Valentine's Special: Best First Dance Songs for a Live Wedding Band
Happy Valentines, wedding planners!
Given Valentine’s Day has rather awkwardly fallen in the middle of the week, you could do far worse than to crack open a bottle of wine and spend the evening doing a little wedmin!
We thought we’d get right into the spirit of the season by giving you a little help with your wedding entertainment planning. To do that, we got in touch with a handful of our awesome wedding bands to hear about some of the best first dances they’ve performed in the last few months. We’ve split them up into a couple of categories, so hopefully there’s a little something for everyone!
Let’s get cracking, shall we?
The Classic Choice – At Last by Etta James
Let’s kick off with a stonewall classic option, offered up by one of our Berkshire wedding bands, Reno & The Reverends. Etta James’ At Last is almost the perfect first dance song – it’s heartfelt and romantic without being twee or over-cooked. A classy choice for you classy couples out there!
The Contemporary Choice – The One by Kodaline
For something a bit more modern, we turned to Hipshaker – one of our awesome Lancashire wedding bands. This tune by Kodaline is a fairly popular first dance choice without being quite as over-chosen as artists like Ed Sheeran or John Legend. It’s a beautifully constructed pop song that benefits from having a nice crescendo towards the end, perfect for getting your guests to flood the dancefloor after a couple of minutes of solo dancing!
The Romantic’s Choice – These Arms Of Mine by Otis Redding
When we asked our Cheshire party band, Cover Cats, to offer up the perfect romantic first dance, and they certainly did not disappoint. These Arms of Mine by Otis Redding is arguably one of the best love songs ever written. Plus, it shares the qualities of our first song on this list in that it’s not too over-done as a first dance choice. If in doubt, keep it classy, folks!
The Alternative Choice – The Wild Hunt by The Tallest Man on Earth
Sick of the same old, tired first dances? Well for our alternative choice, we thought we’d turn to one of our festival-style wedding bands as they tend to complement a lot of weddings with a fairly alternative vibe! Festival Nights suggested this stunning song by Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson – otherwise known as The Tallest Man On Earth. We won’t say too much about this one. We’ll leave you to listen instead…
The ‘we don’t like dancing’ Choice – Never Too Much by Luther Vandross
So you don’t like dancing and/or being the centre of attention for too long, but you still want to stick to tradition and have a first dance? Well then, the key is to choose a certified banger that will easily get your guests hitting the dancefloor in as little time as possible. And there are few bangers quite as banging as Never Too Much by Luther Vandross. It’s still super romantic, too! (disclaimer – the writer of this blog had it as his first dance, and it did the trick and then some).
The Nuclear Option – The Time of My Life by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
So, maybe you’re the total opposite of a wallflower and you want to bring a bit of spectacle to your first dance? There really is only one choice then, isn’t there? In the words of Alan Partridge, it’s time to ‘Go Nucular’ with this saucy little number from Dirty Dancing (complete with the full dance routine, of course).
Be warned though – this is not for the faint of heart or left of feet, as a couple in Bristol recently found out to their peril. Their practice routine prompted what is surely one of the greatest headlines in the history of news, ‘Dirty Dancing Wedding Practice Knocks Out Couple’.
Take a look at this video blog by Liverpool wedding band The Daddy-O’s, in which an intrepid groom takes on ‘The Big Leap’…
So there you have it! If you need any more help planning your wedding entertainment for your big day, give us a call. We can’t wait to hear from you.
