May 2024

“I now pronounce you married – you may kiss your spouse!” 

One of the most iconic moments in any wedding, and the one you’ve been waiting for. This is what the day is about, after all! We’re sure you’re all familiar with the many videos floating around the internet of couples who manage to perfectly time their first kiss as a married couple to the horn blare and opening lyrics of Natalie Cole’s famously celebratory This Will Be (An Everlasting Love). And such a celebratory song is a perfect choice for this moment, sharing your first kiss, your first steps as a married couple, in front of all the people who love you most in this world. 

The recessional song is often one that’s forgotten about, almost an afterthought during your planning. After all, there’s so much focus on the processional, the bride’s entrance, your first dance… it’s almost easy to forget that this song sets the tone for the start of your lives together, as it kicks off the first moments. We here at Around Town LOVE a good recessional song, but we know that it’s also a bit of a niche category – celebratory love songs that make you want to cheer and clap and dance a bit for joy. You’ve chosen us for your big day and we know that’s no accident – our award-winning live bands are the best around at bringing the party, elevating the mood, and making sure the music matches the level of joy you and your guests are feeling! 

Trusting us to bring the party of course doesn’t solve what might be your biggest question at this point: what song should you choose?? Have no fear, we’re here to help on that front, too! Below are just a few of our favorites for the happiest moment of your day. 

This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole 

…if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! This one’s a classic and a famous choice for this moment for a reason – the lyrics perfectly encapsulate what’s happening in the moment, the music is nothing but joyous and energetic, and we know part of the reason we all love the song so much is because of its feature in as the closing/credits song in the 1998 Lindsay Lohan classic ‘The Parent Trap.’ Yup, for those who don’t remember, this is the song the film plays as Nick and Elizabeth get married (again) and the 4 begin their lives as a family. Whether conscious or subconscious, we know these feel-good vibes are quickly associated with this song! 

You Make My Dreams (Come True) by Hall & Oates 

This one is just an eternally fun bop. Once again, it has lyrics that suit the moment beautifully, the intro guitar vamp feels anticipatory (ready for that first kiss everyone?), and the song is the perfect tempo to dance/walk out to. And while Hall & Oates’ partnership didn’t survive the test of time, we’re sure yours will, so don’t let that deter you from using the song! It also has the advantage of being a total classic, so no matter the age of your guests, we know they’ll know this one and be feeling the celebratory vibes right along with you! 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder is kind of the king of the celebratory love song – which makes him an absolute hit at weddings. Again, this song is a classic; well-known, well-loved, and immediately recognizable, which means you and your guests will be feeling the joyous vibes from the moment the intro starts. Nothing risky about this one – just guaranteed good vibes! 

Anything Can Happen by Ellie Goulding

Believe it or not, this is another song that’s from an iconic pop culture moment that left fans everywhere cheering for the success of true love. Remember the elevator moment in New Girl when Nick and Jess finally get together? Yup, this song was the one playing under that moment. We’re positive that the anticipatory build of this song and its triumphant chorus will leave you and your guests feeling that same fist-pumping joy every New Girl fan felt when our favorite “will they, won’t they” couple finally said “we will” (the first time)! 

All You Need is Love by The Beatles 

Does it get any more classic? Simple, straightforward, catchy, well-known, well-loved, this song nails the point home like no other. It has the added bonus of once again showing up in an iconic pop culture touchstone – Love, Actually! We’re sure many of you will remember the charming surprise pulled off at the wedding early in the film where the best man surprises the bride & groom with a hidden choir & instrumentalists to serenade them with this song as they begin their journey back up the aisle as husband and wife – and we’re sure that this song will evoke the same joy for you and your guests! 

Of course, the most important part is making sure that your recessional song speaks to you and your now-spouse! A song is never the wrong choice if it’s meaningful to the two of you and perfectly encapsulates your relationship and connection. We’re just there to make sure it’s everything you always knew it would be.

