The Importance of Doing the Father Daughter Dance
For many brides showing affection to their father on a wedding day is an emotional part of their wedding. The father daughter dance is one of the most touching moments in a wedding ceremony – except for exchanging the vows. A father daughter dance is a traditional dance between a father and a daughter, typically at the wedding reception. It’s one of the most beautiful ways to include your father in the wedding.
Little bit of history
Back in the day, the father would first take his daughter’s hand and lead her to the dance floor. After the traditional dance, the father would then allow his new son-in-law to take his place and dance away with his daughter. Historically, this dance is thought to symbolize losing the father protective role of his daughter and giving it to their new son-in-law. It also symbolizes the father’s acceptance, trust and the approval of the new family member.
Today
Today, on the other hand, many brides see this simply as an expression of affection between them and their pops – which is the most important thing after all.
Although the original meaning of the father daughter dance has died away, it doesn’t make it any less important today than it was some 50 or 70 years ago. Today it is all about expressing love between the father and his daughter. No matter how young or how old the daughter is, everybody always gets emotional on a wedding father daughter dance. It’s a heart-stopping moment when guests gather around to take photos to make the moment last forever.
Song choice
The song choice is crucial part in the father daughter dance.
Here are some song suggestions for you to think about. (in no particular order!)
- Chris DeBurgh – Lady in Red
- Rascal Flatts – My Wish
- Billy Joel – Just the Way You Are
- Beyonce – Daddy
- Michael Buble – Daddy’s Little Girl
- Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
- Frank Sinatra – The Way you Look Tonight
- Temptations – My Girl
- Heartland – I Loved Her First
- Stevie Wonder – Isn’t She Lovely
- Ben Folds – Gracie
- Paul Simon – Father and Daughter
- Nancy Sinatra – It’s For My Dad
- Bob Carlisle – Butterly Kisses
- Bruce Springsteen – When you Need Me
- Because You Loved Me – Celion Dion
- Passenger – Let Her Go
- Lee Ann Womack – I Hope You Dance
- James Keith Norman – God Make Me Strong Enough
- Trevor McShane & Madison Lawlor – Big Wedding Day