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Mrs. Stiletto, Chicago Age and Occupation: 26, Non-Profit/Fundraising Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Engineer and Photographer Engagement Date: March 2, 2008 Wedding Date: September 2009 Venue: The 19th Century Club About Me: My fiance and I love living in the city of Chicago with our cats Basil and Linus, and vow to never move to the suburbs if we can possibly avoid it! We’ve poured ourselves into planning a wedding that reflects our personal style - modern and high contrast with a vintage twist. Blogging keeps me creative, baking keeps me happy, and grande nonfat no foam sugar free vanilla lattes keep me sane.
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Struttin’ Up the Aisle…

March 9th, 2009 @ 3:26 pm by Mrs. Stiletto

I hope that after the wedding, whenever I hear the songs that we will choose for our wedding day, it will bring me back to the day. While I know that I’ve been trained over the course of the years to associate “The Wedding March” with weddings, it’s not like I’m going to load it onto my iPod after the fact and listen to it when I’m feeling reminiscent.

So, of course, Mr. S and I are weighing out every single (non-traditional, of course!) music option for the wedding day. We’ve opted to not use the organ in our church and instead play whatever music we think will make us smile. But for whatever reason, the recessional is proving to be a struggle. How do you choose a song that is beautiful, meaningful, and the right tempo for excitedly strutting back down the aisle, that also includes church-appropriate lyrics?

We’ve narrowed it down to two strong contenders, but they are so wildly different…

Option #1: Clare & the Reasons “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”



(Scroll through the opening segment…we’d start playing this right when Clare starts singing.) Yes, this song may ring a bell. This is a beautiful cover of the 80s classic by Tears for Fears. Mr. S and I saw Clare & the Reasons in concert this winter and I just fell in love with Clare’s sweet, melodic voice.

While the lyrics may not be completely wedding-ish, I love that our first step down the aisle would be to Clare crooning “Welcome to your life…” How appropriate? We’ll just, err, not focus on some of the other lyrics that I think are about war. I just love how Clare’s voice floats. I listen to this song constantly on my iPod and try and envision it on the day of the wedding. In my mind, it fits, and I get giddy when I listen to it.

Option #2: Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher”

So on the other end of the spectrum, we have Jackie Wilson. Hmm, it’s got a totally different tempo and feel. This is a much more upbeat way to celebrate up the aisle. Exciting, fun, and dare I say, “vintage”. But is it very “us”? That, I don’t know. I’m not a big “wave my hands in the air and celebrate” type of gal, and I feel like this song would expect me to do so.

What’s a girl to do? The Clare & the Reasons song has so much more meaning to us personally - partly because we just love the band and we saw them together, and partly because I’ve been listening to this song non-stop for months after Mr. S and I put it on the list of possibilities (it was actually his idea - I hadn’t even considered it until then). I also want to make sure we integrate our point of view, and work in some indie bands where they’ll fit.

Thoughts? Ideas? Does anyone have some unique recessionals that might fit the bill?

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26 Responses to “Struttin’ Up the Aisle…”

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1.
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Guest
tabitha

check out vitamin string quartet. They do instrumental covers of main-stream songs. Good luck

 
2.
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Bee
Miss Peep Toe (message)  1,804 posts, Buzzing bee

The second song is way more fun, so I say go with that. Although, I like the first song. BUT I suggest doing what I did. Plug in both songs into a MIX Pandora Station and just listen to it and see if anything that is more ‘you’ jumps out at ya. Good luck!! I guess this is something I should start working on.

 
3.
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Bee
Miss Stiletto (message)  918 posts, Busy bee

@tabitha:
Ooh I know! I’m using a Deathcab for Cutie cover by Vitamin String for the processional…

 
4.
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Member
aja0829 (message)  160 posts, Blushing bee

I love how energetic the second one is, but it sounds like the first one might be more “you.” I would go with that. My most (un)original idea is All You Need is Love, but I need to think of something more “us.”

 
5.
bananapants
Member
bananapants (message)  138 posts, Blushing bee

I really really like the first one; THANK YOU for introducing me to Clare & The Reasons! Is there any way you can edit the song so just the more ‘wedding-ish’ parts are played? I agree with you that the first words of the song are pretty much perfect for your recessional! :)

As of now, we’re planning on walking to “Shining Star” by Earth, Wind, and Fire during our recessional. I love the buildup in the beginning of the song.

 
6.
AbbieOinCO
Member
AbbieOinCO (message)  184 posts, Blushing bee

Jackie Wilson’s song was actually one that we’d been thinking of using in some way. I love using “different” songs and think you should go with your gut on this one!

 
7.
Cole B
Member
Cole B (message)  1,362 posts, Bumble bee

I really like Clare & the Reasons, and I think some of the lyrics are sweet. What about finding a cover of Higher & Higher? This ones kinda cool, maybe a little more first dancish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9URQWaNeo8&feature=related
I’m not engaged yet but know that when my BF and I get married our processional will be Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of Somewhere over the Rainbow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D68ymfjpw98
we LOVE LOVE LOVE that song!

