Expert Advice: Song Suggestions for the First Dance

Planning & Advice

Photo from Jennifer & Alan’s real wedding by The Fennells

The first dance – who is it for? Is it for the couple or for the guests? Should you be worried about your favourite song not being quite ‘weddingy’? Do we go upbeat or downtempo? So many questions, and only one true answer: pick a song you both love and can move to. That’s it. When the guests see how much fun you’re having on the dance floor, they’ll absolutely love it, no matter what tune you’re dancing to. And if you’re concerned about being stared at for over three minutes, invite other people onto the dance floor about halfway through. And remember – enjoy! The first dance is a wonderful moment in a wedding. Here are song suggestions for the first dance from some brilliant Irish wedding bands, and we added a few of our own favourites at the end too.

Steve Clifford – Flog the Dog | View Profile

There are definite trends in first dance songs! Here’s a short list of popular requests we’re now receiving from couples. It’s great to have such variety of tastes and sounds.

Kodaline – The One

Ed Sheeran – Perfect

The Pogues – I’ll Love You Till The End

Picture This – Take My Hand

Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars

Various Artists – Make You Feel My Love

 Claire from Gossip Band | View Profile

We always play our first dances live unless requested on track, but that’s very rarely. We also get lots of odd requests that we’ve never played. It’s nice to see people thinking outside the box. Everyone has their own special song. Over the last year, the most popular song suggestions for the first dance have been:

Kodaline – The One

Ellie Goulding – How Long Will I Love You

Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud

John Legend – All of Me

Danny from Till Death Do Us Party | View Profile

Rather than giving a list of song suggestions for the first dance, we have a few words of wisdom to share! Your first dance should be something that’s special to the two of you – you’re the only ones who really need to dance to it, so you don’t need to cater to anybody but yourselves! It’s also important to give some thought as to whether your choice will be suitable for your band to play, or whether the original recording would be more appropriate. Nobody wants to hear a gruff, bearded man singing Celine Dion. Unless that’s your thing!

The Best Men | View Profile

As one of Ireland’s busiest wedding bands, we’ve seen it all. Slow first dances, the odd lively one, the novelty one, the whole gamut. The first dance song marks the first steps a newly married couple take to the dance floor and symbolises their entry into married life together. Traditionally, couples tend to choose a song that has a special meaning for them or even just one that they both connect with. Choosing a first dance song is often touted as a tough, taxing choice to make, but we’re here to help. Here are the top five most popular song suggestions for the first dance for The Best Men:

Kodaline – The One – undoubtedly one of the most popular we’ve encountered. Never fails to induce emotion across a room. Skip to 2.30 in our video above to see our version of the hit.

Ed Sheeran – Perfect – crowd-pleaser and very popular with couples, especially the millennials. Ed Sheeran’s cameo in GOT probably only helped further his popularity.

Nat King Cole – L.O.V.E – very popular over the past few years. Upbeat, happy, simple.

Etta James – At Last – ah, this old classic schmoozer. A guaranteed crowd-stopper.

Tom Baxter – Better – no explanation necessary.

weddingsonline Faves

Aaaand… if that’s still not enough, here are some more song suggestions for the first dance that went down a storm at some of the weddings weddingsonline HQ have been to:

David Bowie – Let’s Dance – deffo for the couple who aren’t shy to show off dance moves packed with energy. And of course, a nod to the King of Cool.

Juno soundtrack – Anyone Else But You – a very cute duet sang by a guy and girl, perfect for a quirky couple who likes a touch of humour.

Junkie XL, Elvis Presley – A Little Less Conversation – all we can say is, best do this one before dinner and wear a light wedding gown.

Beyonce – Love On Top – if you’re aching to do a little choreography, this is the perfect tune for it.

Lorde – 400 Lux – a slow groove with a great beat and very modern lyrics with zero cheese factor.

The Jacksons – Shake Your Body Down (To The Ground) – it’s a groove nobody can resist, and perfect for couples who want others to join them on the dance floor as quickly as possible.

Justin Bieber, Daddy Yankee – Despacito – take a few dance classes and surprise your guests with some hot latin footwork! Plus, it’s a major worldwide hit.

Craig David – Heartline – a little R&B beat for those who prefer the top 40 chart to old classics.

Rihanna – You Da One – for a song that’s a few years old, the groove hasn’t aged one bit. The younger crowd will be out of their seats after the first chorus.

Alphabeat – Fascination – one of the happiest, bounciest songs of the last decade. This beat doesn’t get old, and it doesn’t stop from the first note to last!