Combined Parents Dance Songs – Mom-Son & Dad-Daughter
As an experienced wedding DJ, I’ve assembled a list of songs for couples to dance with their parents at the reception. Songs are selected by the meaning of the song and popular hits by today’s couples.
A combined parents’ dance happens during a wedding reception. The father-daughter dance and the mother-son dance are combined into one song, playing while the dance occurs. This is a great way to save time by combining two formal dances into one.

Quick Tips
When picking out the song for a combined parent dance, you must consider the following 3 factors:
1. Does the song have a special meaning to both the couple and parents?
2. What is the tempo of the song (fast or slow) to determine the mood for the moment?
3. Does the song’s genre and meaning match the music tastes of both parents and couple?
Songs By Theme
Loving A Child
These are songs that are from the parents’ perspective of loving their children on their wedding day.
- Greatest Love Of All – Whitney Houston
- Remember You Young – Thomas Rhett
- Sunrise, Sunset – Cast from Fiddler on the Roof
- Sweet Child O’ Mine – Sheryl Crow
- Tupelo Honey – Van Morrison
- You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – Stevie Wonder
- You’ll Be In My Heart – Phil Collins
Loving Parents
A list of songs from the wedding coulple’s perspective of loving their parents on their big day.
- God Only Knows – Kina Grannix, Imaginery Future
- Hero – Mariah Carey
- In Case You Don’t Live Forever – Ben Platt
- Not All Heroes Wear Capes – Owl City
- Parent Song – Jeremy Zucker, Chelsea Cutler
- The Best Day (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
- The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert
- Unsung Hero – for KING & COUNTRY
Fun & Upbeat
If the wedding couple and their parents have fun personalities and want to have a fun moment for their dance, check these out! They fit the theme too.
- 93 Million Miles – Jason Mraz
- Ain’t That Love – Ray Charles
- Count On Me – Bruno Mars
- Dancing In The Moonlight – Toploader
- Family Affair – Mary J. Blige
- How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – Marvin Gaye
- I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown
- I’ll Be Around – The Spinners
- Let It Go – Demi Lovato
- Lovely Day – Bill Withers
- On Me – Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Ava Max
- Parents Just Don’t Understand – Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
- Three Little Birds – Bob Marley
Feeling of Gratitude
The wedding day is also a special day for parents as it marks a new beginning in their child’s life journey. These songs are about being thanful.
- Blessed – Elton John
- In My Life – The Beatles
- True Colors – Cyndi Lauper
- Unforgettable – Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole
Every Type of Relationship
No matter if you are not a family that shoes a lot of emotion, are really close, or don’t show much loving gestures, these songs are for every type of parent-child relationship.
- Constellations – Jack Johnson
- If You Love Her – Forest Blakk
- Next Thing You Know – Jordan Davis
- Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
- Teach Your Children – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- The Good Ones – Gabby Barrett
- What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
- You Are My Sunshine – Zach Bryan
Wishing the Couple Well
Here is a list of songs from the perspective of the parents wishing their children a good life full of love and joy.
- Find Your Wings – Mark Harris
- Forever Young – Andrea von Kampen
- Forever Young – Rod Stewart
- I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack
- Little Wonders – Rob Thomas
- My Wish – Rascal Flatts
Always Being There
If you are looking for a song to let each other know that you will always be there through thick and thin, these are great selections.
- I’ll Be There – Jackson 5
- I’ll Stand By You – The Pretenders
- Never Alone – Jim Brickman, Lady A
- One Call Away – Charlie Puth
- Stand By Me – Ben E. King
- There You’ll Be – Faith Hill
- You’ve Got A Freind – James Taylor
Enjoy Life
These songs will make parents and their children smile at the same time as they remind the wedding couple to live life to the fullest as a message from their parents.
