A father-daughter dance song needs to work for two people who may not dance much, in front of a room that is already emotional. The songs below are grouped by feel, from the ones every guest expects to the ones that get the floor laughing. Below the list is what we learned from the father-daughter songs fathers have had written for their daughters.
The classics
The father-daughter songs that have been played at weddings for decades, and still get picked because they say the plain thing.
- Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle (1997). The father-daughter dance song. Written by a dad about his own daughter growing up.
- My Girl by The Temptations (1964). Light and short. Guests will sing the chorus.
- Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder (1976). Written the day his daughter was born. Joyful, for once, instead of tearful.
- The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra (1964). For a dad who can actually foxtrot.
- Unforgettable by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole (1991). A father and daughter singing together. The duet version is the one to use.
- What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong (1967). Two minutes, so it suits a dad who wants the dance short.
- Stand by Me by Ben E. King (1961). A promise song. Works for a dad who is not a talker.
Country father-daughter songs
More than half the father-daughter songs we write are country, and these are the ones dads name when they order.
- I Loved Her First by Heartland (2006). Written for exactly this moment, a father handing his daughter to her husband.
- My Little Girl by Tim McGraw (2006). From the film Flicka. The lyric is a dad talking to his daughter on her wedding day.
- Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman (2007). About dancing with his daughter through every stage of her life.
- Just Fishin' by Trace Adkins (2011). For a dad and daughter who spent time outdoors. Understated in a way that hits harder.
- Daddy Dance with Me by Krystal Keith (2013). Sung from the daughter's side. Good if she chose the song.
- My Wish by Rascal Flatts (2006). A blessing, not a memory. For the dad who would rather look forward.
- Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw (2016). Advice from a parent. Often chosen when the dance is more about who she is than who she was.
- There You'll Be by Faith Hill (2001). For a father who was always in the background, and knows it.
Modern father-daughter songs
Newer songs, or older ones that newer couples have adopted.
- Daughters by John Mayer (2003). Addressed to fathers about their daughters. Reads as a thank-you when it is the dad who picks it.
- Father and Daughter by Paul Simon (2002). Written for his own daughter. Warm and plain, and not a cliche in it.
- Dance with My Father by Luther Vandross (2003). About missing a father who has died. Powerful at a wedding when he is being remembered.
- Forever Young by Rod Stewart (1988). A dad's wish for his child. Works for either parent dance.
- Landslide by Fleetwood Mac (1975). About time and change. The most-chosen "non-wedding" song at wedding parent dances.
- Wildflowers by Tom Petty (1994). For a dad who wants to say "go and be free" without saying it.
- God Only Knows by The Beach Boys (1966). Short and gentle. The harmonies do the talking.
- Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion (1996). From the daughter to the dad. Direct and grateful.
- Hero by Mariah Carey (1993). Big and slow. A daughter who picks it is making a statement.
Upbeat father-daughter songs
For dads who would rather make the room laugh than cry.
- You've Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman (1995). Toy Story. Works because the whole room knows it and nobody expects it.
- Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (1967). Start slow, then switch to this halfway through. A classic move.
What 500,000 custom songs tell us about father-daughter songs
Within the wedding songs we write, one clear group is father-daughter songs. Here is what those orders look like, aggregated and anonymized.
| Measure | What the orders show |
|---|---|
| Who writes them | 85% are ordered by a parent for the daughter; 15% by the daughter for her dad |
| Most-chosen genre | Country (56%), then R&B (14%), then acoustic (10%) |
| Voice | 52% choose a female voice, 28% male, 20% leave it to us |
| Compared with all wedding songs | Country is chosen 10 points more often for father-daughter songs than for wedding songs overall |
| How often it gets played | Median of 13 plays per song after delivery |
The 85/15 split is the story. The father-daughter song is a gift from the parent, not a request from the bride. And the dads who order them keep mentioning the same things. The drive to school. A habit she had at six. The day he noticed she was grown. That is what the song ends up being about.
None of these quite say it?
Have one writtenRelated reading
- How a custom wedding song works
- 30 Best Wedding Songs: First Dance, Aisle, Reception
- 28 Mother-Son Dance Songs: Classic, Country, Upbeat
- What 500,000 Custom Songs Taught Us
Questions people ask
What is the most popular father-daughter dance song?
"Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle is the most played father-daughter dance song, with "My Girl" by The Temptations and "I Loved Her First" by Heartland close behind. Among the custom father-daughter songs we write, 56% are country.
How long should the father-daughter dance be?
Two to three minutes. Most fathers and daughters do not want to dance for a full four-minute song in front of guests, so either pick a short song or ask the DJ to fade out after the second chorus.
Can I have a father-daughter song written for the wedding?
Yes. Tell us her name, what she was like as a kid and what you want her to hear on the day, and ForeverSongs writes and produces it in under 24 hours. Playing it at the wedding is included.