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by BERN MORLEY
When you get married, there are a thousand and one decisions to make.
Church or Beach?
Chicken or Lamb?
Peach Taffeta or Puce Lace?
Stretch Hummer or Cinderella Carriage?
Fireworks or Latin Dancers?
There is one area I, as a young bride over ten years ago, struggled with. My wedding song. *The* Song. The one where you walk down the aisle (if applicable) or into the ceremony to and people sob because it’s just so emotional. Or the song you dance to and enchant all the guests with the loving scene they are collectively witnessing.
So what in the hell was going on when I was originally thinking of using this?
It’s a song about animals. And Cannonballs. And television freak shows. Was I intending to shimmy up the carpet to a petrified Phil? Throw in a few fist pumps? I also vividly remember discussing this choice with my two best girlfriends and they gave me the thumbs up. Perhaps they were just agreeing with their clearly unhinged friend for fear of reprisals. We all know how Brides can get.
In fact, a couple of years later we went to a wedding that was held at a very flash golf course. It was a bit bizarre really, because I wasn’t at all close to the bride and groom and Phil had not even laid eyes on them before the wedding day. I think it was a conscience invite because I had recently started working with her after being an acquaintance for years. We all waited, course side, for the bride to arrive. She turned up on the back of a Harley, gracefully removed herself and then the song started. The song that would accompany her up the “aisle. It was this.
Oh yeah. But hey, it was their choice and it fitted in well with them sitting on individual thrones all night and requesting the company of their guests by appointment only. I shit you not.
Luckily for me, somewhere between becoming a Savage Garden Junkie and walking in to my wedding ceremony I had an epiphany. It was like the common sense gods slapped me on the back of the head and told me to get off myself.
From memory I was listening to a lot of Jeff Buckley at the time, so am unsure how I came up with this, but on a very rainy day in June, 1999, I walked into to greet my husband to be, to this song:
What was the song you chose or would choose for your wedding?
Comments
303 Comments so far
Under Pressure by David Bowie/Queen down the aisle.
As the World Falls Down by David Bowie from the movie Labyrinth.
YES I LOVE DAVID BOWIE.
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I have recently decided that my first dance wedding song is going to be Mumford and Son’s Lover of the Light. Too bad if the sucker who marries me doesn’t like it haha. I love the Babel album nearly as much as Sigh No More. I’m on my way up to see them play at Kuranda Amphitheatre tonight, SO excited!
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Aisle – the luckiest Ben Folds
Registry – Feeling Good Michael Buble
Walking out – So Happy together – The Turtles
First dance – wonderwall Oasis
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Aisle: theme from brave heart
Registry signing: In my life, The Beatles
Back down aisle out of chapel: City Meets the Sea, Getaway plan (acoustic version)
Dance Dream Catch me, Newton Faulkner
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I sing at weddings, and these are some popular choices:
Before the bridal party arrives:
Follow Through by Gavin Degree
Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
Entrance:
Love Story by Taylor Swift
Marry Me by Train
Better Together by Jack Johnson
Signing the register:
Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer
Songbird by Eva Cassidy
Exiting:
Everlasting Love (this will be) by Natalie Cole
You Make My Dreams by Hall and Oates
Jump Then Fall by Taylor Swift
Brighter Than The Sun by Colbie Caillat
First Dance:
Falling Slowly from the movie Once
Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat
Even When I’m Sleeping by Leonardo’s Bride
Love On Top by Beyonce
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I think it’s important to choose songs that mean something to you – songs you listened to together – bands you have seen together, etc. I am lucky enough to be marrying a music nerd – so a gift for him when I was in England he sent me an iPod shuffle with songs I liked and songs we listened to when we were younger & song that he meant for me.
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I want to walk down the aisle to Amazing Grace but someone suggested this is a funeral song. Thoughts?
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Aisle: into my arms – nick cave
Registry signing: Love this life – crowded house
Dance: message to my girl – split enz
Farewell circle: all my friends are getting married – skyhooks / throw your arms – hunters and collectors
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I wanted ‘So Happy Together’ by the Turtles as our wedding dance song – because it only goes 2 minutes and wouldn’t prolong my husband’s agony at having to dance in front of family and friends. We walked out to ‘Betterman by Robbie Williams’ and Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash. I think we walked into Missy Higgins The special two – which is kind of ironic coz I think the lyrics are actually about the depression you feel when you break up with someone you love. ha ha ha ha ha
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Fiance and I are dancing to ‘L.O.V.E.’ by Nat King Cole. Decided on this MONTHS ago, only to see Metricon, or some other home builder, using it in their advertisement on tv! Not impressed!
