Survey Reveals No. 1 Song Chosen by Brides and Grooms for First Wedding Dance — Plus Other Top Popular Picks

Ed Sheeran was removed from the throne of the king of rock ‘n’ roll!

As part of its annual Real Weddings Study, The Knot polled couples to rank the most popular first dance songs for brides and grooms in 2023. For the first time in seven years, Sheeran’s “Perfect” has been bumped from the No. 1 spot — by none other than music legend Elvis Presley, whose ballad “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

Esther Lee, deputy editor of The Knot magazine, tells PEOPLE that the recent releases of two major Elvis movies, Elvis and Priscilla, likely helped land the “All Shook Up” singer on couples’ wedding playlists. For Elvis biographical country music star Kacey Musgraves recorded an emotional version of the timeless song.

Elvis Presley.

Getty Images

The 1961 hit also appeared in the popular 2018 film Crazy rich Asians via a new performance by Kino Grannis.

“In addition, the text and musical composition of the song, which was published in November 1961 [as part of] Presley’s Blue Hawaii album, remain timelessly romantic for couples looking to convey the feeling of falling in love — and staying —,” notes Kang.

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Behind “Perfect,” Taylor Swift entered the chart at No. 3 with “Lover,” from her 2019 self-titled album.

“Calling all Swifties!” says Lee. “If there’s one thing we’ve learned this year about the power of fandom, it’s that an artist’s followers will use their favorite songs on special occasions, whether it’s a birthday party, an engagement moment and, of course, a first dance. Music is a powerful way to connect with the senses and one that talks about the history of pop culture.”

Swift was everywhere, everywhere this year — most notably, traveling the world for her Eras Tour and cheering on boyfriend Travis Kelce at NFL stadiums across the country — so it’s no surprise that couples kept her in mind when choosing their first dance song.

Taylor Swift.

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“Looking back at the past year, we’ve seen Taylor Swift experience great professional and personal success. Of course, fans continued to include her chromatic song ‘Lover’ on their wedding playlists, including one to commemorate their first dance,” says Lee. PEOPLE.

The fourth most popular first dance song was “Growing Old with You” by Restless Road, followed by “Thank God” by Kane and Katelyn Brown, “Joy of My Life” by Chris Stapleton and the Etta James classic “At Last.”

Rounding out the list are “You” by Dan + Shay, “All Your’n” by Tyler Childers and “Better Together” by Luke Combs.

It is significant that eight of the top 10 songs of the author are nominated/awarded by Grammy.

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Chris Stapleton.

Emma McIntyre/Getty

According to The Knot, couples continue to make music a key part of their weddings. Forty-four percent of couples surveyed in the Real Weddings study said they incorporated unique musical choices into their ceremony, including bagpipes and rock music.

The last dance is a growing trend. The survey found that 26 percent of couples enjoyed one last spin on the dance floor together after all their guests had left the venue.

DJs also remain a popular choice. More than 70 percent of brides and grooms hired a DJ to spin their wedding playlist, while 13 percent brought in a live band.

The Knot’s 2023 Real Weddings Study recorded responses from 9,318 American couples married between January 1 and December 31, 2023.

To bring their weddings to life — music included — couples can use The Knot Vendor Marketplace to find and connect with DJs and live bands, as well as all kinds of other vendors. Additionally, applications are open for the second annual The Knot Win a Wedding, which covers up to 10 US vendors and up to $50,000 for weddings taking place between March 28 and March 28, and applications are now open through February 28.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education