The Playlist

One choice we made with our wedding was to put together our own playlist rather than go with a DJ or a band. This is definitely not for everyone, but it worked for us and the space we chose. We rented all the equipment we needed (including a smaller set-up for the ceremony site) from a local music store, and we had a friend who does sound set things up for us. We connected our laptop to everything and ran our playlist through itunes.

We've had so many guests ask us to send them a copy of our playlist, as well as other couples planning a wedding who've come across our site, I thought it would be easiest to post it here. When we put it together we tried to include something for everyone and also be aware of our guests - things like kids staying until the end so keeping things clean, some older guests and those who prefer only top 40 music so nothing too loud. We wanted it to reflect our tastes while also being enjoyable to our guests. For inspiration we turned to our own music collections, those of friends and family, and online to lists like the Indie Wedding Music Guide.

Background music for before the ceremony:
While searching for wedding music, I came across a band called the Vitamin String Quartet. They turn popular songs into what sounds like classical music. At first I wasn't 100% sold on them, but it was a different way of including some songs we liked that we wouldn't have otherwise played. We used their cd The Indie Wedding Soundtrack and played half an hour of music from it (in retrospect we should have included at least 15 minutes more since things tend to run a bit late). We also used them for the walking down the aisle music.

The sound of Settling (String Quartet Tribute to Death Cab for Cutie)
Neighbourhood #1 (String Quartet Tribute to Arcade Fire)
Hallelujah (String Quartet Tribute to Jeff Buckley)
Exit Music For a Film (String Quartet Tribute to Radiohead)
Length of Love (String Quartet Tribute to Interpol)
June on the West Coast (String Quartet Tribute to Bright Eyes)
Here Comes Your Man (String Quartet Tribute to the Pixies)
Soul Meets Body (String Quartet Tribute to Death Cab for Cutie)

Bridal Party Entrance: All You Need is Love (String Quartet Tribute to The
Beatles)
Bride Entrance: Say Yes (String Quartet Tribute to Elliot Smith)

Background music while we signed papers:
Better Together - Jack Johnson
Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Exit Music: Funny Little Frog - Belle & Sebastian

Cocktail Hour + Dinner:
You Are the Best Thing - Ray LaMontagne
First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes
You and I - Wilco
Us - Regina Spektor
Let's Just Fall in Love Again - Jason Castro
All I Want Is You - Tristan Prettyman
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
All My Loving - The Beatles
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
I Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
The Dress Looks Nice On You - Sufjan Stevens
And I Love Her - The Beatles
Song for You - Alexi Murdoch
To Be Alone with You - Sufjan Stevens
Honey and the Moon - Joseph Arthur
Love and Some Verses - Iron & Wine
You and I - Ingrid Michaelson
All I have to Do is Dream - Everly Brothers
Companion (Lay Me Down) - Wide Mouth Mason
Dearest - Buddy Holly
Your Rocky Spine - Great Lake Swimmers
The Girl - City and Colour
Falling is Like This - Ani DiFranco
Your Hand in Mine (with strings) - Explosions in the Sky
To Be With You - The Honey Trees
Featherstone - The Paper Kites
It's Good to Be in Love - Frou Frou
Sugar Town - Nancy Sinatra
Rhythm of Love - Plain White Ts
In The Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
Blood - The Middle East
The Grace - Dallas Green
When I'm Sixty-Four - The Beatles
Under the Boardwalk - The Drifters
Wouldn't it be Nice - The Beach Boys
Big Bad Wolf - Elf TV
I Was Made for You - Rivers Cuomo
Nothing Like You and I - The Perishers
I'll Spend My Life With You - The Monkees
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
Float On - Modest Mouse
Wake Up Little Susie - The Everly Brothers
Harvest Moon - Neil Young
Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
Penny Lane - The Beatles
Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
Song for the Girl - Matthew Good
Friday I'm in Love - Dean & Britta
Our Way to Fall - Yo La Tengo
I Feel it All - Feist
Can You Tell - Ra Ra Riot
Smiling Underneath - Ani DiFranco
Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

We had our ceremony & reception at the same location and did the formal photographs inbetween. We had accounted for the photography going over, but not as much as it did. We had added an extra half hour of music 'just in case', but we ended up needing more like 45 mins. We ended up just playing the beginning of the playlist over again. I don't think anyone really noticed, but in retrospect, it would have been easy to add a few extra songs.

Entrance Music: Fixation on the Darkness - Killswitch Engage (There is a story here...Jer has always said that if he were a professional athlete, this would be his entrance music. What better time to use it?)

