One of the most emotional and important moments to capture at the wedding reception are the first dances.  You've no doubt seen many bride and groom shots here on the Wedding Journal, but today we focus on Father and Daughter dances.

I did some research on the most popular Father / Daughter wedding dance songs and there were some surprising results.  Here are few that kept showing up in every list... 

• What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
• Unforgettable - Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole
• I Loved Her First - Heartland
• Tiny Dancer - Elton John
• Forever Young - Rod Stewart

A real surpise that kept coming up, but a song that I totally love is God Only Knows by The Beach Boys.  The number one Father and Daughter wedding dance song according to most wedding websites is The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra.  It kept topping list after list that I found.  I guess traditional is the preferred way to go for most brides when it comes to dancing with Dad.

Here are some tips when planning this loving moment for your reception....

• Talk to your Dad.  Ask him what he'd like to dance to or if he wants to practice ahead of time.
• Keep it short.  After all your Dad is a guy and sometimes we are uncomfortable dancing in the spotlight.  You can also have your groom come up mid song with his mother.
• Go ethnic.  Show off your ethnic pride and be surprised when Dad really cuts loose.  It could make for a fun moment between you guys that I can capture with the camera.

While photographing the above reception at Villa Cesare Banquet Hall, the bride's dad surprised me by spinning his daughter around and around on the floor.  It was a showstopper and I loved capturing it for their wedding album.