First dances are not just a wedding tradition; they are a glimpse into someone’s love story told through a song. Behind every song is a memory – a reflection of who someone was, who they loved and the life they were just beginning. Teachers around Miami Palmetto Senior High School shared the songs that played as they stepped onto the dance floor for the first time, revealing stories that go far beyond the classroom. From timeless classics to unexpected favorites, the songs couples choose often reflect a moment they never want to forget.
For United States history teacher Anna Cue, her first dance was not just a wedding tradition; it was a full-circle moment years in the making. As “My First, My Last, My Everything” by Barry White played, the song brought her back to a love story that started in her teenage years, disappeared for decades, and somehow found its way back to her.
“We met when I was twelve years old, and he was fourteen, but it wasn’t until high school that we started to date. When we went to college, we went our separate ways, and we even married and had other children,” Cue said. “And then, 27 years later, he went looking for me, hoping that I was single, found me, and called me.”
During that fateful phone call, Cue’s husband made a confession that would define their future together.
“He said, ‘I just needed to tell you that the worst mistake I ever made in my life is not marrying you. So if you’re single now, I would like to go out with you, and I’d like to correct that,’” Cue said. “A year later, we were married and we have been together ever since. That’s why it was my first, my last, my everything.”
Music played a meaningful role in Advanced Placement Human Geography teacher John Hayduk’s wedding day, especially during his first dance to “From This Moment” by Shania Twain. Chosen alongside his wife, the song reflected their personalities and the connection they built after meeting at Killian High School while coaching and teaching.
“The moment I heard that song, I felt like it was appropriate and now every time I hear the song – whether it’s in my car, out in public – I think of my wife,” Hayduk said.
In a romantic coincidence, the song not only reflected the Hayduks’ love but also the cultural traditions of their wedding. The song title contains three words, a significant number for Greek Orthodox Church weddings.
“For those of you who know anything about the Orthodox Church, they do everything in threes, right? For the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,” Hayduk said. “So they put a crown on my head three times, I had to walk around the altar three times, I had to light the candle three times and probably the best thing that I got to do is kiss Mrs. Hayduk three times.”
Culture also played a significant role in Geometry and Algebra Two teacher Salvador Barrientos’ wedding through his first dance song. Spanish song “Color Esperanza” by Diego Torres defined his love story in his first marriage, creating both a magical moment on the dance floor and a reflection on the couple’s journey to be together.
“That song is when you’re far away. So she was living here, and I was living in Peru, and then somehow, some way, I came here, and we made it happen,” Barrientos said. “It was our song.”
In AP English Language teacher Loni Perse’s wedding, the couple played not only a timeless, classic love song, but also one partially inspired by a “tumultuous” first date, chaotic all the way from the initial meeting at the bookstore they worked at to a shocking turn of events on the night of.
“I remember we were working together, and he had the night off, and I had the shift from 4 to 9:30 as a senior in high school. And the way he asked me out was: he came in, and he wanted a map of Miami. And I remember thinking, ‘This is so stupid, because the guy lives [in Miami].’ This is when people didn’t have cell phones, and I thought, ‘This guy’s weird,’” Perse said. “It was a ploy just to ask me on a date. And on our first date, we went to a University of Miami baseball game, and the car‘s [engine] blew up. His favorite car.”
Despite the chaotic introduction to their relationship, Perse and her future husband could not help but connect. When choosing the wedding soundtrack, she remembered a song they had heard on that very date by an artist she has always loved.
“It was by Elvis Presley. ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love,’” Perse said. “It’s a beautiful song, you know, it’s beautiful, and every time I hear it at weddings and other things, I get kind of teary-eyed.”
Moved by the memory, Perse shared that moments like walking to the dance floor and hearing the perfect wedding song may pass, but the feeling of love they bring never fades.
“You’ll find, as you grow up, there are certain things that trigger memories. And I think that one is very, very, very strong. I think anybody’s wedding song triggers a very, very emotional response,” Perse said.
For AP English Language teacher Dalia Pulido, the first dance song at her wedding not only defined her relationship with her husband, but also reminded her of the love story she grew up with: her parents’.
“[We chose] ‘When I Fall in Love’ by the original singer, who was Nat King Cole, because [he] was one of my parents’ favorites and he is definitely in the top five of my favorites,” Pulido said. “My parents were married for 55 years, so yeah – when I fall in love, it’s gonna be forever.”
In the song, Cole explains that when he falls in love, it will last for the rest of his life. Looking back on the choice, Pulido emotionally described how it perfectly reflects the love she shares each day with her husband.
“Every time I hear it once again, both versions, it just brings me back to when we first started going out, and how it’s true that – my goodness, I can’t believe I’m getting emotional here – two became one,” Pulido said. “We did become one, and we still are one. And I know it sounds corny, but we’ve been married for 35 years, so I think the proof is in the pudding.”
While the song is known for its slow, dramatic tone, Pulido and her husband’s dance was anything but. Laughing their way out to the dance floor, the newlyweds were focused not just on each other, but also on the loving group of friends and family supporting them.
“We just walked out laughing and even dancing. He was just looking around, and I was cracking up. You know, we’re dancing, but at the same time, we were just enjoying everyone.” Pulido said. “Towards the middle and towards the end, that’s when we got more serious, and we were quiet, and we were together, holding one another close.”
While a wedding is commonly known as the beginning of a marriage, the first dance is often the memory that binds couples together for life. After reading about these moments, one might feel pressure to select their own flawless song for their future first dance.
However, while the songs covered in this article were all discovered in various ways, one thing was common across all stories: when the pressure was over, and the music played as the teachers walked onto the dance floor, they just knew that they had made the perfect choice. So, the future brides and grooms of MPSH should not stress, and instead should take one final piece of advice from one of the most famous wedding songs of our generation:
“When you know, you know,” Lana Del Rey said. “So if you don’t know, don’t give up / ‘Cause you never know what the new day might bring.”
