Consider Your Pre-Wedding Schedule

Forget about “Inside Jokes”

Analyze The Song's Lyrics

Remember, It's Your Wedding

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Over the past 40 years the team at Guastavino’s has hosted hundreds of beautiful and elegant weddings that would bring a tear to your eye. Without exception, the most emotional part of any wedding reception is the first dance segment of the event. We have seen dozens of breathtaking father/daughter, mother/son and newlywed couple dances. We’ve seen classic slow dances, upbeat pop numbers and indescribable choreographed routines.When choosing a first dance song, some couples go for a standard. Etta James’ “At Last” for example, was just named the most over played wedding song of all time. Some choose a recent hit, like Calvin Harris’ “We Found Love.” Others have gone for jokes, including such classics as “Like a Virgin” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”. If your wedding date is quickly approaching and you still don’t have the perfect song in mind, here are a few tips for narrowing it down and choosing the perfect song for your first dance as a married couple:Many couples would love to have their first dance be an elaborate dance routine that includes the entire wedding party. What they don’t realize is what a time commitment it is to put something like that together. Even if one or both members of the couple is a professional dancer, choreographing and perfecting a dance routine takes time. In the days before your wedding, you may be so busy and overwhelmed that you don’t have time to eat, let alone practice your dance routine. If a YouTube worthy dance routine is truly your heart’s desire, then go for it, but prepare to spend a few sleepless nights getting it right.Wedding crowds love when there is a cute “joke” associated with a couple’s first dance. I recently attended a wedding where the groom had the misfortune of being named Brian Adams, so the couple’s first dance was to a Bryan Adams tune. A more common example of this is when two teachers marry, they will often choose Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” as an upbeat first dance number. Wedding crowds love this. Unfortunately, sometimes an inside joke is too far inside for even close relatives to get. These first dances can feel awkward, forced and often silly. While there is nothing wrong with picking a song with a story behind it, make sure to give your guests a chance to get in on the joke.“I Will Always Love You” seems like the perfect commitment song until you realize it’s about a breakup. Dave Mathew’s “Crash Into Me” and The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” are sexy love songs that are actually tales of stalkers. REM’s “The One I Love” is about using a lover as a way to kill time, and U2s “One” is about the joy of solitude. The list goes on and on. Before choosing a first dance tune, make sure that you actually understand what the song is all about. A misinterpreted song could be something that you laugh at down the road, or it could be a bad omen of things to come.When it comes down to it, all the advice in the world won’t make much of a difference if it doesn’t lead you to a song that you really love. While there may not be love ballad that perfectly sums up your relationship, you should at least be able to find one that will make you both smile, laugh or shed a tear during your first dance as a married couple. My personal favorite is “Stuck With You” by Huey Lewis and The News. It’s a quirky and heartfelt love song about growing old together, and it’s certainly not overplayed. The important thing is finding a tune that is truly special to you, on your wedding day and 'til death do you part.For More Tips and Blog Posts, Like Guastavino's on Facebook