The wedding is full of nothing but important decisions but one of the most important is undoubtedly the song playing at your first dance. You must choose wisely. If you choose something too current you may end up hating it in a few year’s time and shudder every time you remember that it was your wedding song. If you choose something too old it may be a beautiful classic but it also may be basic and overplayed. The best option is to pick something that is not new, but not overplayed. To help we have chosen some songs that you really must avoid.
Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
This song at first listen sounds simple and beautiful remarking on how beautiful the woman by your side is at a party. It can seem like the ideal song for the first dance of a wedding. After all the groom is likely mesmerized by the beauty of his new wife. Yet, please don’t pick this song.
Wonderful tonight is far too overplayed but that is not even its biggest crime. If you listen to the lyrics it is clear that the male character ends up drinking too much and having to be taken to bed, this is not an ideal scenario and certainly not the image you want to bring up during your first dance. Worst than that, this song is written about Pattie Boyd. Pattie Boyd was married to George Harrison of The Beatles and Eric Clapton stole her away. He wrote the song, Layla, about her, and years later while dating he wrote, Wonderful Tonight. Clearly, this is not the right song for a first dance.
Fred Astaire – The Way You Look Tonight
This song has a similar theme to Wonderful Tonight, that is that the lady in question looks very good. It is one of the romantic songs ever written yet it is also one of the most overplayed. It has been covered by every great artist most notably Frank Sinatra and has featured in the movie My Best Friend’s Wedding as well as the series Friends when Chandler tries to pretend he made a mixtape for Monica – when she plays it she hears the voice of Janice singing along with the words. Awkward. Save yourself the embarrassment of people doing Janice from Friends impressions at your wedding and put this song firmly in the no pile.
Righteous Brothers – Unchained Melody
A beautiful love song about a man hungering for the touch of his woman. If you have ever been in a loving relationship you will know how tough it is to be away from that special someone. Unchained Melody manages to capture that despair while also showing the incredible love the artist feels at the same time. This song was made famous by featuring in the movie Ghost and is a timeless classic. Although it is timeless it has been played at so many weddings and featured as so many first dances that it must be avoided. This song has just been played too much.
Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World
The unmistakable voice of Louis Armstrong is captured perfectly in the beautiful song that is What a Wonderful World. This doesn’t appear to be a direct love song when you first listen but when you hear the lyrics and see how optimistic Louis is about the world you can only assume that it is because he is in love. This becomes clear at the end when Louis says “It’s a wonderful world, Loving wonderful you”. When you are in love life can really seem so beautiful. However, this song has become so overplayed that everyone is likely to cringe a little if you choose it as their song. It is also a risk because if you choose it far in advance something may happen that means the world isn’t so wonderful – like a pandemic outbreak. Then the song becomes unintentionally ironic. One to avoid.
