Unusual First Dance Songs: Our Top Picks
Not everyone wants to dance to Ed Sheeran's "Perfect"; - and that's fine! These are the best unusual first dance songs for quirky couples...
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Choosing your wedding songs can be quite the minefield, and selecting something for your first dance which hasnât been used at a hundred other weddings is a bit of a challenge!
There is no shame in saying you want something a little bit more unusual for your first dance song â it is important to set your first dance apart from everyone elseâs, after all!
Weâve compiled a list of alternative first dance songs to give you a little bit of inspiration. Give them a chanceâŚand scroll down to the bottom to listen to the full Spotify playlist.
READ MORE: The 30 Best Wedding Songs of 2019
Image: Getty / Westend61
1) Baby Iâm Yours â Arctic Monkeys
If you spent your teenage years dancing to âI Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloorâ, why not opt for this romantic yet totally unexpected offering from the Arctic Monkeys?
This cover of the Barbara Lewis song was the B-side to their 2006 hit âLeave Before the Lights Come Onâ, and is sentimental without being too slushy.
It says: âIâll be yours until the stars fall from the sky, yours until the rivers all run dry â in other words, until I die.â
2) Youâre My Best Friend â Queen
This song is totally apt since everyone seems to be having a bit of a Queen moment lately! âYouâre My Best Friendâ is a song with a lovely sentiment which would be a perfect, unusual choice for your first dance.
Our favourite lyric is: âYouâre my sunshine and I want you to know that my feelings are true, I really love you.â
Oh, and youâll be in good company, since Lauren Conrad and William Tell chose The Onceâs beautiful cover of this song for their September 2014 first dance.
READ MORE: The Worldâs 10 Most Popular First Dance Songs
3) All Night â BeyoncĂŠ
One thingâs for sure â no-one will be expecting this Beyonce hit to blast through the speakers when you take to the dance floor for your first dance⌠but thatâs why itâs on this list!
Youâve probably already heard âCrazy in Loveâ at one or two weddings. Itâs perfect for when couples prefer something energetic, and in similar vein, âAll Nightâ is an up-tempo ballad with a groovy illustration of true love. Itâs a totally contemporary choice.
4) Iâll Be There â Jess Glynne
Jess Glynne is not short of an upbeat love song or two, and this 2018 offering would be perfect if youâre looking for a slightly unusual yet super cute song to dance to.
Itâs all about being there to support your partner through thick and thin, making it first-dance worthy and then some.
Our favourite lyrics include,âIâll be there â when you need a little love, Iâve got a little love to share,â and, âYouâll never be alone, Iâll be there for you.â
READ MORE: 33 Awesome Ways to Entertain Your Wedding Guests
5) Lullaby (Acoustic) â Sigala & Paloma Faith
The 2018 dance-floor hit âLullabyâ has been completely transformed into a romantic, wedding-worthy track in this acoustic cover by Paloma Faith.
It is all about being with someone who protects you and makes you feel at home: âAll I need is somebody near me when my heart gets weak; somebody out there watching over meâ and âJust the sound of your voice is the thing I needâ.
6) Letâs Get It On â Marvin Gaye
If youâre a lover of soul music (and have a sense of humour!) this classic by Marvin Gaye could be a great and unexpected first dance choice.
Youâre sure to have everyone singing along, and the lyrics are actually pretty romantic: âDonât you know how sweet and wonderful life can be, Iâm asking you baby to get it on with me.â
READ MORE: The Ultimate Guide to Booking a Singing Waiter Act
7) My Love Goes On â James Morrison & Joss Stone
This upbeat ballad is an ode to all-consuming love and was newly released at the beginning of 2019. James Morrison and Joss Stone are a musical match made in heaven â we love the idea of your love for your partner lasting forever like the burning of the sun.
Our favourite lyrics include âIâll lift you up when youâre feeling downâ and âIâve told you once, Iâve told you twice, Iâll tell you this a thousand times / like the burning of the sun, just like the river runs, my love goes on.â
8) Grow Old With You â Adam Sandler
âAdam Sandler?!â youâre probably asking⌠Yes, Adam Sandler. His touching and comical short song from The Wedding Singer epitomises everything that goes into cultivating a happy marriage â from fetching medicine to keeping each other warm!
