25 First Dance Songs: A Beautiful Moment For Wedding Couples

 After saying your wedding vows, your first dance is going to be one of the most special, sacred moments of your entire wedding day.  It is best to choose a song that evokes emotion and lasting memories of love.  One of the things I like to tell my couples if they are having a very difficult time thinking of a song for their first dance is to think about song that describe their love for one another. Be sure to choose a song that puts a smile on your face and a tear to your eye.  The style of your first dance song has a lot to do with your favorite type of music. Modern brides and grooms might choose a soft, country love song,  a Motown love song, or something more modern. Over the years, my clients have also taken it upon themselves to choose a popular Indie first dance song.   Whichever type of song you choose, be sure to have fun with this moment during your wedding reception. Your first dance is one of the first things you'll do together as a newly married couple and all eyes from your family and guests will be on you. 

Before we get into this list of 25 First Songs: A Beautiful Moment For Wedding Couples, you are invited to  check out the rest of my blog.  It's a blog created for the modern bride and groom who need all the tools at their disposal when they are on the hunt for the best wedding DJ for their most special day.  Not sure about which style of first dance that you and your fiance are interested in? Be sure to check out my post about 5 Different Style of First Dance Songs as you begin to narrow down what the special song is going to be.

Download These First Dance Songs From My Spotify Profile RIGHT NOW
I put together my Spotify profile with the modern bride and groom in mind. When you head over to my Spotify profile, you'll find a large variety of different types of wedding playlists, ranging from first dance songs to father / daughter dance songs, mother / son dance songs, and everything else in between. Just head over to Spotfy and search for DJ Mike Bills.  

"Wonderful Tonight" | Eric Clapton
If I ever created a playlist of ballads from the 70s, this song would definitely be on that list. "Wonderful Tonight" was written for Clapton's love interest Pattie Boyd, who split with George Harrison.  She'd eventually marry Eric Clapton. "Wonderful Tonight" was part of Clapton's 1977 album Slowhand and would make it all the way to #16 on the Hot 100 chart.

"Amazed" | Lonestar
Speaking of a beautiful country ballad, Lonestar would knock it out of the park in 1999 with the release of "Amazed".  "Amazed" was originally released in March of 1999 on country  radio stations, but would crossover and be released to pop radio and reach #1 on the Hot 100, as well as #2 on the adult contemporary chart.

"Unchained Melody" | The Righteous Brothers
I've had many couples approach me and tell me they "Unchained Melody" because of that romantic scence from the movie Ghost, which was released in 1990 starring  the late Patrick Swayze, and his love interest Demi Moore.  "Unchained Melody" was originally recorded in 1955, but it was the version from The Righteous Brothers that was released in 1965, which would become one of the most popular wedding songs of all time. 

"What A Wonderful World" | Louis Armstrong
Here's another incredibly popular song that is requested by a lot of my clients. "What A Wonderful World" was originally written by Bob Thiele and first recorded and released in 1967 by Louis Armstrong. The song would reach #12 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

"Can't Help Falling In Love" | Elvis Presley
The song was originally written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss. Elvis would record and release the song in 1961and it would top the Adult Contemporary Chart. You can find also find this song on my 40 Most Requested Songs For The Best Playlist. Feel free to click over now, but please come back for more of these beautiful first dance songs.

"Something About The Way You Look Tonight" | Elton John
Back in the fall of 1997, Elton John would release the album The Big Picture. This song would be the first single to hit radio and would top the adult contemporary chart later that year and would become one of the biggest songs of 1997.

"Breathe" | Faith Hill
The end of the 1990s was a great time for country music crossover success. Faith Hill would first release the song to country radio in the fall of 1999 and by the end of year the song would crossover to the Hot 100 and Adult contemporary charts and would peak at #2 on the Hot 100 in the spring of 2000.

"Because You Loved Me" | Celine Dion
Celine Dion would become one of the most popular singer of the 90s. In 1996, she would record and release "Because You Loved Me", which appeared on the movie soundtrack of Up Close & Personal, starring Robert Redford.  The song would peak at #1 on the Hot 100 and adult contmeporary chart, and is also a popular choice for the father-daughter dance.

"I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" | Aerosmith
It seems like it was just the summer of 1998 where the movie Armegeddon was in the movie theater and Aerosmith was all over the radio. They weren't all over the radio with a new rock song, but instead a ballad.  "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" would peak at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September of 1998 and would become Aerosmith's only #1 song.

"At Last" | Etta James
The first album from Etta James would become one of her most iconic, signature songs.  The album can be found on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. The title track to "At Last" would peak at #2 on the R&B chart in 1961.

