One of the most emotional and important moments to capture at the wedding reception are the first dances. You've no doubt seen many bride and groom shots here on the Wedding Journal, but today we focus on Father and Daughter dances.

I did some research on the most popular Father / Daughter wedding dance songs and there were some surprising results. Here are few that kept showing up in every list...

What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Unforgettable - Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole
I Loved Her First - Heartland
Tiny Dancer - Elton John
Forever Young - Rod Stewart

A real surpise that kept coming up, but a song that I totally love is God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. The number one Father and Daughter wedding dance song according to most wedding websites is The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra. It kept topping list after list that I found. I guess traditional is the preferred way to go for most brides when it comes to dancing with Dad.

Here are some tips when planning this loving moment for your reception....

Talk to your Dad. Ask him what he'd like to dance to or if he wants to practice ahead of time.
Keep it short. After all your Dad is a guy and sometimes we are uncomfortable dancing in the spotlight. You can also have your groom come up mid song with his mother.
Go ethnic. Show off your ethnic pride and be surprised when Dad really cuts loose. It could make for a fun moment between you guys that I can capture with the camera.

While photographing the above reception at Villa Cesare Banquet Hall, the bride's dad surprised me by spinning his daughter around and around on the floor. It was a showstopper and I loved capturing it for their wedding album.

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The above wedding reception collage has much of what is covered during the big party - first dance, cake cutting, decorations, etc. My assistant and I try to be as unattrusive as possible and just let the celebration take place. I might get up and close during crazy group dances to capture the action, but for the most part we treat this part of the wedding with mostly candids.

I don't care to take photographs of people eating so we will usually do some detail shots at this time or an over view of the hall type of shot. The image below is from a Michigan wedding and the hall had a balcony that overlooked the party.

The introductions are covered from the elegant walk outs to this silly one from The Patrician Banquet Hall in Schererville, Indiana.

As dinner winds down, we usually look for candid photos such as this grandfather having a loving moment with his grandaughter...

Let's not leave grandma out...

The cake cutting is a long time tradition. I usually get asked during the moment by the couple how to cut it. Just take the knife together and cut a small piece off and then feed each other. I know, tough to do with when you're at Avalon Manor with a large crowd watching...

It's up to you how silly you want to get with the cake. This couple had a good time getting cake on their faces during their reception in Hammond.

Speeches from the wedding party can be touching and / or funny and sometimes a little of both.

We use very minimal lighting during the first dances. This shot of the groom spinning the bride did not use flash at all and gave us a nice blur on the wedding dress.

This next one is from Marquette Park Pavillion and was given a vintage brown tone effect...

Father and daughter chat on the dance floor at this Crown Point wedding reception...

If you have entertainers at your party that are involved with the festivities, I will surely capture them as part of your wedding day. One of my favorite photos are these acapella singers from a celebration at The Patio in Merrillville.

It was a packed room in the Celebrity Ballroom at the Radisson for this Indian wedding...

How to properly toss a bouquet of flowers? Well, it may seem silly to make these points, but trust me I've seen some go awry!!

Make sure the single girls are a good distance behind you and are in place
Look for overhead obstructions - ceiling fans chopping up your bouquet = a big mess :)

How to properly remove the garter? I've got nothing guys, sorry. :)

Some of these guys line up for this garter toss look a little young to be the next ones getting married!!

When the music really starts thumping, I will be there to capture the action on the dance floor along with more candid moments as the guests interact...

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The bridesmaids dancing at a Masquerade Ball at this reception in Gary, Indiana...

When the bride and her maid of honor take a break and start goofing off with the ring bearer, time to abandon shots from the dance floor...

When you open up your wedding album 20 years from now, the reception shots at the end of the photo book will hopefully showcase the fun time that was had by all. The wedding day may be a long one, but at the same time it passes by very quickly. Make sure you pause to enjoy yourself. After all, the party is in you honor!!