Is there anything more bittersweet at a wedding than the Father-Daughter Dance? I tear up every single time and I know I’m not the only one. Somehow it just seems more poignant than the Mother-Son equivalent.
Once in a while, we will get a father and daughter duo who can really tear it up! I mean, they can dance!!! Their well choreographed moves are the talk of the town for weeks. Occasionally, we will get dance partners with great senses of humor who are willing to try moves way beyond their skillset but are having the time of their lives. Such events run the gamut from jaw-dropping to hysterical but are always memorable!
But for many, these moments mark the transition from Daddy’s little girl to womanhood even more so than the traditional “giving of the bride”. Why is this? Because true transformations don’t happen in an instant. It is a journey that begins when an eager, nervous groom asks an equally nervous (but probably less eager) Dad for permission to wed his daughter. Thus, the metamorphosis begins.
The walk down the aisle and the answering of the question, “Who gives this bride?” is an important, but not the final, step. Because it really hasn’t happened yet, she doesn’t yet belong to another. You know it’s going to happen but when her hand slips from his and into her beloved’s and Dad gets to sit down, she has not yet said the words that seal the deal. She is still his.
And so, thus the Father-Daughter dance. The vows have been exchanged and the new bond has been forged. Dad knows that when this dance ends, his little girl will twirl out of his arms and into the arms of another…forever. This is good-bye to what was and the beginning of the what is and will be.
The act of choosing the music that will accompany this transition is important. It should represent that special bond you have with the man who, heretofore, has loved you longer and deeper than any other. The music needs to speak to you and about you.
To help you out with this very important choice, we asked some of our favorite DJ’s for what songs they found to be most popular for the Father-Daughter dance.
Tying for #1, the most popular songs requested are:
“Butterfly Kisses” by Bob Carlisle
“I Loved Her First” by Heartland
Closely following:
“My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw
“What a Wonderful Life” by Louis Armstrong
Other Favorites:
“Daddy’s Hands” by Holly Dunn
“The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra
“Unforgettable” by Natalie Cole
“My Wish” by Rascal Flatts
“Cinderella” by Steven Curtis Chapman
“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” by Randy Newman
“In My Life” by The Beatles
Let me add a few of my favorites that are sure to make my mascara run:
“Always Be Your Baby” by Natalie Grant
“Daddy’s Little Girl” by Michael Buble’
“Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder
“Father and Daughter” by Paul Simon
“Daughter” by John Mayer
“I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack
“That’s How Strong My Love” Is by Otis Redding
With so many choices, you may be tempted to spend the entire night dancing with your Dad!
I want to thank Frank Hardester of Frank’s DJ Service http://franksdjservice.com/end.html , John Correll of John Correll’s Professional DJ Services https://www.johncorrelldj.com/ and Shawn McDonough of JellieFish Productions https://jelliefish.productions/ for always adding life to the party and helping me with all things music-related.
By Prudy Barrett Nelson
As the manager of Stonegate Manor & Gardens, Prudy (aka The Stonegate Wedding Fairy Godmother), has helped guide many couples to some fantastic vendors and participated in some really fun weddings