First Dance: Mona Lisa - Grant Lee Phillips (a shout out to Nikki's favourite TV show - Gilmore Girls)

Dancing:
Twist and Shout - The Beatles
Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club
Let's Dance On - The Monkees
Everlong - Foo Fighters
Unforgettable - Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole (Father/Daughter dance)
Beach Baby - First Class
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
Good Lovin' - The Young Rascals
Hold You In My Arms - Ray LaMontagne
Together - The Raconteurs
I'm a Believer - The Monkees
Ballroom Blitz - Sweet
Here it Goes Again - OK Go
The Edge of Glory - Lady GaGa
I Was Made for You - She & Him
Come Dancing - The Kinks
The Luckiest - Ben Folds
Drive By - Train
You're What I'm Looking For - Rooney
Rock 'n Roll Music - Chuck Berry
Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison
Home For a Rest - Spirit of the West
Glad You Came - The Wanted
Hey Ya! - OutKast
Barney Rubble - The Twang
Angie - The Rolling Stones
Stereo Hearts - Audiogroove
Young Folks - The Kooks
Walking After You (X-Files version) - Foo Fighters
Fireworks - The Tragically Hip
Two Princes - Spin Doctors
See You Again - Miley Cyrus
Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Run
Last Friday Night - Katy Perry
Woman - John Lennon
Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen
The Boys of Summer - The Ataris
C'mon C'mon - The Von Bondies
Love You More - Alexi Murdoch
Australia - The Shins
Blueside - Rooney
Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
For the Girl - The Fratellis
Finding Out True Love is Blind - Louis XIV
Rock & Roll Queen - The Subways
3 Libras - A Perfect Circle
Girl - Beck
You Really Got Me - The Kinks
Just Dance - Lady GaGa & the Fame
I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton
The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
3 Purple Butterflies - USS
Around the World - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Henrietta - The Fratellis
Babygirl - Anthony Green
Marry Me (First Dance Mix) - Train
Got You (Where I Want You) - The Flys
Let's Go To The Mall (From How I Met Your Mother) - Robin Sparkles
Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol
Suffragette City - David Bowie
Bad Moon Rising - CCR
Gimme Sympathy - Metric
Shelter - Ray LaMontagne
Santeria - Sublime
Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
Swinger - Elf TV
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx
Take On Me - a-ha
Rolling in the Deep - Adele
White Wedding, Pt. 1 - Billy Idol
The Like in I Love You - Brian Wilson
Forget You - Cee Lo Green
G-Get Up and Dance - Faber Drive
Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson
Telephone - Lady GaGa
Somebody to Love - Queen
Lovefool - The Cardigans
Don't Speak - No Doubt
True Love Waits - Radiohead
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
With or Without You - U2

Again, we put about half an hour of extra music on there 'just in case'.

Thank You!

Despite the call for rain, rain, and more rain, the weather held out and we had an amazing day on Saturday! The ceremony was beautiful, the reception was so much fun, and we got to spend time with our favourite people. We couldn't have asked for a better wedding. Most of that is thanks to our wonderful families and amazing friends.
My mom and my friend Carrie, who travelled all the way from North Carolina, kept me calm during the day - even when I twisted my ankle and fell on my face on the way to the hair salon! I had thought Carrie was going to go be off exploring Toronto, but she preferred to be by my side. How lucky am I to have her? My parents were running around doing some last minute pick-ups, dropping off the dog for her puppy play-date, and helping to set everything up. My bridesmaids were amazing and helped with last minute details, geting ready, and making the day really memorable. Annette, my maid of honour, was at my house the night before assembling bouquets and sharing bits of her speech (we loved it, Nettle!). Jer's groomsmen - can I just say how incredible they all looked? They are really great guys and were there with support, jokes to keep us laughing, and really great times during the reception. Tal, the master of the music, was also incredible!

Our flower girls and ring bearers were just adorable and so much fun. The flower girls kept everyone smiling during the ceremony while they continued to throw their exra flowers long after they were down the aisle. I LOVED it! The ring bearers were too cute and took their job super seriously. Then at the reception they were dancing, having fun in the photo booth, and filling up on those smores! I hope they didn't keep their parents up all night.

It was so nice to share this day with our guests - a mix of families, new friends, life-long friends, people who are like family and have watched us grow up, and even friends from across the continent who travelled all this way just to be with us.

Our professional photos are a few weeks away, but our friends and families are slowly sharing their photos with us. We'll be posting updates with our favourite photos and moments from the wedding as they come in.

Thanks for everything!

Weather Forecast

Well, the weather is not looking too good so far. Cloudy with showers! Things can still change in the next three days, but they do say rain on a wedding day is good luck and will bring about a fertile marriage. Let's hope so. We do have a back-up space for the ceremony, but I would still recommend an umbrella!

Hello Friends and Family! We are now less than two weeks away from the big day and we are busy preparing. We've had a few hiccups along the way, but that has only encouraged us to think outside the box. Our peonies may have bloomed much too early due to the warm winter we had, but my fridge is currenly filled with vases to hopefully keep them fresh. I guess you'll find out if it works when you arrive!

A few people have asked if we are planning a honeymoon, and we're happy to share that we're going to be leaving for the Florida Keys just a week after the wedding. We're planning some great adventures - an airboat tour in the everglades, snorkeling on the beach, kayaking, and maybe even a swim with some manatees. As long as the sharks stay far, far away from me, it'll be a great time.

As for the wedding night, keep in mind that although it has been very hot lately, evenings are still fairly cool. You may want that sweater on your way back out to your car.

Speaking of cars, you are welcome to leave your car parked in the lot at Kortright overnight, for no charge, if you end up needing to hitch a ride or call a cab. The venue will be ready with phones and numbers for those cab companies.

I plan to post a few more updates before the wedding with any last minute info, so keep checking in if you'd like.

Hi and welcome! We decided we needed a little blog to help share wedding information with our friends and family. The links at the top of the page will hopefully make your experience a little easier. We hope to see you on the big day! 

Please check back after the wedding for photos of the event.