Grand entrance songs that actually workComing soonThis guide covers what a grand entrance song has to do the moment the doors open, and how to choose one that suits your room and your entrance.
Song guide
First dance songs that work in a room.
The short answerA first dance song has to work in a room full of your guests, not only in your headphones, and the songs here are a starting point your DJ shapes with you. At Elevate Entertainment, your DJ is also your MC and, after the toasts, cues the first dance and the parent dances on the mic. 4,000+ events, 20+ Elevate-Certified™ DJs, 18 awards, 9.7 NPS and 4.9★ across 1,058 verified reviews, as of August 4, 2026.
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Photo: Glasshaus, 2025, Chris Killingsworth Photography
The songs
Which first dance songs work in the room?
First dance songs worth starting from include All of Me by John Legend, At Last by Etta James and Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. The songs below are a place to start, in no order, and your DJ shapes the final pick with you.
- All of MeJohn Legend, 2013
- At LastEtta James, 1960
- Can’t Help Falling in LoveElvis Presley, 1961
- PerfectEd Sheeran, 2017
- Make You Feel My LoveAdele, 2008
- From the Ground UpDan + Shay, 2016
- Unchained MelodyThe Righteous Brothers, 1965
- A Thousand YearsChristina Perri, 2011
- Thinking Out LoudEd Sheeran, 2014
- I Won’t Give UpJason Mraz, 2012
Each of these songs appears on several wedding first dance song lists, from Brides, The Knot, WeddingWire, Vogue, Zola and Minted.
How do you choose a first dance song for your room?
You choose a first dance song for your room by playing it out loud the way your guests will hear it, reading its words, picking it for the dance you plan and giving it to your DJ before the night.
- Play it out loud, not only in headphonesWhat to look for: Play the whole song on a speaker in a room, the way your guests will hear it, and listen for whether it still carries the two of you.
- Read the wordsWhat to look for: Read the lyrics through once, since every guest in the room hears them with you, from your grandparents to the youngest guest.
- Pick it for the dance you planWhat to look for: Choose a song that suits the dance you are doing, whether that is a slow sway or a few steps you have practiced together.
- Give your DJ the songWhat to look for: Tell your DJ your first dance song and the songs for your parent dances, so they are all loaded before the night.
What is included
What comes with an Elevate DJ and MC for your first dance?
Every Wedding DJ booking that runs your first dance includes state-of-the-art, premium-grade equipment, dance floor lighting, a 150,000-song library, a planning meeting and your MC, and the DJ and the Wedding MC are one Elevate-Certified™ person. Everything below comes on every tier.
Six things in every DJ booking
- State-of-the-art, premium-grade equipmentThe same state-of-the-art, premium-grade equipment at every level.
- Dance floor lightingIt comes with the DJ.
- A 150,000-song libraryMust plays and never plays locked in, all loaded before the night.
- A planning meetingWith the DJ who runs the night.
- Performance & Show-Up GuaranteeA matched backup DJ, full system backups and a 100% show-up record.
- The MCYour MC coordinates the night on the microphone, connects all of your vendors, and makes sure the whole night flows effortlessly and seamlessly for your guests. Your MC is your DJ: the same person, not an extra one.
Some couples skip a day-of coordinator. Your Elevate MC often fills that role, running the timeline, cueing your vendors and moving the night along.
Your song
Can you pick your own first dance song?
Yes, your first dance song is yours to choose, and it is loaded before the night along with your must plays and never plays. When Elevate is your DJ, your guests can add requests of their own on the night with JukeJuke™, the song request app built by our team: they request songs from their own phones and vote on each other’s picks, and your DJ reads the dance floor and weaves requests and votes into the set you planned together.
Booking your DJ and MC
How do you book a DJ and MC to run your first dance?
You book an Elevate Entertainment DJ and MC to run your first dance in three steps: see your price range above, design the night in one free conversation, and read the itemized number in your quote. Nothing on this page is a quote.
Elevate EntertainmentYour booking, three steps
See your price range
Tap what your night needs in the estimator above. It sorts your running order and shows one rough range for the whole night; your exact price still comes from your quote.
See your price rangeDesign the night in one conversation
Your free Entertainment Design Session: 60 minutes, video or phone, with the team behind 4,000+ events. You bring the vision. You leave with a complete plan.
If you would rather build your night with a person than on a screen alone, or want more guidance on what to choose, you can do it together here.
