One of the sweetest moments at the reception are the parent dances. There are a few different ways to approach the parent dances. Following the bride and grooms first dance many couples then opt to go right into the parent dances. Other options are to save the parent dances until after the main course. The couple can choose two separate songs (one for the bride and her dad the other for the groom and his mom). Or they can choose one special song for the bride and her dad and have the groom and his mom join in during the song and following that inviting all up to dance.
My preference is to have the parent dances following the main course (assuming the couple has already had their first dance). I also think it is nice to time the parent dance to come following the father's toast and then it becomes a sweet and personal moment when he invites his daughter up to dance. So, then he dances with his daughter, the groom and his mom comes onto the floor to the same song and then all are invited up to join.
The pitfalls for going into the parent dance directly after the first dance is that it takes the focus away from the bride and groom too quickly thereby maybe missing the impact of the first dance. And because the guests still need to wait longer to join into dance it naturally creates a longer lull in the guests ability to dance. Some party planners and couples will then intentionally cut their first dance short which then in my opinion makes the songs too choppy....I prefer the give the couple their moment and also emphasize the parent dance to the full impact later on in the night.
When a father is deceased I recommend either skipping the groom and mother dance. Or having that dance be unannounced. In other words the groom and mother can tap the photographer on the shoulder and let him/her know they are going to dance and have a picture taken.
In choosing a song for parent dances I recommend really thinking of the mood you are trying to evoke. If you don't have a meaningful song between you and your father then determine the mood (nostalgic, fun, light, unemotional, tearjerker) and then choose the song. Make sure the lyrics are appropriate. Some songs are deemed a bit too romantic for parent dances. Do not dance the entire 3-4 minute song alone with your Dad without having others join. It really feels like eternity to your guests. That isn't to say that you can't have your moment, it just means that you will either cut the song short or invite others up on the dance floor as well. THe bride can then either continue dancing with her Dad or change partners.
