Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Our Wedding: Ceremony Music

The music for our wedding is something I looked forward to since it was decided!! I had a Wedding
Songs playlist on iTunes, and when I would be working on my computer, I'd have the playlist going!! Even when I was subbing--I always took my computer with me, especially to Elko, because I almost always had a planning period.  And what did I do during that time {or during lunch}? Yep, listen to our wedding songs!

Even though we were having a traditional wedding ceremony, I didn't want traditional music.  I wanted music that was more us and, I hate to say it, a little more fun!  Now, we didn't go full-out crazy, but, there definitely were some songs that one may not expect to hear at a wedding....like, a One Direction song?  Yep, you totally read that right.

As our guests arrived to the wedding, there were three songs that we had chosen to play: Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars, I'm Yours by
Jason Mraz, and, yes, What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction.  However, we didn't have these exact versions play.  We used the Vitamin String Quartet versions of Just The Way You Are and I'm Yours, and The Piano Guys version of What Makes You Beautiful.  When I first sent Matt these songs to listen to, I sent him the One Direction song kind of joking, but he ended up liking the version, too, so we went with it! haha.

When our grandparents and parents were being seated, we used Wonderful Tonight, another Vitamin String Quartet version.  {I love their music, can't you tell?}  I love this song!

For the whole bridal party, flower girls, pastor, Matt & I, we used the same song.  I know normally the bride comes in to a different song than the bridal party, but I loved this song so much.  So much that I'd been planning on using it at my wedding one day BEFORE Matt & I were even engaged!! I found that song during one of those days of sitting on YouTube and you just keep clicking through videos.  I downloaded it and put it on a CD, and one day Abby was riding in the car with me and I said, "You have to hear this song--I'm going to have it at my wedding."  I only played the song for a few people leading up to the wedding, because I knew it was necessary to time out everyone entering.

I figured when I told people I'd be walking down the aisle to Love Story by Taylor Swift, I'd get lots of laughs, which would've been totally fine, because I realize the ridiculousness in it, but it wasn't her version.  The version I found on YouTube was by Jon Schmidt, and it's all piano/cello music.  It is such a beautiful version! The song actually goes straight into Viva la Vida by Coldplay, but we ended it right before that.

Up until this point, all of our music was instrumental!  The last two songs had words...that were greatly needed!

During the ceremony, we had one song play that I think may have caught some people off-guard!! I wanted a song that wasn't too long, but would still fit us well.  If you've seen the Adam Sandler movie The Wedding Singer, you may know what song I'm talking about before even telling you!  Yes, we used Grow Old With You during our ceremony! I was so excited about this!!

These pictures of Matt crack me up!  There were people laughing all throughout the song, but one part near the end had most of us laughing, especially Matt.  The lyrics at this point said, "carry you to bed when you've had too much to drink..." which is probably really unexpected to hear in a song at a wedding, but it was just the humor in the song that I loved!


For our Recessional song, I also wanted something fun!  This song happened to be chosen in kind of a funny way.  It came on the radio while Matt & I were riding somewhere, and I said something like, "I really want an upbeat fun song like this for when we all walk down the aisle after the ceremony," and Matt's response was, "Why don't we just use this song?" I laughed and said "okay" without even realizing how even more perfect it was.  Part of the lyrics are, "dancing in the night in the middle of June," so I thought, "hm, it's like it was meant to be!" haha. So, if the lyrics haven't given it away, the song we used was, Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti & Spearhead!


If you've never heard any of these songs, or just want to hear them again, I've included them all below! 

Just The Way You Are by The Vitamin String Quartet

I'm Yours by The Vitamin String Quartet

What Makes You Beautiful by The Piano Guys

Wonderful Tonight by The Vitamin String Quartet

Love Story meets Viva la Vida by Jon Schmidt

Grow Old With You by Adam Sandler

Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti & Spearhead


and, just for fun, here's the actual movie clip for Grow Old With You!

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