Morning Song
Listener Submission: Most Meaningful Wedding Music Story

More Meaningful Wedding Music Stories Arrival of the Queen of Sheba Allegretto in Tandem Water Music Child No More Because Old Love Fools Rush In Moonlight Sonata The Lord's Prayer A Traditional Jewish Marriage Song Llef Susurro Rhosemedrye All Bach The Best Song in the World Perhaps Love A Mother's Blessing Memories Simple Gifts I Will Morning Song In Spite of Ourselves Salvation Army Singers Cats May Safely Sleep Give Yourself To Love How Can I Keep From Singing? Overture from Candide The Servant Song A Hebrew Blessing These Are For You The Lover's Waltz La Rejouissance Erev Shel Shoshanim Toccata You Are the New Day Dixieland Jazz Because Beauty and the Beast Beautiful The Lord's Prayer Somewhere Over the Rainbow How Can I Keep From Singing Devoted to You Promenade Days Together Stand By Me List of All Stories Odes to Joy home

The music at our wedding was very important to me. I wanted it to tell a story, even if I was the only one who knew what the story was. Our mothers walked down the aisle to "Take These Wings," a high-school choir song about the cycle of life and teaching your children to fly. Next, "Somebody" by Depeche Mode was sung, a song about finding that person to share your not so perfect life. Next was "Grow Old With Me," by John Lennon; the title speaks for itself.

Finally, we played "On Eagle's Wings," which in our area is a traditional funeral song. To me the music represented what I see as the expanse of our past and future life together. Our minister said that he typically didn't like secular music in a marriage ceremony, but he enjoyed the underlying symbolisim in our choices.

For processional and recessional music, I wanted something that was classical but not common. I am Norwegian and that drew me to Edvar Grieg. My two cousins, who are wonderful musicians, played the organ and piano as I walked down the aisle to "Morning Song." They managed to time the "pregnant pause" to the precise moment when my dad kissed me and handed me to Brian. After the ceremony we joyously began our life while listening to "Anitra's Dance". It was beautiful—in fact, when I watched our wedding video you could see that the congregation clapped twice, once when we walked out, and the second ovation was reserved for our musicians' final performance.

It was wonderful.

Barbara Marks
Bird Island, MN