Simple is Best

• It's important for the bride to make sure that her father is comfortable with participating in the dance. A few rehearsals may be necessary for both father and daughter to feel at ease. It's best to choose simple steps that do not take long to learn, so that fathers (and daughters) with limited dance experience will be able to enjoy this special part of the ceremony without feeling self-conscious.
  
  

Splitting the Dance

• For brides that want to honor both a father and a stepfather, it is acceptable to split the father-daughter dance into two sections. It's best to use the same song to dance with both men, so that guests will not have to sit through two full songs without being able to participate. The first half of the song is reserved for the father, and the second for the stepfather in most cases, but the bride can divide the time depending on her relationship with each man.
  
  

Song Tempo

• In many cases, the song that the father and daughter dance to is a slow ballad; the music may even have a waltz or ballroom feel. However, it is up to the bride to choose the tempo and feel of the song she and her father will dance to. If there is an upbeat song that has special significance for the bride and her father (i.e. the father's favorite song, a song that was played during the bride's childhood), this is acceptable to use as the music for the dance.
  
  

Honoring Other Male Figures

• If the bride does not have a close relationship with her father, or if he is deceased, it is perfectly fine for the bride to choose another male figure in her life to participate in the dance. In this case, a stepfather may dance the entire song with the bride, but she may also choose to dance with her grandfather, uncle, brother, or close family friend who had a hand in raising her.
  
  

Skipping the Dance

• If the bride's father does not feel comfortable dancing, she can arrange for a song to be played that honors her relationship with her father while the dance floor is empty, or she can request that the song be played while other guests are dancing, so that she and her father can share a special moment. A slideshow that includes pictures of the bride with her father at different stages of the bride's life can also be displayed in lieu of the father-daughter dance.