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There's a moment at every wedding when the room goes quiet and a dad takes his daughter's hand. Here are the songs that suit it best, when the dance happens, and how live music makes it yours.

All of Me
John Legend

All of Me
John Legend

Hey Ya
Outkast

No Diggity
Blackstreet

Sweet Home Alabama
Lynyrd Skynyrd

Despacito
Luis Fonsi

Funky Music
Wild Cherry

Days of Wine and Roses
Henry Mancini

Falling in Love with You
Elvis

Sweet Caroline
Neil Diamond

Wanna Dance with Somebody
Whitney Houston

This is How We Do It
Montell Jordan
The best song for this moment sounds like the two of you. It might be My Girl, I Loved Her First, or the song he played on every road trip while you sang along from the back seat.
Start with a memory, not a list. Ask your dad if there's a song that already means something to him. You might be surprised: plenty of dads have been quietly saving one for years. Then think about:
Once you've got a shortlist, play each one and picture the room watching. The right song usually makes you both a little teary before you've even danced.
Here are well-loved choices, grouped by mood. We can play almost any song you choose, so if his song isn't here, it can still be the one. Use the table to find a feel you love, then listen to a few versions together.
| Mood | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | My Girl | The Temptations |
| Classic | The Way You Look Tonight | Frank Sinatra |
| Classic | Unforgettable | Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole |
| Classic | What a Wonderful World | Louis Armstrong |
| Heartfelt | I Loved Her First | Heartland |
| Heartfelt | Isn't She Lovely | Stevie Wonder |
| Heartfelt | Forever Young | Rod Stewart |
| Country | My Little Girl | Tim McGraw |
| Country | Butterfly Kisses | Bob Carlisle |
| Country | It Won't Be Like This for Long | Darius Rucker |
| Nostalgic | In My Life | The Beatles |
| Nostalgic | Landslide | Fleetwood Mac |
| Nostalgic | Daughters | John Mayer |
| Upbeat | Brown Eyed Girl | Van Morrison |
| Upbeat | You're My Best Friend | Queen |
| Upbeat | Sweet Child O' Mine | Guns N' Roses |
I Loved Her First is one of the songs couples ask us for most for this moment, and there's rarely a dry eye by the last chorus. The classics suit a dad who loves a crooner. The country songs follow a little girl growing up, which is why they hit so hard.
Forever Young and What a Wonderful World are just as beautiful for a mother-son dance. If you're planning both, choose two songs with a similar feel so the moments flow into each other. Not sure where to start? Watch us perform a few in the Package Builder and see which one gives you goosebumps.

Absolutely. Not every dad wants to sway slowly under a spotlight. If yours loves to dance, give him a song with a beat and let him shine.
Brown Eyed Girl, You're My Best Friend or Sweet Child O' Mine get the whole room clapping along. Guests start cheering, phones come out, and suddenly Dad is the star of the night. It's a joyful way to show the relationship you really have, especially if the two of you have always been the jokers of the family.
Some couples start slow, then we kick into something fast halfway through. The first verse is tender, the room goes quiet, and then the drums hit and the room erupts. It's one of our favorite moments to play, because nobody sees it coming, and your guests will be talking about it all night. Tell your Band Manager you'd like a switch, and we'll make sure it lands right on cue.
Parent dances usually happen just before your first dance. Your father-daughter and mother-son dances lead straight into your first dance, and then the floor opens to everyone. Your Band Manager will fit it into your reception timeline.
We love this order because the feeling builds. Your parents have their moment, the room is already emotional, and then it's your turn. By the time your first dance ends, everyone is ready to celebrate, and the dance floor fills from the very first song.
It also means the band is ready to go. We play your parent dances, your first dance and the opening song back to back, so there are no awkward pauses and nobody drifts back to the bar.
If you're having a mother-son dance too, the two can run one after the other, or share the floor at the same time. Talk it through with your Band Manager and choose what feels natural.

Around 1.5 to 2 minutes is perfect. That's long enough for the whole room to feel it, and for your photographer and videographer to capture every smile, every laugh and the moment he wipes away a tear.
You don't need the full track. Many songs run four minutes or more, and halfway through, even the most devoted dad starts wondering what to do with his feet. A shorter version keeps every second of it full of feeling.
Tell your Band Manager where you'd like it to finish and we'll end it right there, or skip a verse that doesn't fit. Because we play it live, the ending sounds natural, never cut off. If your dad is a reluctant dancer, a shorter song is a gift he'll thank you for later. Couples tell us this kind of help made it all so easy.
No, it's completely your call. Every family is different, and this moment should fit yours.
Some couples dance with a stepdad, a grandparent, a brother or Mom. Some invite every parent onto the floor at once, which can be a beautiful way to honor blended families. Others share the moment with the person who walked them down the aisle, whoever that may be. And some couples skip it altogether and head straight into their first dance.
If you've lost a parent, some couples play that parent's favorite song during the dance, or ask a special family member to step in. It can be a gentle way to feel them close.
Do what feels right for your family. There's no wrong answer, and nobody will be checking a list. Whatever you choose, we'll play it like it's the only song in the room.

Live music turns a song into a moment. With a real singer in the room, every word feels meant for the two of you, and the music follows your dance rather than a track.
An Acoustic Singer keeps it close and gentle, so the room goes quiet and every word lands. It's perfect for a classic like My Girl or a heartfelt song like I Loved Her First. Your singer can catch your dad's eye on the line that matters most, the kind of moment a recording can never give you.
A Six-Piece Band with sax brings warmth and lift, then rolls straight into your first dance and a dance floor that's packed all night. Couples tell us their guests are still talking about the band, and those first few songs of the night are a big part of why.
Watch us perform, choose your singer and band, and picture the moment your dad takes your hand.




I Loved Her First by Heartland is one of the songs couples ask us for most. My Girl by The Temptations is a much-loved classic, with Isn't She Lovely and What a Wonderful World close behind. The best choice is still the song that already means something to the two of you.
Brown Eyed Girl, You're My Best Friend and Sweet Child O' Mine all work, and a live band makes a fast song even more fun. You can also start slow and have us switch into something upbeat halfway through. It's a crowd favorite and gets the whole room cheering.
No. Share the dance with a stepdad, grandparent, sibling or anyone who matters to you. Some couples invite every parent onto the floor at once, and some leave the moment out altogether. Do whatever feels right for your family, and we'll make sure the music fits.
Yes. Tell your Band Manager where to finish when you send your song choices. A parent dance is perfect at 1.5 to 2 minutes: long enough for the room to feel it and for your photographer to capture it. Because we play it live, the ending sounds natural.
Yes. We can play almost any song you love. For strings, we play from a library of almost 1,000 arrangements of today's biggest songs, written exclusively by us, and new ones can be added with enough notice. Your Band Manager will talk you through it.
With your other song choices, 8 weeks before the wedding. Your timeline is due 14 days before. Your Band Manager will check everything works for your line-up and fit your parent dances into the reception timeline, so all you need to do on the night is enjoy it.
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READ MORE about A Guide To Your Perfect Corporate Event Music PlaylistCOUPLES SAY THEIR FIRST DANCE AND PARENT DANCES WERE BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL
“The highlights of the night were the two special moments when they played Ed Sheeran's 'Thinking Out Loud' for our first dance and an arrangement of 'Simply The Best' for the parent dances. Both songs were breathtakingly beautiful.”
Lisa & David
Watch our musicians. Choose the music you love.
See your price as you build.