Your wedding day is such a special day for your family, in particular your parents so it can be lovely to include them in some small ways. The father-daughter dance is a gorgeous way to share a special moment with a very special man in your life, whether you want to waltz to a classic song you both love or opt for something a little bit more up tempo that brings you back to your childhood. There are some beautiful songs out there that are perfect for a meaningful dance like this so to give you some inspiration, we asked Twisted Hits, The Cazettes, DJ Joey, Late Nite Radio Band and Men in Black to share some of their favourite numbers for the father-daughter dance song. Here’s some great options…
Late Nite Radio Band | View Profile
I Loved Her First by Heartland – A great song written from a Father of the Bride’s perspective for his daughter and her new husband on their wedding day. Very popular song for us.
Your Wedding Day by Jimmy Buckley – A Waltz song but very very popular and again written by a Father for his Daughter on her wedding day. By far the most popular from this list.
Father & Daughter by Paul Simon – A beautiful song with an uplifting tempo and a great chorus about the never ending love of a Father for his Daughter. One of our favorite songs, we love playing it!
My Girl by The Temptations – An absolutely classic song with an infectious melody and appropriate lyrics for a Father & Daughter Dance Song choice. We love playing this live and it always gets everyone singing and clapping along!
Make You Feel My Love by Bob Dylan or the more recent Adele version – Another great love song but can also be interpreted as a Father’s love for his Daughter and used as a Father-Daughter dance song. We’ve played this for both a First Dance and a Father-Daughter dance song over the years. It’s such a powerful love song and known by almost everyone, more so since Adele recorded her version a few years back. Tissues at the ready for this one!
Men in Black | View Profile
1. I Loved Her First – Heartland
2. Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel
3. What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
4. Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
5. My Girl – The Temptations
The Cazettes | View Profile
1. Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison – I’ve always loved this song, and what’s brilliant about it is that everyone knows it, no matter how young or old you are! It goes down great at weddings, and it’s lovey and light-hearted.
2. My Sarah by Thin Lizzy – I performed this recently acoustically at a wedding on request of the bride’s father, who is a big Thin Lizzy Fan and named his daughter Sarah. The song was written for Phil Lynotts’ baby girl, and is a beautiful message from father to daughter.
3. You’re My Best Friend by Queen – Another classic, it’s so upbeat and has such a positive message!
4. Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder – This song is always a hit at weddings, it’s great for all ages and has a lovely tempo to waltz to.
5. How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You by The Temptations – We get a lot of requests for this song, and there’s good reason – it’s a great sing-a-long and has a totally infectious happy vibe.
6. What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong – Another sure-fire classic, it can be performed slowly for a waltz style father-daughter dance, or with a little more jazz flavour for an upbeat groove.
7. Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder – Another Stevie Wonder great, this is so appropriate for a father-daughter dance!
8. My Girl by The Temptations – As soon as the opening bars start for My Girl everyone knows what’s coming next! You can expect lots of singing-along and a lovely upbeat vibe.
9. Higher & Higher by Jackie Wilson – If you’re looking for an upbeat father-daughter dance, this is the one! So much fun, all your guests will be sure to sing and clap along.
10. Unforgettable by Nat King Cole – This song has so much emotion and love written into it, it’s a great choice for an unforgettable moment.
Twisted Hits | View Profile
1. Perfect – Ed Sheeran, every girl is perfect to her dad…
2. Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
3. You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon for Father-Daughter with a sense of humour!
4. When You’re Smiling – Louis Armstrong
5. You are the Best Thing – Gladys Knight & the Pips
6. Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel
7. Someone to Watch Over Me – Amy Winehouse
DJ Joey | View Profile
My top 5 Father-Daughter songs are..
1. Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle
2. My Girl by the Temptations
3. Dance with My Father by Luther Vandross
4. I Loved Her First by Heartland
5. To Make You Feel My Love by Bob Dylan.
Photo by Christina Lilly Photography via The Knot
