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Humble, organic, and real. Just how I like ‘em.

Posted on 4/24/2010 at 7:44:36 PM

What better way to start off the new wedding season of 2010 with a wedding that really rang true to my own heart?  Today my husband David and I drove down to Woodburn and played flute and guitar for a wedding that turned out to be, IMO, amazing.

Here’s what went down, from my musician’s perspective:

• Friday night: talk at length with FOG, who is also officiating.  What a charming man, with the cutest laugh EVER!!
• Saturday morning: brunch with my in-laws.  My husband’s family is more experienced in matters of the church than me/mine, so I was discussing things with them and my father-in-law ended up singing the Doxology together.  Who knew?
• Saturday afternoon: head to gig.  Arrive and immediately we are greeted by both the FOG/officiant who gives me that excellent giggle of his again, and a friend-of-bride who will be singing.
• Friend-of-bride and I go to see the bride in her dressing room.  Turns out (I wasn’t entirely clear on this) the bride, her friend, and FOG are all singing a song a capella.  It is suggested that I play flute on the high soprano part.  Good idea!  So we rehearse.  Sounds shaky, but decent.
• Back to chapel.  Join David for some prelude music.
• Mothers are escorted in.  This is our cue, so we start Jesu for the processional of everyone including bride.  Nailed the timing - not hard with Jesu, but this was particularly perfect.
• Talking.
• A hymn!  Everyone sings!  I got up and started them off, then jumped in on flute after singing the first couple of lines.
• Talking.
• More singing!  This time, the a capella trio.  OMG.  They NAILED it!  Not shaky ONE BIT - so gorgeous.  I was honored to join them on flute.
• Vows and rings, then a moment of meditation, during which we played instrumentally the same song the vocal trio had just sang, in a delicate and contemplative manner.  This was cool.
• ANOTHER song - this time, the familiar “Joyful, Joyful”; I started the assembly off and then David and I accompanied on flute and guitar.
• more talking, then Doxology - which I led - or I should say, they led me!  The assembly had a very different idea of tempo than I did, and they didn’t follow my conducting at all, so I gave it up and just sang along on the alto part.
• Straight into the recessional, which was - get this - Ode To Joy.  Perfect choice? Yes.

Did you notice how there were two songs that were repeated?  We played the vocal trio’s song instrumentally after they sang it, and then, again, we played Ode To Joy after the assembly sang “Joyful Joyful” - which of course is the same song.  Repetitive and boring? Not a bit.  Big win all around.

I loved this wedding.

There was something so real, organic, and righteous about the entire construction of the event.  The humble little church.  The bride singing during the ceremony.  The groom and bride in turn reciting their vows from memory.  Her ring that didn’t have a big rock on it (kinda like our own plain silver wedding bands). Everyone singing.  The FOG’s charming giggle, the overall genuineness of everyone I met today.

So, all in all, I am touched, and really looking forward to the season.  I’ll post more, with pics, when I can get ‘em.

-Susan