Planning a wedding can be stressful, but we are here to help. So before you say, That’s it, we’re going to Vegas – don’t go to Vegas. Let’s have some fun!

Today’s post is part 2 of talking about all things weddings. We are going to answer your wedding questions and help navigate planning one of the biggest days of your life!

Our reception is at the hotel we are staying at. Do you have any recommendations on how to do the grand exit after the ceremony?

Absolutely! Here are a few of our favorite ways to do a grand exit after the ceremony or the reception:

• Bubbles
• LED Wands (they are great for the dance too!)
• Streamers
• LED Balloons
• Sparklers 

Notes:

LED balloons: if they pop the LED light inside becomes a tiny projectile. If you have kids at your wedding, just be careful!

Sparklers: They should only be used outside, because when you get that many sparklers lit at once, it becomes a safety issue! Also, have the DJ or MC remind everyone not to light their sparklers until they are told to. Those things burn out fast, and if they all get lit prematurely, you and your new spouse will be walking out to a bunch of charred sticks! 

Check out this post for more creative ideas for your send off!

Any suggestions for a 25th-anniversary dance?

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Are you planning a 25th-anniversary party for yourself, or planning to have an anniversary dance for the long-time married couples at your wedding? It’s a wonderful idea to honor that commitment.

When choosing a song, it’s always nice to go back to the era when you originally got married and find a song from that time when you were dating. 

Many people do their first dance from their wedding again, but some newer songs work really well for an anniversary dance too.  Here are a few of our favorites, new and old:

• Remember When – Alan Jackson
• Through the Years – Kenny Rogers
• I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
• The Rest of Our Life – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
• I’ve Had the Time of My Life – Dirty Dancing
• Have I Told You Lately – Rod Stewart
• All of Me – John Legend

Our Wedding Music Planner can help you find ideas for every part of your day as well!

 Should we do complete songs for the first dance or phase them out?

Like everything else, it’s up to you. But I do think that unless it’s a five-and-a-half-minute song, it’s great to tune everybody else out and just enjoy the moment and sing the song to one another.

That being said, not everybody likes being the center of attention. Even so, I always suggest dancing to at least 2 minutes of your song because one, it goes by very fast, but also for the sake of your photographer and your videographer. 

They spent the last hour during cocktail hour doing pictures with instructions; drop your chin, relax your shoulders, put your bouquet down, turn this way, turn that way. They took all the staged pictures and while those are great, the first dance shots have a different feel to them. 

It’s during the first dance that they can capture the two of you looking at each other, maybe wiping a tear, singing to each other, a natural smile. And they’re also waiting until you take one more step because then they get the fire extinguisher, the exit sign, or the trash can out of the picture. But they need some time to be able to get that shot.

So shoot for two minutes. And give your DJ a nod or stop dancing and go into a hug when you are ready to fade it out. If you do a twirl into a dip, that’s a very sweet way to end it.

We are torn between two songs for our first dance. Any advice?

I suggest listening to both a few times and really concentrating on the lyrics. Imagine yourself dancing to them. At one point, you’re going to stop and say, “That’s the one. That’s our song”. 

But if you have multiple songs like that, you can use one to go down the aisle and one for your first dance, and then do one at the end of the night as your private last dance, just the two of you. 

So then they all have a home. If you have even more songs that you absolutely love and want to use, you could use one of them as a cake-cutting song too!

My father isn’t in my life. My mom raised me. So I’m thinking of doing a mother-daughter dance. Do you have any suggestions? Side note, we aren’t really the sappy type.

That’s a great question and I’m, I’m thrilled that you and your mom get to have a dance! Here are some suggestions for a song:

• Mama – Carrie Underwood
• Slipping Through My Fingers – Mamma Mia
• Mother – Sugarland
• The Best Day – Taylor Swift
• Stand by Me, or In My Life – The Beatles
• You’ve Got a Friend – James Taylor
• You’re my Best Friend – Queen
• You Raise Me Up – Josh Groban
• I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack  (a bit sappy)

Even if your dad is still in your life, you can plan to dance with your mom. We all know Mom went to the tastings, Mom went to the fittings, Mom went to all the meetings, she helped you with every detail, and then the wedding day finally comes and Dad gets to dance. It can be really sweet to add that extra 3 minutes into the night and have a dance with her as well as your dad. So if you want to dance with both of them, by all means, do it!

Can you recommend a song for me to dance with my future son-in-law? He doesn’t have a relationship with his mother and we are very close. He wants to dance the mother-son with me.

That is so sweet that you two are close! These songs could work well:

• Wildflowers – Tom Petty
• Humble and Kind – Tim McGraw
• My Wish – Rascal Flatts
• God only Knows – The Beach Boys
• Unforgettable – Nat King Cole
• Count on Me – Bruno Mars
• One Call Away – Charlie Pouth
• Lean on Me – Bill Withers

I’m struggling to pick a father-daughter dance as my father does not speak English help.

There are many great songs in other languages. I think it’s great to add a song that is unique to the two of you. As long as it’s special to the two of you, then that’s all that matters, the other guests don’t need to understand the words to the song. One option would be to ask your dad if there is a song that is meaningful to him. If you still aren’t sure, here are a few wonderful options:

• I Loved You First – Primero La (Spanish version)
• Bonita – Vincente Fernandez
• Thank God – Ca Brown

A good stepdad and daughter dance

The relationship between a step-parent and a child can truly be one of a kind. When a step-parent comes into a relationship with someone and takes on their children as one of their own, it’s a special kind of bond. Here are a few of our favorite song options.

• My Girl or My Boy – LV Shane
• Step by Step – Brad Paisley
• Your Smiling Face – Justin Timberlake

Do you have any ideas on how to do a dance for a blended family, if one or both of you has children?

 I had one where the bride had two sons and the groom had three daughters. And so we had the daughters on the edge of the dance floor.

For dad, we picked a song that was about four minutes long. Dad started the dance with his eldest daughter and then after a minute went by, I was watching the time, I told the girls, I’m gonna nod you in. So I nodded into the next one. The middle child came in, she tapped her sister on the shoulder, she cut in, she danced for a minute, and then I nodded the youngest in.

She came in, tapped her sister on the shoulder and she got a dance a minute with her dad. And then I nodded to the two that had come off and the three of them were dancing with dad. So the four of them were out there and they finished the dance with that last minute and 10 seconds. And then the bride did the same thing with her boys.

We understand that planning a wedding can be stressful. Right now you’re stressing about centerpieces and floral arrangements, and maybe other peoples’ opinions.

Remember though, your family and friends are coming to your wedding because they love you and they want to be there to support you on this big day in your life. It’s going to be a great day because you are there to commit your love to each other, spend the rest of your life together, and party with your family and friends.

As you’re planning, make the decisions that feel right to you and your partner (and that fit within your budget), and forget about everything else. Your wedding will be perfect because it is celebrating YOU! 

And if you need extra help, we offer virtual wedding planning services. There are packages ranging from one brainstorming session to help you plan the whole day. 

Happy wedding planning!