Bust out those dad moves on your wedding day during the father-daughter dance! One of the sweeter wedding traditions, carving out five minutes to slow dance with your dad/father figure and express love and admiration for the person that played a hand in shaping your life.

The origin of the tradition is a little less emotional though; back when most marriages were arranged for convenience or exchange of wealth, some weddings had the father-daughter dance at the start of the wedding reception. At the end of the dance, the father of the bride would hand his daughter to her new husband for their first dance – an extension of giving her away. This tradition has roots in American history and has been a popular wedding tradition there for decades.

Talk Songs With Your Dad

You would be surprised how many dads have been dreaming about their daughter's weddings since they first laid eyes on them, and there's a good chance they've had the perfect song in mind since that day! Sit down together and put together a shortlist of both of your favourite picks, you may see some crossover in genre and musicians, if not a mutually loved song. With this being such a well-loved part of the wedding day you want to make sure you're not cutting out the opinion of your dance partner!

Astray Photography

Take A Dance Class

If you're anything like me then you have two left feet, and it can be a little nerve-wracking to get up and dance in front of your friends and family if you're typically a bit of a toe stepper. Taking a few classes with your dad can help mitigate your anxiety and give you both a bit of an idea of what to expect on the day. Also if we're being honest nobody is going to mind if you're not the best dancer, let alone your own father, but there's something about the bonding experience of taking classes together that can really make the father-daughter dance even more special; even if you're only learning a basic waltz or a few fun steps.

Meg Slattery

Have Fun With It

I would argue that this part of your wedding day is the least stressful and serious, after the speeches, dinner and your first dance with your new spouse most guests kind of expect you to chill out and enjoy the rest of your wedding day; Add a bit of silly choreography or just freestyle your best boogying with your dad and turn the father-daughter dance in a playful and memorable one!

Studio 29 Photography

What To Dance To

When it comes to songs for your daddy/daughter dance there are a plethora of tunes perfect for different moods and parents. Whether it's slow and sweet, fast-paced and exciting or bouncy and playful, picking the right song can make or break the mood. Ideally, you want a song no longer than four minutes; unless you're welcoming the guests up to join in halfway anything longer than 3 minutes can start to drag and you'll find the atmosphere will shift from joyful to a little bored. Also, pay attention to the lyrics, this seems pretty obvious but you would be shocked at the number of brides that completely miss the subtext of a song and end up gliding around the room to Starland Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight".

Ira Lippke

- Gráinne