First Dance Songs for I Can't Help Falling In Love With You

As a wedding DJ, I have attended hundreds of weddings and have seen many first dances take place. This includes my own wedding to Tanya Tucker’s song “Two Sparrows In A Hurricane”.

What song will play for your spotlight dance?

first dance song playing couple dancing — Photo Credit: M Place Productions @mplacepro

Quick Tips

1. Select a song that has special meaning to both of you.
2. Read the song’s lyrics to determine if the meaning of the song matches your love story.
3. Does the song’s music style match your music tastes?
4. Know the song’s tempo (fast to slow) to determine the style of dance that fits best.
5. Practice your first dance with the song you chose in similar wedding attire in your kitchen.

As an experienced wedding DJ, I’ve assembled a list of songs for the spotlight first dance. Songs are selected by the meaning of the song and popular hits by today’s couples and other categorical groupings.

Dance Songs by Theme

Modern Romance

These songs represent a list of popular modern love songs chosen by many of today’s couples.

All of Me – John Legend & Lindsey Stirling
All the Way – Shane Smith & the Saints
All Your’n – Tyler Childers
Amazing – Teddy Swims
Amen – John Adams
Baby I’m Yours – Arctic Monkeys
Beautiful Crazy – Luke Combs
Better Together – Luke Combs
Beyond – Leon Bridges
Conversations In The Dark – John Legend
Dance With You – Brett Young
Find Someone Like You – Snoh Aalegra
First Date (Acoustic) – Taylor Acorn
Forever After All – Luke Combs
From The Ground Up – Dan + Shay
I Am Yours – Andy Grammer
In Case You Didn’t Know – Brett Young
In Your Love – Tyler Childers
Joy of My Life – Chris Stapleton
Life With You – Kelsey Hart
Lifetime – Justin Bieber
Love Someone – Lukas Graham
Love You Anyway – Devon Gilfillian
Love You Anyway – Luke Combs
Lover – Taylor Swift
Made For Me – Muni Long
Made to Love You – Drew Angus
My Best Friend – Tim McGraw
My Person (Wedding Version) – Spencer Crandall
Never Stop (Wedding Version) – SafetySuit
Perfect – Ed Sheeran
Perfect For Me – Bradley Marshall
Pointless – Lewis Capaldi
Promise to Love Her – Blane Howard
Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
Sent From Heaven – Rahsaan Patterson
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton
That’s What Love Is – Alexandra Kay
Until I Found You – Stephen Sanchez
You (Acoustic) – Dan + Shay

New

A list of newly released love songs you should consider for your first dance before they catch on!

Always You – Skip Ewing
10-90 – Muscadine Bloodline
All I Want Is You – The Decemberists
Forever – Noah Kahan
Forever To Me – Cole Swindell
Let’s Fall In Love – Raheem DeVaughn
Lost in You (Remix) – Jade Novah & Kevin Ross

Classic Romance

Many love songs from the past are still popular today to play for first dances. Here are a few.

Amazed – Lonestar
At Last – Etta James
Bless the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts
Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley
Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You – Frankie Valli
Everything – Mary J. Blige
I Cross My Heart – George Strait
I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing – Aerosmith
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton

Duets

My list of love songs that feature a duet of two musicians performing a love song. This is a great way to highlight and dance to your first dance as a married couple.

Anything For You (The Duet) – Ledisi & PJ Morton
Best Part – H.E.R. feat. Daniel Caesar
If You Love Her – Forest Blakk feat. Meghan Trainor
Like I’m Gonna Lose You – Meghan Trainor feat. John Legend
Never Til Now – Ashley Cooke, Brett Young
Nobody But You – Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani
Space In My Heart – Enrique Iglesias, Miranda Lambert
Thank God – Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown
The Rest of Our Life – Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
You Are The Reason – Calum Scott & Leona Lewis

LGBTQ+

A list of love songs performed by artists part of the LGBTQ+ community and have a genderless reference to love.

Biblical – Calum Scott
Heaven – Calum Scott
If There Was No You – Brandi Carlile
Imagine (Acoustic) – Ben Platt
Never Love You Enough – Chely Wright
Sweet Symphony – Joy Oladokun, Chris Stapleton

Movies & TV

Even though it is only a couple of songs, these songs became massive hits from being featured in films or TV shows.

