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First and foremost I must start off by saying there's no wrong First Dance song. You can literally choose anything. It's not about whether your guests will like the song, it's about whether you two have a connection to the song, which brings out your emotions when listening and dancing to it!
First and foremost I must start off by saying there's no wrong First Dance song. You can literally choose anything.
Choosing the song for your First Dance will either be really easy for you both, or really hard. There's no in-between!
A lot of couples go for a song that has significant meaning to them both. It may have been a song that was popular when they were first dating, or a song that they both just love! To reiterate, there's no right or wrong song choice. I've DJ'd for couples whose song has been completely different to the "norm" (i.e. not the stereotypical slow, romantic style). One that sticks out in my head the most was a heavy rock song! Let me tell you, the Bride and Groom gave so much energy during their dance. You could tell it had meaning to them, and it was a song that they could get completely lost in. The guests loved it because the happy couple were loving it.
I've DJ'd for couples whose song has been completely different to the "norm" (i.e. not the stereotypical slow, romantic style). One that sticks out in my head the most was a heavy rock song!
If it doesn't come as easy for you, do not fear! There are a few songs that appear to be come up more often, either because: a) couples genuinely like these songs or b) they don't have any song of any significance to them, so they've gone for one of these songs because they are generally nice to dance to and have that "romantic" style. Some of these songs are:
Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
Ed Sheeran - Perfect (noticing a trend? 😂)
John Legend - All of Me
Aerosmith - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are
Bruno Mars - Marry You
Robbie Williams - Angels
Robbie Williams - She's The One
Take That - Greatest Day
Your decision may be set in stone that you don't want a First Dance. That's completely fine, but you may wish to consider a few things before coming to that conclusion. From experience, some couples don't wish to do a First Dance because both are too nervous or uncomfortable to do one. That's fair enough, but consider all the other "embarrassing things" throughout the day: the best man's speech, the walk down the aisle, the drunken antics towards the end of night (or maybe the start!). I can assure you, no-one is there to judge your dance moves. They are there to witness their son/daughter/friend make a very special bond with their new, married partner! It's a memory to cherish (and a bit of fun!).
They [guests] are there to witness their son/daughter/friend make a very special bond with their new, married partner! It's a memory to cherish (and a bit of fun!).
It doesn't have to be a 3-minute dance where you feel like you're being choked to death by glaring stares! A suggestion could be to have a much quicker dance (say, 1 minute), and then afterwards the DJ invites your guests on to the dance floor. That way, you get the best of both worlds - an opportunity to dance with your married partner, and with all your guests. This option is quite popular.
Sometimes, there are other dances which come before the First Dance. Although not as common, they do happen! These are the dances between the Groom and his Mother, and the Bride and her Father. The dance between the Bride and her Father can be a really nice transition into the First Dance, as the Father can "hand over" her daughter to her new husband. Another variation of introduction in to the First Dance is a Grand Entrance for the newlyweds! The DJ can introduce the Bride and Groom to the day guests and the arriving evening guests, to which the Bridge and Groom come in to the room to a round of applause! This can then lead in to the First Dance.
There's also other things to consider. Is there a particular song you'd like to be played after the First Dance? It might be a song that you just love, and you think it'll go down well after the First Dance...Something to consider. If the Bride and Groom don't mind what is played after their First Dance, I tend to play something really upbeat as a way of celebrating the First Dance. Also, not to put pressure on the Bride, but something I've noticed is that they have a lot of influence on the dance floor. If the Bride is dancing, more guests come to the dance floor!
Got any moves in your inventory that you always bring out on the dance floor?!
Also to consider: the songs you want to be played during the night, and the songs you don't want to be played. For the latter, your DJ should usually ask you if there's anything in particular you don't want to hear. This might be because certain songs remind you of certain events, or you just don't like a particular genre in general.
Found this article useful? You may find this one useful too! Choosing the right DJ for your Wedding