Covering the hundreds of weddings per year that we do, it’s still surprising to me that the choices for the traditional First Dance hardly vary at all despite the wealth of music available. Listed below are our Top 5 most requested First Dances from the last five years:
- I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing – Aerosmith
- Amazed – Lonestar
- Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison / Rod Stewart
- First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack / Leona Lewis / Stereophonics
- At Last – Etta James
Blockbuster Hollywood movies are often a big influence in many bride & groom’s decision for their opening song…….I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing was from ‘Armageddon,’ Everything I Do (Bryan Adams) was from ‘Robin Hood,’ and incredibly popular back in the early 90’s was Unchained Melody, after it featured in ‘Ghost.’ In fact, at one point in the 90’s I was asked to open with the Righteous Brothers classic ballad at six consecutive weddings!
More recently has seen a trend towards doing something a little different for the First Dance…….the YouTube phenomenon of breaking into a hip-hop tune halfway through the ballad and showing the assembled guests your finest choreographed street dancing moves. Unfortunately, with so many people choosing this ‘surprise’ move, it’s no longer unique and can sometimes be a tad embarrassing or fizzle out to lukewarm applause!
Personally, I reckon you should just stick to the traditional slow tune that means something to the both of you. Then, once you’re in the middle of the floor, just forget everyone and everything around you and have a few romantic minutes together….after all, it’s the least you deserve after such a stressful and eventful day!
And finally, my choices for the perfectly-worded First Dance:
- Make You Feel My Love – Adele
- Fallen – Lauren Wood
- Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me – Gladys Knight & The Pips
- Days Like This – Van Morrison
- Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye