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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
Walked down the aisle to Somewhere Over The Rainbow- Israel K Hawaiian dude
First Dance- You Are The Best Thing – Ray LaMontague
Best day of my life xxx
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Ohhhhhhhhhh, jealous, so wanted Ray
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I’m in my mid thirties and single.
If I’m lucky enough to meet my soul mate and get married Im going to rock it down the aisle with ‘Finally’ (it’s happened to me ) by Ce Ce Peniston from the early 90’s.
True story!
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Stay with you by John Legend!
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John Legend is a legend! We had Johnny too for our first dance. We chose Save Room. Sung beautifully by a rocking full band. Was THE best moment!
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I am not married yet but I have given it a lot of thought (naturally).
Aisle:
Joshua Radin – Today
Nick Cave – Into My Arms
Dancing:
Sister Hazel – Everybody
Paolo Nutini – Loving You
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My husband wanted me to walk down the aisle to Josh Radin’s I’d Rather Be With You but I had my heart set on To Show You My Love, by a guy named Mike Schmid.
I’d heard it played on a CD of photos that a friend’s wedding photographer had put together, and it nearly made me cry listening to it.
So we played that one while I walked up the aisle (well, through the garden, since it was an outdoor wedding) and played I’d Rather be with You and Ben Lee’s Just Say Yes while we signed the marriage certificate.
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Into My Arms reminds me of Michael Hutchence’s funeral when Nic sang it live. I haven’t been able to listen to Never Tear Us Apart since that day.
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I walked down the aisles last month to Green Onions – Booker T and the MG’s – it is my fave tune and was my Dad’s too – nice way to have him with us on the day.
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I walked down the isle to “here comes the sun” by the beetles, however it was 101010 biggest wedding date that year, also the wettest on the sunshine coast…
First dance was “your my best friend” by queen
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*Beatles*
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101010 was my wedding date too! Awesome date:)
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Also meant to add it was unseasonably sunny and warm in Melb that day lol
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I turned 24 that day
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Walked down the aisle to “Love Reign O’er Me” by the Who. I love the Who, and hubby loved the song, so perfect for us!
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My now ex husband walked down the asle to “I’m too sexy”…
Possibly should have seen the signs!
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Why was ‘he’ walking down the aisle?!
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This part of wedding planning was tricky. I went with the traditional (or perhaps unoriginal) Pachelbel Canon in D. I didn’t want anything too fashionable or Top 40, just something classic and I actually like it. This post is funny because I swore I would never walk down the aisle to a Savage Garden song; I was most likely thinking of Truly, Madly, Deeply, which was done to death 10 years ago. We walked out to I Wanna Hold Your Hand by The Beatles which I thought was fun but was kind of drowned out by clapping. We went with The Beatles again for our first dance – All You Need Is Love.
http://thehastybride.com
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I walked down the aisle to Only Hope by Mandy Moore (from A Walk to Remember) and we had two first dance songs, Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton and Into the Mystic by Van Morrison
And I would still choose those songs today 
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Absolutely adore “Into the mystic” by van Morrison!! Great choice! Saw it in a movie many years ago (immediate family with Mary Stuart Masterson) & loved it ever since!!
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So it’s not as impressive as the couple who recently did that awesome routine for their first dance, but this was one of my friends first dance as a married couple. Just a bit cute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtYEhw-mso8
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My husband and I walked down the aisle (actually a garden path) together to “all I want is you” by Barry Louis Polisar. We were pregnant but no one knew – I was so worried about sobbing uncontrollably that I didn’t want anything too emotional. Leading up to the wedding, my now husband was incredibly ill and we didn’t have the strength or time to learn to dance. Instead we asked all the guests to join us for the first dance – ‘everybody needs somebody to love’ from the Blues Brothers soundtrack!
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I had ‘All I Want is You’ too! Found it difficult not to jig through the garden where we got married! Suited us both perfectly!
We didn’t have a first dance, but chose to dance with everyone all night long!
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I had the very start instrumental bit of “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve to walk in to and “This Kiss” by Faith Hill to walk out to… our first dance song? The Chicken Dance – my husband and I do. not. dance. (properly, if it ever happens its a drunken jumping/sidestepping/headwobbling/arm flailing type thing) so getting up and waltzing wouldnt have suited us and would have soo out of character and we would have felt ridiculous … some call it redneck, but every single one of our 98 guests were up dancing with us for our first dance!
