167 Best First Dance Wedding Songs (Popular For 2023)
Choosing the perfect song for your wedding first dance does not have to be overwhelming. We have put together the ultimate list of music that we know you’re going to love (updated for 2023).
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Classic Wedding Songs For The First Dance (Oldies But Goodies)
Everybody loves a great classic first dance song. Here are a few of our favorites:
- “At Last” by Etta James
- “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra
- “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley
- “Unforgettable” by Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole
- “It Had To Be You” by Frank Sinatra
- “Always On My Mind” by Elvis Presley
- “Your Song” by Elton John
- “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by James Taylor
- “Fly Me To The Moon” by Frank Sinatra (more songs by Frank Sinatra to use at your wedding)
- “It Had To Be You” by Harry Connick Jr.
- “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” by Michael Bublé
- “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke
80s First Dance Songs
The 1980’s produced some amazing songs. Here are a few of our favorites that would be perfect for your 1st dance:
- “Heaven” by Bryan Adams
- “The Promise” by When in Rome
- “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin
- “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie (also featured in Happy Gilmore for those who want to use this song because you’re awesome)
- “Time After Time” By Cyndi Lauper
- “Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx
- “Faithfully” by Journey
- “Crazy For You” by Madonna
- “You’re The Inspiration” by Chicago
- “Open Arms” by Journey
- “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel
- “Love Song” by The Cure
- “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship
- “Eternal Flame” The Bangles
- “The Lady In Red” by Chris de Burgh
If you love songs from the 80s, you will love this article that features over 300 of the best 80s songs to use for your wedding!
90s First Dance Songs
The 1990’s was a fun generation for music. We love these hits to use for your first dance:
- “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey
- “Kiss From A Rose” by Seal
- “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain
- “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden
- “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo
- “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams
- “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
Top Country First Dance Songs
If it’s one thing that country music artists do well, it’s writing great love songs. Use one of these for your first dance.
- “Amazed” by Lonestar
- “From The Ground Up” by Dan + Shay
- “My Best Friend” by Tim McGraw
- “Speechless” by Dan + Shay
- “Islands In The Stream” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
- “Yours” by Russell Dickerson
- “Better Together” by Luke Combs
- “I Don’t Dance” by Lee Brice
- “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves
- “Bless The Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts
- “God Gave Me You” by Blake Shelton
- “Change Your Name” by Brett Young
- “You Make It Easy” by Jason Aldean
- “Then” by Brad Paisley
For even more country first dance songs (and songs to use on the rest of your wedding day), check our newest article: The best country songs for your wedding day (over 400 songs!).
Rock and Roll Music Choices (Including Alternative and Classic Rock)
Rock ballads and classic rock songs for the win!
- “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith
- “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel
- “Love Of A Lifetime” by Firehouse
- “Can’t Fight This Feeling” By REO Speedwagon
- “Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles (more songs by The Beatles to use at your wedding)
- “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen
- “Forever” by KISS
- “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” by The Darkness
- “I’ll Be There For You” by Bon Jovi
- “In My Life” by The Beatles
- “All My Love” by Led Zeppelin
- “Can’t Stop Loving You” by Van Halen
- “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders
- “Crazy Love” by Van Morrison
- “Here, There And Everywhere” by The Beatles
R&B First Dance Songs (Including Motown and Old School Hits)
We love the amazing sound of these hits! They would all make a perfect song choice for the first dance.
- “Conversations In The Dark” by John Legend
- “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by Marvin Gaye
- “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys
- “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder
- “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
- “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” by Stevie Wonder
- “This I Promise You” by *NSYNC
- “How Deep Is Your Love” by The Bee Gees
Best Acoustic First Dance Songs
These acoustic songs are absolutely beautiful for any wedding.
- “Take Me Home, Country Roads (John Denver)” by Music Travel Love (such an amazing acoustic version that would be perfect for the first dance)
- “Better Together” by Us the Duo
- “More Than Words” by Extreme
- “You’re The One That I Want” by Julia Stone and Angus
- “A Thousand Years” by Jasmine Thompson
- “Time After Time” by Iron and Wine
- “You Were Meant For Me” by Jewel
- “True Colors” by Justin Timberlake & Anna Kendrick
- “You’re Still The One” by Music Travel Love ft. Dave Moffatt (Amazing Shania Twain cover)
New (Modern) Hits (And Some That Are Newish)
We will be updating this section a few times each year with the newest hits for your first dance.
