Tag Archives: music

Wedding Song: What to do with it!

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There are so many places to use your wedding song to enhance your wedding day once you’ve chosen the perfect songs. What you’ll need is a/​some musician(s) with some versa­tility. (Or if you’re using a dj, you might want a song that was done by several different artists so that you have some options for what feel you want when.) Other­wise, you’ll want to have the song reset for each of these:

At your wedding cere­mony:  Walk down the aisle to your song. Or listen to it while you light a unity candle or exchange rings. Ask your cele­brant to talk about why this song makes sense in your life. You can have someone sing it or have it played as an instru­mental. Read the words as poetry. Use it to enhance the wedding cere­mony and your wedding vows. Start your commu­nity connecting the song with your choice to share your lives.

At the cock­tail hour: Have the song played as you’re intro­duced. Chose a different setting of the song, maybe jazzy or soft. Don’t talk about it here; let the rein­force­ment be subliminal.

Later, at the recep­tion: Dance to your song as your first dance. It’s time for the full on version. All the words; all the flare: every­thing that will make your dance a magical moment.

Tip: Find your song, use it every time you can at your wedding. Then keep playing it. Every time you hear it it will take you back to every­thing it meant to be marrying your beloved.

Don’t Have a Special Song? Find One!

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So, if you talked over the song thing and no one song emerged as your courting favorite, why not be more delib­erate about it?

What if, after working on your reasons for marrying and the promises you would make to form the bedrock of your marriage, you chose a song to cele­brate those values and those promises? What if you used it throughout the day to deepen your community’s asso­ci­a­tion (and your own) of your marriage with those qual­i­ties? The way our brains work, when you hear that song later, forever after, you will recall how you felt when you married and deepen the connec­tion between the two of you.

Tip: Choose a song that’s really about you and then use it throughout the entire cere­mony. The wonderful thing about music is that it can be varied. So, if a song is played by different musi­cians, or in a different style, you’re suggesting rather than hitting people over the head with it. You don’t want to get too obvious with this. You want to be able to hear it again. And you want to choose it together!

Wedding Song: get it right!

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What­ever happened to the notion of a couple’s having a song? Back in the day, you had your song. You’d listened to it when you were courting. You’d danced to it. You’d danced to it at your wedding. When the band asked for requests, you always asked for it and then you danced. Did you know that that’s an excel­lent way to rein­force the love you felt on the day you married? Every time you take your partner’s hand and gaze into his or her eyes, you go back in time. You go back to when you first got together. You go back to your wedding day. You go back and then you bring forward the memo­ries and the love and that makes marriages better.

Is it because we do so much parallel play these days, each of us with our ipods on full tilt boogie that we don’t have a song that we’ve listened to together? Wedding Priestess decries Continue reading →

Singing Your Life: Anna Huckabee Tull

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What a wonderful idea! Anna Huck­abee Tull, a psychol­o­gist and an award winning song­writer, will write and record a song to be played at your wedding about your great love affair and romance. Anna has a natural gift for cutting straight to the mean­ingful center of feel­ings, emotions, and stories. “When I bring someone’s song to life,” she says, “my job is to capture not only every­thing they ARE saying, but every­thing they AREN’T saying, as well. That’s where the magic lies.”

You can’t always see what is wonderful and special about your love. You don’t always do the work to artic­u­late the values that underlie it. And quite frankly, you don’t always get encour­aged to dig deep and then cele­brate the gold you uncover.

At a point in time, where most weddings are focused on the recep­tions and the clothing, there’s not a lot of encour­age­ment to give a shout out about how this sweet love trans­forms you and why you want to allow it the oppor­tu­nity to continue to trans­form the two of you. You’re not only having a wedding, you’re building a marriage together.

And here comes Anna with her wonderful idea, Custom Crafted Songs. She’ll spend 1–2 hours inter­viewing you, in person or on the phone. (Impor­tant: the price is worked out before you start the inte­view!) She says that everyone knows when the kernel of truth is found. She’ll then send you a rough cut to listen to. You’ll tinker and fine tune together. And then she goes into the studio. Shortly, you’ll receive a studio recorded cd with a custom cover built from photos or your invi­ta­tion or any other idea or image that moves you or repre­sents the two of you. You get a lyric sheet. She even supplies coaching on the best presen­ta­tion for your song. That process takes 3–6 weeks. How wonderful!

She’s a well-​​established artist with 5 national cds and more than 100 commis­sions to her credit. A song with care­fully crafted metaphors will enrich your marriage long beyond your wedding day. Both the music and the metaphors work on you to rein­force the love and the values behind it. This is defi­nitely a song to slip into your random playlist forever after! If it’s got a dance beat and you’ve used it for your first dance, your foot­steps will trace that love deep into your heart. And then you’ll find your­self moving in that old familiar way when­ever you hear it. You’ll be loving one another in song!

This is a great present to give one another for the holi­days. Imagine a present that causes you to work together, talk deeply about your love and plan your happily ever after. How great is that? It’s a great present to give to a couple you know, whether for them to do the work, or for you to offer them as a present at the rehearsal dinner. Moms and Dads: Imagine collab­o­rating on a song about your kids with your soon-​​to-​​be in-​​laws. Guar­an­teed to engender respect and form connections!

Anna’s taken some­thing that seems impos­sible and makes it not only possible but magical. It’s a great holiday gift, but you know, it’s a great gift period. And you cannot imagine what this could do for your wedding cere­mony and wedding vows.

Go to her site and hear some samples and read the back stories.

Tip: If you’re going to talk to her, Wedding Priestess wants you to do your home­work before you call her.
What did you love about one another when you met that still makes your heart turnover?
What is your dream for your marriage?
What are the values at the heart of that dream?
What are the promises you’ll make to one another that will work to make that dream come true?

Your Holiday Wedding:
Holiday Music — Don’t Overdo

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The Holi­days are fast approaching and so might be your wedding! I really like the contrasts of this season. Icy cold outside and warm and cozy inside. Dark and gloomy outside, festive lights and candles inside. Oh, and good foods!

Music is one of the really great things at a wedding and a great way for people to have fun. You may want to use some holiday music, or even have a piano bar thing happen at your recep­tion with seasonal songs. But limit the songs when it comes time to dance or even just to listen. The wedding is about your marriage, and marriage isn’t seasonal. (at least not in that way!)

Tip: Make sure that your DJ or Band Leader knows you need a mix of music. I know at least one band­leader who has gotten stuck on holiday and pretty soon you think you’re listening to that musak track. NOT what you want people to say about the wedding! So, salt the music with a good mix and a few fabu­lous favorite holiday tunes! It’s rare that you go wrong with Elvis!