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I’m not married but i would choose
Return to innocence: Enigma
I’m always here – Jim Jamison (baywatch theme!)
i’m yours – jason mraz
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Aisle: Lucky (Jason mraz) performed by Joe Moore – currently competing on Australia’s got talent
First dance: angel (jack johnson) into The way you make me feel (MJ) and then build me up buttercup!
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We had ‘Into my arms’ by Nick Cave as I walked in. I loved it! It was onto the balcony of the penthouse suite at a hotel not a church or anything so it felt totally appropriate to play Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust for Life’ after we had said our vows and it was time for champagne and cheering!!!
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Just before the walking down the aisle song: Somebody’s Getting Married from The Muppets Take Manhattan
Walking down the Aisle: Clair De Lune – Debussy
Signing of the Register: Storybook theme by Mark Knopfler (Main them from The Princess Bride)
Walking out: The Cantina Band from Star Wars
Entrance to reception: Gorecki by Lamb
First dance: Ain’t That A Kick by Dean Martin
I just wish I’d gotten to see everybody’s faces when The Muppets started to play. Though by all accounts it was a hit. Apparently it also made all of the kids quiet down. Such a beautiful day.
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Walking down the aisle- ‘God Only Knows’ by the Beach Boys
Signing the register- ‘First Day Of My Life’ by Bright Eyes
Walking into the reception- ‘If You’re Wondering If I Want You To (I Want You To)’ by Weezer
First Dance- ‘Because Of You’ by Tony Bennett and kd lang
Cake cutting- ‘Don’t Wanna Let You Down’ by Josh Pyke
Farewell circle- ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ by Frank Sinatra.
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Walking down the aisle :: Amazing Grace
After the ceremony (while signing book) :: What Sound by Lamb
Walking down the aisle for congrats :: Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve
First dance :: Colorblind by Counting Crows
All of them are in my playlist on my phone nearly 9 years later
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Walked down the aisle to Loch Erin Shores – The Corrs
Walked back down to a jazz version of someday my prince will come
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Walked down the aisle to “Have I told you lately” by Van Morrison. Walked out to “Everybody needs somebody” by the Blues Brothers. I’m still happy with those choices.
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We were married in a church, so the traditional organ music for us. However, when it came to the first dance, I tortured my now husband with hours and hours of listening to potential performance numbers. After much discussion and consideration (and perhaps a little bribery on my part) we finally agreed on Songbird by Fleetwood Mac. Turns out we needn’t have worried so much – the band had assured me one of their members was confident to sing the number. Confident yes… Competent NO! The high-pitched, completely unrecognisable rendition sent me into a fit of giggles and kind of ruined the moment! Lucky we can laugh about it all after the fact, eh?
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We had Push by Sarah McLachlan as I walked up the aisle.
It’s the End of the World by REM as we walked back down.
and our first dance to If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys.
Still love all our choices. Friends went to a wedding where the dance was to “Still haven’t found what I’m looking for” by U2. Very strange choice if you ask me!!
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..and “end of the world” is such a natural choice
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Do you know the song?
‘It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.’
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Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission…
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We had the background music from Love Actually.
It was amazing!
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I spent so long picking each song for our wedding, In the end, we had:
Walking down the Aisle: Songbird by Eva Cassidy
Signing of the Register: Latika’s theme from Slumdog Millionaire/ Storybook theme by Mark Knopfler (Princess Bride)
Walking out: I’m Yours by Jason Mraz
Entrance to reception: Tonight’s gonna be a good night by Black Eyed Peas
First dance: The One I love by David Gray
Cutting the Cake: When I’m 64 by the Beatles
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This is what we had
Walking down the aisle Northern wind by City and Colour
Signing register Sew my name Josh Pike
Walking back down You and me by lifehouse
Entering reception Home by Edward sharp and the magnetic zeros
First dance The girl by City and colour
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We almost used The Girl. I love City and Colour.
