First dances for wedding receptions including the bride and groom first dance, the father of the bride and bride first dance, and the mother of the groom and groom first dance can be difficult to choose. Here at Bands For Hire Live! we would love to help out in your search for the perfect first dance songs for your wedding reception.

Sometimes the first dance song for the bride and groom comes naturally. For instance you might have danced to a particular song on your first date, or maybe the bride and groom just happen to share a favorite song. The bride and groom’s first dance song is typically a ballad, or slow song, and the song should share some meaning between the couple. We find that about 75% of our couples know what their first dance song is going to be, however this article is for the 25% of couples who need a little help choosing their first dance song. Here are some of our favorites:

Ben Folds – The Luckiest
Etta James – At Last
Joshua Kadison – Beautiful In My Eyes
Rascal Flatts – Bless the Broken Road
Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling In Love
James Taylor – How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
Michael Jackson – I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
Harry Connick, Jr. – It Had to Be You (Big Band and Vocals)
Bride and Groom First Dance Songs Continued…
Al Green – Let’s Stay Together
Blake – All of Me (music from the Royal Wedding of William and Kate)
Train – Marry Me
Kelly Clarkson – A Moment Like This
Frank Sinatra – Love Is Here to Stay
Jason Mraz – Lucky (feat. Colbie Caillat)
Kenny Chesney – Me and You
Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours
Van Morrison – Sweet Thing
Bride and Groom First Dance Songs Continued…
Frank Sinatra – The Way You Look Tonight
Michael Bublé – The Way You Look Tonight
Marc Cohn – True Companion
Savage Garden – Truly Madly Deeply
Billy Joel – You’re My Home
A Whole New World – Sound Track Aladdin
After All – Peter Cetera/Cher
All I Ask of You – Michael Crawford
All I Ever Wanted – Margaret Becker
All I Have – Beth Nielson Chapman
All I Long For – Michael English/Susan Ashton
All My Life – Linda Ronstadt/Aaron Neville
Bride and Groom First Dance Songs Continued…
All The Way – Frank Sinatra
Always – Atlantic Star
Always – Sarah Vaughan/Billy Ekstine or Tony Bennett
Always And Forever – Heatwave
At Last – Etta James
Because – Dave Clark 5
Beginnings – Chicago
Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John
Cherish – The Association
Colour My World – Chicago
Come Rain or Come Shine – Billie Holiday
Could I Have This Dance – Anne Murray
Crazy – Kenny Rogers
Crazy – Patsy Cline
Bride and Groom First Dance Songs Continued…
Cross My Heart – George Strait
Dance of Love – Dan Hill
Don’t Know Much – Linda Ronstadt/Aaron Neville
Endless Love – Lionel Ritchie/Diana Ross, Luther Vandross/Mariah Carey
Evergreen – Barbara Streisand
Everything I Do – Bryan Adams
Faithfully – Journey
Groovy Kind of Love – Phil Collins
Grow Old With Me – Mary Chapin Carpenter
Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison or Rod Stewart
Heaven – Bryan Adams
Bride and Groom First Dance Songs Continued…
Here And Now – Luther Vandross
I Cross My Heart – George Strait
I Finally Found Someone – Bryan Adams/Barbara Streisand
I Got You Babe – Sonny & Cher
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You – Michael Jackson
I Only Have Eyes For You – The Flamingo
I Swear – J.M. Montgomery, All 4 One
I Want To Be Loved By You – Sinead OConnor
I’ll Always Love You – Taylor Dayne
I’ve Dreamed of You – Barbara Streisand
If – Bread
Bride and Groom First Dance Songs Continued…
In This Life – Colin Raye
In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
Is This Love – Bob Marley
Just The Way You Are – Billy Joel
Just You and I – Eddie Rabbitt/Crystal Gayle
Keeper Of The Stars – Tracy Byrd
L-O-V-E – Natalie Cole
Love Can Build A Bridge – The Judds
Love Of A Lifetime – Firehouse
Masterpiece – Atlantic Starr
Moments in Love – Art of Noise
Never Make You Cry – Eric Clapton
Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now – Starship
Bride and Groom First Dance Songs Continued…
Only You – Platters
Power of Love – Celine Dion
Sea Of Love – Honeydrippers
Smoke Get’s in Your Eyes – Platters
Sweet Love – Anita Baker
Take My Breath Away – Berlin
The Love I Found in You – Jim Brickman
The One – Elton John
The Power of One – Donna Summer
Together – Joey Gregorash
Tonight I Celebrate My Love – P.Bryson and R.Flack
Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers
Unforgettable – Nat King Cole/Natalie Cole
Vision Of Love – Mariah Carey
Bride and Groom First Dance Songs Continued…
We’ve Only Just Begun – The Carpenters
Wedding Song (There Is Love) – Paul Stookey
When a Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge or Michael Bolton
When I Fall In Love – Nat King Cole or Celine Dion/Clive Griffin
Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
You and I – Eddie Rabbitt/Crystal Gayle
You Are My Lady – Freddy Jackson
You Light Up My Life – Debbie Boone or LeAnn Rimes
You Mean The World To Me – Toni Braxton
You Send Me – Sam Cooke
You With Me – Anita Cochran
Your Love Amazes Me – John Berry

