The Anniversary Dance is introduced by the Master of Ceremonies or DJ and is a beautiful way to recognize the couple married the longest at the wedding reception.
The couple can have their own special slow dance tribute or the MC can organise the following.
The MC (Master of Ceremonies) get’s all of the married couples on the dance floor, then announces year by year who has been married for those amount of years.
Slowly the dance floor will dissolve into the last couple who have been married the longest. This only works well if there are many married couples attending the reception and this tradition makes a perfect opportunity for another slow “romantic” dance floor song.
Popular Anniversary Dance Songs
2010’s
Flower in a Field – Ten til Two Project
2010 | Youtube
2000’s
After All These Years – Journey
2008 | Youtube
Married Life (Up Soundtrack) – Michael Giacchino
2008 | Youtube
Remember When – Alan Jackson
2003 | Youtube
Then – Brad Paisley
2003 | Youtube
Two People Fell in Love – Brad Paisley
2001 | Youtube
1990’s
Have a Little Faith in Me – Joe Cocker
1994 | Youtube
Look at Us – Vince Gill
1991 | Youtube
Nothing Else Matters – Metallica
1991 | Youtube
Unforgettable – Natalie & Nat “King” Cole
1992 | Youtube
You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
1998 | Youtube
1980’s
Could I Have This Dance – Anne Murray
1980 | Youtube
Endless Love – Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
1981 | Youtube
Forever & Ever, Amen – Randy Travis
1987 | Youtube
Islands in the Stream – Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton
1983 | Youtube
It Had to Be You – Harry Connick Jnr
1989 | Youtube
Sea of Love – Honeydrippers
1984 | Youtube
Through the Years – Kenny Rogers
1987 | Youtube
When I See You Smile – Bad English
1988 | Youtube
You and I – Eddie Rabbit & Crystal Gail
1982 | Youtube
1970’s
Is This Love – Bob Marley
1978 | Youtube
Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel
1977 | Youtube
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
1972 | Youtube
Take it to the Limit – The Eagles
1975 | Youtube
Three Times a Lady – The Commodores
1978 | Youtube
The Rose – Bette Midler
1979 | Youtube
Still the One – Orleans
1976 | Youtube
You Are So Beautiful – Joe Cocker
1975 | Youtube
Your Song – Elton John
1970 | Youtube
1960’s
Crazy – Patsy Cline
1961 | Youtube
Crazy Love – Van Morrison
1969 | Youtube
In My Life – The Beatles
1964 | Youtube
1950’s
Memories Are Made of This – Dean Martin
1956 | Youtube
Smoke Get in Your Eyes – The Platters
1958 | Youtube
Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
1955 | Youtube
More About the Wedding Anniversary Dance
It’s been fifty wonderful years, and your children and grandchildren have decided to throw you a party to celebrate those years.
One of the most memorable and important part of this long relationship is the song you heard when you first met.
Now it’s your anniversary song, the song you dance to in celebration of a marriage that has lasted for decades.
But what if you really never had a song to remember? What if you haven’t been married for fifty years? Is this only your first year of marriage and the love is still as powerful as when you first met?
An anniversary song may be what ties every anniversary afterwards together, so choosing one that best describes you and your spouse’s relationship can be very important.
Choosing the Song
There are so many love songs in the world today, it would be impossible to list them all here, and you have to consider the content of each to decide what suits you and your spouse best. There are songs of togetherness and faithfulness, as well as songs of “love at first sight”, and, of course, romance. Love songs from the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s were real “crooners” and usually male singers.
They can make a great anniversary song. During both World Wars love songs were mostly about missing the one you loved. The 50’s were pretty rambunctious song-wise, but there were some really grand love songs.
My parent’s favorite anniversary song was “Under the Boardwalk” by The Drifters. They plan on having this song played for their 50th Anniversary Dance coming soon. That song stuck in my mom’s mind when my dad took her out on their first date…it played on the radio in his dad’s beat-up pickup. What a memory.
Since the 50’s love songs have become more progressive. It’s entirely up to you and your spouse what you want to be played. No one else can choose for you, and it can be anything. This is your anniversary song, so make it count!
The Wedding Anniversary
My siblings and I will most likely set up the anniversary party for our parents. It will be their 50th, fifty years of ongoing marriage. Four children and a lot of moving has really put a strain on their marriage, but they held fast, so this is an important milestone for them. Food is paramount, and “keep it in the family”.
If there are strangers there it might make things uncomfortable; this is a rather private celebration. Check with your spouse on how far you want to go, or, children check with your parents.
The Anniversary Gift
Here we come to an important issue: The anniversary gift. First, you have the traditional gifts according to the number of years married. For example, paper would be for the first year, while gold is for the 50th anniversary. In between you have wood for a 5th year, or china for the 20th.
There are also more modern gifts that don’t follow tradition. An example of this would be a clock for the first year, or platinum for the 20th.
The important thing to remember is that whether this is your anniversary, a friend’s, or your parents’, consider the anniversary song as a very important part of the celebration.
After the wedding and as each year passes, the specific date of the wedding is known as the wedding anniversary. It is traditionally recognized with a certain type of gift that the Bride and Groom give each other for each year.
Here is a list of the traditional gift types for each year and these include in order…
Year of Anniversary | Traditional Gift | Gift Ideas |
1st Year | Paper | Certificate, Photo, Message in Bottle! |
2nd Year | Cotton | T Shirt, Clothing, Blanket |
3rd Year | Leather | Wallet, Handbag, Wearable Leather |
4th Year | Fruit / Flowers | Flowers, Pot Plants |
5th Year | Wood | Carvings, Wooden Box, Tree |
6th Year | Candy / Iron | Anything made from Steel! |
7th Year | Wool / Copper | Jumper, Blanket, Socks 🙂 Wine Enhancer |
8th Year | Bronze / Pottery | Cooking, Vases |
9th Year | Pottery / Willow | Pottery or a Willow Tree |
10th Year | Tin or Aluminum | Anything made from Tin or Alloy |
15th Year | Crystal | Crystal Roses, Pendant, Wine Glasses |
20th Year | China | China Plate Set, Mugs |
25th Year | Silver | Jewellery or Cutlery |
30th Year | Pearl | Jewellery, Necklace |
35th Year | Coral / Jade | Jewellery, Pendants |
40th Year | Ruby | Jewellery, Earrings, Ring |
45th Year | Sapphire | Jewellery, Earrings, Ring |
50th Year | Gold | Any Type of Jewellery |
60th Year | Diamond | Pendent, Ring |
65th Year | Star Sapphire | Gemstone Jewellery |
70th Year | Platinum | Jewellery, Rings |
75th Year | Diamond | Jewellery, Earrings, Ring |
Wishing you a brilliant wedding day soundtrack,