“Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can’t help falling in love with you…”
Ahhhhh, so pretty! So romantic! So many feelings captured in just two lines of this iconic first dance song!
There is a reason that Can’t Help Falling In Love is consistently one of the most popular first dance songs at my private wedding dance studio each year.
And also why so many of my online students choose my beginner-friendly wedding dance tutorial to this song!
In fact, my Can’t Help Falling In Love tutorial is actually my most popular tutorial, even beating out modern classics Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Conversations In The Dark by John Legend, and what I thought was the OG classic, At Last by Etta James.
WHY IS THIS?
I have a couple theories. Songs tend to come in and out of fashion, just like the strapless mermaid dresses and super high stilettos of the 2010s being replaced with off-the-shoulder A-line dresses and shorter block heels these days.
With pop culture’s use of this song in movies — I’m looking at you, over-the-top ceremony scene from Crazy Rich Asians — and in chewing gum commercials of all things— I’m not crying you’re crying! — we see that this song obviously makes us FEEL something.
And with all the wedding content with this song as the backing track being served up to researching brides and grooms on Instagram and TikTok, we just associate this song with weddings.
And let’s not forget, the original recording by Elvis is just beautiful, classic, romantic — all the things you may be looking for in a first dance song.
So Many Beautiful Versions of This Song…Which One Should You Choose?
Elvis is fantastic, classic, of course, but say you want something a little different?
The following are my favorite covers of Can’t Help Falling In Love, with notes on why I love them.
Can’t Help Falling In Love by Haley Reinhart
This is the version from the Extra Gum commercial linked above and Haley sings with so much emotion. Female voice — so great if you don’t want a male singer. No changes to the lyrics or length of the song, so this is the easiest alternative to the Elvis version if you are using my online tutorial, meaning you don’t have to alter anything in the choreography except to just practice to this song instead.
Can’t Help Falling In Love by Kina Grannis
This is the cover from the mesmerizing wedding ceremony scene from Crazy Rich Asians. I think my jaw was on the floor when I saw this part of the movie (goals?) - highly recommend watching this movie if you haven’t seen it yet. Female voice. My only hang up with this version is the LONG DRAMATIC PAUSE in the middle of the song, and the longer intro. (If you watch the scene below, you’ll see why the dramatic pause is there.) You’ll just need to do a really slow dip there, or add a lift to really emphasize that part if you choose this version. It’s also shortened, skipping the repeat of the original song, which could be a benefit if you are hoping to keep your dance on the simpler side.
Can’t Help Falling In Love by Kacey Musgraves
Personally, I just love Kacey Musgraves, so I can’t have a list without this version on it. This version was released ahead of the 2022 biopic, Elvis, and warning, if you watch the video below, it might make you a little sad. But that’s Elvis’s story and not yours, so don’t let the sadness prevent you from choosing this version. It feels spare to me, and therefore, extra haunting or dramatic. If you decide to do one of the more original versions for your first dance, I could see this version as a really good “private last dance” option, where you share a final dance alone while your guests set up for your exit. Super romantic vibes.
(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You by UB40
Okay, most of you reading this weren’t born yet when this cover came out, but I have really strong positive feelings associated with it. I guess it’s technically a reggae version by this UK group from the 90s? I associate it with the pool that I spent all my childhood summers hanging out at; it was constantly being played on the radio. And because it has islandy vibes, I associate it with warm weather, no cares in the world because it’s summer break, and just general happiness. (Though warning again, if you watch the video below you might be slightly put off — just blame it on the 90s, ha!) If you are looking for something a little less classic romance and more on the fun, unexpected, maybe a little quirky side, this would be a great choice. The 90s are back, right? 😉
Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis
Of course, had to include the OG version here. Fun fact, the Elvis version was in a movie called Blue Hawaii from 1961 (so Hollywood has been using this song in movies for a LONG time.) You cannot go wrong with this song, or any of the versions above, and I would love for you to take a look at the beginner-friendly dance I’ve created below. You can enroll in my tutorial to this song at the bottom of this post. This tutorial was designed for absolute beginners and will take you and your partner approximately two to five hours to complete, depending on your previous dancing experience and how long you spend on each section before moving on to the next. For private students who choose this song, we often embellish the second half of this song during our lessons together, but I think it’s also beautiful in it’s original simplicity.
Convinced this is the song for you?
If you are interested in learning to dance to Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis, (or Haley Reinhart, Kina Grannis, Kacey Musgraves, etc.) you can enroll in my online tutorial to this song directly through this link: Can’t Help Falling In Love Beginner Wedding Dance Tutorial.
If you are local to Charlotte, or live close enough to travel here for lessons, please submit a Get Started form and tell me a little bit more about you. You’ll receive an email back with links to my scheduling system to book lessons. Let one of the best parts of wedding planning begin!