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For our wedding later this year:
Walking down the aisle – Watch Over Me by Bernard Fanning – love love love
First dance – Mystify by INXS (we both love INXS – love how groovy and sexy this song is!)
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I’m not a huge fan of the CD player blaring at weddings so we had a small string quartet playing ‘here comes the bride’ while I walked down the aisle and other beautiful classic music throughout the day. I thought it set a nice feel to the day, maybe a bit old-school, even though I was only 23 at the time hehe
Personal taste i guess
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Oh the choices!
Three definites so far (wedding in August)
Register: Carole King’s Anyone At All
Leaving chapel: Dave Dobbyn’s Slice of Heaven
Entering Reception: L.O.V.E. – going to use Tom Burlinson’s version of this swing classic
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Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
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My fiancé and I are currently planning our engagement/ wedding. We have chosen our first dance to Walking on a dream by Empire of the sun.
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I walked down the aisle to an acoustic version of Crash into Me by the Dave Mathews Band. I remember editing it because the first words to the song are ‘You’ve got your ball you’ve got your chain’. Started it from the next verse!!
Still love the song so much.
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I loved choosing the music for our wedding…
Aisle song was ‘So Beautiful’ by Darren Hayes
Register was ‘This I promise you’ Ronan Keating
Left the chapel to ‘You’re the first, the last, my everything’ Barry White
Father Daughter dance to ‘I loved her first’ by Heartland
Bridal Waltz to ‘I dont want to live without you’ by Foreigner
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I got stuck with KC & JoJo’s ‘All My Life’. Ugh.
I wanted to march down the aisle to Michael Buble’s Feeling Good.
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How did you get stuck with it?
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Some that I really love and wanted to use (but sadly didn’t):
Islands by The XX
Red Sails by Custom Kings (totally underrated Australian band)
Under Pressure by David Bowie (How good is that riff?! And it would be pretty funny…)
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Our song was Thank God I Found U by Axwell – the Classic edit not radio version – hear it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjeizYEI3Ic – I walked down the aisle to it (got everybody grooving!) – have never heard that anyone else has used it!
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I walked down the aisle to Dollar Brand’s The Wedding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dsrvfr_imI
And we left to a tango composed by my (musician) husband. We also had ‘One Hand, One Heart’ and ‘I Have a Love’ from Westside Story performed during the signing. And before we left the church, a trumpet trio frightened the life out of everyone when they appeared on the balcony and played a fanfare (also composed by hubby).
People still talk about it – 13 years later!
http://diabetogenic.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/thirteen-years/
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Aisle walk was a recording of Bittersweet Symphony by Vitamin String Quartet (beautiful music without the words) and the registry signing was the same quartet playing Back in Black by ACDC (Husband is a mad fan) but you couldn’t really even tell what the song was, sounded orchestral. Our first dance was You’re my Bestfriend by Queen, it was lovely and fun.
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Walked down the aisle to the standard, “Here Comes the Bride” (it felt wedding-y).
We didn’t really pick any music for signing the registry etc, we just told them NOT to play any Celine Dion or similar.
Bridal Waltz was to “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown. Yow! Deeply unhappy when Subway started using it on their ads years later.
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This one could be used for a wedding too I suppose, but the best anniversary song I’ve heard is the one my cousin used to back the DVD he made for his parents 50th – “When I Said I Do” by Clint Black.
It’s a country song yes, which might not be everyone’s chosen genre, but worked perfectly for this couple.
And, country or not, it is just a ridiculously perfect song for an anniversary!! Seriously – not a dry eye in the house!
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Our wedding playlist consisted of – Just Like Heaven – The Cure, God Only Knows – The Beach Boys and Everlong – Foofighters.
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I think if I ever bothered to get hitched, they’d be my choices.
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I’m composing our wedding music myself, a special gift for my partner. Feeling very blessed that I have the skills to do so!!
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Fascinated to read the complete playlists some people had. We had standard churchy music (friend played the trumpet, ‘Ode To Joy’) then at reception we danced to ‘Somewhere Beyond The Sea’ by Bobby Darin but made famous by Nemo. Then we left the music up to the DJ. In hindsight, probably a mistake *Go greased lightning’*
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“made famous by Nemo” ?!?!?!?!
