The First Dance: 20 Celebrity Couples Reveal The Songs They Chose For Their Wedding Dances

Engaged couples spend hours obsessing over the perfect song to pick for their first dance as a married pair, and it’s an even harder decision when you’re a celebrity and you know one of the press’s first questions is going to be: What was your first-dance song? Wedding and media pressure can be a lot to take---it’s no wonder some celebs go the route of the surprise wedding.

But these celebrity couples nailed it with classic wedding song selections, a few not-so-traditional choices, or maybe just writing the song themselves. There’s no wrong answer when it comes to the first dance. So whether you’re looking for inspiration for your wedding playlist or just curious what the stars chose for theirs, click through to find out what the A-listers waltzed too as they walked onto the dance floor for the first time as a married couple. 

Beyoncé and Jay Z

When this crazy-in-love couple got married in 2008, they tied the knot at the groom’s penthouse in TriBeCa. And as if there was any other song to choose, they went with one of the bride’s own: “Crazy In Love.” (Fun fact: It was also the first track that the lovebirds sang on together.) 

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi

Ellen and Portia are old souls who danced to Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky.” The pair wed in custom Zac Posen gowns in a ceremony at their Los Angeles home in the summer of 2008. DeGeneres surprised her new wife is an acoustic performance by Josh Radin, one of de Rossi’s favorite singers.

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan

What do you choose to dance to when you’ve made your life as a dancer? The answer: Go with a classic. This smitten couple who met on the set of "Step Up," Tatum’s breakout project, danced to Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” They got married in 2009 and have a daughter named Everly.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

The notoriously private couple tied the knot in 2012 in Charleston, South Carolina surrounded by family and friends. The bride wore a custom Marchesa gown, and the newlyweds opted for a classic song for their first twirls on the dance floor: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” performed by Florence Welch.

George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin

While everyone thought George Clooney was destined to remain a bachelor for life, he finally found true love with human-rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin. And as if he knew that the world was watching, he and Alamuddin chose Cole Porter’s “Why Shouldn’t I?” as the tune to play when they took the dance floor for the first time. The answer is: You should, George, and we’re glad you did.

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello

Vergara and Maganiello look amazing all the time, but they were particularly glamorous at their 2015 wedding in Palm Beach, Florida. And their song choice reflects that: They enjoyed their first dance to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight.” The couple exchanged romantic glances as they spun around the dance floor at this lavish affair.

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.

Even though this couple’s love feels synonymous with the '90s, their relationship was built to last. So it’s no surprise that when it came to their first dance, they chose a song that has also stood the test of time: Ella Fitzgerald’s “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Gellar and Prinze Jr. wed in 2002 and now have two children: Charlotte and Rocky.

David and Victoria Beckham

Eighteen years and four children later, David and Victoria Beckham are still very much in love. At their 1999 ceremony, they sat on golden thrones at the altar, and had custom nude figurines of themselves on top of the cake. But one thing was definitely certain: They had found the one. And their first dance song choice reflected that, as they waltzed to “It Had to Be You” by the Starlight Orchestra.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

Why choose one song, when you can choose three? (And surprisingly, West did not choose any of his own tunes!) At their decadent 2014 wedding in Florence, Italy, Kardashian and West danced to “At Last” by Etta James and “These Arms of Mine” and “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding.

Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo

When you know your wedding is going to be televised, you have to make sure every decision is perfect so Lachey and Minnillo obviously had to pick the absolute perfect song for their first dance. When their ceremony and reception aired on TLC, audiences got to see the dreamy couple step out to Louis Armstrong’s “A Kiss to Build a Dream On,” performed by Steve Tyrell.

Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross

Diana Ross did not perform for her son’s first dance, nor did the couple choose one of her songs. They also didn't choose one of the bride’s songs. Instead they went a more classic route, taking the dance floor to “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder. Ross and Simpson wed in a bohemian ceremony in August 2014 at Diana Ross’s estate in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux

The lovebirds got married in a private Los Angeles ceremony in August 2015 surrounded by close friends and family. While the couple went more modern with their first dance song choice, which was “Chandelier” by Sia, they did have the singer perform her song live at the event. Sia later revealed that her voice cracked, but no one seemed to mind!

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan

Unfortunately, their wedding was not streamed on Facebook Live (which wasn't  invented yet.) The Facebook founder and CEO and wife pulled off a surprise wedding, when guests thought they were attending a medical school graduation party for Chan. They newlyweds danced for the first time to “Last Night On Earth” by Green Day. When Zuckerberg updated his relationship status to married, he had 850K “likes” by the next day.

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton and Prince William

This was the wedding of the decade, and it seemed like everyone was watching the much-anticipated nuptials live on TV. For their first dance, the duke and duchess had Ellie Goulding sing Elton John’s “Your Song.” The couple danced slowly for about 30 seconds before the prince asked Goulding to up the tempo so other guests could join in on the fun!

Lauren Conrad and William Tell

The fashion designer and Something Corporate rocker got married in September 2014, but the bride didn’t design her own dress and the groom didn’t sing at the wedding. Conrad wore custom Badgley Mischka, and while Conrad got ready for her big day dancing to music from Taylor Swift and Aretha Franklin, the couple chose “You’re My Best Friend” by The Once for their first dance. Awww!

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka must be "American Idol" fans because they chose Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This,” the tune that clinched the first "American Idol" crown, for their first dance. After 10 years and two kids, the grooms tied the knot at an intimate ceremony in Italy.

Barack and Michelle Obama

Even before they were sitting in the Oval Office, Barack and Michelle Obama kept it presidential. The former president and first lady got married in 1992, they took a turn on the dance floor to Stevie Wonder’s “You and I.” And they  haven’t stopped dancing since — whether it be getting down with 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin or grooving to Usher at BET’s “Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration” concert.

Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher

Unlike Beyonce, Carrie Underwood did not choose one of her own songs for her 2010 wedding to hockey player Mike Fisher. The couple, who was set up by a mutual friend, took a turn on the dance floor to “Love Never Fails” by Brandon Heath at the Georgia ceremony.

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend