music monday: my top 8 first dance wedding songs

With wedding season upon us, I thought it'd be appropriate for me to share some of my favorite contemporary first dance songs:

1. "The Book of Love" by Peter Gabriel. This was our first dance song that we actually heard for the first time on the series finale of Scrubs (also from the movie Shall We Dance). Cyrus really liked the classic feel to this song, especially with all the strings. I loved how it's a super romantic song while still being relatively unknown.



2. "In Your Eyes" by Jeffrey Gaines. I prefer this version over Peter Gabriel's original (what's with me and Peter Gabriel?) because it wasn't until I heard this version that I realized how romantic this song could be. I love the acoustic guitar, the thick, passionate vocals and the way he changes up the melody to sound more contemporary. This was me and Cyrus's last dance. :) Ignore the crowd in this video. The mp3 version isn't live like this.



3. "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson. I'd never considered this a great first dance song until I saw JY and her husband dance to this at their wedding. C-U-T-E. This is a much more playful song than the others, but it's still romantic and appropriate for the occasion. (Sorry for the hokey video. The official music video doesn't allow embedding.)



4. "On a Night Like This" by Dave Barnes. This is one of my most favorite love songs. It's so simple, and the vocals are awesome. There are tons of versions of this song, and the video below is the original with piano. My favorite version, though, is from the album Serve3: Artists Against Hunger & Poverty because it has a guitar and an extra verse! Check it out if you're interested.



5. "Angel" by Jack Johnson. Here's a pretty sweet song, definitely bride-centric. As is Jack's style, it's very acoustic guitar-y and light on its feet. At two minutes, it's also shorter than most songs.



6. "You Are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne. If you're looking for something with a retro feel and a great, groovy beat, this is the song for you! This is such a fun and romantic song, and I kind of wish that I'd known about this song before our wedding. :)



7. "Let It Be Me" by Ray LaMontagne. This guy is so amazing. This song is a lot more intimate than "You Are the Best Thing." The verses talk about the difficult things in life - rejections, loneliness, hurt - and "that's when you need someone / someone that you can call" and the chorus just repeats sweetly, "Let it be me / Let it be me." Tear! :*)



8. "Sea Breeze" by Tyrone Wells. Another bride-centric song. This would've been our first dance song if we'd missed the Scrubs series finale. We saw Tyrone Wells live at Hotel Cafe, and I fell in love with this song. It's not too slow or fast, and it's easy to sway to. Sweet lyrics, good vocals.



So there it is! My top 8. Do you have any you'd like to add?

** EDIT **

I must add a ninth song: "Thin Air" by Aqualung. This is a gorgeous song about believing in love and stepping out into the unknown. Beautiful, subtle instrumentation and ethereal vocals. It's an absolutely breath-taking song!