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On May 22, 2016 in the afternoon, Megan and Taylor joined hands to be married at the Wightman Chapel on the Scarritt campus.  Megan chose “I Dreamed a Dream” for the grandparents, mothers as well as the wedding party.  It was fun to time the music in such a way as to bring in the grandparents and mothers to the first part of the song and then with a modulation up to increase the anticipation, bring in the men and bridesmaids.  Megan chose “How Long Will I Love You” for her entrance.

There was much obvious electricity between Megan and Taylor who were so happy to be at the altar that one couldn’t help but smile at their exuberance.  They wrote and spoke their own vows (very nice).  During Communion for them a friend, Hillary Stenner and friends sang “We Dance”.  Hillary and I figured out we had worked together several years earlier in the same chapel with us accompanying her.  Violinist, Jocelyn Sprouse, was surprised to see a friend acting as the officiant.  Old home week for the musicians.

Yet another nice touch to the music was the reprise of “How Long Will I Love You” in a more upbeat style.  Jocelyn did justice to the fiddle break in the middle of the tune.  Erika Wraley of Erika Wraley Events did a great job coordinating this wedding.

And finally congratulations are in order for Megan and Taylor and may they have many happy years together.

Busy week for Silver Strings’ musicians.  Yours truly played solo for the wedding of Megan to Chris on May 22 at CJ’s Off the Square.  Megan and Chris chose traditional classics for the ceremony and a mix of classical and contemporary for  the prelude.  The weather couldn’t have been nicer for a joyous celebration.

After the vows, the ring exchange, the kiss and the presentation, Megan and Chris joined their guests for a spirited reception in the pavilion.  Mark Schaffel on keyboard presided over a jazz trio providing a cool backdrop for the celebration luncheon.  After pictures were taken the newlyweds entered the pavilion to “At Last” and made their way to the dance floor where their first dance was to the Billy Joel tune “She’s Got a Way”.  Mark was in his element with Billy Joel as he used to be the lead singer for the former Billy Joel cover band “Christy’s Ex”.  Megan’s dad chose as a surprise “You Are My Sunshine”, a song he used to sing to her as a child, for their dance.  Chris danced with his mom to “I Will Always Love You”.

Congratulations to Megan and Chris and their families!

Meanwhile on May 21, 2016 at the First Presbyterian Church on Franklin Rd Lauren married her sweetheart, Philip, in a beautiful ceremony.  We were seated in the balcony to be able to join Rhonda Swanson, the organist, on several of the classical selections.  It’s really neat to be able to see the proceedings from above, especially when the bride has a long veil.  So lovely.

Lauren, with the help of her mom, Renee, chose traditional classics for the ceremony.  We musicians don’t often get to play classical music for weddings these days and it was a real pleasure playing for this wedding.  The bride chose “Highland Cathedral” for her processional.  Not wanting the traditional bagpipe (it’s too loud) the organ was a magnificent substitute, making for a grand and dramatic entrance for Lauren on her father’s arm.

Best wishes to the newlyweds for a long and happy marriage!

Also on May 21 Hayley and Josh tied the knot at CJ’s Off the Square in Franklin.  Toni Ferguson on violin and Melodie Chase on cello provided music for their ceremony.  The ladies played a mix of music from all over the musical map including classical such as Handel’s “Passacaile” and the Wagner (pronounced Vog – ner) “Wedding March”, standards such as “Come Fly with Me” for the recessional and contemporary for the prelude such as “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”, “River Runs Through You” and “I’m Yours”.

They were a fun and lovely couple to work with.  Congratulations to them and many wishes for a long and happy union.

May 7 was the day of the Kentucky Derby as well as the nuptials of Deidre and Roger that took place in Jackson Hole, Kentucky.  Deidre thoughtfully sent me copies of “save the date” and the invitation along with a picture of her and Roger since I wasn’t going to be able to be a part the quartet.  Guests were invited to wear derby hats and I know one of my musicians, Toni Ferguson, joined in the festivities with her fabulous straw hat festooned with flowers and ribbons.

Deidre chose mostly traditional music for the processionals with the exception of the mothers and wedding party entering to “The Ludlows” from Legends of the Fall.  Part of the wedding party consisted of 8 flower girls plus a baby in a wagon, all cute as buttons.  Deidre and her father arrived at the site via car and with a fanfare, entered to the Wagner “Wedding March” aka “Here Comes the Bride”.

The recessional was the Mendelssohn “Wedding March Recessional” that was immediately followed by “My Old Kentucky Home” played by the two violinists and violist strolling along with the guests as they made their way to the reception area.

Congratulations to Deidre and Roger with many wishes for a long and happy life together.

I remember East Ivy Mansion when it was a rundown mess of a large home on S. 5th Street.  Today it is a jaw droppingly beautiful wedding venue.  The gardens, the pool area, the house are a testament to the vision of those who brought it back to life over many years.

On May 6 Caitlin and Sam tied the knot at East Ivy Mansion in the presence of their many friends and family.  Sam, being a musician, preferred that we play Beatles and Motown for the prelude, which we were happy to oblige with such selections as “With a Little Help From My Friends” and “In My Life” and “Here Comes the Sun”.  Caitlin chose a recording of Ray LaMontagne’s “You Are the Best Thing” for her entrance which trio then reprised for the recessional, something that actually worked very nicely because we could choose the most appropriate place in the song to send them back down the aisle as husband and wife.

The trio continued playing a variety of classical, classic rock and country for the cocktail hour and then later moving to the pool are to continue playing for the dinner.  Toasts by family members and friends towards the end of the dinner were highly amusing making us wonder why some of these people weren’t making a living as stand-up comics.

Working on the music with Caitlin and her mom was delightful.  Sam is a lucky man to be a part of this family.  Congratulations to the newlyweds and their respective families!