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The Chicken Dance! I love it! I am firmly of the belief that weddings should be about who you are as a couple. If the Chicken Dance is more your style than a formal dance, go for it! Sounds like something that people will talk about for years to come.
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I walked down the aisle to something classical played by a flute and an acoustic guitar.
The first dance, however, we selected a song that we had spent a 5 hour road trip singing together as a duet, so it was meaningful to us. We selected No Air. Unfortunately between said road trip and wedding was the Chris Brown incident, but we never actually came up with an alternative song.
So we got to the day before, at the restaurant, checking things were OK and we realised we didn’t have an alternative song! Not only that, we didn’t have that song on CD and they couldn’t connect an iPod. Don’t worry, a waitress assures us, I’ve got it.
So she put it on at the right time and half way through it turned into rap. Apparently, there are two versions. Oops
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I got married last year and walked down the aisle to The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson. It’s a bit quirky with a good beat, and the lyrics really struck a chord with me and my husband. I had a pretty long walk and the song’s not all the long…luckily just long enough! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJOzdLwvTHA
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Perfect timing for this post! Am deciding wedding songs at the moment too. I’m really struggling to choose a song to walk down the aisle to….suggestions????
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I walked down the aisle to Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles, and our first dance was to Drive by Incubus, which one of our closest friends sung live
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Here comes the sun is on our shortlist!
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Me too!! However it’s was pissing down with rain!
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Haha, it was threatening rain the whole morning of our wedding, very overcast.. and even spitting just moments before i walked down. But then the song played and the sun came out and it was all very magical! Our priest said it was all him… Haha!
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Love is All Around by Wet Wet Wet …… needless to say the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral was my favourite at the time! It still makes me all gushy when I hear it, some nearly 16 years later!
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I think that movie actually ruined that song for me! That and “I can’t cry without you…” whatever it’s actually called.
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I walked down the ailse to The Feather Theme Song from Forrest Gump, and our first dance was to Everything – Michael Buble.
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Walking down the aisle was Steveie Wonder – You are the sunshine of my life
Walking back up the aisle was Frankie Valli – Can’t take my eyes off you
First dance was Faith No More – Edge of the world
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We walked into the reception to Blur’s ‘Song 2′ (and then they started using it for car ads… oh well) but had our first dance to Dean Martin’s ‘Sway’. I would still choose it… more like a wedding samba than a waltz (if, say, I could samba).
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I can’t remember my wedding song, I was so nervous walking up the aisle in front of everyone, so scared I was gonna trip on my dress. I have no idea what was playing, lol I only got married in 2010 too.
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We had “all I want is you” by Barry Louis Polisar. A bit quirky. I’ve loved the song since it featured in Juno. But I also love “true companion” by Mark Cohn (sp?)
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Entrance into reception song was Calvin Harris ‘I feel so close to you right now’ and Beyonce ‘Love on Top’ was our first dance..
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Walked to my husband to a live didgeridoo (awesome sound on a beach)
No ‘first dance’ or song (or engagement or bonbonaire or almost anything else)
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Love this
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I walked down the aisle to a string trio playing Pachebel’s Canon, signed certificates to Pete Murray “Please” and Joe Cocker’s “You are So Beautiful”, got introduced at the reception to Jagged Edge “Let’s get Married” and danced our first dance to “Come What May” from Moulin Rouge. Perfect lyrics. Although my husband had not a heap of strong opinions in terms of the wedding details, he picked most of these songs
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I walked down the aisle to canon in d, left the church to Funiculi, Funicula..an fun Italian song as my relos were over from Italy and everyone loved it, clapping and cheering and our first dance was Neil Young – Harvest Moon
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We had our song Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls as our wedding song.
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As long as it’s not Pachobel’s Canon! Oh my God.
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You don’t perhaps play in a string quartet? I used to know someone who did, and she absolutely *hated* that piece, partly because she’d had to play it so many times at weddings.
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Not quite, but I have a big family so I’ve been listening to it since childhood and it got old fast! Ha ha.
