The Dreaded DIY

I saved the play list for last for a reason, talk about intimidating. As I procrastinated actually starting it for many months some guests left their song requests. I kept everyone up to date on those by having a Requests section on the Tunes to Expect tab of our wedding site.

Two weeks ago I sat down with all the song requests, all the songs I scribbled down over the course of planning and a few Googled lists of good music to dance to. Most of the songs I thought of (and requests) were slow dance love songs. So I wanted to make sure there was a good deal of dance-y stuff. A lot of songs are either completely inappropriate to a wedding, more drunken karaoke than dance music or unavailable for legal download. I made sort of a master list for myself. At that point I cursed not hiring a DJ. You see, most of my music was lost two hard drives ago. I knew I needed to search Mike's mp3s and then buy a bunch. Blah.

The next time I forced myself to work on it I browsed through Mike's music adding anything that appealed to me and crossing things off the list. Than I searched the list a song at a time. I needed four hours worth of reception music. I made separate lists for the "event" songs (cake, bouquet, first dance, etc). After that I saved it and took a break.

When I started buying mp3s I started feeling guilty. There was no way I could accommodate all the requests. We had 3hrs and change when I got to the point of purchasing music. There was no way I could add all the remaining requests or even the rest of my ideas. Suddenly, it was a microcosm of the whole planning process. Us first, than everyone else's input. It's my wedding.

Don't get me wrong I want them to be pleased with the selection. I need them to find there way out to the dance floor, but one request per person (or less) in some cases is how it seems to be shaking out. I decided that was pretty fair. Next step now that I have 4hrs of music is to burn it on to a cd and listen to it for a day or two.

Then I'll reorganize the songs and add anything that is missing. I want to put the list on to at least one other computer if not two. I will say $20 in mp3s beats the hell out of $700+ for a DJ.

The Order of Things

This is by no means final. It's just an idea of how things will go based on my MOH's old wedding timeline and what I want/venue requires. I'll get more specific when the ceremony's done and I talk to the caterer again. I'm not really sure how long things will take. I also have to do a timeline for the beginning of the day for the wedding party, but this one was the first step in making our playlist for the reception.

1. 5:00pm Family, Wedding party and Photographer arrive for pictures
Pictures End/Guests start arriving
2. 6:30pm Ceremony Starts
3. Ceremony Ends
4. Guests Enter Reception, (?More Pictures Bride and Groom Only), Dinner Begins, Slide Show of Engagement Photos Playing
5. Bride Groom Introduction: “64” by Beatles
6. Toasts?
7. Bride/Groom First Dance: “And I Love You So” by Don McLean
8. OR Toasts?, Real Slide Show
9. Dancing
10. Parent Dances? : Song?
11. Cake Cutting: “Bella Note” Disney (Lady and the Tramp)
12. Lucky Bouquet Toss for Everybody: “ Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” by Pat Benatar
13. Lucky Garter Toss: It's a surprise.
14. 11:00pm Reception Ends, Play the Last Song: "Get Along Little Sheep" Arrested Development

Comments, concerns and feedback welcome. I can't believe it's less than 3months away!!

First Dance

This is our song. We will have our first dance to it. What that will look like, I haven't a clue. I'm still a over a foot shorter than my groom with a fused back and a freshly remodeled hip. Sigh...I suppose time will tell. I was lying here writing this post while Mike was busy in the kitchen and he just came in and kissed me. He made a joke about feeling kiss vibes from across the house maybe it was the song playing.

And I Love You So
Writer: DON MCLEAN
And I love you so
The people ask me how
How I've lived till now
I tell them I don't know

I guess they understand
How lonely life has been
But life began again
The day you took my hand

And yes, I know how lonely life can be
The shadows follow me
And the night won't set me free
But I don't let the evening get me down
Now that you're around me

And you love me too
Your thoughts are just for me
You set my spirit free
I'm happy that you do

The book of life is brief
And once a page is read
All but love is dead
That is my belief

And yes, I know how lonely life can be
The shadows follow me
And the night won't set me free
But I don't let the evening get me down
Now that you're around me

And I love you so
The people ask me how
How I've lived till now
I tell them I don't know

It's a lovey song. I hope it's a lovely dance too.

Dance Your Cares Away...Worries for Another Day

I forgot to mention my celebrity sighting at the bridal show over the weekend. I saw Marvelous Marvin! I have been listening to oldies since I was about 7 or 8yrs old. In fact whether I liked the music first or the movie Grease is a bit of a chicken or the egg question. Marvelous Marvin has been a local DJ since I was a kid. There he was live and in person.

Maybe I'm the rare bride in the 20-30yr old set set that a)recognized him b)got excited, but it was very exciting. We have planned from the beginning to make our own play list and have a family member MC. For budget and control reasons. But this sighting made me consider for the first time, the possibility of a DJ. Well, not a DJ this DJ. It's not in the cards, but I'm still hanging on to his card.

It's all the warm fuzzy childhood memories and my deep love for oldies music. I always thought if I got married my first dance would be Stand By Me. Mike and I will have our first dance to our song And I Love You So by Don Mclean, but we will dance to Stand By Me before the end of the night I assure you.

The other plus (besides $ and complete control) is we included a song request form on our website so that when guests RSVP they can submit 5 songs at a time they want to hear. It should be a great mix of music. No chicken dance or electric slide. I am insisting on The Twist and the Crocodile Rock, though. There will be a lot of oldies, Beatles songs, 90's music, 80's pop and maybe a Disney song or two.

It's going to be a great party. I urge and implore everyone to wear their dancing shoes. I will take it as a personal insult if every guest doesn't find at least one song to dance to. For those of you who have known me that long (lucky people) I'm finally going to top my 15th birthday dance party! It only took 14yrs.

I want to hear everyone's first dance songs!