Mother-Daughter Dances: Why Do Them?
Spotlight songs refer to the dances highlighted typically at weddings. They usually include a dance to celebrate and have a special moment with important people who were foundational to your upbringing or foundational to you and your partner’s relationship throughout the years.
Tradition in some weddings is the bride has two primary spotlight songs:
The First Dance, or the dance you have with your partner for the first time as a married couple.
The Father/Daughter dance - usually to acknowledge the positive role the father has in the bride’s upbringing and as the first person who loved her for who who she is, the role model.
Why do a Mother - Daughter dance?
A growing trend in weddings is to be more inclusive and supportive of non-traditional families and relationships, and to think outside the box and break the mold on the traditional spotlight song structure.
For many brides, the mother plays just as an important role in their life and unfortunately, in the past, the mother was not given a formal chance to dance with their daughter and be singularly acknowledged for all they do.
Here are some ideas for creating that moment for you and your mother:
Have it as a surprise dance for your mom, prepare a message and read it out before the spotlight song to acknowledge her
Create a mashup where the father/daughter dance song transitions halfway into the mother/daughter dance - highlights the role both parents shared equally in your life
At the end of speeches, surprise your mother with a message and dance in the reception area around your guests - great for photos!
Other ideas to celebrate your mother:
Bouquet dedication or provide a separate bouquet or rose for your mother sometime within the night
Find a song your mom loves to dance to and have the DJ do a shoutout
Find the first dance song your parents had at their wedding and have a moment for the two of them to uplift the example of love they set for you
Celebrating mothers is not just for the groom; parents, and especially mothers, can bring nurturing, care, love, strength, and companionship to all of our lives. Regardless of traditional stereotypes. at weddings, you celebrate your love as a couple, and weddings and marriage ceremonies also offer a unique opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the foundation of love you received from others in your life, especially from your mom!
