The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your First Dance Song

If I could have just one dance with you, I would pick a song that never ends.” – unknown

Your First Dance is the first time you and your partner are coming together as more than just two people in love. It’s the very first moment you’re introduced to the world as spouses and your opportunity to celebrate your union with a beautiful dance in front of all your friends, family, and loved ones. This is your time to sparkle on the dance floor, drunk in love, and dancing under the spotlight with the love of your life – a memory you and your guests will never forget.

We knew what our First Dance song would be as soon as we played it in the car during one of our afternoon drives. We looked at each other and in that moment instantly felt it was meant for our us.

The song you choose could be the song you’ve always imagined dancing to since you were a kid, the song that played on your first date, or a song that reminds you of your story. Maybe it’s the lyrics that perfectly represent your relationship or a gorgeous melody you’d love to sway to!

Either way, all that matters is that you both love it.

Now that you’re ready to find your First Dance song, here’s our ultimate guide on how to do so:

First, start by asking each other these questions…

To get your imagination flowing, we gotta get our memories going!

Ask each other these questions to start thinking about all your favorite songs, the ones that make you feel the happiest, and the ones that have a special place in your heart.

1. Which genre of music do you prefer?

• Whether it’s a ballad, something soulful, or a timeless classic, narrowing down the genre of music can help simplify the process. Every genre has songs perfect for a First Dance, so we suggest choosing your top 3 and start exploring the hits!

2. Which songs feel like home to you?

• We all have our favorite songs, but some hit closer to home than others. Which songs remind you of your best memories together? What are the songs on your playlist that you listen to when you’re happy, or a playlist you turn on when you’re together?

3. Which popular or on-trend songs do you love?

• Maybe there’s a beautiful song recently released on the radio that speaks to you, brings you joy, and you think would be perfect for your wedding day. Add it to your list of options!

4. Are there any songs with lyrics that represent our love story?

• There are songs out there that feel like they’ve been written just for us. There’s something about the lyrics that makes us feel seen, heard, and understood, and in some beautiful cases, represents our journeys perfectly. If there’s a song that gives you butterflies and makes you feel like you’re falling in love all over again, then that’s definitely a special song to share together.  

5. Is there a song you’ve always dreamed of for your First Dance?

• Maybe there’s a song you’ve dreamed of dancing to since you were young, or have been holding onto a particular song since you first started dreaming about your wedding. Make your dream come true and dance to the song of your dreams.                   

Next, Listen To Our Spotify Playlists

We’ve curated First Dance playlists on Spotify of the most popular First Dance songs across every category: country, pop, R&B, timeless classics, soul, on-trend, and a little bit of everything so you can easily scroll through, get some inspiration, and discover the songs that speak to you.

Now, Explore The World’s Largest First Dance Library

Our First Dance library holds over 200 choreographed First Dances for you to choose from, the Turn-Key Library. This is where you can browse through our categories for major inspo and input your song choice into the search bar to see if we already have it, ready with an edited version of the song and a preview of the actual dance. Find your favorite songs, discover new ones, and add them to your cart for later!

Our Pro Tips

Now that you know how you choose your song, here are our tips on what to do next:

Step #1: Length of the Song

The sweet spot for performing a first dance is 2-3 minutes. You may feel like this is too short, but trust us, it’s the perfect length. For example, the dances you see on Dancing With The Stars are 1.5 – 2 minutes long, on average, and yet they feel much longer than that. With 2-3 minutes, it’s the perfect amount of time to perform the choreography, get your fairytale lifts & dips, and set up the fireworks! Anything longer, reaching 4-5 minutes, will feel like an eternity for you and your guests.

Step #2: Edit the Song

Okay, you have your song, now you need to edit it to the right length. Pay close attention to how you edit the length – don’t cut out anything that’s meaningful to you: chorus, certain lyrics, etc.  (when they do the customs, already edited song & library is edited – take a look, we’ve already done the job of editing for you. If you choose a custom dance, we will edit the song for you). This is something we help you with.

Step #3: Give it To Your DJ/Band Ahead of Time

Make sure to remember to give your DJ or band the edited version of your song before your wedding day. Don’t assume your DJ will know when to start or end the song if it’s not edited. If you have a live band, make sure to send the edited version of the song at least 1 month before your wedding day so they have enough time to practice the edited version.

Step #4: Sync Your Sparklers

If you’ve always dreamed of ending your First Dance covered in confetti, this section is for you! Although not necessary, many couples love to add an element of magic to their First Dance by syncing special effects with their song & dance! If this is for you, here’s what we suggest you keep in mind. First, decide which special effects you’d like to include, then coordinate it with your wedding planner to go off during the WOW moments of your dance. Within our courses, we’ve already choreographed the spins, lifts, dips, and special moves to match where the song crescendoes (the height/peak of the song) to make it easy for you to plan it out & synch your sparklers!

Pro Tip: If you decide to include any of these add-ons, here are our suggestions on how to use them: If you’re using a fog machine, add it to the beginning of the dance to give the illusion of dancing on a cloud, add sparklers for the chorus (at the height of the dance), or end with confetti signaling the end of the dance. How many different effects you use is up to you!

DON’T FORGET, confetti is slippery to dance on, so save it for the end!

We love supporting our couples and making sure they have everything they need for one of the most special days in their lives. We hope you loved reading our tips on how to choose your First Dance song!

If you’d like to read more, click here to read 10 Pro Tips No One Told You About Your Wedding Dress.