Old Love
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

Choosing the category was the challenging part. Until last Saturday we would have put this in the category of “Wedding Music We Wish We Could Have Played.” But May 26, 2001, we renewed our vows after 20 years. In preparing for the event we choose: our ideal location, the North Shore of Lake Superior; 30 of our closest friends; readings to fit the occasion; poems to our two wonderful children; and music that tied together the past, the present and the future with fun.

We opened with two traditional tunes from our wedding 20 years ago. Pachelbel’s "Canon in D Minor" and Bach’s "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire." We felt this grounded us where we started. We entered to the Beatles’ “In My Life.” It is one of their best songs and fit the moment so well, as we looked back over the past 20 years.

We followed this with the readings and then two poems for our children. "The Child Angel" and "The Beginning" by Rabindranath Tagore. He is a beautiful Indian poet. These were read with "The Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie playing in the background.

With many in or close to tears at this time we quickly moved on to the renewal of vows. These were, thank goodness, read to us to repeat to each other. To close out the ceremony, we played “Old Love” by Neal and Leandra (off the Keepers album) and the Beatles’ “When I’m 64.”

It was perfect and just what we said we would do if we could do it all over again. There was only one way to end such a perfect event. We had the reception on the porch at Betty’s Pies on Highway 61. We are not sure what we will do to top this in 2021.

Chris & Laurie Kemp
Saint Paul