Wedding days are full of beautiful and emotional moments, from the moment the bride walks down the aisle to the newly married couple's farewell to their guests as they jet off on honeymoon, however one of those key moments that is sure to tug on the heartstrings is the father daughter dance after the ceremony. When executed properly, this can be a tender, sweet moment that signals the end of an era for both of the participants, however it is all too easy to set the wrong tone through a poor choice of music. There are a surprisingly wide range of songs that are completely inappropriate for this particular moment of the wedding reception, with anything too romantic being sure to cause awkwardness and embarrassment amongst your guests. While the temptation may be to choose a song that features the word “Daddy” or “Father” or “Papa” in the title, when you look at the lyrics and sentiment behind them, you may find that they are definitely the wrong choice. Here, we look at some of the worst songs to choose for the father daughter wedding dance so that you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Daddy's Girl – Red Sovine

While at first glance this may seem to be the perfect song, speaking of a father's love for his little girl and the daughter's knowledge that her dad worships her, when you take a closer look at the lyrics there is one subtle problem with this choice of song. It becomes clear as soon as you look at the words that this song is all about how the father really wanted a son instead of a daughter, and although he does love her, the overwhelming theme seems to be that he was always trying to turn her into the boy that he longed for by taking her to baseball games. This is perhaps not the sentiment that you wish to broadcast on your wedding day in front of all of your family and friends.

My Heart Belongs to Daddy – Julie London

Again, when first listening to this song, it may seem like it is a great choice for a father daughter dance, after all, it's light, bubbly and catchy with a recognisable tune and it has the key word “Daddy” in the title. However look a little more closely into the lyrics and you can see that there's something definitely not quite right about the sentiments being expressed. The daughter in the song appears to be constantly leading on an array of young men before letting them down at the last moment in favour of her affection for her Dad. This is probably not the right message to be giving your guests, especially on the day of your marriage.

Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle

Brides who are looking for the perfect song for their father daughter dance might seize on this offering from Bob Carlisle, especially since it is actually set on a wedding day. In theory, this song is about the affection of a father for his daughter as she grows up, however when you really listen to the lyrics it does appear to be laid on very thickly, to the point where it becomes a little creepy. The dad in the song really seems to love his daughter a little bit too much, and it steps over the boundary from cute into just plain weird. This is definitely a song best avoided.

Cleanin' This Gun – Rodney Atkins

This song may be about a father talking to his future son in law about his love for his daughter, but that is definitely where its appropriateness ends for a father daughter dance at a wedding reception. Basically, the entire theme of the song is about threatening the poor young man in question and expressing a desire to shoot him on the offchance that he might show some disrespect. Not the most cheerful overtone for the most beautiful day of your life!

I Loved Her First – Heartland

Similar to Butterfly Kisses, the dad in this country song comes across as creepy and jealous, which is perhaps not an ideal sentiment to showcase on your wedding day! The vaguely threatening tone of the father's message to his son in law - “don't forget, she loved me first”, is quite sinister and despite his protestations that he won't stand in their way, the listener gets the clear impression that he isn't exactly going to make married life a barrel of laughs!

Papa Don't Preach – Madonna

While this is a 1980's classic tune that everybody knows and loves, and has the added bonus of the key word “Papa” in the title, the message of this song is definitely not something you want bandied around at your wedding reception. As the entire number is about a pregnant teenager coming clean to her dad and telling him that she is going to keep the baby, this is probably not giving the right tone to one of the most special moments of your life.