A Thousand Years – Christina Perri (Twilight)
I’ll Never Love Again – Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born)

Unique

These songs are a list of non-traditional tracks to play for your dance that you can call uniquely yours because they are not played at most weddings.

Best Friend – Pacific Skyway
Dressed Up In White – Cal
Evermore – Hollow Coves
Forever From Now – Sheffield
I GUESS I’M IN LOVE – Clinton Kane
I Will Spend My Whole Life Loving You – I. Future & K. Grannis
If I Didn’t Love You – Ben Abraham
Luckiest Man – Clark Beckham

Upbeat and Fun

If you are one of those couples who want to add a bit of your fun personality to your dance or want to mix in an unexpected song with a romantic hit, this list is for you.

Dancing Queen – ABBA
I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
September – Earth, Wind & Fire
Shut Up and Dance – Walk the Moon
You Are The Best Thing – Ray Lamontagne

Written for a Dance

The following songs were written specifically for a first dance or at least a romantic dance in mind.

Always Gonna Love You (First Dance Version) – Alana Springsteen
First Dance – Hasan Green
First Dancin’ – 2 Lane Summer
Growing Old With You (First Dance Version) – Restless Road
Lover (First Dance Remix) – Taylor Swift
Spin You Around (1/24) – Morgan Wallen

Tip

Have anxiety about your first dance? Practice beforehand, drink lots of water, eat through the day, and look into each other’s eyes and smile. You got this!

Song Ideas by Genre

Pop

Pointless – Lewis Capaldi
Last Love – Jon Mullins
Heaven – Calum Scott
The Joker And The Queen – Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift
Amazing – Teddy Swims
Lifetime – Justin Bieber
FOREVER IS – Norman Kerner
Butterflies – MAX, Ali Gatie
Imagine (Acoustic) – Ben Platt
Our Song (Acoustic) – Ron Pope
Love Songs Ain’t for Us – Amy Shark, Keith Urban
Luckiest Man – Clark Beckham
If You Love Her – Forest Blakk feat. Meghan Trainor
I Am Yours – Andy Grammer
Falling like the Stars – James Arthur
Lover (First Dance Remix) – Taylor Swift
You Are The Reason – Calum Scott & Leona Lewis
Moon River – Frank Ocean
Love Someone – Lukas Graham
Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding

Country

Who I Am With You – Tucker Beathard
Love You Anyway – Luke Combs
That’s Why – Troy Cartwright
Always Been You – Kylie Morgan
That’s What Love Is – Alexandra Kay
Dance Of A Lifetime – Drake Milligan
You (Acoustic) – Dan + Shay
Can’t Help Falling in Love – Kacey Musgraves
Growing Old With You (First Dance Version) – Restless Road
Never Til Now – Ashley Cooke, Brett Young
I Choose You – Amanda Jordan
Forever After All – Luke Combs
My Person (Wedding Version) – Spencer Crandall
Always Gonna Love You (First Dance Version) – Alana Springsteen
Joy of My Life – Chris Stapleton
Nobody But You – Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani
Prayed For You – Matt Stell
Speechless – Dan + Shay
Butterflies – Kacey Musgraves
Beautiful Crazy – Luke Combs
Heaven – Kane Brown
The Rest of Our Life – Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
In Case You Didn’t Know – Brett Young
Promise to Love Her – Blane Howard
Grow Old – Florida Georgia Line
Yours – Russell Dickerson

Indie

Better Part of Me – SYML, Sara Watkins
Sweet Symphony – Joy Oladokun, Chris Stapleton
One Day Less – Anson Seabra
I GUESS I’M IN LOVE – Clinton Kane
Made to Love You – Drew Angus
You – Louyah
Amen – John Adams
Evermore – Hollow Coves
I Get to Love You – Ruelle
I’m With You – Vance Joy
I Choose You – Ryann Darling
The One – Kodaline
Never Stop (Wedding Version) – SafetySuit

