When it comes to choosing music for your big day, choosing a first dance song is surely one of the hardest decisions you’ll make. How do you choose a song that represents you as a couple, has the right sentiments and will give you all the feels every time you hear it after the wedding? It’s a tough job so we’ve done our best to help you out by creating the ultimate list of first dance wedding songs!
You might be looking for a classic, contemporary, unusual, rock, upbeat or even funny song for your first dance. Whatever it is you’re after, you’ll find inspiration here.
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So how do you choose the perfect first dance song?
- Firstly, decide what style of music to go for. Even if one of you loves death metal and the other is a cheesy-pop fan, there will be something that you’ll both enjoy. Find the common ground and start from there.
- Next, have a listen to the lyrics. Do they mean something to the both of you? When you actually sit down and listen to songs, you’ll be surprised at how some will speak to you and others will leave you cold.
- Then consider the pace of the song. You might want to slow dance or you might feel more comfortable with a faster-paced number. If you’re planning a choreographed dance, a song at a faster speed or with a heavy beat will probably be more suitable. If you’re shy and don’t like the limelight this can also be a great option as it makes it easier for your guests to join you as soon as you ask them to.
- Lastly, just because some songs are traditional or extremely popular doesn’t make them right for you. Go with your gut when you hear the perfect song!
So let’s have a look at some of the first dance song ideas we have collated. We’ve put them into categories to make it easier to sift through them. Happy hunting! We hope you find your first dance!
Pop First Dance Songs
Within this list of pop first dance songs, you’ll find romantic songs that have been featured in films, cute love songs and outright declarations of love – all would make brilliant choices!
(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
A Million Love Songs – Take That
A Moment Like This – Kelly Clarkson
A Sky Full of Stars – Coldplay
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
Accidentally In Love – Counting Crows
Adore You – Miley Cyrus
Ain’t No Stopping Us Now – McFadden & Whitehead
All About You – McFly
Alone – Jessie Ware
Angels – Robbie Williams
Better – Tom Baxter
Better Half of Me – Tom Walker
Better Together – Jack Johnson
Budapest – George Ezra
By Your Side – Sade
Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John
Can’t Smile Without You – Barry Manilow
Cannonball – Damien Rice
Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
Crush – Dave Matthews Band
Everything – Michael Bublé
Everything Has Changed – Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran
Falling In Love With You Again – Imelda May
Faster – Matt Nathanson
Fireflies – Owl City
First Times – Ed Sheeran
Forever – Ben Harper
Forever Like That – Ben Rector
Girl You’re Alright – Paul Otten
Give Me Love – Ed Sheeran
God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
Greatest Day – Take That
Grow Old With You – Adam Sandler
Have You Ever Been In Love – Celine Dion
Higher Love – Steve Winwood
Hold You in My Arms – Ray Lamontagne
Honeybee – The Head and the Heart
How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding
I Am Yours – Andy Grammer
I Knew I Loved You – Savage Garden
I’ll Never Not Love You – Michael Bublé
I Love You – Celine Dion
I Wanna Grow Old With You – Westlife
I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz
Is This Love? – Bob Marley
Kiss Me – Ed Sheeran
Latch (Acoustic) – Sam Smith
Like Teenage Gravity – Counting Crows
Little Things – One Direction
Love – Lana Del Rey
Love Conquers All – Deep Purple
Love In Slow Motion – Ed Sheeran
Love Me Like You Do – Ellie Goulding
Lover – Taylor Swift
Lovesong – Adele
Loving You – Paolo Nutini
Lucky – Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat
Medicine – The 1975
Only Wanna Be With You – Hootie and the Blowfish
Only You – Yazoo
Over And Over Again – Nathan Sykes
Pointless – Lewis Capaldi
Save The Best For Last – Vanessa Williams
Say Yes – Elliott Smith
Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
She’s The One – Robbie Williams
Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Songbird – Eva Cassidy
Speechless – Dan + Shay
The Book Of Love – Peter Gabriel
The Look of Love – Dusty Springfield
The Luckiest – Ben Folds
Truly Madly Deeply – Savage Garden
Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
Us Against the World – Coldplay
When You Say Nothing At All – Ronan Keating
When You’re Home – Tyler Shaw
Where I Sleep – Emile Sande
Who Would Have Thought – Dylan Dunlap
Who’s Lovin’ You – Michael Bublé
Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler
Work Song – Hozier
You Are So Beautiful – Joe Cocker
You Are The Reason – Calum Scott & Leona Lewis
You Do Something to Me – Paul Weller
You Make It Real – James Morrison
You’ve Got A Friend In Me – Randy Newman
You’re the One That I Want – John Travolta and Olivia Newton
You’ve Got the Love – Florence + the Machine
Yours – Ella Henderson
Rock First Dance Songs
If you’re a couple who’d prefer to rock out for their first dance, you might find a song you love in this selection of classic rock ballads by some of the biggest rock bands of all time.
