The Language of Love...

Music is a major part of life's events: milestone birthday parties, a night out with the ‘girls’ or ‘fellas,’ and especially weddings. When I think about love and marriage however, it really takes a special type of artist to convey the feelings two people share for one another.

These thoughts begin to resonate with me last night as I enjoyed a John Legend and India.Arie concert with dear friends. I looked out over the crowd (we were watching from a table in the reserved area), and I really noticed the rise and fall of emotion based on the song. While India was on stage it was more like a party. Everyone was singing along, up dancing and having a good time.

But when John came on stage, I immediately saw a difference. After the first couple of conscious songs were out of the way, he began to croon about love and relationships. People began to couple up, sway back and forth, slow dance, and I’m sure think about how each song helped them mentally play out a love scenario from their real lives. I even recalled one former bride I’ve worked with walking down the aisle to his hit, “So High.” I immediately remembered everything about her day and the words resonated so strongly with me,

“Baby since the day you came into my life

You made me realize that we were born to fly

You showed me everyday new possibilities

You proved my fantasies of love could really be…”

Ahh, exhale--now that's a love song! There are many classic ‘love songs’ to choose from when picking out the best music for wedding ceremonies. My hope is that couples really take the time to think through what their statement of love is and what type of artist and song presents their story best.

If ‘Ordinary People’ is a more accurate depiction of your time together, you should incorporate it into the ceremony, instead of ‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.’

Don’t misunderstand me…traditional songs span decades and are beautiful! If all else fails and no other songs are chosen, by all means use them! They just don’t usually fit the personality of every couple. In the same vein, always be sure to choose appropriate songs to represent your relationship based on your ceremony location. I don’t imagine ‘She’s a Brick-house,’ by Rick James going over very well if you opt to marry in a church, but hey, coming down an aisle of sand on a cozy beach to it may be pretty hilarious!

Until next time…happy planning,
kay