It’s tradition for the bride to share a special dance with her father and for the groom to honor his mother with a dance. Unfortunately, this is one tradition that often results in anxiety for all involved. Most men would rather go to the dentist than dance in public! However, special dances can offer great sentimental rewards. If you or your men are not into dances, consider these options.
1. Share the dance
Have you ever seen a special dance that quickly fizzles into bordom or embarrassment for the couple? You've seen those awkward moments where after one minute into the dance, the pictures are taken, and all that’s left is the shuffle back and forth while waiting on the music to end. It doesn't have to be that way- it’s okay to split the dance! Find a neutral song, for example,
My Girl,
What a Wonderful World, or
Isn’t She Lovely. These songs work for both the Father-Daughter dance and Mother-Son dance. Have your MC introduce the father-daughter dance at the beginning of the song. Then after the first chorus, have them introduce the Mother-Son dance. This concept also works for the first dance. If you and your new spouse are uncomfortable with the long first dance, it's okay to split the dance. Have the MC invite other couples to the dance floor to finish out the song.
Follow this link for a plethora of wedding songs!
Photography by
Watson-Studios
2.) Song Selection:
Special dances do not have to be dramatic slow songs. Fun songs count, too! For example, I had a mother of the groom tell me, “I don’t dance.” When I asked her son David to pick a song for them, he had the perfect choice. They danced to Poison’s
Momma Don’t Dance. She heard the song start to play, then saw a finger point from the groom and she knew she had to dance!
Photography by
Rosewood Photography
They would not have these wonderful memories if they had decided to skip the dance.
I witnessed another example of making the song your own. The mother of the bride had passed, so there was an extra special bond between the bride and her single father that raised her. A sweet sentimental song started and they took to the floor. About 30 seconds into the dance, the song skipped and both the bride and her father busted into a hip-hop routine that brought down the house! They drew both applause and awed respect.
Sometimes songs are skipped because a parent is deceased or not present. In this case, the options for the bride could be dancing with a stepfather, grandparent, brother, uncle or other special male in her life. The groom can dance with a stepmother, grandmother, sister, or favorite aunt. This is a perfect opportunity to honor someone that has meant a lot to you. For example, the impromptu dance (below) with the bride and her son is unforgettable!
