Top 20 Short First Dance Songs to Celebrate Your Wedding Day

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Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime special occasion, and the first dance is something a lot of couples look forward to. However, if your significant other or you are shy, have stage fright or do not dance well, it’s okay to feel a little edgy. Choosing a short song for your first dance will make things so much easier.

This list is a roundup of short first dance songs, both classics and modern. The key is to pick a song that you both love and perfectly captures the essence of your relationship.

Top 20 Short First Dance Songs to Celebrate Your Wedding Day

Top 20: Take Me the Way I Am by Ingrid Michelson

This song signifies so much affection, quirkiness, a deep sense of commitment and acceptance between two lovers. If you are an easy-going pair having a laid-back wedding at a beach, then Take Me the Way I Am is definitely your song.

Top 19: Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran

Thinking Out Loud encapsulates the comfort of having someone by your side who would love you unconditionally till you are 70! Well, we don’t say it. Ed does, in this tender love song perfect for a formal wedding.

Top 18: Make You Feel My Love by Adele

Adele knows how to add emotions to her songs that are way beyond anybody at her age. Make You Feel My Love is all about taking the one you love into your warm embrace when nothing seems to make sense. Isn’t that what marriage is all about?

Top 17: L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole

Not a lot of jazz love songs fit the bill for the first dance, but L-O-V-E is a class apart. The soft vocals of Nat King Cole and the enthrallingly melodious saxophone make it one of the hottest, evergreen short first dance songs.

Top 16: At Last by Etta James

At Last is the love anthem that would continue to enthrall generations to come. Sexy, suave and elegant, that’s how Etta James sounds as she puts her soul into this song, which portrays the wonderful journey of love that began with a smile and the two lovers ended up together at last.

Top 15: I’ve Just Seen a Face by Beatles

Beatles is timeless, and their songs are absolute classics. I’ve Just Seen a Face is a fun song with a fast tempo and talks about the delight and anticipation of love at first sight. Truly lovely, there is no song quite like it that would remind you of your special day even after decades.

Top 14: You Belong to Me by Lifehouse

If you and your significant other are into alternative rock and looking for a song with a slow tempo for your first dance, check this one out. You Belong to Me is a tender love ballad featuring pure vocals of Jason Wade against the iconic melodies of the guitar solo.

Top 13: You and I by Stevie Wonder

You and I features Stevie’s insurmountable harmonic and melodic sense. This love song from the 1970s became a legendary classic and an all-time favorite and has stayed that way through decades. Here’s a fun fact; Barack and Michelle Obama danced to You and I on their wedding day.

Top 12: Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley

First off, Elvis’s soprano voice will take your breath away. Secondly, the lyrics of Can’t Help Falling in Love signify so much passion, dedication, and fascination towards someone you love, making it one of the best short first dance songs. Need we say more?

Top 11: That’s How Strong My Love Is by Otis Redding

Another soulful classic from the 1960s that affirms falling madly in love never went out of fashion. The lyrics of That’s How Strong My Love Is is a mélange of modern and traditional metaphors that would only strengthen your faith in love.

Top 10: What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

What a Wonderful World has definitely stood the test of time. What’s the better way to celebrate your wedding than by losing yourselves in each others arms as you gently sway to the tunes of this immensely exquisite, touching song?

Top 9: Marry Me by Train

A modern love song where Patrick Monahan sings against an unassuming background of mainly guitar and piano. Marry Me is about seeking solace in your loved one's company and promising to love them through thick and thin, making it one of our favorite short first dance songs.

Top 8: The Nearness of You by Norah Jones

The smooth vocals of Norah Jones teleport the listener into another world altogether; the world of love and passion. We can totally imagine you and your groom dancing to The Nearness of You as you look into each others eyes as if you meant every single thing the song spells out.

Top 7: The Best Is Yet To Come by Tony Bennett

This is an absolute fun song brimming with optimism. Tony’s voice is just amazing, and the emotions the song conveys are extraordinary. Love is just the beginning, now that you have been bonded together for the lifetime; the best part is almost set to begin.

Top 6: Last First Kiss by Ron Pope

Ron Pope has been all the rage recently, mainly because his songs give us so much to relate to. His voice is like a breath of fresh air and Last First Kiss incarnates the joy of having found someone you wish to spend the rest of your life with.

Top 5: Your Song by Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding has a mesmerizing voice and this love song epitomizes the sense of togetherness and belongingness between two people. It’s one of the most sentimental short first dance songs that would certainly do justice to your new beginning. No wonder Kate Middleton and Prince William also danced to Your Song on their wedding day.

​Top 4: I Just Want to Dance with You by George Strait

I Just Want to Dance with you is a pleasant surprise for the couples who love country music. If you are looking for a classic that would reveal the affection, devotedness and the wish to savor the closeness, this song is for you. So go ahead and twirl each other all around the floor!

​Top 3: Calico Skies by Paul McCartney

A very lively and blissful song by Paul McCartney, Calico Skies celebrates the spirit of love in its purest form. We bet that every couple could relate to the essence of this song, how love can positively transform lives and make you want to be together for the rest of your lives.

​Top 2: It Only Took a Kiss by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

It Only Took a Kiss is a fabulous love duet. It has a sense of serenity, and an assurance that love is the best thing to ever happen to someone. It appreciates the miracle how just a look, a smile, and a kiss can make people fall for each other. That’s exactly what happened to you guys, isn’t it?

Top 1: The Luckiest by Ben Folds

The Luckiest is a tranquil, slow love song that would make your bride so happy when it plays and as you both dance to it. It talks about finding places at the most unexpected places and times, which makes you feel so fortunate about it.