After you book your wedding band, the time comes to start making special decisions like choosing your first dances. For all of our Matchmaker Band brides, the father/daughter dance is one of the most special moments. For some father-daughter dances, the mood is sweet and tender - a beautiful Motown ballad or a sweet throwback song will be just right. For other father/ daughter dances, it’s a time to celebrate and set the mood of the party. These fathers and daughters like to dance to something upbeat where they can show off a few fun dance moves and stay light-hearted.
Whichever father/daughter dance vibe is right for you, Matchmaker Band has you covered. Here are our Top 5 classic father/daughter dance songs, with a few fun, more obscure songs thrown in for good measure!
1. “My Girl” - The Temptations - Nothing says father/daughter dance quite like this soulful classic - “My Girl” by The Temptations. It might seem overdone, but we can promise you it is guaranteed to make both of you (and all of your guests) smile the moment that the first bass note drops. It is a perfect balance of sweetness and fun — not too slow, not too fast, and the sentiment of the lyrics are perfectly on point. This father/daughter song is at the top of our recommendation list.
2. “Brown Eyed Girl” - Van Morrison - We know all of our brides don’t have those brown eyes Van Morrison is singing about, but that doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to this super fun, crowd-pleasing father/daughter dance selection. “Brown Eyed Girl” is a great example of a song that definitely leans more light-hearted and will keep the mood light if you’ve already reapplied your make-up post-wedding ceremony tears. This is another one that gets all of your guests excited the minute they hear that signature guitar lick.
3. “Isn’t She Lovely” - Stevie Wonder - A song that is actually about the birth of Stevie Wonder’s daughter - what can be more appropriate for a father/daughter dance than that! These lyrics are all about a father’s love for his daughter and they are just perfect for your special moment together. Similar to “My Girl,” the tempo is fast enough to groove a little bit, but slow enough to still have a special, tender moment before you get twirled into your party.
4. “The Way You Look Tonight” - Frank Sinatra - For our sentimental father/daughters, this one is sure to tug at the heart strings every single time. It highlights what a beautiful memory this moment will be down the road and how much a father adores his daughter and will cherish this moment and this dance forever. Matchmaker Band loves how special this father/ daughter dance song is every time we get to perform it.
5. “My Little Girl” - Tim McGraw - Did you know Matchmaker Band performs all of the essential country songs? Shania Twain, Dolly Parton, Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Zack Brown Band, Keith Urban, and of course Tim. Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl” is another perfect example of a song basically written for this father/daughter moment. Even though we travel all across the country, you know we frequent and love a Texas wedding. Voted one of the top Texas wedding bands time and time again, it’s no surprise we get country song requests for our Texas father/daughter dances quite often, and we absolutely love it.
Other Father/Daughter Dance Songs We Love:
“I Loved Her First” by Heartland
“Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)” by Billy Joel
“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys
“Sweet Pea” by Amos Lee
“For The Longest Time” by Billy Joel “I Will” by The Beatles
“Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole “Have I Told You Lately” by Van Morrison “In My Life” by The Beatles
“Pride and Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughan