The First Dance. Have you begun to picture it? Taking your new spouse in your arms, gliding around the floor, letting the world melt away as you hear your song come over the speakers… Starting to feel the pressure? No, not about the dancing—that’ll be awesome no matter what. I mean about the song! The one that’ll make you give each other a loving, nostalgic look every time you hear it. The one that’ll bring tears to your guests’ eyes as they watch you dance in awed silence. THE SONG. If you’re sick and tired of the cliché, overplayed options, you’re not alone. That’s why I’ve come up with 51 unique first dance wedding songs for you to listen to. Take a listen, then check out 10 essential tips to help you decide on ‘the one.’

Unique First Dance Wedding Songs & How to Pick Yours

51 First Dance Songs

1. “Into the Mystic” – Van Morrison
2. “At Last” – Joni Mitchell
3. “Is This Love” – Corinne Bailey Rae
4. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” – Al Green
5. “Wonderwall” – Ryan Adams
6. “God Only Knows” – She & Him
7. “Higher Love” – James Vincent McMorrow
8. “That’s What’s Up” – Lennon & Maisy
9. “I Won’t Give Up” – Lennon & Maisy
10. “Cross That Line” – Joshua Radin
11. “I Found You” – Alabama Shakes
12. “Only You” –Anderson East
13. “How Long Will I Love You” – Ellie Goulding
14. “Love On Top” – Beyoncé
15. “Coming Home” – Leon Bridges
16. “If I Ain’t Go You” – James Bay
17. “The Book of Love” – Gavin James
18. “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” – Jasmine Thompson
19. “Salted Wound” – Sia
20. “Young and Beautiful” – Lana Del Rey
21. “Simplest Love” – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
22. “How Deep is Your Love” – the bird and the bee
23. “Ballad for My One True Love” – Mason Jennings
24. “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” – Sleeping At Last
25. “This Year’s Love” – David Gray
26. “Turning Page” – Sleeping At Last
27. “Something in the Way She Moves” – James Taylor
28. “Lost Stars” – Adam Levine
29. “You and I” – Ingrid Michaelson
30. “Skinny Love” – Birdy
31. “Latch” – Sam Smith
32. “Falling Slowly” – Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
33. “Hold You in My Arms” – Ray LaMontagne
34. “Let It Be Me” – Ray LaMontagne
35. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” – Sleeping At Last
36. “Over the Rainbow” – Ingrid Michaelson
37. “First Day of My Life” – Bright Eyes
38. “Grow Old With You” – Adam Sandler
39. “Lovesong” – Adele
40. “Wherever Is Your Heart” – Brandi Carlile
41. “I Belong to You” – Brandi Carlile
42. Primetime (feat. Miguel)” – Janelle Monáe and Miguel
43. “XO” – John Mayer
44. “Mirrors” – Jason Chen
45. “Home To Mama” – Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson
46. “Dead Sea” – The Lumineers
47. “Let’s Stay Together” – Obadiah Parker
48. “You’re My Best Friend” – The Once
49. “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” – Jasmine Thompson
50. “1 + 1” – Beyoncé
51. “Feels Like Home” – Diana Krall and Bryan Adams

10 Tips for Picking the Perfect First Dance Song  

Now that you’ve got a plethora of unique first dance wedding songs to pick from, you need to narrow it down! Here are 10 tips to help you decide.

1. First, decide what type of couple you are…

Classic: Your big day is pretty traditional but timeless. You’ve taken a few dance lessons and want to show off your moves, but keep it elegant. 3 classic melodies to consider:
 “At Last” by Joni Mitchell
“Lovesong” by Adele
“Over the Rainbow” by Ingrid Michaelson

Jokesters: You two are outgoing, full of laughs, and want your day to be one thing: fun. Your first dance should reflect your one-of-a-kind personality Throw those lessons aside and dance like no one’s watching to one of these three tracks:
“Grow Old with You” by Adam Sandler
“You and I” by Ingrid Michaelson
“I Found You” by Alabama Shakes

Hipsters: Everything about your wedding screams UNIQUE. You two define “cool,” and set the trends, rather than follow them. While I may have found these three tracks, I guarantee the majority of your guests haven’t heard them:
“I Belong to You” by Brandi Carlile
“God Only Knows” by She & Him
“Cross That Line” by Joshua Radin

Country: You’ve planned a romantic and rustic reception, with plenty of beer and country music blaring. You’re probably wearing tan suits, bowties, and cowboy boots. If that’s the case, choose one of these 3 country-inspired options:
“Something in the Way She Moves” by James Taylor
“That’s What’s Up” by Lennon & Maisy
“Only You” by Anderson East

Hopeless Romantics: You two will be crying all day—and that’s OK. You’ve both been dreaming of this day forever, and not because it’s gonna be one very memorable party, but because you just promised to love someone for the rest of your life. If you want to cry even more, then these three tunes will do the trick:
“The Book of Love” by Gavin James
“Feels Like Home” by Diana Krall and Bryan Adams
“Let It Be Me” by Ray LaMontagne

Dancers (Good or Bad): You two want to groove? Whether you’re gonna show them how it’s done on the dance floor or just show them how to have fun, these three songs will get those feet movin’ and groovin’:
“Wherever is Your Heart I Call Home” by Brandi Carlile
“Coming Home” by Leon Bridges
“Love On Top” by Beyoncé

2. Make sure you’re both involved.

It takes two to tango, so make sure you both love the first dance song you pick. Both of you should come to the table with a list of your favorite tracks, and narrow down from there. Or start from scratch together!

3. Don’t be afraid to kick up the tempo.

A first dance doesn’t have to be slow! If you want to kick up your feet and really groove out there, do it. Whatever reflects your love story is the perfect love song.

4. Consider being unconventional.

Want to reenact the last scene from Dirty Dancing? Been dying to take tango or salsa lessons? Screw traditions! Be you—it’s your big day, after all.

5. Could someone you love sing it?

One way to make this wedding tradition memorable is to have a loved one sing it live! Just make sure you give them plenty of notice so they can do it justice.

6. Pay attention to the lyrics.

Just because a ballad sounds romantic and pretty, doesn’t mean it actually is. I recommend looking up the lyrics of your top picks and seeing which really tell your love story.

7. Consider length.

If you’re sort of dreading this whole “dancing in front of everyone” thing, then make sure your pick is short. If you want to show off those moves as long as possible, go for it!

8. Can your band play it?

If you’ve decided to hire a live band (awesome, by the way), then make sure they can actually play your tune of choice. Give them lots of notice and ask if you can approve the final arrangement.

9. Keep it personal.

The #1 rule is to keep things personal. It doesn’t matter if your first dance song is unique, popular, old, new, slow, fast, or anything else. All that matters is that you and your fiancé think it’s the right one for you.

10. Accept that no one will care as much as you.

While I just rambled on forever discussing how to pick a unique first dance wedding song and ‘wow’ them all…the truth is your guests probably don’t care that much. They’ll get misty no matter what! What actually matters is whether or not you’re creating the moment you’ve been dreaming of. What’s your unique first dance wedding song going to be? Have suggestions for other brides- and grooms-to-be? Share your thoughts in a comment below!