DO YOU DO THE CHICKEN DANCE?

Personalize Your First Dance
Do It with Feeling-It's a romantic moment, but you don't have to pick a classically romantic song. Choose something that has meaning to you, even if it's the Charlie Brown theme.
Choreograph It-Doing the Dancing With the Stars thing can be a great bonding experience. Just keep it brief and fun, and don't get in over your heads.
Don't Dance-If you're not a fan of the spotlight, you can diffuse attention by inviting your friends or the kids to share the dance floor. Or upend the tradition entirely with a slideshow, trivia game, or DJ battle.
Beyond "At Last": 5 Great First-Dance Songs
Classic-"My Dearest Darling" Etta James
Romantic-"Somewhere over the Rainbow" Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Soulful-"I Could Write a Book" Ella Fitzgerald
Fun-"Rainbow Connection" The Muppets
Alternative-"You Said Something" PJ Harvey

Play This Not That

For a five hour reception, you'll need about three hours of dance songs. Here is a list of do's and please don'ts.
Party Pumpers
Anything Michael Jackson, including 'Billie Jean,' 'Bad,' and 'The Way You Make Me Feel.'
"DJ's Got Us Fallen' In Love,' by Usher
'Bad Romance' by Lady Gaga
The older generations will dance to Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Sweet Home Alabama'
Everyone loves 'Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
Party Killers
Anything that's not instantly recognizable.
All indie rock, techno, hard rock, deep hip-hop. Even if it's great, it won't be appreciated by the masses.
Mash-ups. It's one thing to play remixes at a party. At a wedding, people want to hear the majority of the song. Otherwise it interrupts the flow.

Score the Rest of the Reception
Cake Cutting
"Cut the Cake" Average White Band
"Sugar, Sugar" The Archies
Father-Daughter
"Do You Realize?" The Flaming Lips
"My Girl" The Tempations
Mother-Son
"Isn't She Lovely" Stevie Wonder
"With a Girl Like You" The Troggs
Last Dance
"Last Dance" Donna Summer
"Never Can Say Goodbye" Jackson 5

Learn the Chicken Dance
Resistance is futile. Do it for the kids.