Hands around each other, bodies swaying to the music, feet moving together, waltzing across the dance floor. Dancing itself is such a powerful artform that not only entertains, but shows the connection and chemistry between people.
Here are the various ways you can incorporate dancing into your wedding. So get your dancing shoes on and get ready to wow your guests with your moves.
Table of Contents
Father-daughter dance
Usually the first dance in weddings, the father-daughter dance holds so much meaning and showcases the special relationship between the two, honouring the handover of the bride’s hand from the father to the groom. In most cases, it serves as an extension of the “giving away” of the bride to the groom.
After the father-daughter dance, the father will give the hand of the bride to the groom once more, as the bride continues to dance with the groom.
As father and daughter dance for the last time, without a doubt, memories of their time spent together will flash past their minds, from all the firsts – first words, first steps, first day at school – decades of memories leading up to the moment the father gives his daughter away.
Such a sentimental moment can be brought out in the dance, giving audiences a chance to witness this special interaction between father and daughter.
The father-daughter dance is usually towards the end of the night, followed immediately by the couple’s first dance, and typically lasts for anytime from 1.5 to 3 minutes. While the most traditional type of dance performed is any kind of ballroom dance, there have been brides and their fathers who chose to switch it up, and perform a fun routine to a medley of their favourite songs. Here is a fun example:
Here’s a list of song suggestions that are sure to bring out the emotions during the dance:
-
Fathers & Daughters by Michael Bolton
- Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle
- Daddy’s Little Girl by Michael Bublé
- Daddy’s Little Girl by The Shires
- Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion
- Daughters by John Mayer
- What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
- Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift
- You Are The Sunshine Of My Life by Stevie Wonder
Couple’s first dance
Besides being a form of entertainment for your guests, a wedding dance between the newlyweds can serve as a bonding activity for you and your spouse, especially in the months leading up to the wedding when things can get stressful and hectic. While most couples traditionally perform some type of ballroom dance, some couples nowadays have switched it up to keep up with the times, dancing to the latest hits with trendy dance moves.
Your first dance together is also a good way to open up the dance floor to your guests and to help everyone loosen up, as you bring the day to a close by dancing the night away with your loved ones.
The couple’s first dance is typically held after the father-daughter dance at the end of the night, to bring the whole day’s festivities to a close. Here are some good song choices:
- A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
- I Do It For You – Bryan Adams
- You’re Still The One – Shania Twain
- From This Moment On – Shania Twain & Bryan White
- Make You Feel My Love – Adele
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John
- Kiss From A Rose – Seal
- Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
- All of Me – John Legend
- When You Say Nothing At All – Ronan Keating
- You and Me – Lifehouse
- More Than Words – Extreme
- The Only Exception – Paramore
Wedding party performance (bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc)
Another way to incorporate dance into your wedding is by roping in your wedding party to perform a choreographed piece with you and your spouse.
This might be slightly trickier though, since you might have to account for a varying degree of skill level among the group. Coordinating a common timing for practices might also be more difficult with more people, so bear that in mind before you start ambitiously planning a whole dance item.
External dance groups
If you and your spouse and all members of your wedding party have got 2 left feet, but you still really want to incorporate the element of dance into your wedding, fret not.
A possible alternative would be to invite external dance groups to perform. While this option is most common for Indian wedding ceremonies, you do not have to be constrained to hiring bhangra dancers for your wedding. Depending on your preference, you could hire latin dancers, hip hop dancers, or even belly dancers to perform for your wedding. Who says wedding entertainment has to be limited to a live band?
WHERE
Ensure that there is enough space for you and your guests to dance, preferably off the stage, so that guests would feel more comfortable getting on their feet.
HOW
Learning and perfecting a dance routine definitely takes some time, although it differs from person to person, according to skill level and complexity. Most dance studios cater to beginners, so don’t worry too much about taking on this challenge even if you do not have prior experience.
A good time to book such classes would be around 3 months before the wedding date, since you need to factor in enough time to learn the dance, but not too long that you might forget the routine on the day of your wedding.
Additional tips: inform your wedding videographer or photographer about your plans for dance, so that they’ll be ready to capture the moment.
Conclusion
Bear in mind, while impressing and entertaining your guests is important, performing a dance for your wedding should be fun and enjoyable, both for you and your spouse, and your friends, if they are involved. Let loose, have fun, and savour the night that will kickstart this new chapter of your life.