Unashamed Imaging Live: Father-Daughter Dance Alternatives for Weddings
Unashamed Imaging LIVE is a weekly, live show focusing on wedding tips, resources and content for Couples. Every week, a different topic is featured. I also bring on a few industry leaders who excel in their niche! The Father-daughter dance has been a wedding tradition for many years now. We've seen it in movies, at weddings we've attended and more, but now a lot of couples are looking for alternatives for many different reasons. Some don't have a father-figure in their life, some father's have unfortunately passed away, while others are simply shy and might feel awkward dancing in front of a lot of people. Regardless to which category you most relate to, there are alternatives to this tradition that work great.
1. First Song: A first song has been done by Bride's who are either musicians or daughter's of one. This is a very special moment and usually months (on average 3-4 months) are spent creating a special song that the daughter and father of the Bride will sing on her wedding day. Performing a first song can most definitely be as special as dancing together. 2. First Group Dance: A first song dance is when the Bride and Father of the Bride start dancing alone together during the reception and then invite those that have their Father present with them at the wedding. This may be a little challenging depending on whom you've invited to attend your wedding, but you can execute this by calling creating a short list of anyone attending that may be under the age of sixteen because it's more than likely that they came with their parents. 3. Skip It: That's right! It's your wedding and you can do what you want. Be sure to check with your fiance' on whether or not he wants to have a mother-son dance however. If you decide to skip the father-daughter dance, but keep the mother-son dance, let the DJ or Coordinator know in advance so they don't even mention it during your reception. Guest expect the father-daughter dance because it's tradition to see it, but if the DJ orchestrates things well they won't even pay too much attention to the fact that you're not doing a father-daughter dance. 4. Money Dance: The Money Dance or "Dollar Dance" is when the Bride and Groom dance during the reception by themselves allowing anyone that has attended the wedding to dance with them, but the kicker is that they have to pin money to the Bride's dress or Groom's outfit in order to dance with them. They can give more than one dollar too. Some guests like to show off by placing $20 or $100 bills on the Bride or Groom. 5. Uncle or Grandfather to the Rescue: It is totally fine to dance with your uncle or daughter as an alternative. If your father has any physical ailments that don't allow him to dance with you on your wedding day you can totally dance with his brother or even your grandfather. This sort of goes with #6 on the list, but keep reading. You can combine these two by having a slideshow play with content of you and your dad while you dance with your uncle or grandfather. This can play in the background on a projection screen. Be sure to coordinate with your planner for how this can be executed day-of.
6. Slideshow Tribute: This is a very sentimental way to honor your Father both living or deceased. If your Dad is shy (like my Dad is) being surprised with a beautiful slideshow video of images or even taking the time to put a nice video together in tribute of or to him will warm his heart. He'll totally forget about the fact that he is not dancing with you and be emotionally taken aback by this unexpected tribute. If your Dad has passed away, you can still do the video. In fact, it would have an even bigger impact if you can compile footage of him that can play in this video as well. If he's speaking and audio can be setup for that to play on location keep this in the video.
7. Family Dance: Invite only your close family to dance with you and your Father so he doesn't feel like one-million eyeballs are starring at him. To make this simple, make a list of the close family members that you want to come join you for this dance. Surprise them by having the DJ call out their names. They will love being a part of this special moment, and your Father will feel more and more comfortable as he begins to see family supporting him and you during this moment. 8. Brother to the Rescue: Whether it's your biological brother or not, this is the closest human being to dancing with your father. Prepare him in advance if he is shy or has two left feet, but if you think he can do this on the fly surprise him as well. The DJ can totally orchestrate this for you and I know your brother won't mind because he wants to see his sister happy on her wedding day. This beautiful video is the perfect illustration of how your uncle, grandfather and brother can totally be apart of your first dance as an alternative to the father-daughter dance. *Linked video credit: "Bride's Special Dance" - Wedding Videography by La France Films
9. Mommy & Daddy Dance: This is a great way to honor both of your parents at the same time. If your father is shy, you can have your father and mother dance with you at the same time. Be sure to pin your dress up so you don't trip over it with three people dancing together, but this is a great way to make your father more comfortable. As a side note, you can also start with your mother and father and then dance with your mom solo if you really want to dance solo with mom too.
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