What should we have for our first dance?

I suspect that it would come as no surprise that I get asked this question a lot as a Wedding DJ, and I understand why – it’s one of the big decisions for the evening. Should we go with that song we both like but Nan would not approve of? Maybe we should try a routine, or we could do something really funny? Should the lyrics of a song be important? Should we just scream “Sod it!” and go with Ed Sheeran?

Just as a side note, I actually like Ed Sheeran’s music. I know that it’s not cool to admit that, but here’s the thing: I’m 33 years old (at the time of writing) and I have a wide, eclectic taste. You can’t bully me over what I choose to listen to. I love to listen to House, Pop, Indie, Rock, RnB, Soul, Grime, Hip Hop and so much more, and I am proud of that (although, as a man in his 30s, the amount of Taylor Swift songs that I like is nothing short of alarming!).

I always answer this question in the same way: just choose whatever you guys want. If we all worried about the importance of lyrics in songs, then there wouldn’t be a lot of choice to play. ‘Mr. Brightside’ (which is about a guy who thinks that his significant other is cheating on him) wouldn’t be such a crowd pleaser. Freda Payne’s Soulful classic ‘Band Of Gold’ starts off with the lyrics “Now that you’ve gone all that’s left is a band of gold.” ‘Grounds For Divorce’ and ‘She Hates Me’ probably “shouldn’t” feature at weddings either (although I must admit that I do play those sometimes), and I think that it’s fair to say that our generation has completely destroyed ‘Come On Eileen’.

My favourite first dance that I have ever played was ‘Get Low’ by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. It very much set the tone for the rest of the night and 3 seconds into the song, everybody piled onto the dancefloor. Other highlights that I can think of off the top of my head are Calvin Harris & Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love’, Lou Bega’s ‘Mambo Number 5’, Kings Of Leon’s ‘Use Somebody’, LMFAO’s ‘Party Rock Anthem’ and Marshmello & Anne-Marie’s ‘FRIENDS’.

The point that I’m making is that yes, selecting the right first dance is important but what is more important is selecting the right first dance for you. Forget what the lyrics means and worry not over whether someone may approve or not. Just pick something that means something to you two.

But if you’re looking for suggestions, then I do have one for you. I have achieved a lot in my DJ career but there is one thing that I would love to see before I hang up my headphones for good, and that is to see a couple dance to U2’s ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’.

Admit it – that’d be hilarious!

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