Although slightly more difficult to choose than the bride and groom first dance, the father of the bride and bride first dance song should be a nice beautiful song that reflects the love between the father and daughter, as well as a feeling of “letting go” and perhaps enjoying one last dance with her before he officially gives her away (thankfully) to the groom. About 50% of brides and fathers have a song picked out from the get go, but again, this site is for those brides and fathers who need a little help choosing the perfect father of the bride first dance song. Here are some of our favorites:

The Temptations – My Girl
Céline Dion – Because You Loved Me
Holly Dunn – Daddy’s Hands
The Mills Brothers – Daddy’s Little Girl
John Mayer – Daughters
Rod Stewart – Have I Told You Lately
Van Morrison – Still On Top – Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
Mariah Carey – Hero
Father of the Bride First Dance Songs Continued…
Lee Ann Womack – I Hope You Dance
Stevie Wonder – Isn’t She Lovely
Martina McBride – In My Daughter’s Eyes
The Original Cast Of “Fiddler On The Roof” – Sunrise, Sunset
Kenny Rogers – Through the Years
Paul Anka – Times of Your Life
Nat “King” Cole & Natalie Cole – Unforgettable
Nat King Cole – Unforgettable
Father of the Bride First Dance Songs Continued…
Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World
Bette Midler – Wind Beneath My Wings
Stevie Wonder – You Are the Sunshine of My Life
Joe Cocker – You Are So Beautiful
James Blunt – You’re Beautiful
James Taylor – Your Smiling Face
(You Are My) Special Angel – Bobby Helms
Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle
Daddy’s Little Girl – Kippi Brannon
De Nina A Mujer – Julio Iglesias
My Father’s Eyes – Amy Grant
Father of the Bride First Dance Songs Continued…
My Funny Valentine – Carly Simon or Ella Fitzgerlad or Frank Sinatra
My Heart Belongs To Daddy – Cole Porter
One More Time – Mikki Viereck
She’s Leaving Home – The Beatles
Thank Heavens For Little Girls – Maurice Chevalier (from “Gigi”)
You’re The Inspiration – Chicago

Possibly the most difficult song to choose, the mother of the groom dance song can be a challenge. We estimate that about 25% of grooms and mothers of the groom know what song that they want to dance to. One solution that we came up with a few years ago that has really caught on is to COMBINE the father of the bride dance with the mother of the groom dance. Let the father of the bride and the bride begin the dance, then about halfway through have the MC announce “could we please have the groom and his beautiful mother join us on the dance floor”. This is a great way to shorten the dances and it cuts the monotony of the dances, as three dances in a row can last up to 15 minutes – that’s a long time to have your guests just sitting around being patient. This is just a suggestion, however, and we appreciate those grooms and mothers of the grooms who would like to have their own song, and this is why we came up with the following list for you:

Céline Dion – Because You Loved Me
Elton John – Blessed
Barry Manilow – I Am Your Child
Natalie Cole – I Wish You Love
Jane Monheit – I Wish You Love
Paul Simon – Loves Me Like a Rock
Elvis Presley – Memories
Ben E. King – Stand by Me
Mother of the Groom First Dance Songs continued…
The Original Cast Of “Fiddler On The Roof” – Sunrise, Sunset
John Denver – Sunshine On My Shoulders
Bette Midler – The Rose
Nat “King” Cole & Natalie Cole – Unforgettable
Nat “King” Cole – Unforgettable
Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World
Bette Midler – Wind Beneath My Wings
Stevie Wonder – You Are the Sunshine of My Life
Mother of the Groom First Dance Songs continued…
Boyz II Men – A Song for Mama
Forever In Love – Kenny G
Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison or Rod Stewart
I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack
In My Life – Beatles or Bette Midler
Lean On Me – Bill Withers
Memories – Elvis Presley
Memory – Barbara Streisand
Somewhere in the World Tonight – Wayne Watson
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
Thanks Again – Ricky Scaggs
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
Mother of the Groom First Dance Songs continued…
They Can’t Take That Away From Me – Frank Sinatra/Natalie Cole
Through the Years – Kenny Rogers
Times of Your Life – Paul Anka
Turn Around – Harry Belafonte
Unforgettable – Natalie Cole and/or Nat King Cole
What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
You’ve Got A Friend – James Taylor

We hope that helps you decide on the bride and groom first dance song, the father of the bride first dance song and the mother of the groom first dance song. Try to keep in mind that you want to choose short songs if possible, no longer than 3 and a half minutes long, you would be amazed at how long it will seem that you are out there in the spotlight. Remember speech class when they told you that you would have to do a 3 minute speech and you were like “3 minutes? No problem! That’s easy” – then you actually had to get up there in front of the class and speak for 3 minutes…seemed a lot longer than you thought didn’t it? Well, the same theory applies to these first dances. You can even ask your wedding band or wedding DJ to either fade a song out if it’s too long, or some will even make special “cuts” of the songs to make them shorter.

Hope these first dance suggestions have helped and remember to smile and have fun at your wedding reception! If something goes wrong, just forget about it and keep going, don’t let ANYTHING ruin your good time at your wedding reception.