Music for Wedding Ceremony
Part of our service is to invite couples planning their special day to our home to work out music. We have a piano and part of our service is to play music examples to help workout music for their wedding ceremony processionals and recessionals.
Also see: Composing and Arranging for Quartet
Tradition
I was working with a bride on her wedding reception music and she said that her father was very conservative, doesn’t show emotion and wont dance not even at his own daughter’s wedding; not even for a Father Daughter Dance. I thought okay, no father daughter dance. Then in working out her wedding ceremony music I find out that her mother and father were against the wedding! She said that her parents were very traditional, that they wanted her to marry somebody else and not the guy that she had chosen. Her relationship with her parents had become a bit estranged because she was going ahead with the wedding anyway against their wishes. Understandably this was causing her some stress.
Would you like to do a “Tea Ceremony”?
The bride was Chinese. I asked her if she would like to do a “Tea Ceremony” during the wedding ceremony. The young bride not familiar with this tradition asked “What’s a Tea Ceremony?” I briefly explained that the groom and bride serve tea to their parents to show respect and thanks. She thought this was a good idea and so we set out to choose music for this part of her wedding ceremony; I have arranged several traditional Chinese love songs that my Quartet performs. When I played “The Moon Represents My Heart” she said, “I know this song; I used to sing it when I was a child!”
Wedding Ceremony
Sheila and I played Flute and Piano as guests arrived and were seated for the ceremony. The ceremony was carefully scripted so that it could be delivered in English and translated to Chinese. (The officiant and bilingual friend took turns.) On cue I started playing “The Moon Represents My Heart”. The bride began to sing to her parents and her parents were noticeably moved!
Here is a partial translation:
You ask me how deep my love for you is.
I love you a bit.
My affection is real.
My love is real.
Moon represents my heart.
You ask me how deep my love for you is.
I love you a bit.
My affection does not change.
My love is not different.
Moon represents my heart.
One soft kiss
already move my heart.
A period of time when our affection was deep,
make me miss you until now.
You ask me how deep my love for you is.
I love you a bit.
You think and think.
You see and see.
Moon represents my heart.
The song continued instrumentally as attendants quietly brought out a tea set. The bride and groom bowed ceremoniously and served tea to the bride’s parents seated in the front row. The effect was profound “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house”!
Wedding Reception
I was their DJ and Master of Ceremonies for their wedding reception which immediately followed. During the planning process, because her father didn’t dance, we decided that it best not to impose the tradition of the “Father Daughter Dance” on him saving him from possible embarrassment. During a song that was already playing the bride and her father did an impromptu Father Daughter Dance that lasted several songs because the father was having too much fun dancing with his daughter! The bride’s mother also danced with the groom; tears and smiles.
That song brought 2 families together. The wedding, a huge success!
Your Wedding…
Now I’m not recommending that you sing at your wedding but here’s a thought: objects and things set the stage and are there to indicate that something special is about to happen. Planing a wedding is about creating opportunities for people to interact with each other.
I look forward to hearing your ideas.
Sincerely, Eric Zimmermann
Elegant Music 626-797-1795