Father-Daughter Dance Songs for Weddings

May 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, can you guess what one of your most emotional moments will be on your daughter’s big day? If you guessed the Father-Daughter dance, you guessed right.

When your little-girl-turned-bride and her daddy take to the dance floor on wedding day, you might just come undone. Years of memories will flood your heart, and you’ll feel like you’re out there on the dance floor with them giving her away one final time. You may even feel like it’s your last hurrah as the most important family members in her life, but instead, try to see it as a wonderful tribute to all the love you’ve shared over the years.

To help your family prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime moment, here’s a list of great song possibilities for this special tribute dance. Run them past your husband and daughter and see which ones they’re drawn to. They may want to find the songs online and listen to them together. Another great memory in the making. Enjoy!

“In My Life” – the Beatles
“You Send Me” – Sam Cooke
“The Way You Look Tonight” – Frank Sinatra or Steve Tyrell
“Come Fly With Me” – Frank Sinatra
“My Girl” – The Temptations
“Isn’t She Lovely” – Stevie Wonder
“Unforgettable” – Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole
“Cinderella” – Steven Curtis Chapman
“My Wish” – Rascal Flatts
“What a Wonderful Life” – Louis Armstrong
“Butterfly Kisses” – Bob Carlisle
“How Sweet It Is” – James Taylor
“My Little Girl” – Tim McGraw
“Times of Your Life” – Paul Anka
“You Are the Sunshine of My Life” – Stevie Wonder
“I Loved Her First” – Heartland
“It Had to Be You” – Ray Charles
“Daughters” – John Mayer
“You Are So Beautiful” – Joe Cocker
“Daddy Dance With Me” – Krystal Keith

For now, MOB, get your hankie ready. I have a feeling you may need it. And that’s okay. The tears will just be love flowing from your eyes.

*You might also like to read Wedding Day First Dance Photo—Show Off Her Rings!, Budget Agreement with the Father of the Bride, and Guest List Help: Don’t Forget the Father of the Bride.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Barry.Lenard, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: advice, bride, celebrate, family, fun, help, joy, love, memories, Mother of the Bride, music, pair, preparation, tradition, variety, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Change Your Outlook: Focus on Pros Instead of Cons

September 1, 2020 by 4 Comments

Have you noticed how almost every situation or circumstance in life contains both pros and cons? Sometimes when we’re battling with the cons, it can be difficult to see the pros, but it’s always possible if we try. If nothing else, we can see how the negative situation can help us grow in some way—patience, perseverance, forgiveness, trust in God, etc.

I had to put this principle to work several years ago concerning our neighborhood. If I wasn’t careful, I let a couple of cons—and I don’t mean crooks, I mean negative things—really get on my nerves and suck the joy out living where we do. And it was nothing horrific—just a lack of consideration.

So to keep the negative thinking at bay, I tried to remember the positive things—the pros. When I stepped outside at the right time in the morning, I could hear church bells calling children to school. And nothing says “fall” like being able to hear the high school marching band practicing a few blocks away. We also had some nice neighbors (and still do) and were in a convenient location for the most part. As I looked at the pros, I was reminded how good we actually have it in our neighborhood.

Are you faced with a situation where it might be helpful to balance the cons out with the pros? A situation where some time spent looking at the positive might change your outlook? I’ll fess up to another. I have an ongoing struggle with my attitude concerning our community and all the things it doesn’t have to offer. Maybe I need to make a trusty list and look at the pros, huh?

“. . . if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 NIV

*When has focusing on the positive helped change your outlook and attitude?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early November. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by Wiertz Sebastien, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: action, advice, balance, challenge, change, encouragement, growth, help, inventory, life, wisdom Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Mother of the Bride—An Info Source for Gift-Givers

April 16, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, did you know one of your MOB roles requires you to be the go-to source for all kinds of gift-giving information? As your daughter’s wedding day draws closer, friends and family will call on you time and again for insider info. You will be asked everything from where the couple is registered to what colors they’re using in their master bath.

Instead of hemming and hawing because you’re clueless on some of the answers, why not be prepared with an inside-scoop list? Grab your MOB planner/journal—and also the bride-to-be—and make a list of the following items and their answers:

*Where is the couple registered?

