Most Popular First Dance Songs in the UK

The most popular first dance songs

The first dance is two to four minutes long and half the room is filming it. That is the whole pressure of the moment, and it is why so many couples spend months on the song and ten minutes on the dance.

The good news is that the song choice matters less than the length. Almost anything works if it is short, familiar and ends cleanly. Below are the songs UK couples keep coming back to, grouped by the mood you're going for.

We don't sell music - we make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK. So this is a straight guide to the songs, and the card that goes with the day.

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The classic slow ones

  • Perfect - Ed Sheeran. The most requested UK first dance of the last decade, for good reason: it's three quarters slow and easy to sway to.
  • At Last - Etta James. Short, timeless, and it makes older guests very happy.
  • Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran. Written for a first dance, essentially.
  • Make You Feel My Love - Adele or Bob Dylan. Quiet, and it suits a small room.
  • Your Song - Elton John. Familiar enough that the room hums along.
  • Everything - Michael Bublé. Upbeat swing, which is easier to move to than a ballad.

Upbeat, if you don't want to sway

  • Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder. Two minutes forty, and the floor fills behind you.
  • Can't Help Falling In Love - the Haley Reinhart version if you want slow, the original if you want short.
  • You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates. Hard to look awkward to.
  • Marry You - Bruno Mars. Cheerful and ends on a high.
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen. Two and a half minutes, which is ideal.

Country and folk

  • Speechless - Dan + Shay. A UK favourite despite being very American.
  • Die A Happy Man - Thomas Rhett.
  • Ho Hey - The Lumineers. Short, singalong, easy.
  • First Day Of My Life - Bright Eyes. For a small, quiet wedding.

Modern picks

  • Lover - Taylor Swift.
  • Beautiful Things - Benson Boone, if you want the room to gasp at the key change.
  • Golden Hour - JVKE.
  • Snooze - SZA, for couples who don't want anything traditional.

How long the dance should be

  • Two to three minutes is the sweet spot. Four feels long from the floor and very long from inside it.
  • If the song is five minutes, fade it at two and a half or have the DJ cut it. Nobody has ever complained about a short first dance.
  • Invite the wedding party in after the first chorus if you're nervous. It takes the spotlight off within a minute.
  • Practise once in the actual shoes. That is where most first dances go wrong.

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How to write it so it lands

  • Pick the song before you book a dance lesson, not after.
  • Listen to it all the way through twice - the third verse of a lot of love songs is about a break-up.
  • Tell the photographer the plan so they're in position for the first bar.
  • Agree a signal with the DJ for cutting it early if the room is huge and the nerves are worse than expected.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular first dance song in the UK?

Perfect by Ed Sheeran has topped most UK first dance lists since 2018. Thinking Out Loud, At Last and Make You Feel My Love are consistently close behind.

How long should a first dance last?

Two to three minutes. If your song is longer, ask the DJ to fade it after the second chorus, or invite the wedding party to join you partway through.

Do you have to have a first dance?

No. Plenty of UK couples skip it, or open the floor with a group song instead. If you'd rather not be watched, start the evening with a big singalong and let the room do the work.

Can you have a fast first dance song?

Yes, and it is often easier. An upbeat song hides nerves, shortens the moment and gets other people dancing faster than a ballad does.

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