All I Want Is You – U2
All You Need Is Love – The Beatles
At My Most Beautiful – R.E.M.
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Come and Get Your Love – Redbone
Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
Drops Of Jupiter – Train
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police
Fell in Love With a Girl – The White Stripes
Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison
Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
I’m A Believer – The Monkees
In My Life – The Beatles
Keep On Loving You – REO Speedwagon
Last Night On Earth – Green Day
Livin’ for You – Boston
Maybe I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney
Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now – Starship
Romeo and Juliet – The Killers
The Deeper The Love – Whitesnake
Tonight, Tonight – The Smashing Pumpkins
You’re My Best Friend – Queen
You’re the Inspiration – Chicago
Golden Oldies
These songs might be old, but they’ve never gone out of style and never will! If you choose one, your first dance will be timeless.
All My Tomorrows – Frank Sinatra
All Of Me – Billie Holiday
All The Way – Frank Sinatra
Always – Sarah Vaughan & Billy Eckstein
Because Of You – Tony Bennett
Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Andy Williams
Cheek to Cheek – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Come Rain or Come Shine – Ray Charles
Fly Me to the Moon – Frank Sinatra
I Get A Kick Out Of You – Frank Sinatra
I’ve Got A Crush On You – Linda Ronstadt
I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm – Ella Fitzgerald
I’ll Be Seeing You – Billie Holiday
It Had To Be You – Frank Sinatra
L-O-V-E – Nat King Cole
La Vie En Rose – Edith Piaf
Let There Be Love – Nat King Cole
Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love) – Ella Fitzgerald
Love Me Tender – Elvis Presley
Moon River – Andy Williams
My Baby Just Cares For Me – Nina Simone
My Favorite Things – John Coltrane
She – Elvis Costello
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
The Wonder of You – Elvis Presley
They Can’t Take That Away From Me – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
True Love Ways – Buddy Holly
We Have All The Time In The World – Louis Armstrong
What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
When a Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge
When I Fall in Love – Nat King Cole
When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You) – Louis Armstrong
Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
Soul and Motown First Dance Songs
Many soul and Motown songs lend themselves perfectly for a first dance song. These are all unbelievably romantic!
(There Is) No Greater Love – Amy Winehouse
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Baby, I Need Your Lovin’ – Four Tops
Be My Baby – The Ronettes
Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me – Gladys Knight & The Pips
Endless Love – Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross
Everlasting Love – Love Affair
For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder
For The Love Of You Pts. 1 and 2 – The Isley Brothers
Hold Me – Stevie Wonder
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – Marvin Gaye
I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) – Four Tops
I Found You – Alabama Shakes
I Have Nothing – Whitney Houston
I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
I Was Made To Love Her – Stevie Wonder
I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
I’m Kissing You – Des’ree
I’ll Always Love You – The Spinners
I’ll Be There – Jackson 5
Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
It Takes Two – Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
My Girl – The Temptations
Overjoyed – Stevie Wonder
Perfect Day – Lou Reed
Reach Out I’ll Be There – Four Tops
She’s Got a Way – Billy Joel
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours – Stevie Wonder
This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) – The Isley Brothers
You Are – Lionel Richie
You’re All I Need to Get By – Aretha Franklin
You’re The First, The Last, My Everything – Barry White
You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me – The Miracles
RnB First Dance Songs
If RnB is more your style, here’s our selection of modern and old-school hits that we think would all be brilliant for a first dance.
