80+ Best First Dance Songs for Wedding to Set the Tone

Kick off the wedding reception with these 80 plus first dance songs for your upcoming ceremony. Whether you are searching for an emotional song for the father and daughter to dance to or romantic wedding songs to dance to as bride and groom, these many different song ideas from every genre will help to set the tone for an unforgettable wedding day.
Once the traditional first dances have ended, get your guests moving on the dance floor and get them to jam out with these tunes for every occasion. There’s a song for every themed wedding on our list.
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Funny Wedding First Dance Songs
Get the wedding reception started off in a good mood with these top funny wedding dance songs. A lively and upbeat soundtrack that will carry through the rest of the wedding reception and have guests feeling great. Starting off the evening with some funny first dance songs will help to set the tone for the rest of the evening shenanigans.
- Don’t Cha – The Pussycat Dolls & Busta Rhymes
- Who Let the Dogs Out – Baha Men
- Love Is a Battlefield – Pat Benatar
- Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles
- Steal My Girl – One Direction
- Every Breath You Take – The Police
- Stuck In The Middle With You – Stealer’s Wheel
- Tainted Love – Soft Cell
- Dear Future Husband – Meghan Trainor
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love – The Darkness
- When I’m Sixty-Four – The Beatles
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Classic First Dance Wedding Songs
Classic wedding songs are very common when searching for a father and daughter first dance songs. Having a classic song for the first dance sets a certain kind of etiquette for the wedding reception. All of your guests will be singing along to these classic wedding songs as father and daughter share that special dance for the first time.
- What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
- Can’t Help Falling In Love With You – Elvis Presley
- L-O-V-E – Nat King Cole
- La Vie en Rose – Louis Armstrong
- Can’t Take My Eyes off You – Frankie Valli and The 4 Seasons
- Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
- Come What May – Moulin Rouge
- Fly Me to The Moon – Frank Sinatra
- Nothing Can Change This Love – Sam Cooke
- Close To You – The Carpenters
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Non-Traditional First Dance Songs
If you’ve been to weddings, you know that some wedding songs are just way overplayed. Find something unique and modern to play at your wedding that guests haven’t already heard a million times with these non traditional songs for a first dance for the bride and groom. You’re sure to find a song that will express your love for eachother.
- What’s Love Got to Do With It? – Tina Turner
- Steal My Girl – One Direction
- My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
- Adore You – Miley Cyrus
- Make You Feel My Love – Adele
- Tenerife Sea – Ed Sheeran
- Stickwitu – The Pussycat Dolls
- Halo – Beyoncé
- Latch (Acoustic) – Sam Smith
- Young and Beautiful – Lana Del Rey
- I Turn To You – Christina Aguilera
Slow Wedding Songs
Every couple loves a good slow dance song for their first dance together as husband and wife. Slow songs to dance to are romantic and sentimental. They can work well for a bride and groom or father and daughter. These slow songs will help your guests to feel the love and will swooning on the dance floor in no time.
- Lover – Taylor Swift
- You Are The Reason – Calum Scott & Leona Lewis
- A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
- I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
- Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
- In Case You Didn’t Know – Brett Young
- God Gave Me You – Blake Shelton
- Everything – Michael Bublé
- Your Song – Elton John
- Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley
- At Last – Etta James
Upbeat First Dance Songs
Rock out during your first dance song with these upbeat marriage songs. These upbeat song ideas will have the party started from the first dance. Don’t be mistaken, these upbeat songs can be filled with sentimental meaning as any other on our list. Start off your special day with songs that will have everyone out of their seats and moving.
- How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – Marvin Gaye
- You’re The First, The Last, My Everything – Barry White
- Love On Top – Beyonce
- Locked Out Of Heaven – Bruno Mars
- Lisztomania – Phoenix
- Happy – Pharrell Williams
- Dancing In The Moonlight – Thin Lizzy
- Be My Baby – The Ronettes
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) – Stevie Wonder
- One Fine Day – The Chiffons
- If You Leave Me Now – Chicago
- It’s Now or Never – Elvis Presley
R&B First Dance Songs
R&B can be a very romantic musical genre. Filled with soundtracks about love and commitment that make the perfect song to accompany the first dance for a bride and groom. R&B tunes are full of soul and tug at the heartstrings. Guests can easily relate to these types of songs and they stand the test of time.
- Let’s get it on – Marvin Gaye
- It Should Have Been Me – Kim Weston
- “Let’s Stay Together” – Al Green
- “All of Me” – John Legend
- “By Your Side” – Sade
- “No One” – Alicia Keys
- “All My Life” – K-Ci & JoJo
- “XO” – Beyoncé
- Find Someone Like You – Snoh Aalegra
- “Endless Love” – Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
- “Adorn” – Miguel
- Share My Life – KEM
- Forever Mine – The O’Jays
Country First Dance Songs
Country songs are often emotional and speak about love like no other genre. Help to set the tone for your big wedding day with these sentimental country songs. Country helps to capture that special feeling of magic and love with this set of dance songs for daughter and father dance, the bride and groom’s first dance, or wedding reception songs.
- God Gave Me You – Blake Shelton
- Blessed – Thomas Rhett
- From the Ground Up – Dan + Shay
- Then – Brad Paisley
- I Don’t Dance – Lee Brice
- It’s Your Love – Tim McGraw, Faith Hill
- The Keeper Of The Stars – Tracy Byrd
- Making Memories Of Us – Keith Urban
- My Wish – Rascal Flatts
- Change Your Name – Chase Bryant
- Made For You – Jake Owen
- I Do – Morgan Evans
Alternative First Dance Songs
Take a break from the same old songs and dances that you hear at every wedding with these alternative songs for a first dance. Skip out on the dancing songs that have been played to death at every other wedding you have ever been to. Check out these top ten alternative songs for a first wedding dance.
- Grounds For Divorce – Elbow
- Brighter Than Sunshine – Aqualung
- The Only Exception – Paramore
- I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab for Cutie
- Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac
- Dreams – The Cranberries
- After All – Frank and Walters
- Something’s Gotten Hold of my Heart – Marc Almond
- Sea of Love – Cat Power
- Can’t Help Falling in Love – Ingrid Michaelson
Ensure your wedding is special with these 80+ first dance songs for father and daughter or bride and groom, featuring tunes from all of the top music genres. With loving lyrics, you’re sure to find some songs for a first dance that will suit the soundtrack of your wedding day.