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Brent Miller

Memorable Parent Dances

*** All of our best ideas to help you find a song you and your parents will both love ->

The parent dance is a big moment. It is a wonderful opportunity to give your parents the credit they deserve on your big day, taking time to make a memorable moment.

Having said that, finding the right song can be difficult. At first this seems like an easy task, until you soon realize that most great slow songs are either all about break-ups or romance. At the same time, while there are a few songs that were clearly written for Parent Dances, many of them at best feel over-played and obvious. And at worst these songs seem downright tacky. This is the point where many couples give up and simply decide on an obvious choice, often a slow Country song selection, simply to decide and move on. This week we are here to help you decide on something better! We love helping you uncover song selections that your parents deserve. The trick is to look for common ground in your story together. The ideal song may be a something from an album they used to love, or maybe a selection from a concert you once saw together. For example, the song I chose for my own Mother/Son dance was Jann Arden's GOOD MOTHER as she was my mom's favourite singer and we had seen her together at a summer folk festival year's earlier. It fit!


While we often simply list songs here on our blog that we love, this week we wanted to slow it down a bit more and tell you all the reasons why these 17 song selections are the PERFECT fit for a parent dance. Hoping they inspire you to think of something that fits your story with your parents too.


LANDSLIDE - Fleetwood Mac This song is all about learning and growing and changing, which fits the moment pretty perfectly as weddings mark a humongous moment in your lives changing and growing.

This is an especially great selection as there is a good chance that Fleetwood Mac is already a part of your parents' music collection, or one of the songs many cover renditions released over the years.


This jazz classic was re-recorded with Natalie Cole singing along with her dad's original recording as a tribute. There is some serious magic here with this talented daddy/daughter duo singing together about their mutual unforgettable-ness.


This ukulele-led Hawaiian version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and "Wonderful World" is a wonderful substitution for their cheesier originals. Louis Armstrong's original version of the latter is still an option for those that happen to love it, but the magic of this happy tropical version wins for us


This is perfect for anyone whose dad is getting all caught up in mushy country lyrics. It is the ultimate compromise as while Paul Simon was an old man when he wrote and recorded this in 2002, it is so much better than any other sappy country song like "I Loved Her First" or "My Wish", but has similar heart-touching lyrics, creatively strung together in a way only Paul Simon would think of.


STAND BY ME - Ben E. King

In the true classics department this song has timeless appeal. For those times when you can't quite place exactly what emotion you are going for, this song is ideal as it pretty much covers them all. Be prepared for your guests to clap along and pull out their lighters.


This song was written to celebrate the birth of Stevie's daughter Aisha. The intention of the the words is what makes this one so nice for daddies and daughters as Stevie's words echo the sentiment of so many dads from the moment their daughters are born. Perfect, Precious and Wonderful. This song is a joyous celebration and just fits in so nicely.


This song is a classic and still a brilliant choice. While it was written as a love-song, the innocence and lovely endearing-lyrics make it easily adaptable as a parent dance selection. It is also a perfect choice based on its non-demanding tempo, allowing you to skip back and forth at a fun, comfortable, totally not-weird pace.


SOMEONE LIKE YOU - Van Morrison Van Morrison's original recording of this song streams with gentle honesty and a rugged 70s classic soft-rock sound. Simple quiet words sung in an introspective way is what makes Van Morrison so great and will make this moment great for you too.


GOD ONLY KNOWS - The Beach Boys This song is just so beautiful. You might recognize it as the last song that plays in the Christmas Movie LOVE ACTUALLY, and it lives on there for a reason. It has depth, brilliance, eloquent lyrics and will evoke seriously feels during your parent dance together.


YOUR SONG - Elton John  Maybe it is because of the Disney Movie THE LION KING that makes Elton John songs sound like such perfect parent dances. Whatever the reason, any of his ballads including CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT, CIRCLE OF LIFE, TINY DANCER, and this brilliant song that started it all for him, YOUR SONG are all absolutely brilliant choices to bridge the gap between generations. Just like Mufasa and Baby Simba.


In digging a little deeper I found out that this is actually a cover of a Bob Dylan song, but it is this recording with Rod Stewart shiny happy raspy vocals that made this song immortal. It was the song that Sarah chose for her parent dance with her dad as he is a huge 80s music fan. Amazing ideal lyrics for a dad that will remain forever young in Sarah's heart, love this one.


If you don't listen too closely to the lyrics, this song is perfect parent wisdom to a child.


For anyone that has some country roots, this song is such a nice tribute to simpler times. The Johnny Cash version is super popular too, although a bit more depressing, which is why this version got our vote. This one was featured in George Clooney's Old Timey movie, "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" which also has many other nice selections if you feel like digging.


There is a very good chance you can sell your parents on a Beatles song, and this is one of the most on point. It is another song about hope, sunrises, Sunday mornings and happiness. Plus it also has a nice up-tempo feel so you can come up with your own dance steps.


On the subject of The Beatles this is another of their classics that fits more often than not. It isn't quite as much fun as Here Comes The Sun, so better saved for when you would like a more serious family moment.


There are a ton of versions of this song, Sheryl Crow's being the most popular acoustic version. The lyrics are mostly on point if you make a point of half-listening to the verses. The chorus makes it work every single time. A great choice if you prefer an "Axl Rose Shuffle" to actual slow-dancing.


GOOD MOTHER - Jann Arden And like I mentioned above, this was the song I picked for the dance with my mom, indeed she is a great mother! We landed on this one as she has been a huge fan of Jann Arden's since the 90s. So much truth in these words sung with the honest conviction of Arden's uniquely Canadian sweet & sour voice.

WONDERFUL WORLD - Louis Armstrong This one comes up again and again as it is just the most wonderful statement for such a wonderful moment. It captures the sentiment of an older wiser heart appreciating the march of time, with parents getting teary eyed as they reflect on their babies growing into the beautiful strong humans that are now enjoying their momentous wedding day. A classic in every way! HOW WILL I KNOW - Whitney Houston One of our favourite parent dance moments we remember is from a bride and her mom as it was just the two of them growing up. This was a song they would dance to at night together all the time, so made for the perfect parent dance for the two of them to rock out together reminiscing of good times past.

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