Large celebrations have centered around dancing for at least 9,000 years. It often symbolized religious rites, but it was also a way to celebrate and entertain.
Today, weddings are among the largest celebrations in someone’s lifetime, and dancing still plays an integral role. These dances symbolize the love that people share.
People often talk about the couple’s first dance and the father of the bride dance, but what about the mother and the groom? The mother-son dance at a wedding reception is a newer tradition that is just as noteworthy to incorporate into your wedding day.
What is the Mother-Son Dance?
The mother-son dance is a popular tradition for the groom during wedding reception celebrations. The groom will take his mother out on the dance floor for a special dance together for this tradition. It is a time for the groom to focus on his mother and create a special moment together one-on-one. Traditionally, the bride will have a similar dance during the reception with her father.
What Does the Dance Symbolize?
The groom’s dance with his mother is a symbol of his love and respect for her. It is a special way for the groom to show his appreciation and take a beat to spend some time with his mom on what is often a whirlwind day.
History of the Dance
Back in medieval times, kings and queens or other nobles would often host balls. For these balls, the host would kick off the evening’s festivities with a first dance.
Eventually, we evolved to include the first dance at wedding celebrations to open up the dancing portion of the evening. Back when the tradition began, many individuals were well versed in ballroom dancing. The waltz was a popular first dance option.
As years passed, we lost the expected skill of ballroom dancing, but the tradition of dancing at weddings remained. It is believed that dancing with a parent at your wedding reception originated with the father-daughter dance after World War II.
After the war, many families started having large wedding celebrations when dance halls grew in popularity, and they realized there was room for more people to attend. In the history of marriage, fathers played a significant role in selecting their daughter’s husband, and it is believed the dance originated to signify his importance before her marriage.
The mother-son dance, however, is a more modern addition to wedding celebrations. As the meaning of the father of the bride dance changed to a symbol of love and appreciation for your father, couples began including the mother of the groom dances to show appreciation for the groom’s mom.
How to Plan the Mother-Son Dance
There are endless options to how you approach the mother-son dance when planning a wedding reception. If you’re the groom, include your mom in every step of the planning process for this special dance. There are a few things you’ll need to take into consideration when planning your dance.
Choosing a Song for the Mother-Son Dance
The song you choose for your mother of the groom dance is one of the most important things to plan. A special song will stick with you as the years go on. You might already have one in mind that is the perfect representation of your mother son bond.
It can be anything you choose, fast or slow. If you don’t have any ideas, here is a list of popular mother-son wedding dance songs:
- In My Life by The Beatles
- My Wish by Rascal Flats
- You’ll Be in My Heart by Phil Collins
- Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd
- I’ll Be There by Jackson 5
- God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
- A Song for Mama by Boys II Men
Hire a Dance Coach
If you and your mom aren’t dancers, it doesn’t mean you have to skip this special moment on your big day. Today, many people choose to hire a dance coach for the different dances they want to do at their wedding reception. Dance coaches might teach you traditional ballroom dances or provide them with your wedding songs for a choreographed dance to the music you choose.
Not only will this give you and your mom more confidence in front of the crowd during your reception, but it provides more quality time to spend together.
Sign up for Wedding Dance Lessons in Nashville, TN!
Practice
If you aren’t a natural dancer, you might want to practice your mother-son dance before the wedding day. If you chose a dance coach, you’ll want to regularly practice the moves together to make sure you are familiar with them before the actual dance.
For those who don’t hire a dance coach, practicing can help you get comfortable dancing with one another if it isn’t something you’re used to doing. You can even sign up for group dance lessons if you aren’t comfortable working with a coach.
Enjoy the Special Moment
The mother son dance is an important moment to shine the spotlight on the other special woman in your life. Take the time to include it in your wedding planning checklist. Your mom will love planning this moment with you just as much as being a part of it.
Book Your Mother-Son Dance Lessons
If you’re in the Nashville area and want to learn how to make the Mother Son dance at your wedding the most memorable, check out the roomy studios and experienced teaching pros at either of World Champion Productions’ two studios, one in Hendersonville and the other in Mt. Juliet.
Call for more information and class schedules or use the contact form to book your first free lesson.
World Champion Productions. We offer a variety of dance lessons in Nashville to teach you to wow your guests on the big day.