Father Daughter Dance Songs: What 42 Adelaide Couples Chose
By Ryley Smithson, Tennyson Events · Updated October 2026
The most popular father daughter dance songs on our run sheets are "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong and "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins, each chosen by 3 couples. Six more songs were chosen by 2 couples each, including "I Loved Her First" by Heartland and "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman.
We pulled these from the run sheets of 183 weddings (2017–2026). 42 of those couples named a father-daughter song, and they chose 36 different ones. Most songs appear once, so use this as a starting point, not a rulebook.
Listen to every father-daughter song we've played: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Lkz48sFUwPRjvpu6aNB5G
The most popular father daughter dance songs
What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong (chosen by 3 couples)
You'll Be in My Heart – Phil Collins (chosen by 3 couples)
I Loved Her First – Heartland (chosen by 2 couples)
Cinderella – Steven Curtis Chapman (chosen by 2 couples)
Giving Her Away – Luke Combs (chosen by 2 couples)
My Baby – Cold Chisel (chosen by 2 couples)
Slipping Through My Fingers – Meryl Streep (chosen by 2 couples)
Sweet Child o' Mine – Jae Hall (chosen by 2 couples)
My Little Girl – Tim McGraw (chosen by 1 couple)
Unforgettable – Nat King Cole (chosen by 1 couple)
Yours – Post Malone (chosen by 1 couple)
Give Me Away – Riley Roth (chosen by 1 couple)
Dads and Daughters – MaRynn Taylor (chosen by 1 couple)
Isn't She Lovely – Stevie Wonder (chosen by 1 couple)
Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac (chosen by 1 couple)
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra (chosen by 1 couple)
Mr. Blue Sky – ELO (chosen by 1 couple)
Moon River – Frank Sinatra (chosen by 1 couple)
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison (chosen by 1 couple)
Hold My Girl – George Ezra (chosen by 1 couple)
Only 8 songs were chosen by more than one couple. The rest were single picks.
More songs our couples chose
Always – The Butterfly Effect
Daddy Lessons – Beyoncé
Angel – Amanda Perez
Daddy's Little Girl – Michael Bolton
Father and Daughter – Paul Simon
Forever Now – Michael Bublé
Lean on Me – Bill Withers
Let Me Be There – Olivia Newton-John
My Wish – Rascal Flatts
Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
Real Love Baby – Father John Misty
Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
Take My Breath Away – Berlin
(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry – Darlene Love
Days Like This – Van Morrison
How to choose a father daughter dance song
Start with a song only the two of you share. Think of a song from the car or the kitchen. Our list ranges from "Brown Eyed Girl" to "Sweet Child o' Mine" (an acoustic version).
Choose a tone. Our list runs from sentimental songs like "My Little Girl" to upbeat ones like "Mr. Blue Sky". Both are fine.
Check the lyrics together. Read them aloud. Some songs describe a very young girl, and you may not want that on the day.
Keep it short. Parent dances land best at about two to three minutes. We can edit the song, or cut it to a good ending.
Tell your dad early. Give him time to be nervous in private, not on the dance floor.
Father-daughter moments are always beautiful. You don't have to dance for the whole song. Whenever you're ready, wave your partner in and do a little handshake with your dad or your mum, however you want to do it, then carry on with your first dance.
Where it sits in the night
I'll always put father-daughter dances, or any family dance, before the first dance. That means once your first dance is done, we can invite everyone up and the dance floor opens straight away. Tell us the order you want. We announce each moment as MC. See how to choose a first dance song and our wedding reception timeline for placement.
If your dad is shy, or your parents don't want to be the centre of attention, you can do the dance a few songs into the open dance floor instead.
Mother-son dance songs
We will be honest: mother-son dances are rare on our run sheets. Only 1 couple named a mother-son song. It was "Days Like This" by Van Morrison. One sample is not a trend, so we cannot tell you what is popular.
What we can say is that the same rules apply as for a father-daughter dance.
Choose a song with meaning to the two of you.
Check the lyrics and the length. Two to three minutes.
If you want both parent dances, decide the order early and tell your DJ, so it can be announced properly.
These are general suggestions, not our couples' picks (none of them come from our run sheets): "A Song for Mama" by Boyz II Men, "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban, "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler.
Quick answers
What are the best father daughter dance songs?
"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong and "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins, 3 couples each. See the list above.
What are some dad and daughter wedding songs that aren't sad?
Our couples chose upbeat songs like "Mr. Blue Sky" by ELO and "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry. Each was chosen by 1 couple.
How long should a father daughter dance be?
About two to three minutes. We can edit any song to length.
Are there mother-son dance songs?
Only 1 of our couples named one: "Days Like This" by Van Morrison. See the section above.
Do we need a parent dance at all?
No. 12 couples skipped even the first dance, and parent dances are optional too.
Plan the rest of the night
Looking for the first dance? See first dance songs. Planning your entrance? See reception entrance songs. For every moment, see wedding songs in Adelaide. Costs? See wedding DJ cost in Adelaide and wedding DJ hire.