As the families were seated, we played "Arioso" by Bach, followed by "Hymne" by Vangelis for the bridal party. The bride requested the theme from "Cider House Rules" for her processional. This was a modified Catholic wedding (since it wasn't in a church they couldn't have a Mass), so we included elements of liturgical music throughout the ceremony. We played the "Celtic Alleluia" before the gospel reading, and between the vows and the blessing, there was a musical interlude of the Bach/Gounod "Ave Maria".
It has been a tradition in the bride's musically talented family to have her father accompany her sister playing "Ode to Joy" on the trumpet as the recessional. What a wonderful way to include family musicians in the ceremony, without placing the burden on them of providing all of the music! They get to enjoy the service, and then just play the exit piece.
I stayed at the ceremony location to play as guests filed out, and Earle moved up to the barn where the cocktail hour was taking place. One of the best perks of having two musicians is that we can split up and cover two areas with music as soloists, then come back together as a duet once all of the guests have arrived at the second location.
For the cocktail hour, the bride requested mostly contemporary music, including:
- Ashokan Farewell from "The Civil War"
- You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban
- All You Need is Love, Let it Be, In My Life & With a Little Help from My Friends by the Beatles
- What a Wonderful World
- Moon River from "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
- Speak Softly Love from "The Godfather"
- Till There Was You from "The Music Man"
- The Wedding Song by Paul Stookey
- Down by the Salley Gardens (Irish folk song)
- Suogan (Welsh folk song lullaby)
- Carolan's Welcome (Irish traditional)
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