At Around Town Entertainment, we love a parent (or grandparent!) dance, whether it’s a Father/Daughter, Mother/Son, Mother/Daughter, Father/Son, or any other combination that makes the most sense for you and your family on your special day. In a day filled with and centered around a celebration of romantic love that will last forever, this moment stands apart; Highlighting instead the everlasting love of the people who raised you. Touching, often tear-jerking, this is a moment we know your parents have looked forward to since the day you were born. 

We’ve written before about some of our favorite songs to play for these dances, or ways to pick out the song you’d like to dance to for this moment, but today we want to touch on something different. Despite how common this moment is in weddings across the country, there are a surprisingly limited number of songs written to suit its purpose. Even worse, there are a surprising number of songs that sound like they COULD work for your dance with your parent, but we promise they don’t. Don’t believe us? We’ve taken the liberty of listing some songs below that seem, at first glance, like they could work, and then we’ve detailed why they’re maybe not the best choice. 

Van Morrison’s ‘Brown-Eyed Girl’ 

Fathers and brown-eyed daughters love to suggest this one, but let’s start with some of the opening lyrics, shall we? 

“Making love in the green grass,

Behind the stadium with you,

My brown-eyed girl.”

…we think our point is made. 

‘I’ll Always Love My Mama’ by The Intruders 

The opening line of this song quite literally goes: 

“I’ll always love my mama,

She’s my favorite girl”

While the song goes on to talk about how mothers bring us into this world and sacrifice left and right for their children, we think it’s in poor taste to dance to a song on your wedding day that loudly proclaims that your mom is your favorite girl… when you just married your wife. That said, if a wife doesn’t feature in your couple, this song could still be considered appropriate! 

John Mayer’s ‘Daughters’ 

At first listen, this song seems sweet – and the title quite literally involves the word “daughter.” But John Mayer has talked openly about how the song is written as a cautionary tale, saying he wrote it because he thought women didn’t receive enough love from their fathers, which impacted their ability to show love in romantic relationships later in life. 

Additionally, the lyrics “girls become lovers, who turn into mothers” is maybe a little more suggestive than any father wants to be about his daughter’s nocturnal activities with her new spouse. 

‘Butterfly Kisses,’ by Bob Carlisle

Despite being known as one of the more iconic father-daughter dance songs, “Butterfly Kisses” could be one to avoid. Yes, the lyrics are remarkably sweet, but some might find them to be a little too sweet, especially if your relationship with your dad isn’t regularly filled with deep sentimentality. Determining the right song for your moment is highly subjective, and this one just might not be it. It also focuses heavily on a father’s sadness to be saying “goodbye” to his “little girl” as she grows up – and your wedding is a day of celebration! 

‘Heaven,’ by Kane Brown

We love country music for its frequently thoughtful and emotional qualities, which make it a popular genre for weddings! But if you’re thinking about this Kane Brown song for your father-daughter dance, we recommend finding something else. Lyrics like:

 “Lyin’ next to you, in this bed with you, I ain’t convinced’

Cause, I don’t know how, I don’t know how heaven, heaven

Could be better than this” 

…aren’t the most appropriate for this reception moment with your parent.

‘Every Breath You Take,’ by The Police

“Every smile you fake/Every claim you stake/I’ll be watching you”

Can you say creepy? This song has been pretty universally acknowledged as uncomfortable and stalker-ish; Sting himself admitted he wrote it about a very jealous and obsessive love he had for someone. There’s just no denying that it’s probably one of the worst parent dance songs. No one wants their parent, or their new in-laws for that matter, to be “watching” them every step they take, every move they make and every vow they break! 

There are plenty of songs out there that DO work for a dance with your mom or dad, though! Our best advice is to think of songs that were meaningful to you growing up, or that bring a special moment to mind. Then, and this is the important part, look up the lyrics. A lot of people hear the chorus of a song and fall in love with it – and they forget to check the verses for the lyrics that could get them into trouble! No matter what you choose, Around Town’s award-winning live bands have this special moment covered, but we definitely recommend choosing something that won’t have your guests blushing for all the wrong reasons!