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Mendelsohn’s “Wedding March.” I know. Lame, isn’t it?
And as we were leaving the church – Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.”
That one’s kind of triumphant!
Sad.
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Saving Grace – Pete Murray
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The biggest question my boyfriend and I get asked about this whole subject is not if we will get married (I think it is generally assumed that this will happen at some point) is what style of dance will we do? We are both dancers, can probably do 6 styles between us. We originally met at a salsa class, got together at a tango class, have numerous other special moments with various dance styles. It really is the aspect of a wedding that I’m most worried about. Not only because of how significant it is to us, but because all our family (who assume we are amazing dancers) will be expecting some So You Think You Can Dance type routine. Talk about pressure and we aren’t even engaged!
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its because i love you by Masters Apprentice
i love the lyrics walked down the aisle to that 
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I had Songbird by Fleetwood Mac for walking down the aisle and Beautiful Day by U2 when signing our marriage certificate.
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i had songbird as well!
walked out of the ceremony to ‘she said yes’ by mumford and sons. haha
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LOVE that song… if i ever get married I want that song in the wedding somewhere!!
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I had Songbird too, the version by Eva Cassidy
Beautiful song and lyrics!
And we walked out of the ceremony to ‘Stand inside your love’ by the smashing pumpkins – very obvious who chose which song, but I love them both!
My husband and I had a lot of fun choosing our wedding songs, we made sure there was a bit of Queen when we cut the cake and exited the reception (‘Crazy little thing called love’ and ‘You’re my best friend’).
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We walked down the aisle to Songbird- Eva Cassidy’s version too. I love love love that song!!! Walked out to Temper Trap Sweet Disposition and danced to Muse’s version of Feeling Good. I hated dancing though ugh always fast forward that on the DVD!
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I walked out to sweet disposition as well. Walked down the aisle to Andrea bocelli con te partito (means with you I will leave). The sound of his voice echoing in the church was magical. Walked out to foo fighters everlong.
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This is so funny! I am having a similar debate at the moment about my own wedding + aisle song! Here are a few of my shortlists so far…
http://thethaibride.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/song-decisions.html
Would be great to hear other people’s suggestions!
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‘Feather Theme’ by Alan Sylvestri, from the film ‘Forest Gump’.
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ben folds, the luckiest… <3
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God I love that song!!
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Hi Cassie; we had that song too; great song! Such beautiful lyrics x
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My good friend had that one too. Bawled. (me I mean!)
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We had that too, love it to pieces.
In fact, I’m gonna go find it now!
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Walked down the aisle to Pacholbel’s (sp?) Canon but our first dance was ‘Even When I’m Sleeping’ by Leonardo’s Bride. Even now 9 years later I would still choose that song. Love it.
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Oh my god. I was trying to remember the name of that song as I was reading this. That’s on my short list. Not that I’m getting married any time soon.
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We chose “At Last” by Etta James. I heard it on ABC radio one afternoon while driving a tractor, and rang my Dad yelling at him to “turn on the bloody radio and make sure you hear who wrote the song!”. Lucky for me, he was home and did. The rest is white duchess satin history…
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This was what I made my grand entrance to also!! And our first dance was Lior – This old love
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Oh man, I love This Old Love. It made it onto our ‘background music’ list, but not our ‘major music’ list.
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I also had At Last, which I now think is hilarious as I was only 21 and my husband 24. But at the time, I’d been waiting forever to get married. Still all good after 10 years
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A friend used the Eva Cassidy version of that song – beautiful!!
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THRILLER, of course!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyWc0Et26Gg
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I was part of a wedding where about 20 of us “spontaneously” burst into the thriller routine at the wedding reception when the bride and groom said they were “thrilled” that everyone could attend. We had heaps of practices in their house but somehow a relative would always turn up and comment how lovely it was they had so many friends visiting! Still we managed to keep it a surprise and it was a major highlight of the night – along with a tree being set on fire but that was a whole other story.
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Oh, I am so doing this. I know a dance troupe that would be more than happy to organize it
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Use this website: http://thrilltheworld.com/learn/ to learn it. The instructor on there is brilliant and makes it so easy to learn and remember. About half of us were dancers, but the non-dancers found it easy to learn from here too.
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