Top 10 Father/Daughter Wedding Dance Songs
Grab your tissues because these father daughter dance videos are going to tug at your heartstrings! For this list, we're looking at those tunes are perfect for a dance between a new bride and her first love: her dad. These songs were practically made to warm not only your heart, but the hearts of your wedding guests too.
#10: “Sweet Pea” (2006) Amos Lee
Izzo Blues Coalition - Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson Cover)
Though this choice might be a little upbeat for a slow dance, it’s sure to get everyone’s toes tapping. The song has been used in Gerbers and AT&T commercials to highlight the love felt toward a child. So, it’s easy to see why it’s a good pick for that dance at a wedding. The loving lyrics and their simple tune are perfect for a quick spin around the dance floor. Plus, can’t you just picture a father teasingly dipping his daughter on those ending notes? So adorable.
#9: “Gracie” (2005) Ben Folds
All you need to do is sway to this tune. Its sweet message and the tears in both your and your father’s eyes will do the rest. Ben Folds wrote this song for his own daughter when she was young. So, although the lyrics focus mainly on the first years of a daughter’s life, any father is bound to be feeling nostalgic on his daughter’s big day. So, hold him close and let him reminisce as you both dance to the piano of this beautiful little ditty.
#8: “My Little Girl” (2006) Tim McGraw
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Country music has always had a way of telling a heartfelt story that really gets under your skin. And Tim McGraw is one of the kings of country, so of course, he can write one of the best country songs about fatherly love. Not only that, but McGraw’s twangy vocals paired with the strings of an orchestra make this song great for any heartfelt moment with dad. Ultimately though, this ballad is begging to be shared in a waltz on the dance floor.
#7: “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” (1975) James Taylor
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As the title suggests, this song is just plain sweet. And it’s another song that is definitely one that is meant to be danced to (which isn’t surprising, since the original Motown version, another fabulous choice, is sung by the legendary Marvin Gaye.) You can feel that grooving beat right from the start, can’t you? And listen to those lovely lyrics that are bursting at the seams with pure love. This tune practically calls to kick off your heels and just have a good time, spinning and laughing around the dance floor. And who better to do that with than your old (or not so old) man? How sweet it is, indeed!
#6: “Daughter” (2007) Loudon Wainwright III
We’re slowing it down just a bit again for this one. This beautifully honest song about a father’s undying love for his daughter is a cover of a Peter Blegvad song. But it is the lyrics that matter, and Loudon Wainwright III puts a spin on them that make the song a bit more applicable for a wedding dance. So, why don’t you give it a spin for that duet dance with your dad? We can almost guarantee that everyone will have tears in their eyes.
#5: “My Girl” (1965) The Temptations
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This song is just plain fun, and written in a common 4/4 time, it is just right to sway to with your pops. Its lyrics are timeless, and their message is one that any dad has felt towards his daughter since the day she was born. And those caring lyrics combined with that irrepressible and inimitable Motown beat make this song just the right mixture if you’re looking to go a little old school for that father daughter dance. But warning: it might be difficult to keep your other guests from dancing too.
#4: “Father and Daughter” (2002) Paul Simon
This is yet another song that might make it difficult to keep your other wedding guests in their seats. Paul Simon has always had a way of doing that though, with his fancy guitar picking and brilliant melodies. And like every song on this list, the message of these lyrics is sugary sweet and will leave you with a tear or two in your eye. But hey, isn’t grooving to a beat and a few tears exactly what you’re going for on your wedding day?
#3: “Isn’t She Lovely” (1976) Stevie Wonder
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Let’s kick it old school again with this Stevie Wonder classic. Swaying to this upbeat tune on the dance floor will seem effortless as Wonder croons out the sentiments of a father to his daughter. Sure, it was written when Stevie Wonder’s daughter was first born, but the lyrics apply throughout a daughter’s life. And we’re pretty darn confident that a father will find a daughter just as lovely on her wedding day as the day she was born. Especially on her wedding day, no doubt.
#2: “I Loved Her First” (2006) Heartland
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This country ditty will tug at the heartstrings from the first few notes on that fiddle. Written through the eyes of a father reminiscing as he watches his daughter dance with her true love, this song cuts right to the core. Not only is the message of the lyrics perfect, this country ballad has just the right tempo for a waltz. So, even dancers who have two left feet can dance to it. There won’t be a dry eye in the house after this one, especially between father and daughter. Before we start dancing to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions “Stand by Me” (1962) Ben E. King “You Are The Sunshine of My Life” (1972) Stevie Wonder “What a Wonderful World” (1967) Louis Armstrong
#1: “Butterfly Kisses” (1997) Bob Carlisle
A story song, written through the eyes of a father watching his little girl grow up into a teenager, this ‘90s classic is guaranteed to melt even the hardest of hearts. Giving this one a spin for your father-daughter dance seems like the perfect fit, especially if you two are a particularly close. Not only does this ballad have a beautiful message, Carlisle also published a half book/half journal, containing his parental observations, with space for readers to write in their own personal memories. Now imagine that being read at a wedding before or after dancing to this. The ultimate tearjerker!
