that most memorable first dance song, listen through some of these top songs together, and pick one that best describes your relationship. Enjoy!

1. Perfect by Ed Sheeran
2. Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley (or a great cover of this song)
3. All Of Me by John Legend
4. Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
5. From The Ground Up by Dan + Shay
6. Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur
7. You Make It Easy by Jason Aldean
8. You Are The Best Thing by Ray Lamontagne
9. Then by Brad Paisley
10. In Case You Didn’t Know by Brett Young
11. Die A Happy Man by Thomas Rhett
12. At Last by Etta James
13. Amazed by Lonestar
14. A Thousand Years by Christina Perri (also a popular song to walk down the aisle to)
15. Bless The Broken Road by Rascal Flatts
16. You And Me by Lifehouse
17. The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra
18. My Best Friend by Tim Mcgraw
19. I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith
20. I’ll Be by Edwin Mccain