Sometimes, crazy as it sounds, a cover is “Simply the Best.” For example, one that immediately and aptly comes to mind is Noah Reid’s cover of Tina Turner’s “The Best.” The song shot back into the limelight in 2018 when Schitt’s Creek featured the cover in one of its most touching episodes, with Reid’s character playing his own original, stripped-down, acoustic cover of the iconic rock power ballad Tina Turner cemented as a classic in its own right in the late 80’s. Both songs are impactful and beautiful, yet utterly different, despite the fact that they are “the same song.” Reid’s cover begs to be used for a slow and intimate moment like your first dance though, where Turner’s original fits perfectly for the moment you first enter your reception as a married couple! 

Hiring a live wedding band, like any of Around Town’s award-winning bands, is the secret to making sure you can use your favorites songs during your special moments – even if they don’t originally seem to fit the vibe! As a live band, we can use reference material to take a song to new heights and depths by changing its genre from the one people might know it best in! Don’t believe us? Here are some killer examples of songs with covers so phenomenal you’ll never have to say “We love this song and its meaning, but its vibe just doesn’t match what we want for that moment at all” again! 

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You 

This classic was first made a hit by Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons in 1967 and is known for its gentle intro, which builds into one of the catchiest horn hooks of all time. If you’re a fan of the “slow build to big finish” then the original version is the one for you! Whether your introduction to the song was on the radio, jamming to your parents’ record collection, seeing Jersey Boys on Broadway, or (our personal favorite) Heath Ledger’s iconic rendition in the 90’s classic ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ – this song is timeless, catchy, and a wedding smash hit. 

Oh what’s that? You love this song but you and your new spouse were really hoping to sway to something a little less bopping for your first dance? Great news! The band known as stories has a stunning, stripped back, slowed down, acoustic version of the song that’s sure to have your guests in tears (the good kind, obviously), featuring Sarah Isen. 

We’re actually going to pause here to let you in on the fun trade secret that stories’ entire purpose is to take favorite classic songs that began their lives a little more on the “rocked out” side and strip them back to reveal the tender acoustic side that lives within. 

You Make My Dreams (Come True) 

Who doesn’t love Hall & Oates’ original bop? An infectious rhythm, a feel good vibe, a guitar hook that grabs you from the moment the song starts… all fantastic reasons to involve this song on your wedding day. The original version of this song is absolutely perfect for the couple with a fun choreographed dance routine for their first dance, or even as a reception entrance or ceremony recessional! 

But you’re a rustic, folk couple that loves the sweet, soft vibe – some “slow dancing, swaying to the music” over a high energy routine, if you will. That works for us! Check out Billie Marten’s Ont’ Sofa cover, a slowed, simple, acoustic version of the song that suddenly places the lyrics at the forefront. 

What if you’re that post-modern couple that loves chic vintage touches in a refurbished warehouse and loves funk music? Guess what – we’ve got you covered too. Give a listen to Scary Pockets’ funky, half-tempo cover featuring Jennah Bell! 

Fun Fact! Scary Pockets is from the minds of the same folks who brought you stories – where stories focuses on acoustic, totally stripped-back covers, Scary Pockets loves to find the pocket and get a little scary. Which is to say, they specialize in funk-pop covers of all your favorites! Wow, we’re really giving away all the industry secrets today, aren’t we? 

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough 

…to keep us from spilling the tea on all the different ways you can play the same song! Here’s another all-out classic from Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell that never fails to bring the heat. We love the original version of this song – who doesn’t? High energy vocals, an upbeat tempo, and percussion that just won’t quit – of course this song is a wedding favorite! But once again, the team over at Scary Pockets has brought us a funk cover that manages to change the vibe just a bit (and slows the tempo slightly for the more novice dancer); and the team at stories busts out a stunning acoustic rendition that has us wondering how more people haven’t been asking for an acoustic version of this Motown hit. 

You probably noticed right away from watching our bands’ videos and checking out our song list that Around Town Entertainment bands are as versatile as they are talented. And it’s this versatility that means we can take your favorite song and, with the help of a little reference material, do it just the way you want it for your special day. You and your spouse aren’t like anyone else – why should your music be any different?