Just for fun: Wedding Music Ideas?

djmcmath · 05-24-2007, 09:53 PM

Ok, I'll throw this one out for the Pelican Braintrust to chew on, just to see what kind of oddball responses this crowd has handy. My fiance and I are looking for good music to play during the wedding and reception. Wagner and Mendelssohn (the traditional Here Comes the Bride and exit songs) are both ruled out because they both come from operas in which everyone dies.

If we could manage to find appropriate singing voices, something like "Sunrise, Sunset," from Fiddler would be awesome, but unlikely. "Hallelujah" from the Shrek soundtrack is loved by all, but portrays a somewhat negative view on love. For whatever reason, songs like "I will survive," "Electric slide," and "Macarena" are popular at the reception ... I've never understood why, and I've vetoed all three at our reception. Oh, and we're not doing anything by Rascal Flatts. ("God blessed the broken road" was played 4 times at the last wedding I went to.) I knew one friend who went down the aisle to "Ali, ali ali, ali ababah" from Disney's Alladin, and another who came down the aisle to the theme from 2001 (Als Sprach Zarathustra, iirc). We're not quite that nutty, but we're close. No country, no songs from operas where everybody dies, and nothing where you're saying "Boy, that really sounds like traditional wedding music." Anything else is cool.

Major song slots:
People coming in and finding seats
Bride comes down the aisle
Newly married couple goes back up the aisle
First dance (we're thinking a reasonably slow swing song for this one -- Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, Today's the Day ... or maybe blues dance, like Eva Cassidy's "Wade in the Water." Or Tom Jones "Sex Bomb," or Tom Lehrer "Masochism Tango.")

Random thoughts? (bracing self for barrage of bizarre ideas)

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Baby Got Back is always appropriate to replace Here Comes the Bride

Comfortably Numb is good for first dance. Or maybe The End by The Doors.

Lawyers, Guns and Money by Warren Zevon if you're feeling sassy.

kstar · 05-24-2007, 10:09 PM

Taps?

Best,

Kurt

Milu · 05-25-2007, 12:07 AM

A selection from the Rolling Stones might work:

Paint it Black

Rock and a hard place

Miss you

come to mind.

djmcmath · 05-25-2007, 12:35 AM

Paint it black -- great song, that might just work. Comfortably Numb is a great idea, though she's already said she won't leave the church to "Taps."

How about a jazz version of Moonlight Sonata? That's got some class.

lendaddy · 05-25-2007, 03:05 AM

You are headed down a scary and treacherous path my friend. You still have time to do the right thing: Tell her that she (with educated council from her mother and friends) should make these decisions. That she should make everything exactly as she always dreamed without your blunt/imaginationless testosterone induced opinions (oh, and that just having her is all you need for the day...blah blah blah)
Failure to do so will start your marriage off on the certainly false (it is false right?) premise that you give a flying damn about such flowery bull and will require you to feign interest in such for the rest of your life under penalty of tears or worse. Act now man! You still have time!!!!!!!

id10t · 05-25-2007, 04:07 AM

Our wedding music was traditional strings quartet stuff, but our first dance at the reception was Led Zepplin (Thank You). Most of what was played at the reception was a mix of classic rock n roll (me) and hispanic dance stuff (wife's influence).

KFC911 · 05-25-2007, 04:22 AM

Billy Idol's "White Wedding"

Isabo · 05-25-2007, 05:43 AM

Billy Idol's rebel yell might be appropriate for the honeymoon.

hardflex · 05-25-2007, 05:47 AM

John Cougar " I need a lover that won't drive me Crazy"

lendaddy · 05-25-2007, 05:49 AM

As an addendum to my above reply, I was speaking only of the ceremonial music not the reception. The reception entertainment is your only duty(and the only thing anyone will remember).

Carry on..

KFC911 · 05-25-2007, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Isabo
Billy Idol's rebel yell might be appropriate for the honeymoon.

You're going for that "more, more, more" aspect aren't ya

?

ps: I'm not really a B. Idol fan...those may be the only songs I recall.

Rot 911 · 05-25-2007, 06:07 AM

Marc Cohn "True Companion"

Baby I've been searching like everybody else
Can't say nothing different about myself
Sometimes I'm an angel
And sometimes I'm cruel
And when it comes to love
I'm just another fool
Yes, I'll climb a mountain
I'm gonna swim the sea
There ain't no act of God girl
Could keep you safe from me
My arms are reaching out
Out across this canyon
I'm asking you to be my true companion
True companion
True companion

So don't you dare and try to walk away
I've got my heart set on our wedding day
I've got this vision of a girl in white
Made my decision that it's you allright
And when I take your hand
I'll watch my heart set sail
I'll take my trembling fingers
And I'll lift up your veil
Then I'll take you home
And with wild abandon
Make love to you just like a true companion
You are my true companion
I got a true companion
True companion

When the years have done irreparable harm
I can see us walking slowly arm in arm
Just like the couple on the corner do
'Cause girl I will always be in love with you
And when I look in your eyes
I'll still see that spark
Until the shadows fall
Until the room grows dark
Then when I leave this Earth
I'll be with the angels standin'
I'll be out there waiting for my true companion
Just for my true companion
True companion
True companion

Tim Hancock · 05-25-2007, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lendaddy
You are headed down a scary and treacherous path my friend. You still have time to do the right thing: Tell her that she (with educated council from her mother and friends) should make these decisions. That she should make everything exactly as she always dreamed without your blunt/imaginationless testosterone induced opinions (oh, and that just having her is all you need for the day...blah blah blah)
Failure to do so will start your marriage off on the certainly false (it is false right?) premise that you give a flying damn about such flowery bull and will require you to feign interest in such for the rest of your life under penalty of tears or worse. Act now man! You still have time!!!!!!!

Lendaddy's advice should not be taken lightly, he is spot on.

lendaddy · 05-25-2007, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim Hancock
Lendaddy's advice should not be taken lightly, he is spot on.

Unless he's really into that stuff....not that there's anything wrong with that

Victor · 05-25-2007, 06:24 AM

Pantera: "Cowboys from Hell". If you don't understand why, have another listen.

cool_chick · 05-25-2007, 06:29 AM

Nine Inch Nails - Closer.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by djmcmath
Paint it black -- great song, that might just work. Comfortably Numb is a great idea, though she's already said she won't leave the church to "Taps."

How about a jazz version of Moonlight Sonata? That's got some class.

Check out Marcus Miller's version of Moonlight Sonata. It is on his last album (Silver Rain). It is quite amazing.

I play part of it in my podcast review of his concert:

http://nostatic.com/podcasts/mmPodcast.mp3

rouxroux · 05-25-2007, 06:37 AM

We were playing a reception last week (yes, we'll do them from time to time) and the wedding couple requested "Why don't we get drunk and screw" by Jimmy Buffett...Naturally, we obliged.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Don't forget "My Eyes Don't Cry No More" by Stevie Wonder, that's an obligatory wedding song, kind of like Proud Mary was a few decades ago...