Testing Out the Mood Music

Sometimes I wish I had a man with an acoustic guitar follow me around all day, playing songs that fit the mood of the moment. Life would be so much cooler with a daily theme song, wouldn’t it?

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?

13. May 2011 von lullafly
Categories: Discussion, Research & Reviews | Tags: ceremony, music | 1 comment