- Humble and Kind – Tim McGraw
- Kind & Generous – Nalie Merchant
- Most People Are Good – Luke Bryan
- Shower the People – James Taylor
- Slow Down – Nichole Nordeman
- Smile – Nat King Cole
- The Greatest Day Of My Life – Zach Bryan
- You’re Gonna Miss This – Trace Adkins
DJs! Plan a Combined Parent Dance Song by BPM and Key
(Click on the Song, Artist, Key and BPM table columns for sorting)
Song | Artist | Key | BPM |
---|---|---|---|
If You Love Her | Forest Blakk | 2B | 51 |
Tupelo Honey | Van Morrison | 6B | 71 |
What A Wonderful World | Louis Armstrong | 7B | 77 |
Smile | Nat King Cole | 4A | 79 |
Next Thing You Know | Jordan Davis | 7B | 79 |
I Got You (I Feel Good) | James Brown | 10B | 80 |
Sunrise, Sunset | John Williams, Chaim Topol, Norma Crane, Michael Gläser, Michele Marsh, "Fiddler On The Roof” Motion Picture Chorus, Isaac Stern, "Fiddler On The Roof” Motion Picture Orchestra | 7B | 80 |
The House That Built Me | Miranda Lambert | 7B | 81 |
Never Alone | Jim Brickman, Lady A | 10B | 82 |
Little Wonders | Rob Thomas | 11B | 82 |
Not All Heroes Wear Capes | Owl City | 5B | 82 |
Slow Down | Nichole Nordeman | 8B | 82 |
Somewhere Over The Rainbow_What A Wonderful World | Israel Kamakawiwo'ole | 8B | 85 |
Unforgettable | Natalie Cole, Nat King Cole | 7B | 86 |
Unsung Hero | for KING & COUNTRY | 10B | 87 |
Parents Just Don't Understand | DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince | 3A | 88 |
You Are My Sunshine | Zach Bryan | 9B | 88 |
Count on Me | Bruno Mars | 8B | 89 |
The Good Ones | Gabby Barrett | 10B | 90 |
One Call Away | Charlie Puth | 3B | 91 |
Lovely Day | Bill Withers | 8A | 91 |
You've Got a Friend | James Taylor | 11B | 92 |
Family Affair | Mary J. Blige | 1A | 93 |
Kind & Generous | Natalie Merchant | 5B | 93 |
I'll Be There | The Jackson 5 | 7B | 93 |
parent song | Jeremy Zucker, Chelsea Cutler | 9B | 96 |
You'll Be In My Heart | Phil Collins | 4B | 97 |
Shower the People | James Taylor | 7A | 98 |
Humble And Kind | Tim McGraw | 1B | 101 |
Forever Young | Rod Stewart | 12B | 102 |
Blessed | Elton John | 7B | 102 |
In My Life - Remastered 2009 | The Beatles | 11B | 103 |
God Only Knows | Imaginary Future, Kina Grannis | 4B | 107 |
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) | Marvin Gaye | 8B | 110 |
I'll Be Around | The Spinners | 1A | 112 |
Remember You Young | Thomas Rhett | 2B | 114 |
Stand By Me | Ben E. King | 11B | 118 |
Ain't That Love | Ray Charles | 6B | 118 |
Dancing in the Moonlight | Toploader | 6B | 119 |
Hero | Mariah Carey | 11B | 120 |
True Colors | Cyndi Lauper | 2B | 120 |
Constellations | Jack Johnson | 3B | 122 |
Sweet Child O' Mine | Sheryl Crow | 9B | 124 |
The Best Day (Taylor’s Version) | Taylor Swift | 3B | 125 |
There You'll Be | Faith Hill | 4B | 129 |
Greatest Love of All | Whitney Houston | 11B | 131 |
Forever Young | Andrea von Kampen | 8B | 131 |
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life | Stevie Wonder | 1B | 132 |
I'll Stand by You | Pretenders | 9B | 134 |
My Wish | Rascal Flatts | 12B | 136 |
Find Your Wings | Mark Harris | 6B | 136 |
In Case You Don't Live Forever | Ben Platt | 11B | 140 |
93 Million Miles | Jason Mraz | 5B | 140 |
Three Little Birds - Bob Marley: One Love - Music Inspired By The Film | Kacey Musgraves | 6B | 140 |
Let It Go | Demi Lovato | 9B | 140 |
Teach Your Children | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | 10A | 147 |
Most People Are Good | Luke Bryan | 4B | 150 |
The Greatest Day of My Life | Zach Bryan | 5B | 150 |
I Hope You Dance | Lee Ann Womack | 6A | 151 |
You're Gonna Miss This | Trace Adkins | 4B | 155 |
On Me (feat. Ava Max) - From 'SCOOB!' The Album | Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Ava Max | 4B | 178 |
*BPM and key pulled from SongData.io
Spotify Combined Parent Dance Playlist
Do you have a favorite parents’ dance song? Please share it in the comments!