Music To First Dance By

Photo courtesy of Emilie Inc. 

The first dance marks your maiden voyage around the ballroom as husband and wife and officially kicks off the booty-shaking for the rest of the evening. Most grooms view this rite of passage with the same trepidation as a root canal - to make it less daunting for your intended, choose a song that has special meaning for you. Do pay close attention to the lyrics as not all love songs are wedding appropriate  for example, Whitney Houston's epic "And I Will Always Love You" is about a break up. And nowhere is it written that you have to choose a slow song - if you want to tango, hustle or mosh, go for it.

  

Some couples go all out and work with a dance teacher on a fully choreographed number, which always brings the house down. Before embarking on this journey (which can be a lot more romantic in theory than when you get down and sweaty in a studio), discuss with your beloved if you are both really comfortable performing. Are you going to be so focused on the first dance that the rest of the wedding day will be a blur?  And be honest about how much time you'll be able to devote practicing your routine, as there is no point in adding more stress to your lives.

  

However you decide to cut a rug, make it personal and comfortable as no one is expecting Fred and Ginger. No matter which route you choose, it’s a good idea is to do one practice run at home wearing your wedding shoes. Most importantly, relax, enjoy and remember that this is about the two of you celebrating your new marriage. 

 

Here is a list of favorite first dances broken down by classics, more contemporary, alternative and country. Break a leg!

 

Standard

At Last  (Etta James)

Someone to Watch Over Me (Blossom Dearie)

The Way You Look Tonight (Frank Sinatra)

Let's Stay Together (Al Green)

Unforgettable (Nat King Cole)

We've Only Just Begun (The Carpenters)

When I Fall In Love (Nat King Cole)

As Time Goes By (from Casablanca)

Wedding Song (There Is Love) (Captain & Tennille)

Wedding Song (There is Love) (Petula Clark)

Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis Presley)

Chances Are (Johnny Mathis)

Close To You (The Carpenters)

Could I Have This Dance? (Anne Murray)

Dream A Little Dream (Mamas & the Papas)

Embraceable You (Nat King Cole)

Here And Now (Luther Vandross)

I Only Have Eyes For You (The Flamingos)

I Will (The Beatles)

If I Loved You (from Carousel)

In My Life (The Beatles)

It Had To Be You (Harry Connick, Jr.)

Marry Me (Neil Diamond & Buffy Lawson)

Love Theme To Romeo & Juliet (from Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet)

Fever (Peggy Lee)

Our Love Is Here To Stay (Billie Holiday)

When A Man Loves A Woman (Percy Sledge)

Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers)

Some Enchanted Evening (from South Pacific)

What A Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)

Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)

Something (The Beatles)

Somewhere (from West Side Story)

The Best Is Yet To Come (Frank Sinatra)

You Are My First, My Last, My Everything (Barry White)

Contemporary

By Your Side (Sade)

Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton)

True Companion (Marc Cohn)

Come Away With Me (Norah Jones)

All My Life (K-Ci and Jojo)

I Do (Cherish You) (98 Degrees)

Woman (John Lennon)

You Are So Beautiful (Joe Cocker)

Your Song (Elton John)

Up Where We Belong (Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warrens)

We've Got Tonight (Bob Seger)

A Whole New World (Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle)

Because You Loved Me (Celine Dion)

Can You Feel the Love Tonight (Elton John)

I Finally Found Someone (Barbra Streisand & Bryan Adams)

One Moment In Time (Whitney Houston)

Endless Love (Diana Ross & Lionel Richie)

Lady In Red (Chris DeBurgh)

Ma Cherie Amour (Stevie Wonder)

A Groovy Kind Of Love (The Mindbenders)

Kiss From A Rose (Seal)

Into the Mystic (Van Morrison)

Someone Like You  (Van Morrison)

Songbird (Fleetwood Mac)

Longer (Dan Fogelberg)

Tonight And Forever (Carly Simon)

Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel) 

The Rose (Bette Midler)

She's Got A Way (Billy Joel)

Alternative

Our Way To Fall  (Yo La Tengo)

Fall Into You (Mazzy Star)

I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing (Aerosmith)

I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You (Savage Garden)

In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel)

Crush (Dave Matthews Band)

True (Spandau Ballet)

You Are the Everything (R.E.M.)

Always (Erasure)

Take My Breath Away (Berlin)

 

Country

From this Moment (Shania Twain)

It's Your Love (Tim McGraw and Faith Hill)

Forever and Ever, Amen (Randy Travis)

Forever (Kenny Loggins)

Grow Old With Me (Mary Chapin Carpenter)

You're Still The One (Shania Twain)