 
8.
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Bee
Miss Mascara (message)  859 posts, Busy bee

I’ve been struggling with song choices too. Sadly anything that has words needs to have the word “God” in it to be approved at our church. I’ll have to check out the vitamin string quartet.

 
9.
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Bee
Miss Stiletto (message)  918 posts, Busy bee

@bananapants:
Clare & the Reasons - such a fun little indy band! Great to catch them if you can ;)

Part of me kind of thinks that most of the people won’t even be listening that closely to the lyrics…so maybe they’ll just hear a pretty song and that’s it ;)

 
10.
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Bee
Miss Stiletto (message)  918 posts, Busy bee

@Miss Mascara:
Vitamin String Quartet covers EVERYTHING. My friend is a huge Pearl Jam fan, so her processional was a Pearl Jam cover by them. So personal to her and her hubby, but others wouldn’t really even know. It’s a great option!

Fortunately, our church doesn’t care what we do! (my mom…might be a different story, haha)

 
11.
LatteLove
Hostess
LatteLove (message)  5,587 posts, Bee Keeper

We’re using a lot of instrumental movie theme songs, which is very “us” and also non-traditional. The instrumental love song from braveheart, the theme from band of brothers, princess bride, and lots of others. I’m having a hard time narrowing it down, but that’s something you might want to look into!

 
12.
Lindz1701
Member
Lindz1701 (message)  99 posts, Worker bee

I understand your issue, we are having a bit of one too with our first dance song. We don’t want something that is really traditional, but one that is still us.

Since you like the Clare & the Reasons so much, why don’t you check out Allison Krauss and Robert Plant. Their album has some great songs that are love songs that don’t scream it. My fiance wants our recessional song to be “Another one bits the Bust” and think I might do it just to humor him as he is the last of his friends to get married.

 
13.
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Guest
JeffClif

Have you considered walking down the isle to the first song then after the kiss playing the second?

 
14.
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Guest
Kimmy

When my parents got married they had their recessional to a live instrumental version of “Jump” by Van Halen. They didn’t care, and the musicians were told to play what they want. They were so happy because anyone who would have thought it was weird didn’t realize it was playing. (and it wasn’t popular yet!)

We have talked about surprising them by doing the same song…

 
15.
Hayley
Member
Hayley (message)  214 posts, Helper bee

we’re playing “ever ever after” from the soundtrack to enchanted….i LOVE the movie, and while i had thought about using the song…i didn’t want to make the decision alone, so i never mentioned it. one night we were driving in the car and the boy was letting me listen to the songs, and this one came on and he goes “we should totally walk out after the ceremony to this!”

once i realized he wasn’t kidding…the decision was made =) good luck finding the perfect thing for you!

 
16.
bananapants
Member
bananapants (message)  138 posts, Blushing bee

@Miss Stiletto: I think you may be right about people just listening to the melody and not focusing too much on the words. (And if someone listens to the words and thinks it’s not the best fit for a wedding, does it REALLY matter in the grand scheme of things?) After listening to the song again, it’s pretty much impossible to the ‘wedding-ish’ wording and still keep some semblance of the melody. I love it when couples incorporate things into their wedding to make it reflect their personalities, tastes, etc. so I think you should go for it! :)

 
17.
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Bee
Miss Kitten (message)  868 posts, Busy bee

It sounds like you know which one to go with– from what you’ve said, the Clare and the Reasons one seems so much more you!

 
18.
driftslikesmoke
Hostess
driftslikesmoke (message)  1,224 posts, Bumble bee

I wish our church allowed for more customized music!! :( My fiancee and I will have a very limited list of songs to choose from.

 
19.
Wiglet
Member
Wiglet (message)  135 posts, Blushing bee

I’m walking down the aisle to “Morning Has Broken” by Cat Stevens. Besides being my parents’ first dance song, it’s based on a hymn! So it’s very wedding-appropriate, and beautiful if I do say so m’self.

I think Clare and the Reasons is the way to go. Maybe (and I’m sure this has already been said - I haven’t read the comments yet) you could have your recessional to Higher and Higher? It’s just that you seem so taken with Clare, and you’re right about the first line. I got chills when I heard it!

xoxo

 
20.
Wiglet
Member
Wiglet (message)  135 posts, Blushing bee

Oh, crumb - I didn’t realize that these were your considerations for the recessional! Well, what I said still stands. Our recessional song is going to be “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder. However, we’re also considering using my fiance’s parents’ first dance song, which is pretty upbeat (and I totally can’t remember what it is right now; sorry!)

 
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Mrs. Stiletto
Mrs. Stiletto

Mrs. Stiletto, Chicago Age and Occupation: 26, Non-Profit/Fundraising Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Engineer and Photographer Engagement Date: March 2, 2008 Wedding Date: September 2009 Venue: The 19th Century Club About Me: My fiance and I love living in the city of Chicago with our cats Basil and Linus, and vow to never move to the suburbs if we can possibly avoid it! We’ve poured ourselves into planning a wedding that reflects our personal style - modern and high contrast with a vintage twist. Blogging keeps me creative, baking keeps me happy, and grande nonfat no foam sugar free vanilla lattes keep me sane.

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