I'll see you in hell, Pachelbel...
 

While home over the holidays, we took a few moments to hook up the iPod and play our musical choices for the big day this June. My parents seemed to like a lot of our selections-- they're different, but they're pretty, and they seemed to get that.

Once we reached the end of the playslist, though, Mom popped the question that I'd feared all along. "What about Pachelbel's Canon?" I said no, no thanks, we were trying to veer away from cliche.

If I'd known about this comedian at the time, I would've played this for her:


Pachelbel Rant

The link didn't work for me, but I have to applaud you for searching for good, non-cliche music.

Oops, it works now.

We used Eric Satie's Trois Gymnopédies and The Swan from Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals. I've forgotten what our recession was.

Mine was 1991.

So what's your list?

I remember that my sister used Mouret's "Rondeau" also known as "That music from Masterpiece Theater."

For before the ceremony, CP picked the theme from Baz Lurhmann's Romeon and Juliet, processional was something from West Side Story, and the recessional was Good Day Sunshine.

I had the chance to play that suite in HS. I hadn't thought of that in years.

Thanks :cheers:

For the prelude, we've asked my friend Aimee (one of my bridesmaids who has a hellofa set of pipes) to sing "One Hand, One Heart," which is a little overdone, but we're avid Sondheim fans and we can't come up with anything by him that's more appropriate. Though Tom has great fun suggesting inappropriate options. ("A Little Priest," anyone? "Everybody's Got the Right"? "Agony"?)

As of now, we're looking at a piano arrangement of "Rosymedre" by Ralph Vaughn Williams, and a piano arrangement of "Maturity" from Cinema Paradiso as my processional.

We haven't decided on a recessional, but we originally wanted to use our song ("Harmour Love," by Stevie Wonder-- though he only appears as a backup singer on the track) as we start out every trip with the song and thought it'd be cute to have it for our trip down the aisle. The chuch put a kibosh on all recorded music, though, and "Harmour Love" isn't such a piano song.

So it'll be our first dance. I'm dancing with my pop to Paul Simon's "Father and Daughter." We're still needing an appropriate recessional, and perhaps some further prelude.

We had the most traditional of traditionals. The organist wasn't thrilled, but it was Ryan's one and only request for the entire event, so that was fine with me. It meant I got a free reign on everything else.

Is it too late to recommend a Vegas elopement and just going with whatever is playing through the drivethru's speaker?

I saw that video a couple months ago. Lani thought it was hilarious. I am so musically inept I mostly didn't get it. It didn't help that I'm not familiar with most of the songs he sings so for all I know he is just cramming them into the joke. Though I'm sure he's not.

Ooooh, Rhosymedre is one of my favourite pieces ever. Beautiful choices:)

We actually don't like Vegas. But I appreciate the suggestion for a simple approach. Our LA party will be smaller-- coming from Catholic midwestern stock, the Michigan wedding is pretty weddingy. Though I like that we're showing a movie for part of the reception-- that's pretty us.)

Aw, I love "Canon" :(

I always thought I would use the theme from Somewhere in Time (Based on Rachmoninoff's Theme from Paganini) as the enterance music for the bride, "The End" by the Doors for me and Carmina Burana as the exit music. First dance would be a Chicago song.

Oh well, a guy can dream right?

LSP - You should go with whatever your personalities call for.

I'd be putting a kibosh on that church and going elsewhere !!

Fancy telling someone they can't have recorded music at their own wedding if they choose to. :eek:

I'd love to hear a truly valid reason for it.

What's that got to do with getting married? So how about Elko? If you went to Elko you'd get a nice road trip out of it, a certainty of no meddlesome attendants, and I could tell my owl mutilating story.

There, now you can't say that the promise of an owl mutilating story isn't worth throwing all your plans out the window to get married in one of Elko's fourth-rate casinos, can you?

There is a rather good reason for it. It's a small country church without a sound system.

And, no, we won't be going anywhere else. I'm very grateful there's a church within a five-minute drive of my parents' home. My mother has been too ill to leave the house even once in the past eighteen months. And a handicapped-accesible church in the near-vicinity, which she might be able to get to? I'll be damned if I sacrifice my mother's attendence for a ****ing song recording. She feels very strongly about us getting married in a church (she's very religious; to her it isn't valid if it isn't in a Catholic church.) So we're doing this for her.

Sorry to be brisk there, Lashy. I know you're on my side. But there have been several people in online communities lately who've criticized the decisions I'm making. Yes, it's our day. But it will feel incomplete if my mother cannot attend. And if there's a chance she can, we're going to adjust for it.

Well, we do want our family to be there. All of our family. And anywhere other than where we're doing it wouldn't allow it to happen.

The owl mutilating story, though, I have to hear. Spill.

Not unless you get married in Elko.

And please don't take my comments at criticism of choices. So long as your choices are your (second person plural) choices then there is no criticism to be fairly offered by anyone.

No, of course-- it certainly wasn't you, Alex. Tom and I are a united front and are happy with all of our choices, given the circumstances. Let's just say that I've taken my leave from online wedding planning communities.

What if we have the LoT wedding reception in Elko?

A friend new a girl who walked down the aisle to Come on Eileen. Fun.

If I'm ever wed, I'm not walking up or down any aisles. We're all just gonna have to meet up at the right time and place 'cause there's no way I'm marching forth in front of a large group of people, all eyes on me, approaching a groom as if we're seeing each other for the very first time.

The music selecting seems like a crazy but fun chore. I'm not sure I'd ever be able to muddle through it all and narrow down choices, so the whole "Hang out in a bar until someone says, "Weddings On!" then flocking to the center for the exchange of vows / slurred vowels, would work best for someone like me, I think.

I wish you the best of luck getting it just so for you guys!

{My point being, after that ramble, is that it all sound so stressful and I really do hope it's alls well that ends well with the wedding planning. You guys have to make so many decisions in such a short time!}

xoxo

I tried those, and left quickly. WAY too much cattiness and "My wedding's better than your wedding!" attitudes.

Good for you for being happy with your choices. That's most important. :D

Chapel of Love is always good :D

And I agree it's your wedding do what you want. My dad was quite ill at my wedding and it was really his last hurrah. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Although I prefer Winnemucca over Elko.

No problems ! But surely the church wouldn't have an issue if you wanted to get an inexpensive sound system so you could share the beautiful music you love with your mother and others on the day ?

There are lots of people here (kevy comes to mind) who could help you choose a not too OTT sound system good enough to play some wonderful music. I want your day to be the best it possibly can, and that includes having your Mom and your Music too.

Hell, I'd bring my CD boombox if it would help ! (although that would be a little small for a church's accoustics I think....)

:hug:

Cool making the traditional ceremony your own.

We had The Hawaiian Wedding Song. :D

(Married in HI with 13 of our friends and Justice of the Peace...wouldn't change a thing)

Standing ovation! :snap:

I've been to too many weddings recently where the couple had obviously spent less than three seconds thinking about their family and guests.

My "something from West Side Story" was One Hand, One Heart, done by a trio (flute, cello, and violin, I think). My dad was thrilled to hear it, as he's a huge WSS fan.I used that as the processional, and the Romeo Juliet theme was for my entrance/walk.

BTW, it was Here Comes the Sun for the recessional, but no one heard it anyway over the chant of "Mazel Tov". :)