 We LOVE a good first dance; in a lot of ways it really makes the wedding day, marking the transition from formality to party time. There are loads of amazing songs to choose from, but we decided to find out which was our fans’ all-time favourite and to record a brand new arrangement of that song. We called it the World Cup of First Dance Songs… Here at Good Indeed Music, we provide live music for all kinds of events – but our biggest area without a doubt is weddings. Let’s face it, who doesn’t love the idea of a string quartet playing them down the aisle, a jazz band playing at the drinks reception, or a party band to rock the guests’ socks off at the evening do? And one of the most important elements of the wedding day, in terms of music, has got to be the first dance! Some couples relish this part of the day, planning complex routines that end up going viral. Others ask the wedding band to get all the guests dancing with them, to get the attention off the couple as quickly as possible! However you decide to go about it, a first dance can only ever be as good as the song you’re dancing to, so choosing that first dance song is a crucial decision!  How to choose your first dance song When you’re deciding the music for your first dance as a married couple, there are three key things to bear in mind. They are: Funny or serious? Novelty first dance routines can work brilliantly, but you have to commit to them! Are you prepared to go all-out for the laughs, or are you not sure you’ve got it in you? If you’re in any doubt, you’re best going for the straight approach. If you’re going for novelty, you might want to pick a song that nobody would ever expect – we’re thinking something really left field, like Baby Shark. If serious is what you’re after, then a great starting point is our World Cup of First Dance Songs shortlist, further down in this post. It’s full of classic love songs, old and new, any of which would be perfect for loved-up newlyweds to dance to. Live band or recording? We’re probably a bit biased, but trust us when we say that nothing beats the atmosphere that a live band creates at a wedding. There’s something about having a skilled group of players right there in front of you, playing a tailor-made arrangement of YOUR SONG, that turns a great wedding into a perfect one. That said, for some people they have a specific recording that they absolutely love, and it’s important that they hear it in its original form. That’s totally fine too! Another important factor here is whether you want your guests to all get up and dance with you. A live wedding band like ours will absolutely help rally the troops onto the dancefloor, but if you’re going with a recorded track then consider picking one where the vibe of the song overtly picks up halfway through. That’s your guests’ unmistakable cue to grab a partner and join you on the dancefloor! Make it meaningful The most important thing is that your first dance song means something special to you as a couple. Maybe it’s a song from the film you saw on your first date; maybe it’s a golden oldie that you’ve both loved since childhood. It doesn’t matter what your reason is, as long as that song is special. Your wedding day is just that – your day, so make it one you’ll never forget! World Cup of First Dance Songs We did a little experiment to find out which first dance song resonates with people the most! Facebook is one of the main ways we engage with existing fans and potential new clients, so we decided to use our Facebook pages as the platform for our World Cup of First Dance Songs. The plan was to pit pairs of songs against each other in a World Cup-style knockout, starting with a Round of 16 and whittling the songs down until we had an overall winner. First, though, we needed a shortlist. We put it together based on a mixture of online lists, Spotify’s playlist of popular first dances, and songs we often get asked to perform live at wedding gigs. Here’s that list in full, in case you want some first dance song inspiration! We think you’ll agree, these are some of the very best songs to slow dance to. You’ll notice Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars are in there twice, and that’s purely because we get asked to play their songs a LOT!
 We posted one poll each day, so the whole campaign ran for 15 days around 10% of Good Indeed Music’s followers voted on any given poll. There could only be one winner, though, and you decided that it would be the absolute CLASSIC, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons! The next step was for Pete and Tolu to record this beautifully crafted cover of the winning first dance song, which offers a small taste of the creativity and skill that we bring to every arrangement we do. All our wedding bands and corporate function bands pride themselves on not simply playing songs as they come, but figuring out how to reinterpret them in a unique, memorable way. This provides a genuinely unforgettable experience for our clients’ wedding guests and event attendees. |