Folk

Our Time – Roo Panes
If I Didn’t Love You – Ben Abraham
You’re the One (Acoustic) – Luca Fogale
Forever From Now – Sheffield
I Will Spend My Whole Life Loving You – Imaginary Future & Kina Grannis
Touching Heaven – Johnnyswim
You Are The Best Thing – Ray Lamontagne

R&B

Baby Will You Love Me – MAJOR.
This Is – Ella Mai
Luckiest Man – Chris Brown
Love of My Life – Sentury
Incomplete – Jay Sean
Anything For You (The Duet) – Ledisi & PJ Morton
17 – Pink Sweat$
Collide – Tiana Major9 & EARTHGANG
Sent From Heaven – Rahsaan Patterson
Find Someone Like You – Snoh Aalegra
Today I Do – Tamia
Beyond – Leon Bridges
Best Part – H.E.R. feat. Daniel Caesar
Why I Love You – MAJOR.
Like I’m Gonna Lose You – Meghan Trainor feat. John Legend
All Of Me – John Legend
Everything – Mary J. Blige

Rock

First Date (Acoustic) – Taylor Acorn
All Because of You – O.A.R.
Kiss Me – Dermot Kennedy
I’m In Love With You – The 1975
I Think I Like You – The Band CAMINO
nobody else – LANY
Fade Into You – Mazzy Star

Do you have a favorite first dance song? Please share your song below in the comments.

Fun Facts

The most popular first dance song of all time is “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley. There are many popular covers of the song to also include in the song’s popularity including Kina Grannis, Hailey Reinhardt, and Music Travel Love.

The wedding’s first dance is the first dance between newlyweds as a married couple. This should be the first dance at the wedding reception immediately following the grand entrance introduction.

The first dance can also start the formal dances following the meal.

The first dance is commonly followed by the father-daughter dance and mother-son dance.

The end of the ceremonial dances is marked by the entire wedding party dancing. The wedding party invites others to join. (See a playlist for the wedding party to dance to)

It’s your wedding party. The timing of the wedding couple’s dance at the reception is based on your preferences.

The first dance can be done immediately following the reception entrance songs. You can be surrounded by your wedding party if you wish.

If being watched makes you uncomfortable, that’s okay, too. Talk to your wedding planner, coordinate with the DJ, and earn more by reading our suggestions on how to format your wedding reception.

The progression of the evening is up to you, the wedding couple. The most important thing is to have the couple agree on a song that is special to them.

To inspire you, we’ve curated the best 100 first dance songs out of thousands to choose from.

Making your first dance special is as simple as choosing a song that has meaning to you, the wedding couple.

Wedding first dance songs are remembered by the wedding couple for the rest of their lives. So, it’s important to pick a song that is significant to you.

Some couples choose a funny song or an instrumental song. Those can be just as memorable as a touching ballad.

When the couple chooses the first song for a reason, it’s more special. Don’t be tricked into choosing a song because it is popular or traditional.

Also, remember that though people are watching you, this dance is for you. Make eye contact. Chat with each other. Caress your partner. Enjoy the moment — it’s for you.

No. The first dance at your wedding reception does not have to be slow.

However, choosing slow dance songs sets the mood for the entire reception. If you don’t have a song, select a song where the lyrics mean something to you.

Why do you think that Sarah McLachlan’s song “Ice Cream” is on many first dance song lists? It’s because it has cool words like “your love is better than chocolate, better than anything else that I’ve tried.” Corny? Maybe. But who cares what everyone else thinks? Maybe you met me at an ice cream parlor. If that were the case, then, the song would be awesome as a first dance song.

It’s okay to be creative. Choose a song that has meaningful lyrics. You don’t have to be like everyone else and dance to the overplayed Celine Dion love songs (not that there’s anything wrong with a classic love song).

Not only does the song not have to be slow, but it doesn’t have to adhere to any musical genre.

Many wedding couples take dancing lessons to a jazz song, classical, or rock ballad. That way, wedding couples don’t look goofy dancing in a circle through the whole song (like we did).

Couples who take dance lessons have a deeper connection to the song. It will have significant meaning to them for the rest of their lives since they spent so long practicing it.

They will also have the memories of getting the lessons together — a great break from the stress of planning the wedding.

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