All My Life – K-Ci & JoJo
Angel Of Mine – Monica
At Your Best (You Are Love) – Aaliyah
Best I Ever Had – Drake
Best Part – Daniel Caesar ft. H.E.R.
Beyond – Leon Bridges
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Ms. Lauryn Hill
Conversations in the Dark – John Legend
Dontchange – Musiq Soulchild
End Of Time – Beyoncé
Find Someone Like You – Snoh Aalegra
I Swear – All-4-One
I’m Gonna Make You My Wife – The Whispers
If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys
Incomplete – Sisqo
Like I’m Gonna Lose You – Meghan Trainer ft. John Legend
More Than You’ll Ever Know – Boyz II Men feat. Charlie Wilson
Nobody – Brian McKnight
One In A Million – Will Downing
Send It On – D’Angelo
Sent From Heaven – Rahsaan Patterson
Share My Life – Kem
Slow Jam – Usher, Monica
Spend My Life With You – Tamia & Eric Benet
Stay With You – John Legend
That’s When I Knew – Alicia Keys
The First Time – Surface
The Point Of It All – Anthony Hamilton
Thinkin Bout You – Frank Ocean
Until the End of Time – Justin Timberlake, Beyonce
Vision of Love – Mariah Carey
Indie First Dance Songs
If you’d like something a little bit cool and a little more unexpected, these indie first dance songs might be perfect for you.
Baby I’m Yours – Arctic Monkeys
Come Home – OneRepublic
Don’t Delete The Kisses – Wolf Alice
Happy Together – The Turtles
Here Comes Your Man – Pixies
Home – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
I Always Knew – The Vaccines
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor – Arctic Monkeys
I’ll Be There For You – The Rembrandts
It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
Love You ‘Till the End – The Pogues
Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
One Day Like This – Elbow
Run – Snow Patrol
She Moves In Her Own Way – The Kooks
She’s So Lovely – Scouting For Girls
Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
That Kiss – The Courteeners
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out – The Smiths
With A Girl Like You – The Troggs
XO – John Mayer
Country First Dance Songs
There won’t be a dry eye in the house if you choose one of these stunning country songs for your first dance. They are sentimental and tuneful – you really can’t go wrong if you pick one!
10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay featuring Justin Bieber
Amazed – Lonestar
Annie’s Song – John Denver
Blessed – Thomas Rhett
From This Moment On – Shania Twain & Bryan White
In Case You Didn’t Know – Brett Young
Inside Your Heaven – Carrie Underwood
Islands In the Stream – Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers
Lady – Kenny Rogers
Lay Your Heart Next to Mine – Steve Azar
Love Never Fails – Brandon Heath
Love You Like I Used To – Russell Dickerson
Loving You Easy – Zac Brown Band
My Best Friend – Tim McGraw
One Great Mystery – Lady A
Then – Brad Paisley
We Will Dance – Steven Curtis Chapman
What If – Colbie Caillat
You and Me – Lifehouse
You Are My Sunshine – Johnny Cash
You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
Perhaps you’re looking for something a little more alternative for your first dance? Check out these 20 first dance song you’ve never thought of!
So there you have it! We really hope that you’ve found inspiration for your first dance song. A unique, live performance of a first dance will always feel more special, so if you haven’t already booked a wedding band, check out hundreds of the best bands available in the UK, most of which will learn your first dance for free. Yay! See a band you like? Get in contact for a free, competitive quote.
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