But we can’t all be as lucky as J.D., unless of course you’re rich and hire someone to be your personal guitarist stalker. Hmm, now I almost want to save up just so I can go into the city with my guitarist stalker and see how people react. It would be a neat experiment… but I’m getting off-topic! What I’m really getting at is that music has forever been a vessel to convey messages and invoke emotions, and with this power (and the right song) it has the ability to enhance any given moment. Especially important moments, like, oh I don’t know, a wedding ceremony. Yeah, that’s a pretty important sequence of moments.

Since music affects how people respond emotionally to that particular moment, if you make your selections very carefully then your ceremony music will subtly influence their moods and emotions. That’s right, you can manipulate the mood of your guests without breaking a sweat. This is like mind-control, but with emotions! Doesn’t that idea make you want to tap your fingertips together and release a deep cackle that slowly builds into full-out evil laugh? I watch too many movies, I know.

thanks mr. burns  / © the simpsons

Okay, okay, so it’s not exactly mind-control, but it is pretty neat to think that your music may subtly influence your guests. For this reason, I’ve been searching for the perfect songs to create the ideal mood for our ceremony. I’ll tell you up front that none of our music is traditional, though some of these songs are starting to make more and more appearances in weddings.

Prelude

I’ve found some fantastic background music that would be perfect for a prelude. In fact, I didn’t even know we would have prelude music until I found these.

I really love Explosions in the Sky’s song, but I’m not sure if it’s too…. somber.

Bridesmaid Processional

For the bridesmaid and groomsmen processional, we wanted something a bit different but nonetheless fun. I don’t know which of these is my favorite yet, but Mr. Bunting informed me last night that they play Tristan Prettyman’s song at his work all the time, so if we went with that one he’d only be thinking of work. That kinda ruins it, so maybe someone else will enjoy it at their wedding instead.

Bridal Processional

While my 12-year-old self may tell you differently (y’know, if you had a time machine and wanted to use it to go visit my 12-year-old-self because you had nothing better to do), I just don’t see myself walking down the aisle to Canon D or any traditional bridal march. I am having a hard time finding just what it is I’ll be walking down the aisle to, probably because this is the most important song. These two songs are very lovely, but they just haven’t clicked with me yet. That probably means I should keep searching.

Recessional

I am SO excited for this song to start playing as our recessional after we’ve been pronounced husband and wife. It’s just so bubbly and happy! I can just imagine us dancing back down the aisle as everyone waves little flags and Daddy Bunting whistles (you know those ear-piercing two-finger whistles? I just know he’s going to do one).

While that wraps up the main contenders thus far, I’ve got one last song to share with you today. It was originally in the running for our recessional song, but I think it would be more appropriate as a reception song to dance to.

I just know all of the Disney-loving girls are going to flip when they hear this one. The Little Mermaid was one of my favorite movies as a child, so this is very fitting for me. Some girls loved Cinderella, some loved Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, but I was an Ariel girl all the way when it came to the Princesses (sorry, Jasmine, you’re my second fav). This remake is just so incredibly awesome-sauce.

What are your plans for your ceremony music? Are you going the traditional route or are you doing something different? Any suggestions that I may not have discovered yet?

image via GraphicsHunt

I’m pointing a finger at our different up-bringings for this. My dad listens to country and bands like Jackson Browne. His dad listened to bands like The Ramones and punk rock like Rancid and Sex Pistols. But then Mr. Bunting and I met, and it was such a great love that we only focused on where our tastes did cross (musical tastes, not tastebuds. Geez, we didn’t make out all the time). That, and I was so hooked I’d give anything he listened to a try because he liked it, I liked him, and by proxy I liked what he liked. That was my high school girl mentality. It was so strong that our first concert together was Norma Jean (I don’t think I could understand a single word that was screamed, but I had a blast nonetheless).

Truth be told, even though I don’t particularly enjoy some of Mr. Bunting’s bands, he has introduced me to a lot of bands that I absolutely love. Before Pandora came along, I relied heavily on him for new sources of music and he always delivered. He introduced me to Paramore (before the radio discovered them), Anberlin, Mae, and Innerpartysystem. Hoo, do I love me some Innerpartysystem. (I swear I’m going somewhere with this, though, so just bare with me.)

So while we do share some common musical interests, we both have strong(ish) opinions about the rest of the music we enjoy individually, and hive…  I have no idea what type of music our reception will have. (See, I told you there was a point to all of this!)

I would love some country songs because that’s what I grew up on, but he still hasn’t grown accustomed to “the twang”. We both love electronica and techno, but let’s face it, not everyone can dance to that without the glowsticks and strobe lights. And the screaming artists that are his favorite? Our guests just don’t share the same musical palate and would be running for cover!

Well then, what about including some popular dance and R&B songs for people to groove to? Oh, I didn’t mention that Mr. Bunting refuses to listen to the radio just to avoid all of those mainstream songs? Why yes in fact, when I borrow his car and he’s forced to take mine, my car is returned to me with the radio turned off because he would rather listen to silence. Oh, silly, silly boy.

So our only solution is to play Journey all night long, because “Don’t Stop Believing” is totally our jam.

image via Meme Generator

Okay, not really, though I don’t think I’d ever get sick of that song.

Realistically I won’t have to worry that much because our DJ will be reading and catering to the mood of the crowd, but as we work on our must-play and do-not-play list, music is a current concern for me. It’s important to me that our wedding embraces the individuality of both Mr. Bunting and I, and music plays such a large role in his life that I don’t want to tell him to just “suck it up and deal”. I also, like most any bride, want everyone to have a blast on the dance floor, but how to accomplish this is beyond me. How much country can we get away with to satisfy my western roots without sending all of our country-hating friends for the hills (cities)? Can we slip in some techno and electronica, or will the older generations cringe? Just how do you please such a diverse group of musical tastes? Just what is it about Journey that brings people together? Wow, I just asked a lot of questions, and I don’t have an answer for any of them. I guess we’ll just do our best to come up with a balanced mix and then find out at the reception!

Is anyone else facing this dilemma of varying musical tastes between you and your partner?