"How Do I Live" | Leann Rimes
I think I should do a post of wedding songs written by Diane Warren. As I put together this blog post about first dance songs, I've got a few ideas for future blog posts. :) I am always thinking. "How Do I Live"  would peak at Number 1 on the adult contmeporary chart, and #2 on the Hot 100 in early 1998.

"Have I Told You Lately" | Van Morrison
I'll just put it to you this way. In 1989, Van Morrison would release the album Avalon Sunset, and on it would become one of the greatest love songs of all time. Rod Stewart would cover the song on his album Vagabond Heart, but it's the original Van Morrison version of the song that gets most of the requests by my clients. "Have I Told You Lately" would peak at #12 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

"Wind Beneath My Wings" | Bette Midler
Gladys Knight & The Pips would record and release this song in 1983, but it was the version recorded by Bette Midler for the movie Beaches in 1988 that would peak at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" | Bryan Adams
Back in the 80s, Bryan Adams was releasing a lot of great 80s rock songs. His album Reckless was released at the end of 1984 and would become one of the greatest selling albums of his career.  In the summer of 1991, the movie Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves would be released and Bryan Adams would record this love song for the movie and it would peak at #1 on both the adult contemporary and Hot 100 chart. The song would become one of the most popular songs of 1991.

"That's Amore" | Dean Martin
"That's Amore" was written by Harry Warren and would become one of the most popular songs of the 50s by the great Dean Martin.

"When A Man Loves A Woman" | Percy Sledge
Michael Bolton would cover the song in 1991 on his album Time, Love & Tenderness, but it's the original version by Percy Sledge that became a timeless wedding classic that is still a heavy request at modern weddings. The song would top the Billboard Hot 100 and become the first Number 1 song recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

"Open Arms" | Journey
You couldn't turn the radio on in the early 80s without hearing a song from Journey. Journey would create some of the most popular love songs and power ballads of the 80s. "Open Arms" would peak at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982. Mariah Carey would cover the song in 1995.

"From This Moment On" | Shania Twain
As I put together this post, I realized there are quite a few slow 90s country songs. Well, during the late 90s, we began to see quite a few crossover success stories, including this Shania Twain. Released in March 1998, the song would peak at #1 on the adult contemporary chart, and #6 on the hot country songs chart.

"Thank You" | Dido
Dido's song "Thank You" was found on her album No Angel and would be released in the fall of 2000. The song would peak at #3 on the Hot 100 in April of 2001.

"In Your Eyes" | Peter Gabriel
If you are a fan of  classic 80s movies, you might remember this signature song from Peter Gabriel in the movie Say Anything.  The song can be found on the 1986 album, So. The song would peak at #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart.

"Hero" | Enrique Igleasias
Released in August of 2001, this signature song by Enrique Igleasias would be played by a lot of radio DJs after the September 11, 2001 attacks.  The song would peak at #1 on the adult contemporary chart.

"You're The Inspiration" | Chicago
Chicago is a band that spans many, many decades. In the 80s, they would move away from their 70s sound and produced more ballads that would become some of the most requested 80s soft rock songs at weddings.   The song was released in the fall of 1984 and would peak at #1 on the adult contemporary chart, and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Just The Way You Are" | Billy Joel
You can find this signature song from Billy Joel on his 1977 album, The Stranger. "Just The Way You Are" was released in the fall of 1977 and would top the Easy Listening Chart.

"I Could Not Ask For More" | Edwin McCain
Another song written by Diane Warren that would be featured on Edwin's album Messenger, in 1999. The song would peak at #3 on the adult contemporary charts, and later be covered by country artist Sara Evans.

"I Do (Cherish You)" | 98 Degrees
Written by Keith Stegall and Dan Hill, the song was originally released in 1998 by country artist Mark Wills. 98 Degrees would record and release the song by the end of 1999, which would peak at #3 on the Hot Adult contemporary chart in 2000.

Ready To Speak To Mike Bills About Being Your Wedding DJ?
Thank you for making it to the end of this post. It is my hope that the songs you see on this post or anywhere through out my blog will inspire you when you sit down to create your wedding playlist. For even more inspiration, be sure to check out these very popular posts.
Top Mother-Son Dance Songs
Best Father-Daughter Dance Songs
I love to talk to newly engaged couples who are serious about their music and are serious about putting together an amazing wedding playlist that will have you and your guests on the dance floor all night, please click the link up above and you'll be taken over to my contact form. Fill out the form and we'll set up a time to talk. I look forward to speaking with you about your wedding music. Thank you so very much for finding me!