The best part? It has a short duration, making it perfect for couples who want to get out of the spotlight ASAP.
READ MORE: 21 Romantic Ways to Surprise Your Partner on Your Wedding Day
9) Delicate â Taylor Swift
Taylorâs âLove Storyâ might have been dubbed âone of the greatest love songs of all timeâ, but here at Hitched weâre certain her 2018 single âDelicateâ is just as much of a serious first dance contender.
Taylor Swift is at her best in this sensual tribute to loveâs powers of rejuvenation and acceptance: âHe must like me for me.â
10) Sing Together â Train
âWe can settle down and watch the world go round,â Train sing.
This upbeat, feel-good number is sure to put smiles on everyoneâs faces as they realise the lyrics are all about considering your other half family and settling down in a place you are truly content.
READ MORE: The Best Songs to End Your Wedding To
11) Better Together â Jack Johnson
What wedding playlist would be complete without a touch of Jack Johnson?
This sweet song is all about life being better when youâre with your partner â what a better sentiment for a first dance song?!
12) Rewrite The Stars â James Arthur & Anne-Marie
This cover of The Greatest Showman favourite, âRewrite the Starsâ oozes romance and would be a totally unexpected first dance song!
Super sweet lyrics include, âYou know I want you â itâs not a secret I try to hideâ, and âWho can stop me if I decide that youâre my destiny?â
READ MORE: The Ultimate Wedding Party Playlist
13) Stuck With You â Huey Lewis & The News
This fun and upbeat â80s classic is about surviving the ups and downs of a relationship, and being stuck with each other out of nothing but choice. âWeâve had some fun, yes, weâve had our ups and downs, been down that rocky road, but here we are still around.â We love it!
14) It Must Be Love â Madness
For those of you looking to avoid a slow dance at all costs, âIt Must Be Loveâ by Madness is a brilliant first dance choice.
Not only will you have everyone up there dancing with you, the lyrics are actually really sweet.
Our favourite line? âAs soon as I wake up every night; every day, I know that itâs you I need to take the blues away.â
15) Close to Me â Ellie Goulding, Diplo & Swae Lee
This slow but catchy dance song by Ellie Goulding is an ideal alternative first dance song choice for couples who love to party.
The chorus will have everyone singing along, and the meaning behind the lyrics is lovely: âI donât want to be somebody without your body close to me.â
READ MORE: 8 Ed Sheeran Songs You Need at Your Wedding
16) Ho Hey â The Lumineers
Who could resist the delicious tones of The Lumineers? We donât think you can listen to this song and not feel moved and completely uplifted.
It is upbeat, will have everyone smiling and includes endlessly romantic lyrics like: âI belong with you, you belong with me, youâre my sweetheart.â
17) Video Games â Lana Del Ray
Take a leaf out of Fearne Cotton and Jesse Woodâs book (aka the coolest couple around) and dance to Lana Del Reyâs âVideo Gamesâ.
Although no-one will be expecting this song choice, the lyrics are totally romantic and an ode to being deeply in love. âItâs you, itâs you, itâs all for you â everything I do â I tell you all the time, heaven is a place on earth with youâ.
We canât promise it will be performed by Tom Odell as it was at the Cotton/Wood wedding thoughâŚ
18) We Say I Do â Wayne Jacobs
Country music is becoming increasingly popular in the UK and this uplifting country ballad is perfect for a first dance. Itâs calling out for a slow dance, with your arms wrapped tightly around each other.
The lyrics capture that blissfully happy feeling on your wedding day, with the romantic (and catchy) chorus, âFor the rest of my life, I want you in my arms/Your lips, your kiss, your smile and all of your charms/The first glance, the first dance, being with you/From this day forward, we say âI doâ.â
READ MORE: 25 Essential Questions to Ask Your Wedding Band or DJ
If youâre still undecided on your first dance song, why not take inspiration from the celebrities and check out our edit of first dance songs chosen by the A-listers?