*Couple’s address after the wedding

*Names and addresses of ceremony and reception sites

*Dates and places of bridal showers

*China brand and pattern

*Crystal brand and pattern

*Flatware/silverware brand and pattern—formal and everyday

*Dishes (everyday) brand and pattern

*Cookware

*Living room colors

*Kitchen colors

*Bedroom colors

*Bathroom colors

*Size of bed

*Favorite themes or collections

*Hobbies

There you have it, MOB—your personal gift-giving ideas cheat sheet. Now all you need to do is fill it out. Enjoy your insider-info role!

You might also like to read A Planning Journal for Your Mother of the Bride Notes, Mother of the Bride – Needed and Loved, and You Are Appreciated, Mother of the Bride!

*Hope this slightly revised post from May 2014 helped you today!

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early May. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) p.s. Sign up by 4-24 to get in on this issue’s giveaway. If you subscribe after that date, you will be included in all future Life Notes giveaways.

*Flickr photo by vidalia_11, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: advice, Gift, help, Mother of the Bride, organize, preparation, serve, variety Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Day Tip: A List for the Photographer

August 28, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, today I have a tip on how to sidestep a potential disappointment with photos from the big day. Since wedding photography is one of the major expenses for the wedding, you definitely want to do anything you can to insure that both you and the happy couple will be satisfied with the once-in-a-lifetime photos from their special day.

One of the best things you can do to avoid disappointment with the photos is to give a list of must-have shots to your professional photographer. Don’t assume he or she will automatically take all the shots you think are standard. Don’t expect him to be a mind-reader, MOB. Some couples and their parents have a very traditional vision of what their photos should include while others want to take a more casual or photo-journalistic approach.

Be specific. Don’t just say family shots. List the specific family shots you want. Also be sure to tell him that in addition to the list, you want him to be as creative as possible and capture unexpected, fun, and tender moments whenever and wherever he can.

As you compile your list, MOB, think outside the box—think of some of the great photo opps that might present themselves at the wedding that are unique to you and your family and friends.The photographer will not magically know to take a photo of you with your very best friends. He won’t know that the newlyweds want a shot of all their college friends together.

Do a little photography preparation, MOB, and you’ll come much closer to being pleasantly surprised with the results instead of unhappy over missed shots. Take full advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime event—make your list!

*You might also like to read Wedding Weekend Photography Tip and Day Before Wedding Tip: Preview Flowers.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out in early August. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Hope this slightly revised encore post from Feb. 2014 has been helpful to you!

*Flickr photo by Elvert Barnes, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: advice, bride, disappointment, help, memories, Mother of the Bride, organize, photo fun, preparation, wisdom Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Day List: Add Comfy Shoes

August 14, 2018 by 2 Comments

Mother of the Bride, your attire for wedding day will not be complete without bringing a pair of comfy shoes. Whether slippers, flip-flops, or casual flats, you need to have a pair of comfortable shoes on hand for some well-timed relief from the dazzling heels you bought to go with your gorgeous MOB dress.

Comfy shoes can be worn at various times—during the pre-ceremony prep, the reception venue clean-up, and also the last couple of hours of the reception when dancing is fully underway. Guests probably won’t start arriving at the ceremony any earlier than thirty minutes prior, but to play it safe, you might want to slip on your MOB heels at least forty-five minutes ahead of start-time.

As far as the party goes, once the photographer snaps photos of the traditional dances, go ahead and get footloose and fancy free and dance in comfort. No one will care, and it will actually add to the fun atmosphere when everyone sees you unwind. Of course, only your closest family members will hang around to help with the clean-up so no worries about looking put together then. Who knows, you may even be barefoot by that point!

My comfy shoe of choice for both my girls’ weddings was my favorite flip-flops. Since they had May and July weddings, flip-flops worked great for me, but if your daughter is getting married in a cold-weather month, slippers may be in order. No rules here, though, MOB. Whatever works for you is the right choice.

So go ahead—add comfy shoes to your list right now while you’re thinking about it. Your tootsies will thank you come wedding day!

*You might also like to read Most Important Part of the MOBs Wedding Day Attire, Wedding Day Checklist: Containers for Leftover Cake, and Wedding Day Tip: A List for the Photographer.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Flickr photo by Wicker Paradise, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: advice, appearance, body, bride, comfort, Mother of the Bride, preparation Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,