First Dance Wedding Song

The first dance is one of the most iconic wedding moments. Your friends and family are gathered to watch you share a dance as husband and wife. It’s one of the only moments in the day that you are alone – even if in front of your guests. You’ll think back to this moment every time you hear the song you danced to. Simply put, the song you choose has to be perfect. (For more advice on the perfect reception music, click here.)

While a song can have a great “love” title, the lyrics may take you in the polar opposite direction. To avoid having your guests give you puzzled looks, it’s important to listen to the lyrics closely. You don’t want your first dance set to “I Will Always Love You” – sounds like a romance, but it’s professing endless dedication to a love that has been lost.

So how do you pick the right first dance song?

• Pick a song that has special meaning to you as a couple. Song you first danced to, played at your engagement, one you dance to at home – whatever invokes a happy thought.
• Pick a love song that is about love and happiness, not breakups and lost love. (Click here to see our music list for inspiration.)
• Choose a song with appropriate lyrics, a good melody and a short length. You want to enjoy the moment, not wonder how much longer you have to dance.

Here are some songs you might want to forego:

• Adele – Make You Feel My Love
• Journey – Don’t Stop Believing
• Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
• Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Follow You Into The Dark
• Elvis Presley – Always On My Mind
• Beatles – When I’m 64
• Police – Every Breath You Take
• Hinder – Lips of an Angel
• Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On
• Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On

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Something Old, Something New

Something old, something new

Something borrowed, something blue

And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

Something old. This “old” item represents the bride taking a piece of her history with her as she leaves her family to begin her own. Often this piece is a precious family heirloom passed through generations or used by all female members of the family. Popular items include jewelry, lace handkerchiefs, and rosaries. If the bride will return the item after the wedding, it can also double as the “something borrowed.”

Something new. The “new” item symbolizes what the bride will gain through marriage. Many brides use their wedding dress as their something new. You may also choose an item that you would like to pass on to future brides in your family.

Something borrowed. The “borrowed” item is lent by a happily, married woman that is sharing her marital success. It is also meant to remind the bride that she can depend upon her family and friends in times of need. The borrowed item is often a piece of jewelry, but could even be your mother’s wedding gown. To receive the luck, the bride must return the item following the wedding.

Something blue. The color blue has represented love, modesty, fidelity and purity since ancient Rome. These are all traits that a bride would need to possess as she began her married life. Many brides use blue flowers, garters or shoes. It is also a wedding trend to have your initials and wedding date sewn in the underskirt of your dress in blue thread.

And a sixpence in her shoe. A sixpence is a British coin that was minted from 1551 to 1967. It was worth about six pennies and made of silver. The coin is meant to represent financial security for the bride in her match for a husband. For best luck, the coin is placed in the left shoe. Many American brides use a dime as a silver coin or a penny for good luck. You can also purchase keepsake sixpence for your wedding day.

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Bridal Party Gifts

Your best friends are doing you the honor of standing by your side for the big moment, so you want to express your thanks through a gift. But what do you get them? Here’s some ideas.

For the groomsmen.

Cufflinks are always a classy choice. Whether personalized with their initials or their favorite sports team, they’re sure to use them again and again.

A popular choice with the guys, personalized flasks are often a gift that is appreciated. Just make sure they don’t “appreciate’ them too much until the reception.

A more recent trend has been to personalize your favorite footwear for a unique wedding look. More comfortable than formal footwear and twice as cool.

For the bridesmaids.

Every bridesmaids will love their gift when it is a designer handbag! Definitely a bridal party gift trend if your wedding budget allows.

Jewelry is a traditional gift given to bridesmaids. It saves them the additional expense and creates uniformity in your wedding day pictures.

Personalized bags, tank tops and more continue to be a bridal party gift trend.

If you’re a DIY bride, you can choose to create unique gifts for your bridal party, rather than going the store bought method. Some ideas include:

• photo album of your friendship
• poem in the recipient’s honor inside of a custom frame
• a themed basic for the movie lover, chef, gardner, etc.
• homemade lotions and bubble baths in beautiful, crystal bottles.

Another option for attendant gifts is to thank them for their friendship with personal time. You can choose a day to treat them to their favorite outings, such as a gourmet meal, round of golf, day at the spa or whatever would be appropriate for each attendant.

There is no “right amount” to spend on bridal party gifts, although some say the amount of money or time spent planning your wedding should be reflected in the gift. You may choose to give everyone identical gifts or make each unique, just make sure the monetary value is similar to avoid hurt feelings. You may choose to give the maid of honor and best man a more lavish present.

Beyond expressing your gratitude with gifts, your bridal party is sure to appreciate your heartfelt “thank you” throughout the planning process, showers, bachelor party and wedding day. Expressing those sentiments in a thank you letter after the wedding day is also appropriate.

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