Shared family dances are one the cornerstones of a wedding reception. Whether it’s father/daughter, mother/daughter, father/son, mother/son, a unique choreographed routine with your siblings, or an homage to your grandparents.  Family dances are a timeline event at your wedding that usually occurs before the dance floor is open for the evening and your guests are ready to shake it off to the song requests they submitted to your event!

Who Picks the Wedding Songs for a Family Dance?

Typically, the marrier will be the one selecting the song for their special dance with mom, dad, a grandparent, or siblings. However, if you have something fun in mind, like hitting the dance floor with Dad to a tear-jerker, only to have it scratch into a pop hit, then absolutely ask Dad for his feed back during the song selection process!

We’ll let you in on the best part about song selections. If you’re stuck, and you are looking for a ballad that is a true representation of your relationship with your family member, you can ask your guests for input! Of course, you’ll have the final say. But, asking your guests for their song recommendations is a fab way to get them involved in your wedding planning process, in the smallest, easiest way. This will also drum up chatter between them, on the day of your wedding, as everyone patiently awaits to hear which song made the cut! To grab your guest’s song requests, ahead of your wedding day, you can ask them to drop their picks into your Spotify playlist, through your Guestie event!

We included some of our favorite ballads in the list below, but we get that a slow song might not be for everyone. So we threw in a couple of pop hits along with some unexpected tracks as well. And if you need some inspiration on how to make your family dance true to your personality, you’ll find some of our favorite clips of couples doing it right! Keep reading for more.

Songs For a Mother Son Dance at a Wedding

1. Mama Said | The Shirelles

Lyrics: Mama said there’ll be days like this

There’ll be days like this, my mama said

2. You Are The Sunshine of My Life | Stevie Wonder

Lyrics: You are the apple of my eye

Forever you’ll stay in my heart

3. Wonderful Tonight | Eric Clapton

Lyrics: And then she asks me, “Do I look all right?”

And I say, “Yes, you look wonderful tonight”

4. The Way You Look Tonight | Frank Sinatra

Lyrics: I will feel a glow just thinking of you

And the way you look tonight

5. God Only Knows | Beach Boys

Lyrics: God only knows what I’d be without you

God only knows

6. You Send Me | Sam Cooke

Lyrics: Darling, you send me

Honest, you do, honest, you do

7. Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher | Jackie Wilson

Lyrics: You know your love (your love keeps lifting me)

Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me)

8. Can You Feel the Love Tonight | Elton John

Lyrics: And can you feel the love tonight? (tonight)

How it’s laid to rest?

9. I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) | Four Tops

Lyrics: Sugarpie honeybunch

You know that I love you

10. A Song for Mama | Boyz II Men

Lyrics: Mama, mama, you’re the queen of my heart (you are)

Your love is like tears from the stars

Songs for a Mother Daughter Dance at a Wedding

1. You’ll Be In My Heart – Phil Collins

Lyrics: No matter what they say

You’ll be here in my heart

Always

2. Isn’t She Lovely | Stevie Wonder

Lyrics: Isn’t she lovely

Isn’t she wonderful

3. I Turn to You | Christina Aguilera

Lyrics: For a friend, for a love to keep me safe and warm.

I turn to you. (I turn to you)

4. Sweet Child O’ Mine | Slash & Myles Kennedy [acoustic version]

Lyrics: Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place

Where as a child I’d hide

5. I’ll Stand By You | The Pretenders

Lyrics: I’ll stand by you

I’ll stand by you

Won’t let nobody hurt you

6. Time After Time | Cyndi Lauper

Lyrics: If you’re lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

7. I’m a Believer | The Monkees

Lyrics: Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer

Not a trace of doubt in my mind

8. Somewhere Over The Rainbow | Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

Lyrics: And the dreams that you dreamed of

Once in a lullaby

9. How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You | James Taylor

Lyrics: I want to stop and thank you, baby

I wanna stop and thank you baby, yes I do

10. Never Grow Up | Taylor Swift

Lyrics: Oh, darlin’, don’t you ever grow up

Don’t you ever grow up

Just stay this little

Songs for Father-Son Dance at a Wedding

1. I’ll Be There | Jackson 5

Lyrics: ‘ll be there with a love so strong

I’ll be your strength

You know I’ll keep holdin’ on

2. You Raise Me Up | Josh Groban

Lyrics: You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas

3. Let’s Go Crazy | Prince

Lyrics: Dearly beloved

We are gathered here today

To get through this thing called “life”

4. My Hero | Foo Fighters

Lyrics: There goes my hero

Watch him as he goes

5. Your Song | Elton John

Lyrics: I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you’re in the world

6. Because You Loved Me | Celine Dion

Lyrics: You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn’t speak

7. Song for My Dad | Keith Urban

Lyrics: And I only hope when I have my own family

That every day I see a little more of my father in me, yeah

8. Parents Just Don’t Understand | Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Lyrics: So to you all the kids all across the land

Take it from me

Parents just don’t understand

9. Simple Man | Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lyrics: Baby, be a simple kind of man

Oh, won’t you do this for me son, if you can?

