I've sneakily interspersed a 5 song randomiser through this post. Hope this doesn't incur the wrath of Hepworth.

I'm getting married in a couple of months, and my wife-to-be has given me the responsibility of picking potential songs for our first dance. It's proving a difficult decision to make. No song really stands out as having a connection for us both, as we have quite differing tastes in music, hence it's been left to me to come up with a selection that we'll then pick from together. My criteria are something short, sweet and slow - the shorter the better.

My music collection is extensive but it's very heavily weighted towards misery - perhaps because I was single till the age of 28 - with not much that is cheery and romantic. I still have this feeling that any day now shuffle play on my computer or iPod is going to reveal a hidden gem of a song that I've forgotten about or never noticed/heard before but which will be perfect.

So far shuffle isn't helping much. Right now, it's playing Tom Waits 'Gin Soaked Boy' - a hearty little song but not one to dance to. Hearing Tom's voice does, by association, make me look forward to watching another episode or two of season 3 of the Wire tonight though, after the football whilst my other half is watching Big Brother. Gratuitous Wire reference: check!

Often I find a song that sounds sweet but on closer inspection of the lyrics isn't especially appropriate or romantic. My favourite singer is Sarah McLachlan, but as much as I love her voice and music, it's hard to find a song of hers that is happy and uplifting. The couple she has done about being loved up are amongst my least favourite of her songs.

Shuffle-play update 2: - Aimee Mann - Build That wall. Aimee's another favourite of mine, but not exactly the sort of song collection in which happiness abounds.

Anyway, so far, I've picked out the following as possibilities, all of which I think would be fitting:

The Beatles - Something.

It's the version on the Love album that's on my shortlist, including the previous Gnik Nus track as I love the way it merges into the start of Something, but stopping before Something then merges into Nowhere Man. I don't want to be dancing to the lyrics 'he's a real nowhere man, living in his nowhere land, making all his nowhere plans for nobody'. I used to be a nowhere man, till I met my fiancee.

Bright Eyes - First Day Of My Life

This one has some significance, to me at least. It's just over three years since we first met, and after our fourth date we parted company with our first big and proper hug (first kiss for us, and first kiss for me ever, was after we'd got home from seeing Coldplay in Glasgow on the same day as Live Earth - and they say that day changed nothing!!) and went our separate ways home. I had the Bright Eyes album on in the car as I drove home that evening. I'd known this song for some time, but that night as I was filled with delight that I'd finally met someone special and not scared her off after four whole dates, this song suddenly stood out and rang true. My girlfriend does know the song, as I made her a mix CD for our first Valentine's together and put this track on first. She wants a song that's more well known, but I've yet to definitely ditch this as an option.

Shuffle-play update 3: The Chemical Brothers - Hold Tight London. Erm, sweet song but no, and not just because it's 6 mins long. Interestingly (possibly), when we moved in together we merged our CD collections - though with her few dozen and my 2800 albums it was less a merger, more a hostile takeover - and the Chemicals 'Surrender' album was one of the few albums it turned out we both had.

Thea Gilmore - Crazy Love

This was also on that mix cd I did for her. Van's original is also a possibility, though I do prefer the sweeter vocals of Thea's version.

Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla

My favourite band. I'll get their music played at some point on the day. This being one of their shortest and most joyous songs is the best contender for a slow dance to, and is also another from the mix CD.

Shuffle-play update 4: Johnny Cash - Train Of Love. My girl's name is Kate, and JC does have a song called Katy Too but it's about liking lots of girls including Katy. Don't think that would go down too well. The Byrds have a song called Precious Kate, that is mostly fine and affectionate and positive lyrically ('it is my desire to capture all your love') until the chorus keeps mentioning California earthquakes.

Ramones - Baby, I Love You

If not the first dance, then this is definitely going to be on the list the DJ gets of songs to play.

(Shuffle-play update 5: Clannad - Almost Seems (Too Late To Turn). If I suggested a song with a title like that, I'd likely get the same cold, hard stare I get when I jokily suggest the likes of 'Everyday I Love You Less And Less' or any Morrissey song.)

What songs have Word readers used or seen used for this at weddings? Any tips/recommendations/horror stories anyone has to share?