non sappy father daughter dance songs offbeat wed offbeat bride alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)
What father-daughter dance song do you think they're dancing to? Photo by Nima Salimi

I've spent the last two days scouring the ‘net for a father/daughter dance for our wedding reception, and frankly, virtually every suggestion I've come across has a title that makes me throw up in my mouth a little like “Daddy's Little Girl” or “Butterfly Kisses.”I'm not opposed to sentimental songs but perhaps none with the bride=angel/child/doll theme I can't seem to get away from.

My dad's a '60s/'70s Classic/Southern rock kinda guy. There's gotta be something out there about years going by, getting older, moving on… I just can't seem to find it.

This is one of the few traditions we're actually keeping, so I'd like to find something right for us. —Sharon

Yeah, nothing like the creepy incest themes that seem to come up with father-daughter dance song lyrics, hmm? That's part of why many of us skip the tradition, but I do agree that with the right father-daughter song, it can be a nice moment on the dance floor.

There are some very time-honored classics, so if you want to give your guests something predictable, go for:

  • Frank Sinatra “The Way You Look Tonight”
  • Louis Armstrong
  • Nat King Cole / Natalie Cole “Unfogettable”

But here you are on Offbeat Wed… and we're betting you might like a few non-cheesy, non-icky song ideas for your alternative father-daughter wedding dance song ideas. Let's start with a genre lots of dads love…

wpo kitchen show 3 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)
This is the West Philadelphia Orchestra, a brass band that could totally rock your dad's favorite song.

Father-daughter dance songs for those rockin' dads: Classic rock ballads and harder rock songs:

  • Led Zepplin's “Thank You” (hear it)
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd's “Simple Man” (hear it)
  • Rolling Stones' “She's a Rainbow” (hear it)
  • The Cars' “Just What I Needed” (hear it)
  • Warrant's “Heaven” (hear it)
  • Neil Young's “Here for You” (hear it)
  • Bruce Springsteen's “When You Need Me” (hear it)
  • Queen's “You're My Best Friend” (hear it)
  • Guns and Roses' “Sweet Child O' Mine” (hear it)
  • Staind's “Zoe Jane” (hear it)
  • Tom Petty's “American Girl” (hear it)

father escorting daughter alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Contemporary sentimental, but not overdone (yet!) … for when you want to make the father of the bride cry:

  • Loudon Wainwright's “Daughter” (hear it)
  • Five for Fighting's “100 Years” (hear it)
  • World Party's “She's the One” (hear it)
  • 10,000 Maniacs' “How You've Grown” (hear it)
  • Natalie Merchant's “Kind And Generous” (hear it)
  • The Cary Brothers' “Blue Eyes” (hear it)
  • Wilco's “My Darling” (hear it)
  • Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo'ole's “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” (hear it)
  • Amos Lee's “Sweet Pea” (hear it)
  • Eva Cassidy's “True Colors” (hear it)
  • “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes (hear it)
  • “Daughters” by John Mayer (hear it)
YouTube Father Daughter Dance alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)
Pull off awesome Father-Daughter dances. Photo by Brad Howe Photography.

Softer rock classics (when you want to rock, but also keep it purty):

  • Tom Petty's “Wildflowers” (hear it)
  • Bad English's “When I See You Smile” (hear it)
  • Journey's “Lights” (hear it)
  • Billy Joel's “Just the Way You Are” (hear it)
  • Beach Boys' “God Only Knows” (hear it)
  • Carol King's “Child of Mine” (hear it)
  • The Byrds' “Turn, Turn, Turn” (hear it)
  • Paul Simon's “Father and Daughter” (hear it) or “You Can Call Me Al” (hear it)
  • Stevie Wonder's “Isn't She Lovely” (hear it)
  • James Taylor's “You've Got A Friend” (hear it)
  • Joe Cocker's “Darling Be Home Soon” (hear it)
  • Fleetwood Mac's “Songbird” (hear it) or “Landslide” (hear it)
  • The Beatles' “Across the Universe” (hear it) or Rufus Wainwright's version
    (hear it)
  • Another Beatles selection, “In My Life” (hear it)
  • Lulu's “To Sir With Love” (hear it)
  • Gram Parsons' “A Song for You” (hear it)
  • Bread's “Daughter” (hear it)
  • Jimmy Buffett's “Little Miss Magic” (hear it)
  • Spiral Staircase's “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday” (hear it)
  • Cyndi Lauper's “Time After Time” (hear it)

Upbeat classics from the '40s and '50s

  • Ray Charles' “Ain't That Love” (hear it)
  • The Rays' “Silhouettes” (hear it)
  • Frankie Avalon's “Bobby Sox to Stockings” (hear it)
  • Elvis' “The Wonder of You” (hear it)
  • Sam Cooke's “Nothing Can Change This Love” (hear it)

Crazy and funky first dance songs for fathers & daughters:

  • Steppenwolf's “Born to be Wild” (hear it)
  • Voltaire's “Goodnight Demonslayer” (hear it)
  • Any version of “You Are My Sunshine,” particularly the Johnny Cash version (hear it)
  • “Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (hear it)
  • LOTS from The Vitamin String Quartet. Try Sweet Child O' Mine (hear it) or “Don't Stop Believing” (hear it)
  • Kermit's “The Rainbow Connection” (hear it)

father daughter dance alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

For those who want a country fried daddy dance:

  • The Bellamy Brothers' “Let Your Love Flow” (hear it)
  • Kenny Chesney's “There Goes My Life” (hear it)
  • John Fogerty's “I Will Walk With You” (hear it)
  • The Judds' “Love is Alive” (hear it)
  • Rascal Flatts' “My Wish” (hear it)
  • Dixie Chicks' “Lullaby” (hear it)

Prepare to squeal at the ARMORED corset dress at a medieval wedding

Far out stuff for alterna-dads:

  • Yo La Tengo's “You Can Have It All” (hear it)
  • David Bowie's “Let's Dance” (hear it)
  • “Standing” from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical, sung by Tony Head
    (hear it)
  • The Dropkick Murphy's “Forever” (hear it)
Dancing Dad alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)
Have you ever seen a happier dancing dad?

And the strangest (but coolest) suggestions from readers:

  • Randy Newman's “Short People” (hear it)
  • Jonathan Coulton's “Re: Your Brains” (hear it)
  • Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five's “Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens”
    (hear it)

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