Oh, yes, I will

10. I Just Called to Say I Love You | Stevie Wonder

Lyrics: I just called to say I love you

And I mean it from the bottom of my heart

Songs for a Father Daughter Dance at a Wedding

1. Daughters | John Mayer

Lyrics: Fathers be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

2. Just The Way You Are | Billy Joel

Lyrics: I need to know that you will always be

The same old someone that I knew

3. Till There Was You | The Beatles

Lyrics: There was love all around

But I never heard it singing

4. Unforgettable | Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole

Lyrics: Ooh, unforgettable (unforgettable)

In every way (in every way)

And forevermore (and forevermore)

That’s how you’ll stay (that’s how you’ll stay)

5. Landslide | Fleetwood Mac

Lyrics: But time makes you bolder

Even children get older

And I’m getting older too

6. Wind Beneath My Wings | Bette Midler

Lyrics: Did you ever know that you’re my hero

And everything I would like to be?

7. My Girl | The Temptations

Lyrics: Well I guess you’d say

What can make me feel this way

My girl, my girl, my girl

8. Stand By Me | Ben E King

Lyrics: So darlin’, darlin’ stand, by me

Oh-oh stand by me

Oh stand, stand by me, stand by me

9. The Rainbow Connection | The Muppets

Lyrics: I know they’re wrong, wait and see

Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection

The lovers, the dreamers, and me

10. Brown Eyed Girl | Van Morrison

Lyrics: I saw you just the other day

My, how you have grown

Songs for a Special Dance With Your Grandparents at Your Wedding

1. What a Wonderful World | Louis Armstrong

Lyrics: And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

2. I Hope You Dance | Lee Ann Womack

Lyrics: I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,

Never settle for the path of least resistance

3. Have I Told You Lately | Rod Stewart

Lyrics: There’s a love that’s divine

And it’s yours and it’s mine

Like the sun

4. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

Lyrics: I told you you could always count on me, darling

From that day on, I made a vow

5. All You Need is Love | The Beatles

Lyrics: All you need is love, love

Love is all you need

6. Dream a Little Dream of Me |  Louis Armstrong

Lyrics: Sweet dreams ’til sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

7. Come Fly With Me | Frank Sinatra

Lyrics: Weather-wise, it’s such a lovely day

Just say the words and we’ll beat the birds down to Acapulco Bay

It’s perfect for a flying honeymoon, they say

Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away

8. Forever Young | Rod Stewart

Lyrics: Be courageous and be brave

And in my heart, you’ll always stay

Forever young, forever young

9. You Make My Dreams (Come True) | Daryl Hall and John Oates

Lyrics: Oh, yeah, well, ’cause you (Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh) Mm-hmm

You make my dreams come true

Oh, yeah (You, you, you, ooh-ooh-ooh, you)

10. Greatest Love Of All | Whitney Houston

Lyrics: The greatest love of all

Is easy to achieve

Learning to love yourself

It is the greatest love of all

Songs for a Special Dance With Your Siblings at Your Wedding

1. We Are Family | Sister Sledge

Lyrics: Everyone can see we’re together

As we walk on by (and)

And we fly just like birds of a feather

I won’t tell no lie (all)

2. My Wish | Rascal Flatts

Lyrics: Oh, you find God’s grace, in every mistake

And always give more than you take

3. Dream a Little Dream of Me | The Mamas and The Papas

Lyrics: Sweet dreams ’til sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams, whatever they be

Dream a little dream of me

4. I’ll Be | Edwin Mccain

Lyrics: And I’ll be better when I’m older

I’ll be the greatest fan of your life

5. Yellow | Coldplay

Lyrics: I came along

I wrote a song for you

And all the things you do

And it was called Yellow

6. You’ve Got a Friend in Me | Randy Newman

Lyrics: You got troubles, and I got ’em too

There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you

We stick together and we see it through

7. Blended Family (What You Do For Love) | Alicia Keys

Lyrics:  I think you’re beautiful

I think you’re perfect

I know how hard it gets

8. You’re My Best Friend | Queen

Lyrics: Oh, you’re the best friend that I ever had

Been with you such a long time

You’re my sunshine

9. How Deep Is Your Love | Bee Gees

Lyrics: I believe in you

You know the door to my very soul

You’re the light in my deepest, darkest hour

You’re my savior when I fall

10. I’ll Stand by You | The Pretenders

Lyrics:  And you come to me on a summer breeze

Keep me warm in your love, then you softly leave

And it’s me you need to show

That was our list of 60 wedding songs for parent, grandparent, or sibling dances! If you need even more song recommendations to put together the playlist of your best day ever, check out the topics below!

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