50 Best Alternative Wedding First Dance Songs for 2027
Something a little different lands on my blog today as I talk to you about alternative wedding first dance songs.
Most of you will be familiar with the usual type of songs played during a wedding, but there seems to be very little on the web offering encouragement for those couples who are looking for something a little more different to the mainstream.
I’ve always been into what many refer to as ‘alternative’ music – I’m a huge fan of metal, indie, grunge, punk, emo, classic rock and alt-rock so I thought it was about time I offered my thoughts as to why you should think outside the box when it comes to your wedding day tunes.
Your wedding, your music!
First of all, I think it’s super important to be true to yourselves on your wedding day, don’t ever fall into the trap of making decisions just to please other people, and that applies to the choice of music for your day. Your wedding music really doesn’t have to be all about the likes of Ed Sheeran, Beyonce and John Legend.
I’ve heard some belting curveball song choices over the years, one of my favourites was ‘You’re In Love With a Psycho’ by Kasabian. Although it isn’t one of my personal favourite songs, I loved the way the couple had stamped their sense of humour all over their song choices. You get my point, yeah?
Humour plays a huge part in my approach to being a documentary wedding photographer, and there’s no reason at all why you can’t go a little tongue-in-cheek when it comes to your first dance song. I’ve seen everything , even dancing with dogs at weddings!
So with that in mind, grab a brew and read on for more of my alternative wedding first dance song recommendations.
Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
An absolute classic from Salford’s finest, Joy Division. This is the obvious tongue-in-cheek first dance song choice for lovers of this iconic band. Their presence and influence is deeply rooted within the Manchester and Salford music scene even to this day.
The Seahorses – Love Is The Law
This song always takes me back to the late nineties and the back end of the Brit-Pop era. The Seahorses were formed by guitarist John Squire following his departure from The Stone Roses. The Seahorses only ever released the one album, which was a pretty patchy affair to be honest, but it did contain this utterly wonderful track and I would definitely be having this played at my wedding!
The Slow Readers Club – You Opened Up My Heart
Another Manchester indie/rock band, this tune has a real eighties electro-pop feel to it. I loved it as soon as I heard it on the radio a couple of years ago. Banger!
AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long
Double entendres galore in this utter classic from Australian rock legends, AC/DC. This is one of those tunes that absolutely everybody will know, even if they say they haven’t heard of AC/DC, as soon as that opening guitar hits – the dance floor will go off.
Blink 182 – All The Small Things
Blink 182 are difficult to pigeon-hole. They passed me by when they first broke through back in the very late nineties/early noughties, but since discovering them via an emo skateboarding friend of mine, I’ve really enjoyed delving into their back catalogue. This is a belter and one that will be familiar to most.
Ghost – Dance Macabre
“I just wanna be, wanna bewitch you in the moonlight” – The chorus from this stunning composition by Swedish pop-metal band, Ghost is utterly perfect in both sentiment and energy. I first saw these guys live supporting Metallica back in 2019 and I was transfixed.
The Wannadies – You & Me Song
Another quintessential 1990s indie rock classic, this scorching track invites you in with soft melodic verses before landing a right old punch with one of the most catchy and uplifting choruses of all time. And it’s always you and me always and forever!
The Smashing Pumpkins – Today
What a beautiful song this is. Though seemingly upbeat, the song contains dark lyrics and confronts singer Billy Corgan’s mental illness struggles at the time, but that’s the beauty of music in that certain songs can have entirely different meanings to some people. Personally I find the lyrics uplifting, perfect for a wedding.
Metallica – Nothing Else Matters
This is as true a love song as you can imagine, a written by lead singer James Hetfield about his then-girlfriend, this ballad is probably the most accessible introduction to Metallica’s back catalogue. It was featured on the iconic Black Album which catapulted the band to superstardom in the early nineties.
Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me
Young, old or somewhere in between – everyone knows this raunchy banger from Sheffield rockers, Def Leppard. It famously featured in the 2000 film Coyote Ugly and is a staple in strip bars worldwide (so I’m told!).
You want more alternative wedding first dance songs?
Of course you do, that’s why I’ve created an epic Spotify playlist containing over fifty tracks. It includes all of the tunes above plus a few more I’ve added for good measure.
I hope it inspires you to play the music you truly want to hear on your wedding day – please do let me know if you think there are any songs I should add.
Alternative wedding bands and DJs
If you’re looking for a band to play live on your big day but don’t want the usual wedding cheese, then I can highly recommend the wonderfully-named Dirtbag Entertainment. Founded by musicians, they specialise in wedding bands for those who dare to be different. Check them out for an incredible selection of punk, indie & alt-rock live acts!
Are you still an absolute basket case for pop punk and college rock? Well good news, check out the High School Reunion wedding band, where mosh-pit bangers keep the dance floor full, from start to the very end!
I worked alongside Call of the Kraken recently at a marquee wedding in Glossop and they were fantastic, easily one of the best wedding bands I’ve worked with.
I can also recommend the absolutely superb Kerrashed!, a brilliantly punky wedding band who will fill your dance floor blasting out pop-punk, EMO, nu-metal and other assorted alternative rock classics. I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside them a couple of times recently and they are incredible.
Any good wedding DJ will be able to incorporate your preferred musical tastes into your day, but if you are looking for someone specifically on the alternative spectrum I can highly recommend Ryan Boden DJ. I worked alongside Ryan at a wedding in Cheshire last year, he’s a cracking guy and I loved his style immediately.
James Booth Entertainment was the DJ at my twin boy’s eighteenth birthday party last year. A throughly lovely chap with a superb taste in music, he absolutely smashed my boy’s party!
Party Punks are also hugely recommended. From pop punk to emo, metal, grunge and everything in between, this DJ duo will flood your wedding with all the alternative party bangers.
Another I can vouch for are Signature Moments. Are you a fan of alt-music? A big fan of Brit Pop? Is Indie your thing? Would you like a bit of rock alongside some emo, punk and ska at your wedding? If the answer is yes then give these guys a shout.
Looking for someone who’ll skip the cheesy stuff you’ve heard at every other wedding? Then drop Tom Byrne DJ a message.
Don’t settle for boring wedding photos!
As you’ve probably guessed, my wedding photography style is anything but traditional or boring. I pride myself on taking in-the-moment photos, I won’t drag you away from your guests for hours so that you miss all the fun – I want you to spend your wedding day celebrating with your family and friends, just as it should be.
Like my work? Get in touch!
As a huge music lover it’s been so much fun researching and writing this blog post about alternative wedding first dance songs. I hope it provides you with some inspiration.
If you enjoy my work and wish to enquire about your wedding date, please get in touch to tell me all about your plans.
You can also follow me on Instagram to see more of my work – @stevegroganphotography
Lots of love
Steve x
All images are copyright Steve Grogan Photography.