Book your Entertainment Design SessionGet your exact number
A real, itemized quote for exactly what you choose. Or skip ahead and build your quote online any time.
Pricing
What does a full wedding night with Elevate Entertainment cost?
Experiences begin at $1,500
Most couples spend between $2,500 and $7,500. Highly produced events can run up to $25,000. Where your night lands depends on how much of it you hand to one team: the DJ and MC alone, or the sound production, the lighting, the live musicians and the booth with them.
$1,500Experiences beginOne experience, done right.
$2,500 to $7,500Most couples spendA DJ who is also your MC, plus live music, lighting, photo booths and effects.
$25,000Highly produced events run up toEvery part of the night from one team.
Build your quote online
Build it online, or get your exact number in your free Entertainment Design Session. Klarna and Affirm financing are available.
Related guides
What else should you read before you plan your first dance?
Before you plan your first dance, three other guides are worth a read: how the reception runs, how to choose your DJ and what a wedding DJ costs.
The wedding reception timeline, hour by hourThis guide lays the reception out in order, from the entrance to the last song.Read the guide →
How to choose a wedding DJStart here if you have not picked a DJ yet.Read the guide →
How much does a wedding DJ cost?This guide explains what moves the price of a wedding DJ and MC: the hours on site, the tier of DJ you book, the date and the drive, and what a booking covers before a single add-on. Its estimator shows a rough price range for your night.Read the guide →
Grand entrance songs that actually workComing soonThis guide covers what a grand entrance song has to do the moment the doors open, and how to choose one that suits your room and your entrance.
How do song requests work at a wedding?Coming soonThis guide explains what happens when a guest asks for a song, and who decides.
How to plan your wedding music: must-plays, do-not-plays, and requestsComing soonThis guide explains how to build a must-play list and a do-not-play list that your DJ can work from on the night.Before you book
What do couples ask about their first dance at an Elevate Entertainment wedding?
The first dance at an Elevate Entertainment wedding sits in a running order your DJ sets with you before the night.
When does the first dance happen at an Elevate Entertainment wedding?
In Elevate’s running order, the first dance comes after dinner and the toasts, and your order is set with you before the night.
Who runs the first dance on the microphone?
Your DJ does, as your MC. Your MC calls the first dance from the microphone before the parent dances, then opens the floor and reads the room in real time.
Can you add an anniversary dance after the parent dances?
Yes, in Elevate’s running order the parent dances follow your first dance, and an anniversary dance can follow them if you want one.
Can guests request songs from your Elevate DJ?
Yes, through JukeJuke™. Guests send requests from their own phones, and your Elevate DJ watches the requests come in and works them into the set you planned together.
Can you add special effects to your first dance at an Elevate Entertainment wedding?
Yes, Dancing on a Cloud can cover about five minutes of your first dance indoors with the doors closed, and cold sparks can fire on the final dip of your first dance. Both are added to your Elevate Entertainment booking; they are not booked on their own. When Elevate is your DJ, your DJ fires them on the cue you plan together, and we only use effects where your venue and the fire marshal allow them.
Your Event Made Perfect
How do I talk to a real person about my first dance?
You talk to a real person about your first dance by booking an Entertainment Design Session in the four quick steps here. One free conversation, 60 minutes, video or phone. You leave with a complete plan and an exact number, without any pressure on the call.
Complimentary · real numbers. A real person will text you within the hour.
Call or text(816) 477-4077
Step 1 of 4
Which event are we designing entertainment for?
One tap, then we check your date.
Pick the one that fits best and we’ll take it from there.
When and where is the celebration?
A rough idea is fine. Peak Saturdays go first.
Your date
Which of our locations is closest to your event?
Choose your closest market, and either a date or the no-date box.
Help us tailor your session.
Honest answers get you a sharper plan. There are no wrong ones.
Where are you in planning?
Which venue?
Optional. It helps your designer prepare for that room.
By when do you want to have found your best fit?
What do you feel is non-negotiable, if you had to pick one?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Tell us about the event.
Enough to bring the right ideas, nothing more.
What kind of event?
About how many guests?
Where is it being held?
Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.
When do you need this decided?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Tell us about the celebration.
Enough to bring the right ideas, nothing more.
What’s the occasion?
Where is it being held?
Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.
When do you need this decided?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Last step. Your details, so we can check your date.
Your designer reviews your answers before the session, so the conversation starts at your event, not at a blank page.
We need your name, a working email and phone, and the consent box checked.