Posted on: October 11, 2007
A Dance To Build a Dream On
For better or worse, the song you choose for your first dance together will echo through the years – make sure it’s a good one
By Bev Bennett
CTW Features
Long after your wedding day you’ll recall the first song you danced to as newlyweds. Do you really want “Broken-Hearted Melody” triggering your memories?
As you stroll onto the dance floor you’re declaring who you are through your music. The tune can be lovely, playful or even ironic, but it should give you pleasure on your wedding day and long into the future.
That’s why classic tunes are so popular for first dances. The lyrics from your mother’s or even grandmother’s generation were the epitome of romantic sentiment:
“In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble, they’re only made of clay, but our love is here to stay.”
“Our Love is Here to Stay” is still on the most-requested list says bandleader Pete Szujewski of Absolute Music (www.absolutemusic.ws), Chicago.
And if the words fit a couple’s personal history, so much the better. Is it any wonder when Harry and Sally finally discovered they were in love in the movie, “When Harry Met Sally,” the audience melted to “It Had to Be You?”
“I wandered around and finally found the somebody who could make me be true…”
“Classic ‘I love you’ songs are always popular,” says Sharon Naylor, author of “Your Special Wedding Vows” (Sourcebooks, 2004).
So are songs with some personal significance, such as the song from the first movie a couple saw together, or the first song they ever slow-danced to, says Naylor, a Madison, N.J. resident.
Having a timeless quality is very important.
“You want a song that reflects the feeling that the marriage will last forever,” she says.
That may be why Etta James’ very popular “At Last” makes a lot of best first-song lists, and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” isn’t far behind.
Songs can also be humorous as long as the guests are in on the joke, says Naylor. Her example is the couple who, after being together for 10 years, danced to “Fools Rush In” at their wedding.
However, couples should listen carefully to song lyrics before making a decision. A cautionary example: Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” is actually a break-up ballad.
As for the worst first dance song? It’s whatever song makes you cringe. “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor gets the vote from wedding gurus Alan and Denise Fields, authors of the “Bridal Bargains” series (Windsor Peak Press, 2003).
So what are the best first dance songs? Here are the songs our experts chose:
“At Last”
“What a Wonderful World”
“It Had to be You”
“Beautiful in My Eyes”
“Young At Heart”
“When I Fall in Love”
“The Way You Look Tonight”
“My Girl”
“Our Love is Here to Stay”
“Night and Day”
and
