How To Make Parent Dances LESS Awkward
/If you've seen the classic film Father of the Bride with Steve Martin, you probably remember the scene where Annie shares a touching dance with her father. It's the ultimate tear-jerker as, amidst the chaos of the crazy day, they get a few minutes with each other to just soak it all in.
That sweet moment might be your experience too! However, for some people who don't love the spotlight as much, that sounds like an extremely awkward 4 minutes. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to ease the awkwardness.
Make it shorter.
Contrary to what you might think, you DO NOT have to dance to an entire song. Dance to two minutes of a song, or maybe just one! There's no right or wrong. When you're standing up in front of a room full of people, an average four-minute song feels a lot longer than you'd think!
Have people join in.
This is one of our favorite ways to ease the awkwardness as it also allows you to include other people in your special moment. We've seen lots of variations of this, such as the bride and her father dancing at the same time as the groom and his mother. The bride and her father inviting other dads or parents and daughters to join them on the dance floor. Or, even switching at the end of the song to dance with your new spouse's parent.
Choose a song carefully.
You wouldn't believe how many couples don't listen to the full lyrics of a song until they're on the dance floor. Lots of the songs commonly used for parent dances are downright awkward when you listen to them in the context of a parent-child relationship. Nothing sets an uncomfortable tone like realizing mid-dancing to Papa Don't Preach that it's about a teenage girl trying to tell her dad she's pregnant. Google search the lyrics beforehand to make sure you've chosen a winner.
Once you're on the dance floor, all you can do is try to relax and have fun! Whether you've choreographed a routine, or you just want to sway and chit-chat about the day, embrace the moment and have fun.
