The Loose Ends... (& the Music!)

Right now, I feel like I'm drowning in small details. I feel like every project is half-completed, and we'll never get to the finish line.

The programs? Printed, but not assembled.
The ceremony? Edited, but not printed.
The vows? Started, but not finished.
The signs? One base coat down, one to finish. Assembly and ribbons still required.
The Thank-Yous? Half purchased, have to get the rest this week.
The seating charts? Assembled, but need to get the easels.

I know things will come together sooner or later, but I just wish more of this was done. It's a really crappy feeling knowing the fate that awaits you for the next 10 days --- glue guns and paintbrushes galore.

We're STILL finalizing the final guest count, which keeps teetering between 164-170.

The one thing we have done is the music playlists for the day (and that was only because I outsourced this to my lovely sister and maid of honor). I LOVE all the music we're having! I can't wait to share it with you, so here it is:

Pre-Wedding

Plain White Tees- Write You A Song
The Last Goodnight- Pictures of You
The Proclaimers- 500 Miles
Adam Sandler- Grow Old with you (With Billy idol intro)
Taylor Swift- Love Story
Ingrid Michaelson- The Way I Am
Frank Sinatra- You make Me Feel So Young
Matt Nathanson- Wedding Dress
Josh Radin- I’d Rather Be With You

Processional

1,2,3,4 - Plain White T's
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Post-Wedding

Katrina and the Waves- Walking on Sunshine
Natalie Cole- This Will Be
The Monkees- Daydream Believer
Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye- Ain't No Mountain
Sonny and Cher- I got you Babe
The Turtles- Happy Together
Captain and Tenille- Love Will Keep us together

Cocktail Hour

Dean Martin- That's Amore
Michael Buble- Sway
Jason Mraz- Beautiful Mess
Frank Sinatra- Moonlight Becomes You
Michael Buble- Everything
Billy Joel- For The Longest Time
Frank Sinatra- Embracable You
Gavin Degraw- Follow Through
Dean Martin- You’re Nobody Til Somebody Loves You
Michael Buble- That’s All
Phil Collins- True Colors
Sara Bareilles- Many The Miles
Michael Buble- The Way you Look Tonight
Dean Martin- Everybody Loves Somebody
Jason Mraz- You and I Both
Nat Cole- L.O.V.E
Michael Buble- Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Dean Martin- Memories Are Made of This

Reception

Jason Mraz- Lucky (First dance)
Irish Eyes... (Father/Daughter dance)
My Wish - Rascal Flatts (Mother/son dance)
Michael Buble- Feeling Good
ACDC-You Shook Me
Stevie Wondie- Signed Sealed Delivered
Etta Jones- At Last
Kenny Chesney- The Good Stuff
The Commadors- Brick House
The Weather Girls- It's Raining Men
Casper- Cha Cha Slide
Bobby Vinton- Beer Barrel Polka
Tiffany- I think we’re alone now
Rascal Flatts- God Bless The Broken Road
Billy Joel- Just the Way you are
Sir Mix Alot- jump on it
Brian Setzer- Jump Jive n Wail
Michael Jackson- Beat it
Elton Jon- Crocodile Rock
The Four Seasons- December 1963
John Mellancamp- Jack and Diane
Whitney Houston- I wanna dance with somebody
ABBA- Dancing Queen
Chubby Checkers- The Twist
The Isley Brothers- Shout
Lionel Richie- All Night Long
Toby Keith- Me Too
Journey- Don't stop Believing
Sir Mix a lot- Baby Got back
Marcia Grass- Electric Slide
Jackson 5- I want you back
The 4 tops- I can't help myself
Journey- Faithfully
Van Morris- Brown Eyed Girl
Michael Buble- Save the Last dance

Some of the reception songs have changed and others have been added, but this is the basic gist: fun, happy music. I'm so excited -- I have a feeling this will make for a very enjoyable mood all day!

Muzak...

I've been DYING to post about our ceremony music choices, but oddly, have refrained for quite a while.

It's of no surprise to any of you that Tom and I are not taking the orthodox music route. Even when we were looking into getting married in a church, the admission of secular music was something I refused to budge on (and similarly, the Catholic church refused to budge, so there went that...).

I'm not a "Bridal March" kind of girl. It's not who I am. Instead, Tom and I have tried to find music that we feel embodies us and our relationship. To me, music is such a personal and emotional thing that I couldn't see choosing from an arbitrary list of standard wedding songs. I knew that when I walked down the aisle, and Tom saw me for the first time (the one thing he refuses to budge on), I wanted music in the background that fit.

So, onward with our unorthodox playlist:

As guests gather, chat, and are seated, it's important to me that we set the mood. Rather than play Canon in D (not knocking, I love me some classical music), I want upbeat, sweet and silly music. A few choices thus far:

• This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) - Natalie Cole
• Love Story - (Taylor Swift) - partially an inside joke with a coworker, partially because for no sane reason I want to cry during the last verse, and partially because Tom sings a rousing rendition of this song where he changes the lyrics Weird Al style :)
• Walking on Sunshine - Katrina & the Waves
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) - Stevie Wonder

...and the like. I'm just shooting for a really fun, sweet atmosphere.

Onto the processional: I have my heart set on 2 songs for the processional. The first you should recognize from my handy, dandy music player on this blog. 1,2,3,4 by the Plain White T's is not only a fun, cute song that I fell in love with the instant I heard it, but the band itself has some significance as Nic (my Maid of Honor) and I went and saw them in concert almost 2 years ago. They were one of my favorite bands before they got popular! :)

To begin the processional, we're switching the order around a bit. After the mothers walk down the aisle, my nieces will walk down. Normally the flower girls directly precede the bride, but since Tom has been such a huge part of their childhood (Madalyn was 3 weeks old when we began dating, and Tom met my family for the first time at her christening), we felt it was only appropriate to have them walk down first, walk straight down to Tom, and give him a hug before they sit in their respective places. Then, my sisters will follow (and possibly hug Tom as well), to round out the processional.

As I begin my walk, my FAVORITE song ever will play: I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. (You can also hear this on the music player to the right of your screen). I first heard this song around the time that Tom and I were debating moving the wedding up, and the lyrics just spoke to my heart:

I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

Le sigh. I LOVE it. Whenever I hear this song, I practically melt into a puddle.

In the ceremony, I don't believe we'll have any other music. Since the ceremony is short, there's really not much need for it...

So, for the big finish, my maid of honor has something up her sleeve. Because there's no practical way to keep this a surprise from me, I know the basic gist of it. I know it involves another one of my favorite songs, a live band, and is derived from my favorite scene from my favorite movie. I don't know the exact details, but I do know that I am SO SUPER EXCITED for this, and think it will be one of my favorite moments of the day. But since I can't really ruin my own "surprise," I'll recap this after the wedding!

So there you have it. Our completely crazy, non-standard ceremony soundtrack. :)