i love you much photography

Ceremony music is something that I’ve been sort-of dreading for months, because I wasn’t sure what to do. I don’t think I’ve ever shared this, but I’ve been playing the violin since I was six. I played in my first wedding when I was 11. I’ve been around the traditional-wedding-ceremony-music block. I think the music is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve just been there done that. I glaze over a little bit. (Said music will remain nameless, to protect the innocent, or people that haven’t beaten it into the ground yet as I have). Our church also has quite a few rules with respect to what can and cannot be played, so that also made me nervous.

Today, we had our first official meeting with Callie, the girl who is heading up our ceremony music. I’ve known her for what feels like forever, and we played violin together for about 100 years. She’s amazing, super talented, and has fantastic taste. Going into our meeting, I had my list ready, and my “Oh God, please don’t let my ideas be crazy” hat on.

She loved my ideas, and, well, I don’t think it could have gone better. I’ll skip the detailed blabbery parts, and get right down to the meat. For the ceremony, we’ll have Callie, a cellist, and a pianist.

Let’s take a look and a listen at our music, shall we? I’m not going to go down the prelude-music-road today, because, well, I’m just not. We’ll save that for another day. All of this is not set in stone, of course, so if something changes, don’t beat me.

We do not have any grandparents attending the wedding, so the only people being walked down the aisle in the processional will be our two mothers and the three bridesmaids. Two separate songs for the both would be too chopped up, so I suggested one for both– the Handel-Halvorsen “Passacaglia.” It’s for cello and violin, and completely amazing.

This will most likely be shortened and fiddled with a bit, given its length. I think it’s just an incredible piece of music.

For the bridal processional, I wanted something that sort of said, “I’M HERE, Y’ALL! PAY ATTENTION! LOOKATMELOOKATMELOOKATME!” I think the piece of music that best does that is Handel’s “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” from Solomon. (More Handel, look at that!) We will have only violin, cello, and piano, not the full orchestra that is heard in this version.

The tempo will be slowed some, as well. I’m not going to gallop down the aisle.

The song idea for a during-the-ceremony piece is going to sound strange, but just work with me here. When I watched the Time Traveler’s Wife, aka the movie that partially butchered my favorite book, a song that was played at various points throughout was “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen,” or more commonly known in English as “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.” Yes, it is traditionally a Christmas carol. Pretend this doesn’t have a vocalist in it, and throw in a cello and perhaps piano.

I think it will be lovely, but let’s see what JP says once I run it by him.

Now, for the recessional, I will 100% lose my shit. It will be game over. I will be grinning, crying, and generally flipping the heck out. Remember before how I was worried about being able to have “All I Want is You” played? Well, worries gone, because we have someone to sing it, play the guitar, and play the harmonica. Plus, homeboy sounds like Mr. Polisar. Win win win win win. Just imagine this (again) as we all go back down the aisle.

I can’t think of anything more perfect.

(Okay, maybe I can, but this is just a tiny thing. I’d like to change the “was” parts in the song to “were,” because it should be in the subjunctive, damnit).

So, there you have it! We have our not-quite-as-commonly-used music, along with the ultimate recessional. I am thrilled.

What do you guys think? Did choosing your ceremony music go more easily than you expected? What are you using for your big pieces?