Photo: JWstudio
After the months of planning every little detail, making it to your wedding reception means you’ve gotten to the really fun part and can hit the dance floor with your family and friends! Before you let loose, though, many couples opt to do those traditional dances to kick off the party. While they’re definitely traditions, are the first, mother-son and father-daughter dances required? Here’s what our experts think.
Sure, it’s a tradition that most people choose to follow, but these three dances are by no means required for a successful wedding. Whether the two of you don’t love being in the spotlight or one of your parents has passed away, it is completely up to you whether you have a first, mother-son and father-daughter dance during your reception.
If one of your parents has passed away, won’t be present at the wedding, or you don’t have a close enough relationship that you’d like to honor, you always have the option of sharing the dance with someone else, from a stepparent or grandparent to an aunt, uncle, sibling or other relative or mentor. Is your uncle walking you down the aisle? He could be the perfect person to have a special dance with, if you’d like. And there’s nothing you from having a mother-daughter or father-son dance, too!
If you’ve got a few people you’d like to honor, you could have them take turns cutting in to share the dance with you, then all joining you on the dance floor for the last chorus of the song. You may want to let them know which order you’d like them to be in and when you’d like them to cut in — this will help the transition run smoothly as well as get everyone an equal amount of time in the spotlight.
Planning to skip these dances altogether? Have your DJ or band leader invite everyone onto the dance floor for the first song, then keep the music going all night!
See more: Wedding Pros Weigh In: 18 First-Dance Songs That Haven’t Been Done to Death