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Welcome to the first dance song list. On this page, I have listed my top 50 first dance songs which I have used in my wedding dance lessons over the years.

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At the top of the page is a quick guide on how to pick your first dance song as well; as I know it can be tricky. 

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If you have your own song that you would like to use during your dance lessons, don't hesitate to contact me anytime, and I will create the perfect dance to match your perfect song for your first dance.

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Marcus

Email brightonandsussexdancelessons@gmail.com for a free consultation.

Dance classes in Brighton and Hove, Lewes, East Grinstead and wider East and West Sussex.

*Reserve a place for 2024-2025 now!*

How to pick your first dance song; quick guide.

The majority of couples I provide wedding dance lessons for have often known for a while what their song is. If you are stuck, below I have listed some great tips to help you decide. Many of which have come from previous clients over the years…

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Tip 1: Find a significant year or month of the year.

The year you got together, your first date, first time you met, a birthday or other anniversary are good starting places for finding your perfect first dance song for your wedding. Remember that you shouldn’t limit your search to the exact year; you could find out what was in the charts the month you met but instead of 2015, perhaps in 1960? You could also ask a parent or other relative what they danced to at their wedding; it could be perfect for you too.

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Tip 2: To remember a relative

A popular method of choosing a first dance song is to find out what one of your relatives' favourite songs was or is (they don’t have to have passed away) So long as it is chosen as a nice way to remember and honour them. It can very easily turn into an unhappy occasion when the relative you may be honouring might want it to be happy!

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Tip 3: The lyrics mean something to you

Thanks to Google, you can search for the lyrics to almost every first dance song ever made. It is really important that you know what the lyrics mean for you first dance. You may love the song, but there might be a sinister, or perhaps inappropriate meaning behind them that you don’t realise! For example, I once had a wedding couple whose favourite song turned out to be about adultery (oops). I advised accordingly…

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Tip 4: Somewhere you hear the song together

This seems like an obvious place to start; remembering a song you heard together at a special time, for example a holiday or when you were out for a meal.

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Tip 5: Look at lists

You might be sick of the endless lists of first dance and wedding dance songs online, but they are a goldmine. Someone has done the work for you and found the most popular (ahem, including me) They can save you a lot of time when deciding on your first dance song. Make sure you listen to each one all the way through, as some songs have strange interludes, or they end abruptly. Below, I have listed the top 50 first dance songs for your wedding which I have used in my dance lessons for the last 10 years. 

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Tip 6: Make sure you can dance to it!

I cannot tell you how important it is that you can realistically dance to your first dance song. Unfortunately, some songs just cannot be danced to (at least not in an appropriate way for a wedding dance) The best way to check is to contact a dance teacher and ask them (they usually do a free consultation, just like me)

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So that is my tried and tested quick guide for choosing your first dance for your wedding. You can always bring a selection to your dance lessons and we can have a play!

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Below is my recommended first dance song list for you to listen through and see if any of them suit you. Remember, you can contact me anytime with your own song and we I can start choreographing your wedding dance!

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Marcus 

Email brightonandsussexdancelessons@gmail.com for a free consultation.

Dance classes in Brighton and Hove, Lewes, East Grinstead and wider East and West Sussex.

*Reserve a place for 2024-2025 now!*

The First Dance Song List for  Dance Lessons

Nat King Cole: L.O.V.E

Dance style: American Smooth or Slow Swing

Difficulty level: Easy

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Etta James: At last

Dance style: Viennese Waltz (hard) or 4 Beat

Difficulty level: Medium/hard

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Righteous Brothers: Unchained melody

Dance style: Viennese Waltz (hard) or 4 Beat

Difficulty level: Medium/hard

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Ed Sheeran: Thinking out loud

Dance style: 4 beat

Difficulty level: Easy

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Corrs: Runaway

Dance style: Viennese Waltz or Lyrical

Difficulty level: Easy/Medium

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Nora Jones: Run away with me

Dance style: Waltz

Difficulty level: Easy

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Christina Perri: A thousand years

