Mr. Royale and I just returned from a wedding in Seattle and while the ceremony was beautiful and the reception all sorts of fun, I felt a little let down about the music. The processional and ceremony included the newer standards: Saint Saen‘s “The Swan,” the theme from Braveheart, and Bach‘s “Ave Maria.” The bride did spice things up by adding a little something new: the theme from Downton Abbey played by a harpist and cellist. Tasteful, discrete, and soothing. Things got a little more exciting during the reception when the bride and groom performed their first dance as a tango to a Gotan Project instrumental.
While we thoroughly enjoyed the celebration, we got to dreaming about all sorts of non-traditional musical choices. Of course, we would not have wanted to have spoiled the bride and groom’s dream day, and realize that one person’s interesting wedding music is another person’s God Speed! You Black Emperor, but we did sort of wonder what would have happened if the harpist had started in on something more “Seattle,”
Have you attended any weddings with truly inspired processional/recessional music? Do you have any great musical wedding reception stories to share?
My best friend got married in a Prohibition-era speakeasy under a theater in Kalamazoo. Having played in Chicago bars, he eschewed canned music and set up his equipment for the reception. If you could play, you got up and played. And a lot of guests could play. Great night
aloha
LD
Your story reminds me of a similar set up at a wedding I attended years ago for a musician friend. That was cool to see. (I believe, jam-phobic guy that I am, I was too chicken to play on anything.)
I would have loved to have seen the crowd dancing to the music! Improv dance, anyone?