Song suggestions for Bride / Father dance?

July 18, 2005 2:01 PM

A friend is getting married in a few months and wants suggestions for songs to dance with her father to that aren't too cheesy, but also not too obscure. Suggestions?
posted by adamkempa to Society & Culture (16 answers total)

Did you check this thread?
These songs are more romantic, but a lot are very sweet. What is your friend's musical taste?
posted by slimslowslider at 2:13 PM on July 18, 2005

Response by poster: Yep, looked through that thread a bit, she's looking for something either vague enough on the 'romantic details' front to lyrically reflect a father / daughter relationship without making it seem weird, OR a song specifically written to reflect such a relationship.

My suggestion of 'Thriller' was instantly rejected.

I'd call her tastes fairly mainstream, with an indie skew. I know that's not very helpful, but I'm bad at that.
posted by adamkempa at 2:31 PM on July 18, 2005

My dad and I danced to "What a Wonderful World" by Armstrong. Also seen used: "How Sweet It Is" by James Taylor.
posted by dpx.mfx at 2:33 PM on July 18, 2005

I've DJ'd a few weddings and Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" seems to work. I also got a request from a bride to play "California Stars"...YMMV.
posted by black8 at 2:35 PM on July 18, 2005

At my wedding, the song we picked for that was "Unforgettable", the version with both Nat King Cole and his daughter. It seemed fitting. It's somewhat cheesy, but nice.

We used "I'll Stand By You" by the Pretenders as our first dance, which could also work.
posted by skynxnex at 2:37 PM on July 18, 2005

Ray Allaire - A Song For My Daughter
posted by mr_crash_davis at 2:45 PM on July 18, 2005

My wife and I, when we had each of our children, felt around from a Beatles/near-Beatles catalog for that exact song that described how we loved each child. I can't tell you why we picked those artists -- perhaps it was our upbringing. My eldest son got Lennon's "Beautiful Boy", my youngest son got "I Will" with Paul singing for the Beatles, and my daughter just recently got "Here Comes the Sun" with the sweet voice of George. It took me a whlie to fight it out between "Here Comes the Sun" and "Across the Universe" for her, but I think I got it just right.

As black8 said, YMMV, but I can't hear that song without thinking of my daughter's sweet little face.
posted by thanotopsis at 3:04 PM on July 18, 2005

Continuing the Beatles theme, what about "In My Life"?
posted by scody at 3:35 PM on July 18, 2005

Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross. A little on the cheesy side though....
posted by SoulOnIce at 4:49 PM on July 18, 2005

"Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder -- it's about the joy & wonder a new father experiences upon the birth of his daughter, but those emotions carry through and are especially poignant on her wedding day.
posted by davidmsc at 5:00 PM on July 18, 2005

Tom Petty
Wildflowers
posted by slapshot57 at 5:48 PM on July 18, 2005

My wife and her father danced to Bob Carlisle's Butterfly Kisses

Here's a list of suggestions (warning pop-ups)
posted by Mahogne at 6:11 PM on July 18, 2005

Just don't do "Father Figure" by George Michael.
posted by johngoren at 10:24 PM on July 18, 2005

I danced with my father to 'Take Good Care of my Baby' by Bobby Vinton. It is a good letting go song, somewhat up beat, not over played and is still really touching.
posted by arruns at 1:23 AM on July 19, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks everyone! Lots of good suggestions to sort through!
posted by adamkempa at 6:23 AM on July 19, 2005

As suggested above, I danced with my father to The Beatles' "In My Life" and it was lovely.

Other songs we strongly considered include Paul Simon's "Father and Daughter," Cat Stevens' "Wild World," and a number of Van Morrisson tunes.
posted by Bella Sebastian at 10:30 AM on July 19, 2005