Weddingbee Blog

The right music makes everything better, amIright? It stirs the senses, attaches itself to and evokes memories, provokes our emotions, and laces itself into the soundtracks of our lives in inextricable and powerful ways. Our taste in music says a lot about who we are, where we’ve been, and reveals layers of our personalities that aren’t always immediately discernible. Or at least, I think so. I’m that girl who can’t wait for the ceremony to start because I’m curious to hear what song the bride picked to enter with. I’m so fascinated by what music people select for different portions of their weddings, and even more so by the pressure to conform to the ‘wedxpectations’ (booyah, just made that up!) that so many couples experience (including us!).

Pachabel’s Canon in D. The Wedding March. At Last. I’ll Be. Ave Maria. Butterfly Kisses. Rainbow Connection. Unforgettable. (You get the point.) How many times have you heard these at weddings? How many cocktail hours and dinners filled with Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack, Michael Buble, and Earth, Wind and Fire have you attended?

Now, I’m not trying to beef on you if you have some attachment to one of these songs or artists… I’ve got nothin’ but love.

They’re beautiful songs performed by some of the greatest artists of our time. If you have a connection with it – use it! But even so, these choices are fairly common (and therefore, somewhat predictable) choices. And far too many couples fall back onto choosing music that doesn’t rock their personal socks, or show off their unique taste, because they feel pressure to stay inside that box. I have friends who regret their processional choice because of the pressure of “tradition”… but, I’m blowing the lid right off that box and hitting shuffle on this mix, yo! BOOOOOM goes the dynamite. People, use music you LOVE. There’s nothing like the sense memory of your wedding jam playing while you’re in the toilet paper aisle at Target. You will dance. You will tear up. You will go home and make out. It’s. Awesome.

Your music also sets a mood. Consider the energy you want your wedding to radiate. Elegant and sophisticated? Fun and funky? Down home country? Big band glam? The music you play can clue your guests in on what kind of event to expect, so use it!

Picking our music was a major challenge for us, for shizzle. We wanted to underscore our day with music that both held meaning to us as a couple, and showed off our diverse and random tastes in tuneage. And remember how Mr M had issues with having a ceremony in a place that many other people had married? He felt the same way about music selections for the wedding. I fell in love with plenty of songs that got quickly vetoed because he was very particular (and in the end, he was right). Plus, the closest thing we’d had to “our song” over the 6.5 years of our relationship that far, was deemed too sad (and worse, morbid)* by our families. We gave it some more thought, and we saw their point. We wanted to feel jolly and happy, not like we were harshing everyone’s (including our own) merry mellow! And so we decided that we wanted cheerful, even upbeat music to celebrate each moment with positive and joyful energy.

And that’s just what we did.

The Ceremony

♥ During the pre-game, while our guests filtered in and procured their fine ceremony cocktails, we had the one and only Michael from The Flashdance spinning beats. We suggested to Michael a very groovy, sunny, reggae sort of vibe to play with, and given his exquisite taste, the party was already started before we even arrived. Then, it was time to get down to business!

Fun in the sun…

♥ For the wedding party processional, we chose a song by one of our very favorite musicians, Trevor Hall. We love how stirring and meditative it feels, and how the lyrics are so appropriate to the business we had come to do. We even printed the lyrics on the back of our programs, so the guests would get the full experience of the song and its message. The timing worked out just right, so the final bridesmaid took her place just as the song ended… and it kicked our wedding with the perfect mood and energy.

Trevor Hall “To Zion“

Lyrics:
To Zion, I’ll fly on…
To Zion, I’ll fly on…

Up with the sunrise
breeze through the wind chimes
open my eyes as the images rush my mind
Shine, oh baby you’re just in time
the water’s in the kettle, the stars have just aligned
Yes within the hour, oh I see the power
never new the street could bloom so many flowers
Yes I water the roots as I lace up my boots
strap on my parachute, and float on back to…

To Zion…I Fly On

… and the fairies danced down the isle.

Swallow the ocean
drink of it’s potion
the wheels are turning and burning, set it in motion
Fire, fire, well baby I’m up in flames
these melodies are telling me to see it all the same
yes, I am I
you are you
you are me
we are we,
family on the road to unity
Plant a seed, watch it sprout
watch it grow, watch it bloom
get in tune, sun and moon
as we finally break through..

To Zion…I Fly On

Polish the mirror
so we can see clearer
push back the clouds
and reflect love superior.
Within the lotus,
it all comes in focus
this love, it ain’t hopeless
its no hocus pocus.

♥ Picking my entrance song was balls hard, people. I really wanted a different song for this part, but I only had like 30-40 seconds of processional and it’s near impossible to find music that can feel “complete” within that time. I had a few strong contenders, but nothing really sang to me, and I was getting pretty stressed about it. I didn’t want to compromise on this one, you know? It was my big moment! The reveal! The first look! Then I remembered the instrumental intro to one of my very favorite songs of all time, and it timed out perfectly! With its dreamlike tempo and airy strings, it feels like an underwater ballet… like time slows down when it plays. And that’s exactly how I wanted to feel as I glided down the aisle.

Jump, Little Children – “Mother’s Eyes” (the first 1:25 were my processional, and I entered at 0:30) but listen to the rest – it’s an epic song!)

In our own underwater ballet.

♥ Our officiant/friend Billy knows us incredibly well. He’s also insanely talented (like mega ultra uber good) singer/songwriter, so we asked if he could write us a special jam, and then perform it after the recessional while circling the guest seating, to set the right mood for the ceremony and seal off the sacred space in which we were about to marry. It was incredibly special and powerful, and Billy was adorable, singing to us and interacting with the guests with the same goofy warmth that makes him one of our very best friends. As we always say: warm and sweet, thoughtful and silly is the way we love our Billy Gilly.

You Got Love, written and performed by Billy Gill

Billy’s Song from Digital Princess Productions on Vimeo.

♥ The recessional was the one easy pick of the whole shebang. I’ll Melt with You has been one of our favorite, meaningful jams for many years (who can resist Modern English?) and we knew from day uno that we wanted to kick off our marriage with that hot-ass crescendo toward the end. It just feels like the beginning of something sooooo freaking good, don’t it?

Modern English – “Melt with You” (we started it at 3:17)

Stay tuned for Part II – The Reception Jams!

What songs are you using for your ceremony? I love hearing peoples’ picks!

*that song was: I Will Follow You (Death Cab for Cutie)