One of the all time great wedding traditions (if you ask me), is one of the most unofficial—the all-friend dance and sway circle… or the all-friend dance and scream lyrics circle. Whatever. But my point is, we spend a lot of time thinking about honoring family at weddings, and for many of us, the “friends” part of the “friends and loved ones” equation is equally important in our lives. Today we’re going about honoring friends at your wedding. I don’t mean “friends as wedding party,” because I’m pretty sure you have more people that are really important to you than the ladies and gents who may or may not stand up with you. Plus, I kinda think it’s EXTRA important to honor those friends who hauled their asses all the way across the country for you, who are not in the wedding party.
APW suggests… the Friend Dance Song. Chances are, you’re going to save a dance for your dad, or your mama, or your whole family. Why not consider saving a dance for your friends? There are various ways to pull this off, depending on what kind of party you’re throwing, and who your friends are. Here are some of the most common:
- The Big Circle At The End. Call all your friends to the floor for the last dance, and let them make a circle around you. Love, love, love, my friends.
- Directly after your first dance/parent dances. Announce a friend dance, after the other official dances. If your friends are all coupled (this was so not true at our wedding), you can pick a slow-ish dance to honor all of their relationships, before moving on to shaking your ass. If they’re not, pick a circle and sway.
- The shout-the-lyrics song. This may come somewhere in the middle of the party, and might not be announced (because your ladies will know who you’re talking to). If all of your girlfriends, or high school friends, or college friends have a song that’s an anthem, play it! It’ll be an emotional moment for all of you, and once you fill the floor with lyric shouting and swaying, chances are good lots of other people will join in.
With that in mind, we’ve assembled a playlist to honor your friends, to get you started.
1. “With A Little Help From My Friends” by The Beatles
2. “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls
3. “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks
4. “We Are Young” by Fun
5. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
6. “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey
7. “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen
8. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper
9. “I’ve Got A Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas
Let’s keep your suggestions going in the comments. What song would you play to honor those super important relationships in your life?
