40 Mother-Daughter Wedding Songs for a Dance, a Tribute or Getting Ready

What is a good wedding song for mom and daughter?

The song most often chosen is "Slipping Through My Fingers" by ABBA, written about a mother watching her daughter grow up too fast. Other favorites are "In My Daughter's Eyes" by Martina McBride, "The Best Day" by Taylor Swift, written as a thank-you to her mom, and "Mama's Song" by Carrie Underwood, in which a bride reassures her mother that she has found a good man. Any of these can carry a dance, a tribute or a getting-ready moment.

Emotional mother-daughter wedding songs

1. "Slipping Through My Fingers", ABBA: the passing of time, from school mornings to the wedding day.
2. "In My Daughter's Eyes", Martina McBride: a mother seeing herself and the future in her daughter.
3. "The Best Day", Taylor Swift: childhood memories, verse by verse, as a thank-you to mom.
4. "Mama's Song", Carrie Underwood: a bride telling her mother she can let go.
5. "I Hope You Dance", Lee Ann Womack: a mother's hopes for her daughter.
6. "Because You Loved Me", Celine Dion: gratitude for everything she gave.
7. "Wind Beneath My Wings", Bette Midler: for the woman who lifted you up.
8. "You Raise Me Up", Josh Groban: big, soaring and emotional.
9. "Landslide", Fleetwood Mac: about growing older and changing together.
10. "Never Grow Up", Taylor Swift: a lullaby about wishing time would stop.
11. "Mother Like Mine", The Band Perry: thanks for a steady, loving mother.
12. "Hero", Mariah Carey: about the strength she helped you find.

Country mother-daughter songs

13. "Mama He's Crazy", The Judds: a daughter telling her mom about the man she loves, sung by a real mother and daughter.
14. "Love Can Build a Bridge", The Judds: about love getting families through anything.
15. "My Wish", Rascal Flatts: a list of everything a parent hopes for a child.
16. "Humble and Kind", Tim McGraw: the values a mother passes on.
17. "You're Gonna Miss This", Trace Adkins: about enjoying every stage of life.
18. "Coat of Many Colors", Dolly Parton: a mother's love sewn into every patch.

Upbeat and fun mother-daughter songs

Plenty of moms and daughters would rather dance than cry. These songs turn the moment into a party, especially if the bridesmaids and aunts join in halfway through.

19. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", Cyndi Lauper.
20. "Dancing Queen", ABBA.
21. "Mamma Mia", ABBA: more for the title and the energy than the lyrics.
22. "Wannabe", Spice Girls: for a mom and daughter who are also best friends.
23. "Mama", Spice Girls: a thank-you from the 90s pop era.
24. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody", Whitney Houston.
25. "Shake It Off", Taylor Swift.
26. "Lean on Me", Bill Withers.
27. "Thank You for Being a Friend", Andrew Gold.
28. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

Classic mother-daughter songs

29. "What a Wonderful World", Louis Armstrong.
30. "Isn't She Lovely", Stevie Wonder: written for the birth of his daughter.
31. "You've Got a Friend", Carole King.
32. "Through the Years", Kenny Rogers.
33. "Have I Told You Lately", Rod Stewart.
34. "Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World", Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

Songs by the era of mom's youth

One easy way to choose is to pick a song from the years when your mom was young, the music she danced to before you were born.

1970s

"Landslide", "You've Got a Friend" and "Dancing Queen".

1980s

"Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "Wind Beneath My Wings".

1990s

"Wannabe", "Because You Loved Me" and "Hero".

Mother-daughter dance ideas

• Slow, then fast. Start with a ballad and switch to an upbeat song halfway through.
• Three generations. Invite grandma onto the floor for the final chorus.
• The sing-along. Pick a song you both know by heart and sing it to each other.
• A letter first. Have the DJ read a short note from the bride before the music starts.

Gifts to pair with the song

A song pairs well with a small keepsake: an embroidered handkerchief with the wedding date for her to hold during the ceremony, the lyrics printed and framed, or a photo album of the two of you through the years. Give it to her in the morning, while you are getting ready, so she has the whole day to hold on to it.

Songs for getting ready together

The hours before the ceremony, with mom zipping the dress and the bridesmaids doing hair, are often the most relaxed and joyful of the day. A getting-ready playlist sets the tone:

35. "Here Comes the Sun", The Beatles.
36. "Walking on Sunshine", Katrina and the Waves.
37. "Shut Up and Dance", Walk the Moon.
38. "Good as Hell", Lizzo.
39. "Love on Top", Beyoncé.
40. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", Stevie Wonder.

Songs from a mother to her daughter

If the song is a gift from mom, choose one written from a parent's point of view: "Slipping Through My Fingers", "In My Daughter's Eyes", "Never Grow Up" or "I Hope You Dance". Played during the getting-ready hour or as a surprise at the reception, it tells her daughter what she may never have said out loud.

Two moms, a stepmom or a grandmother

Many brides have more than one mother figure. A bride with two moms can dance with both at once, or split one song between them. A stepmom who helped raise her can share the moment with mom, or have her own song later in the evening. A bride raised by her grandmother often dances with her instead, to a song from her grandmother's youth.

Is there a mother-daughter dance at a wedding?

It is not a traditional part of the reception the way the father-daughter dance is, but it is becoming more common, especially when the bride's mother raised her alone, when the bride has two moms, or when mom and daughter are especially close. Other ways to create a mother-daughter moment:

• A first look with mom before the ceremony, with a song playing softly.
• Mom walking her daughter down the aisle, alone or with dad.
• A tribute during the reception: a song dedicated to mom, with photos on the screen.
• A combined parent dance: bride with mom, groom with his mom or dad, all on the floor together.

For the other parent dances, see our lists of father-daughter dance songs and mother-son dance songs.

How long should the moment be?

Two to three minutes is the sweet spot for a dance. If your song is longer, ask the DJ to fade it out after the second chorus or to invite the bridesmaids, grandmothers and aunts to join for the last minute. A tribute with photos can run a little longer, as long as the song holds the room.

Honoring a mom who has passed

For a bride whose mother is no longer here, a quiet tribute can be more meaningful than a dance: her favorite song during the processional, a photo on a chair in the front row, her ring sewn into the bouquet, or a song played while the bride dances with a grandmother or aunt. Our list of songs about losing your mom includes songs that families often choose for this.

A song written about the two of you

Every song on this list was written about someone else's mother and daughter. A personalized song is about you two: her name and yours, the bedtime stories, the road trips, the arguments over curfew, the dress shopping, the moment she saw you in the gown. When it plays, the guests understand within seconds that it was written for you. It also makes a moving gift from a daughter to her mom on the morning of the wedding. See our guide to a wedding song for your daughter for the parent's side.

How to create a mother-daughter wedding song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: ballad, country, acoustic, pop and more.
2. Add up to three names: you, your mom, and a grandmother or stepmom if you like.
3. Share two or three memories with one concrete detail each.
4. Review the lyrics, edit or regenerate them for free, and add pronunciation hints if needed.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full song lasts 3 to 4 minutes and costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3 for the DJ, a gift page with cover art and the lyrics as a PDF to frame.

Give her a moment that belongs to the two of you: create your mother-daughter song and hear four previews for free.