Country wedding songs, first dance to last call.
I suggest Amazed for a first dance, My Wish for a parent dance and Wagon Wheel for a mixed crowd. I place country favourites among pop and throwbacks according to your guests.
Key takeaways
- First dance: Amazed by Lonestar is the first one I suggest.
- Parent dance: My Wish by Rascal Flatts works for either parent.
- Mixed crowd: Wagon Wheel, Chicken Fried and Cruise bring everyone in.
- How much country depends on your crowd, from a few songs to over half the night.
On this page
When country hits on a wedding floor
Country works at a wedding when I know how country your crowd is. After eight-plus years of open-format receptions, I group country songs by the moment. Slow songs for first and parent dances. Sing-alongs after dinner.
In the Ottawa Valley, half the room may love country and half may want something else. So I place it with care. I balance it with music for the guests who prefer other genres.
Pick three or four slow-moment favourites from the lists below, then tell me your country must-plays.
The country first dance
| Song | Artist | When I use it |
|---|---|---|
| Amazed | Lonestar | Big, direct ballad, and guests over thirty often know it. It's the first one I suggest. |
| Then | Brad Paisley | I choose it for the "I thought I loved you then" hook, a warmer and less power-ballad first dance. |
| Speechless | Dan + Shay | Modern and soaring, so I suggest it for younger guests. The shorter length helps. |
| Tennessee Whiskey | Chris Stapleton | A slow soul cover of a country classic. A quieter dance with a gritty vocal. |
| Die a Happy Man | Thomas Rhett | Gentle, present-tense lyrics. I suggest it for a smaller, low-key wedding. |
I can fade a longer first dance after the first chorus and second verse. Listen together before you choose your version and length.
Parent dances
For more parent choices, see father-daughter dance songs.
| Song | Artist | When I use it |
|---|---|---|
| My Wish | Rascal Flatts | Its wishes for the future suit either parent and child. |
| My Little Girl | Tim McGraw | An emotional story of watching his daughter grow, so I check Dad is comfortable with it. |
| I Loved Her First | Heartland | The lyrics hand a daughter off at her wedding, so I check the family is comfortable with that. |
| My Girl | The Temptations | Not country, but a lighter mother-son or father-daughter option. I keep it cued as a backup. |
Floor-fillers, line dances and sing-alongs
| Song | Artist | When I use it |
|---|---|---|
| Wagon Wheel | Darius Rucker | The sing-along chorus crosses over to guests who rarely listen to country. |
| Chicken Fried | Zac Brown Band | A beer-raising sing-along. I place it early to bring different generations together. |
| Boot Scootin' Boogie | Brooks & Dunn | A classic two-step or line dance. I place it early, when guests know the steps. |
| Friends in Low Places | Garth Brooks | I save this sing-along for late. Guests need no choreography. |
| Cruise | Florida Georgia Line | Bro-country crossover. I use it to move into Top 40. |
| Body Like a Back Road | Sam Hunt | A mid-tempo country-pop groove I slot between faster songs. No steps needed. |
| Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) | Big & Rich | Rowdy and tongue-in-cheek. I check for a playful crowd before I drop it. |
| Country Girl (Shake It for Me) | Luke Bryan | A modern line-dance party song with informal moves. I save it for younger country fans, late. |
| Wanted | Hunter Hayes | A slower country-pop song. I play it as a late couples' dance before the final faster set. |
| My Kinda Party | Jason Aldean | A rock-leaning crossover. I keep it with Wagon Wheel for the last hour. |
How much country does your crowd want?
| Your crowd | How much country | How I do it |
|---|---|---|
| Hard country | 50 to 60% of the night | Line dances, two-steps and Garth sing-alongs. Crossover songs lead into pop. |
| Country-leaning, mixed | Roughly a third of the set | Country anchors with other genres between them. |
| Mixed, light country | Three or four crossover peaks | Wagon Wheel, Chicken Fried, Cruise and Friends in Low Places. The rest follows Top 40, throwbacks and the room. |
| Two distinct camps | A country run after dinner | A pop or throwback run later, joined by crossover songs. |
Send me five to eight country must-plays and a do-not-play list, like an ex's song or a novelty song. Tell me if your crowd is hard country, country-leaning or light country.
A country-only run can tire dancers after an hour. I avoid three slow songs back to back, unfamiliar sad ballads, and rowdy novelty songs around grandparents.
Want the rules for booking? Read my standards and booking terms.
Sean did an amazing job, engaged all our guests with oldies and newer music
Sean had the dance floor moving all night, and family kept asking how we found our DJ. Hit after hit, I would recommend him to everyone.
Questions people ask
What is a good country first dance song?
I suggest Amazed by Lonestar or Then by Brad Paisley for a big-emotion first dance. Speechless by Dan + Shay suits a younger crowd, and Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton is a soulful cover of a country classic. Past three and a half minutes can feel long, so I usually fade after the first chorus and second verse.
How do I pick country songs without losing guests who don't like country?
I start with Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker, Cruise by Florida Georgia Line and Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band. Their sing-along hooks suit guests who rarely listen to country. I weave three or four country anchors into Top 40 and throwbacks for a mixed crowd.
Are there good line-dance or sing-along country songs for a wedding?
I use Boot Scootin' Boogie by Brooks & Dunn and Country Girl (Shake It for Me) by Luke Bryan for line-dance moments. Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks needs no choreography. I place a line dance after dinner to break the ice and save the Garth sing-along for late.
What country songs work for a father-daughter or mother-son dance?
I suggest My Little Girl by Tim McGraw or I Loved Her First by Heartland for father-daughter dances. My Wish by Rascal Flatts suits either parent because it wishes someone well. Lyrics about walking an aisle can hurt after a recent loss, so I check the family situation first and cue a lighter backup.
Can you DJ a country-themed wedding in Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley?
Yes. I DJ country-leaning weddings in Ottawa, the Ottawa Valley and rural venues around the region. I handle the sound and the music side, and I mix Garth Brooks with Top 40 to suit the room. Tell me how country your guests are when you check your date, and I will plan around that.
Can you mix country music with regular dance songs without clearing the floor?
Yes. I blend country into the set when the room responds to it. A two-step can reset the pace, and a crossover like Wagon Wheel brings a mixed crowd along before I return to sing-along hits. If the floor thins, I change direction instead of pushing harder.
How many country songs should I expect if it is not a full barn dance?
There is no fixed number. I play more country when the floor responds and change direction when it thins. For a mixed reception that is not a full barn dance, a handful of country songs inside an open-format set usually feels right. A hard-country crowd gets a lot more.
Do you play traditional line dances, or only modern country hits?
I play a traditional line dance when guests want it and know the steps, often right after dinner. Otherwise I use a sing-along or a modern country hit to keep people moving. If your crowd loves a specific dance, tell me the song and I will place it where it works best.
Keep reading
Tell me how country your guests are.
I can plan around a hard-country crowd, a country-leaning mix or a few crossover picks. No deposit to talk, no commitment to book.