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Walking down the aisle- ‘God Only Knows’ by the Beach Boys
Signing the register- ‘First Day of My Life’ by Bright Eyes
Walking into the reception- ‘If You’re Wondering if I Want You To (I Want You To) by Weezer
First dance- ‘Because of You’ by Tony Bennett and kd lang
Farewell circle song- ‘Fly Me to The Moon’ by Frank Sinatra
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I walked down the aisle to When She Loved Me from Toy Story 2. It was a play-along version I use with my students, and I had my most successful student play it along…it almost could have been any song, because it was the significance of having her play it that made it (and she’s a beautiful flautist to boot!)
My weekend job (before I moved to the US) was wedding gigs. I played flute in string groups. Our most requested piece? Pachelbel’s Canon in D (one wedding season, we did 5 versions in one weekend). Choose it by all means, but if your cello player starts throwing things at you at the mere mention of Canon…here’s why:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
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I find that song so sad. I feel like crying everytime I hear it in Toy Story 2!
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We had a string quartet at our small ceremony. I walked down the aisle to that – it’s beautiful music…can’t check you tube now though. We also asked them to play Vivaldi and some of the traditional others (but not here comes the bride)…as much as I wanted to create my own ceremony, I loved the music and loved having a live quartet to play it.
Our first song was True Companion by Marc Cohen (it may be cohn). The New Jersey (US) girl in me wanted Give this Girl a Kiss (Springsteen), but my husband nixed that one…so I had my very close second choice.
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We played True Companion too, and it can still make my eyes well up 12 years later.
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walked down the aisle to the theme music from Braveheart, my favourite piece of music. Left the chapel to The getaway plan “ciity meets the sea”, it was ‘our’ song at the time. Bridal waltz to Newton Faulkner “Dream Catch Me”. Still stop and smile when I hear that song 3 years later.
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Our first dance was ” I got you babe” the UB40 & Chrissy Hines version, and as we were leaving “Stand by me” John Lennon… we will be celebrating our 20 years soon… So long ago!
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I walked down the aisle (pathway) to Jamiroquai’s Spend a Lifetime and our introduction to our reception song was Placebo’s Special K – “our song”. We had to have it then as it’s really not the kind of song you can waltz to, lol.
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Oh goodness, Special K was my FAVOURITE SONG EVER when I was a teenager.
No hesitation, no delay you come on, just like special K. Heart it!
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Aisle: Pachelbel’s Canon in D. – loved it since I heard out played in Father of The Bride when I was 8! Didn’t care that it’s extremely popular.
Reception entry: ‘Beautiful Day, – U2
First Dance: ‘The Luckiest’ – Ben Folds. We still tear up when we hear it, 5 years on! ♥
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My parents divorced not long after Father of the Bride came out. It was already my favourite movie but after that I used to watch it OBSESSIVELY and cry and cry that my parents would not be together on my wedding day like Steve Martin and Diane Keaton’s perfect family. I know the song well. So emotional!!
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We walked into the reception to ‘cup of life’ by ricky martin and had our bridal waltz to ‘the way you look tonight’… celebrating 11 years this weekend! doesn’t seem that long ago somehow…
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Walked in to – Lior – this old love
Fall at your feet – from she will have her way for signing
First day of my life – bright eyes to walk out
Let’s get this party started-walk in to
Throw your arms around me – Mark Seymour and Eddie Vetta version for first dance
Clocks and love generation to leave…6 years ago now
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Love all your choices. Your wedding must have sounded lovely!
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OMG I LOVE the Eddie Vedder version of that song… I’ll call it – Better than the original!
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i love throw your arms around me, but always giggle when someone uses it as a wedding song, given it is all about having an affair…
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Our first dance will be to Lior – this old love at fiance’s request
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Ummm…trumpet voluntary with a bit of Bennie & the Jets riff in the middle.
We were young. Still love that we did that!
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I walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of ‘fidelity’ by Regina spektor and our wedding dance was ‘space they cannot touch’ by Kate miller-heidke. Both amazing songs that still bring tears of joy to my eyes.
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Oh, memories! I walked down the aisle to that beautiful Kate song just over 6 years ago! My hubby suggested it and it was perfect! Lovely choice!
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