Slow Dance Recommendations

Sometimes during the night of dancing to upbeat stuff that's fun for the whole family, occasionally you have to bring the energy back down for a breather and create romantic moments with some slow songs. It's important to give the guests time to catch their breath and regain some energy by allowing them to grab a partner and hold them close to a slow tune. These sure-fire songs are great to play at weddings, and are time-tested ones that we personally use to create these lasting moments on the dancefloor.
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Modern Pop
"Perfect" - Ed Sheeran
​"Thinking Out Loud" - Ed Sheeran
"I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
"All of Me" - John Legend
"Adorn" - Miguel
"XO" - John Mayer
"Yellow" - Coldplay
"Magic" - Coldplay
"Lover" - Taylor Swift​
​"1,2,3,4" - Plain White Tees

Ed Sheeran songs are the 'perfect' way to slow the dancefloor down. Not only are these modern slow songs in this list romantic, but the right tempo to sway back and fourth to. Not to mention that most people know the lyrics and actually grabs people that were previously sitting down to head to the dancefloor.

2000's Alt Rock
​"Iris" - Goo Goo Dolls
"You and Me" - Lifehouse
"I'll Be" - Edwin McCain
"Here Without You" - 3 Doors Down
​"Wonderwall" - Oasis
"Arms wide Open" - Creed
"Truly Madly Deeply" - Savage Garden
"Don't Want to miss a thing"- Aerosmith
"Drops of Jupiter" - Train

These 2000's alt rock songs are great slow dance starters, and again most people have these lyrics engrained in their head growing up. We might be seeing the tail end of people that know these songs though, as younger couples were only toddlers when these were on the radio.

Country
​"From this Moment on" - Shania Twain
"Amazed" - Lonestar
"Forever and Ever Amen"- Randy Travis
"Love Story"- Taylor Swift
"Could I have this Dance"- Anne Murray
"It's your love"- Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
"My Wish" - Rascal Flatts
"Your Man" - Josh Turner
"My Best Friend" - Tim McGraw
"Islands in the Stream" - Dolly Parton & Kenny Chesney

These country love songs are great to slow dance to if you've got a country wedding! Indiana receptions seem to enjoy some country music sprinkled in and a lot of it spans generations of country music lovers that will know some of these songs.

Motown/Jazz
​"At Last" - Etta James
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye
"You Look Wonderful Tonight" - Eric Clapton
"Can't Take My Eyes off you"- Frankie Valli
"My Cherie Amour" - Stevie Wonder
"You are The Best Thing" - Ray LaMontague
​"The Way you look tonight" - Frank Sinatra
"Unforgettable" - Nat King Cole
"Can't Help Falling in Love" - Elvis Presley
"How Sweet it is to be Loved By you" - James Taylor
"L.O.V.E" - Nat King Cole
"What a Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong

These are classics, mostly coming from the Motown and jazz Era. Timeless slow dances that everyone should know and have in their arsenal to get the older generations out on the dancefloor. Of course if you have any good taste in music you know the lyrics to these too!

R&B 
"All My Life" - K-Ci & JoJo
"Halo" - Beyonce
"Slow Dance" - R Kelly
"Nobody" - Keith Sweat
"By your side" - Sade
"XO" - Beyonce
"Ain't Nobody" - Chaka Khan
"I Gotta Be" - Jagges Edge
"If I Ain't Got you" - Alicia Keys
"Always" - Atlantic Starr
"Thinkin Bout You" - Frank Ocean
​"Just the Two of Us" - Bill Withers

These rhythm and blues songs are great slow songs to get close to your partner, bump and grind, leaving no room for Jesus. Get on the floor with these R&B ballads!

80's Slow Songs
"I Want to know what Love is" - Foreigner
"Hello" - Lionel Richie,
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" - Bonnie Tyler
​"Careless Whisper" - George Micael
"Faithfully" - Journey
"Keep on Loving You" - REO Speedwagon
"I Just Died in your Arms" - Cutting Crew
"Time after Time" - Cyndi Lauper
"Have I Told you Lately" - Van Morrison
"Open Arms" - Journey

These 80's pop and rock songs are sure to get the parents generation out there on the floor, these hits are great if you want to cater to the parents and grandparents generations while trying to build up a consistent dance floor.

Honorable Mentions
"Better Together" - Jack Johnson
"How Deep is your love" - Bee Gees
"In My Life" - The Beatles
"10,000 Hours" - Justin Bieber & Dan + Shay
"Crash Into Me" - Dave Matthews Band
"This I promise you" - N*Sync
"Kiss Me" - Sixpence None the Richer
"Everything" - Micheal Buble
"Make You feel my love" - Adele
"You're My Best Friend" - Queen​

These are some honorable mentions, all different genres ranging from 90's pop, country pop, to classic soft rock. These are extra song ideas if you've burned through everything else above, generally people enjoy the more upbeat stuff so including this many slow songs during a reception would be overkill. They are tools to regain energy, get other groups that aren't dancing to the fast stuff out there, and change the pace or reset the floor!

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​Article by DJ Scottie Manners (JIVE WISE)
Owner of Table Manners Productions