- “Perfect Duet” by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
- “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” by Meghan Trainor and John Legend
- “Just Married” by Steven Lee Olsen
- “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran
- “You Are The Reason” by Calum Scott
- “Rewrite The Stars” by Zac Efron and Zendaya (From The Greatest Showman)
- “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” by Jasmine Thompson
- “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran
- “I Am Yours” by Andy Grammer
- “You Are The Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne
- “Baby I’m Yours” by The Arctic Monkeys
- “Lover” by Taylor Swift
- “Sweetest Devotion” by Adele
- “Lucky” by Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz
- “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by Sleeping At Last
- “Your Song” by Ellie Goulding
- “Could I Love You Anymore” by Jason Mraz & Reneé Dominique
Funny and Non-Traditional First Dance Ideas That Are Truly Unique
If you are looking for something fun and unique, these are the funniest ideas we have seen:
- “Grow Old With You” by Adam Sandler (This short song from The Wedding Singer is so fun!)
- “Jaja Ding Dong” by Will Ferrell, My Marianne, and Rachel McAdams
- “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” by The Branches
- “We Go Together” John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (Grease Soundtrack)
Most Romantic Love Songs To Play During The First Dance
If you’re a sucker for romance, these first dance songs will be a perfect fit for you.
- “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by Sleeping At Last
- “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers
- “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole
- “Endless Love” by Lionel Ritchie & Shania Twain
- “Marry Me” by Train
- “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds
- “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley
- “The Way You Look Tonight” by Tony Bennett
- “When I Fall In Love” by Nat King Cole
- “Come Away With Me” by Nora Jones
- “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele
If you adore romantic love songs, check out these articles:
Fun and Upbeat Music Choices
For couples looking for songs that aren’t so slow, try these out:
- “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” by The Branches
- “Love On Top” by Beyoncé
- “You Make My Dreams” By Daryl Hall & John Oats
- “You’re My First My Last My Everything” by Barry White
- “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys
- “Happy Together” by The Turtles
- “Friday I’m In Love” by The Cure
- “Just The Way You Are” By Bruno Mars
- “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by The Police
- “You’re The One That I Want” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
- “Marry You” by Bruno Mars
- “Adore You” by Harry Styles
What Are The Top 10 Most Popular First Dance Songs At A Wedding? (Most Requested/Best Ever)
We asked DJs and couples what they thought were the most popular first dance songs. These were the top choices:
- “Better Together” by Jack Johnson
- “All Of Me” by John Legend
- “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” by Frankie Valli
- “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri
- “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
- “Everything” by Michael Bublé (more songs by Michael Bublé to use at your wedding)
- “What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
- “Amazed” by Lonestar
- “Speechless” by Dan + Shay
- “Perfect Duet” by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
- “Marry Me” by Train
This is an awesome first dance using a really fun song mashup
If you are viewing this on your phone, you might need to click over to YouTube to watch. Here is the link.
And here is another amazing first dance
Click here if viewing on your phone (if the video does not open below)
When is the first dance at the wedding reception?
Typically the bride and groom, bride and bride, or groom and groom do their first dance as soon as they get announced into their wedding reception.
This is the best time to do the dance because all guests are already seated to watch the reception entrances. All eyes are already on the couple as they enter.
Tips for getting the best photos of your first dance
- Try not to chat through the entire dance – It makes it very difficult for the photographer to get amazing photos that look natural if the couple is talking the entire time (this goes for the mother-son and father-daughter dances too)
- Don’t cut the dance too short – Some couples don’t like being the center of attention, and that’s ok. Give your photographer at least 2 minutes to get some awesome photos. And let them know ahead of time if you are cutting the song short. This way they can prepare.
- Tell your photographer about any choreographed dances or surprises during the first dance – By telling your photographer about your dance plans, they can be in the right position for any lifts, dips, surprises, etc.
Additional Wedding Songs and Music For your Wedding
- Just before the first dance is the grand entrance into the reception room. We put together 38 fun ideas for the bridal party entrance.
- Our favorite wedding reception last dance songs.
- Over 4500 songs to use in every part of your wedding day.
- Best songs to use for your father-daughter dance.
- Wedding songs for the mother-son dance.
- Instrumental songs to use for the wedding processional
- Best songs for a brother and sister dance at the wedding.
- Reception songs that keep your dance floor packed.