Dance style: Viennese Waltz (hard) or Lyrical

Difficulty level: Medium/hard

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Lonestar: Amazed

Dance style: 4 Beat or lyrical

Difficulty level: Easy

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Ed Sheeran: Perfect

Dance style: Viennese Waltz (hard) or 4 Beat

Difficulty level: Medium/hard

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John Legend: All of me

Dance style: Lyrical

Difficulty level: Hard

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Aerosmith: I don’t want to miss a thing

Dance style: 4 Beat

Difficulty level: Medium/hard

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Jasmin Thompson: Like I’m Gonna Lose You

Dance style: Lyrical

Difficulty level: Hard

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Frank Sinatra: The way you look tonight

Dance style: American Smooth/Foxtrot

Difficulty level: Easy

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Elvis Presley: Cant help falling in love

Dance style: Viennese Waltz/4 beat

Difficulty level: Medium/Hard

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Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons: Cant take my eyes off you

Dance style: Cha cha cha/faster foxtrot/swing

Difficulty level: Easy/Medium

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Russell Dickerson: Yours

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Medium/Hard

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Dan and Shay: Speechless

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Medium/Hard

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Tim McGraw: My best friend

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Medium/Hard

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Elton John: Your song

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Medium/Hard

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Andy Grammar: I am Yours

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Medium/Hard

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Alicia Keys: That’s when I knew

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Medium/Hard

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Celine Dion: Have you ever been in love

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Medium/Hard

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Brett Young: In case you didn’t know

Dance style: 4 beat

Difficulty level: Easy

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Adele: Make you feel my love

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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Jason Mraz: I wont give up

Dance style: 4 beat/Viennese waltz

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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Stevie Wonder: Hold me

Dance style: Cha cha cha/Slow Swing

Difficulty level: Easy/Medium

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Ray LaMontagne: You are the best thing

Dance style: 4 beat

Difficulty level: Easy

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Ray Charles: Come rain or come shine

Dance style: 4 beat/Viennese Waltz

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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Pharrell: Happy

Dance style: Jive/Rock n Roll

Difficulty level: Easy

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Jack Johnson: Better together

Dance style: Slow Jive

Difficulty level: Easy

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Eric Benet ft. Tamia: Spend my life with you

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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The Whispers: I’m gonna make you my wife

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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Jason Mraz: Lucky

Dance style: 4 beat and slow jive/swing alternating

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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Russell Dickerson: Love you like I used to

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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John Legend: You and I

Dance style: Lyrical

Difficulty level: Hard

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James Arthur: Say you wont let go

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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Blake Shelton: Mine would be you

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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Goo Goo Dolls: Iris

Dance style: Slow Viennese waltz

Difficulty level: Medium

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Ed Sheeran: Perfect

Dance style: 4 beat/Viennese waltz

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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Cliff Richard: When the girl in you arms is the girl in your heart

Dance style: Waltz

Difficulty level: Easy

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Nat King Cole: Let there be love

Dance style: American smooth foxtrot

Difficulty level: Easy

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Louis Armstrong: What a wonderful world

Dance style: 4 beat/Viennese waltz

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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Arctic Monkeys: Baby I’m yours

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical

Difficulty level: Easy/Hard

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Al Green: Lets stay together

Dance style: Rumba

Difficulty level: Easy

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Barry White: Cant get enough of your love

Dance style: 4 beat/Lyrical/Disco/Swing

Difficulty level: Easy

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Natalie Cole: Everlasting love

Dance style: 4 beat/Jive

Difficulty level: Medium

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Ellie Golding: How long will I love you

Dance style: Lyrical

Difficulty level: Hard

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Michael Buble: Everything

Dance style: 4 beat/Swing

Difficulty level: Easy/Medium

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Andy Williams: Moon River

Dance style: Waltz

Difficulty level: Easy

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Louis Armstrong: We have all the time in the world

Dance style: 4 beat/Rumba

Difficulty level: Easy/Medium

Email brightonandsussexdancelessons@gmail.com for a free consultation.

Dance classes in Brighton and Hove, Lewes, East Grinstead and wider East and West Sussex.

*Reserve a place for 2024-2025 now!*

Contact

If you want to discuss your first dance song choice, or if you have any other questions about your wedding dance and the dance classes themselves, please email me anytime using the address opposite

07956 788 112

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