Playing at a wedding

Garp · 29-09-2006, 13:28

I got asked last week if I'd be up for playing at a wedding of a friend at church, leading the worship. Sure, no problem I said, I'd be happy to play.

Its her second marriage, and she's having a civil ceremony first upstairs in the registry office, then downstairs in the main hall she's having a small(ish) service for about 50 people where the elder from church will bless their marriage and a few bits and bobs.

I lead worship regularly at church or play as part of the band, so I really wasn't bothered by the idea, its not going to be incredibly taxing and they've already got a fair idea of the songs they want.

Then she asks, would I be able to play a few gathering songs for the civil service. Sure I said, that shouldn't be hard, what are you thinking? Oh love songs, secular stuff. Oh. Okay.
So I start bashing out a few ideas, drawing on my limited knowledge of ballads and stuff (not an area of music I've ever been majorly drawn to.)

Oh boy.

"I love you before I met you" Savage Garden, albeit dropped down a tone or so from the original to put it into normal singing range rather than their freakish contralto range.

"Hero" Enrique Inglesias. No hassles there, already know it.

"Love is all around us" Wet , Wet , Wet et al. My heart sank a little. I despise that song mainly because it is done so incredibly cheesily. "Can you make it non-cheesy?"

I dunno. Can I? Guess I'll be putting in lots of time on this one, I've got to somehow keep it recognisable, and yet not make it so cheesy.

So no electric guitar with weird delay effects, a bottleneck and doing weird swoopy sounds in a desperate attempt to make it sound better then

Belmit · 29-09-2006, 14:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garp

"Can you make it non-cheesy?"

You might as well ask the same of a lump of Cheddar!

Good luck though!

Stan_Lite · 29-09-2006, 18:53

As long as you don't do the song the band at the wedding of two friends of mine did.

They are both country music fans so they hired a country band with a female singer. The third song they played was Patsy Cline's, "Your cheatin' heart".

I actually sprayed my GF at the time with whisky when they started the song.

Stan

Garp · 14-10-2006, 21:40

*phew*

Got that over and done with.

Went down really well, I added in a couple of extra songs for the gathering of the guests just in case, and got appreciative comments from various guests whilst they were waiting. I must admit it taxed my improvisational skills to stretch out "Love is all around us" for the length of time it took to sign the register. I even went to the extent of busking a verse out of wholecloth.. something I've not had to do under such circumstances before (done it at home when no one else could here); so that was interesting. The wedding was great, it was fantastic to see a lady who is dear to my heart happy again after all the heartache and agony of her first wedding.

William · 15-10-2006, 09:25

... Busted.

29-09-2006, 13:28	#1
Garp Preparing more tumbleweed Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hawaii Posts: 6,038	Playing at a wedding I got asked last week if I'd be up for playing at a wedding of a friend at church, leading the worship. Sure, no problem I said, I'd be happy to play. Its her second marriage, and she's having a civil ceremony first upstairs in the registry office, then downstairs in the main hall she's having a small(ish) service for about 50 people where the elder from church will bless their marriage and a few bits and bobs. I lead worship regularly at church or play as part of the band, so I really wasn't bothered by the idea, its not going to be incredibly taxing and they've already got a fair idea of the songs they want. Then she asks, would I be able to play a few gathering songs for the civil service. Sure I said, that shouldn't be hard, what are you thinking? Oh love songs, secular stuff. Oh. Okay. So I start bashing out a few ideas, drawing on my limited knowledge of ballads and stuff (not an area of music I've ever been majorly drawn to.) Oh boy. "I love you before I met you" Savage Garden, albeit dropped down a tone or so from the original to put it into normal singing range rather than their freakish contralto range. "Hero" Enrique Inglesias. No hassles there, already know it. "Love is all around us" Wet , Wet , Wet et al. My heart sank a little. I despise that song mainly because it is done so incredibly cheesily. "Can you make it non-cheesy?" I dunno. Can I? Guess I'll be putting in lots of time on this one, I've got to somehow keep it recognisable, and yet not make it so cheesy. So no electric guitar with weird delay effects, a bottleneck and doing weird swoopy sounds in a desperate attempt to make it sound better then __________________ Mal: Define "interesting"? Wash: "Oh, God, oh, God, we're all gonna die"?

29-09-2006, 18:53	#3
Stan_Lite Stan, Stan the FLASHER MAN! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In bed with your sister Posts: 5,483	As long as you don't do the song the band at the wedding of two friends of mine did. They are both country music fans so they hired a country band with a female singer. The third song they played was Patsy Cline's, "Your cheatin' heart". I actually sprayed my GF at the time with whisky when they started the song. Stan __________________ Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean I...

14-10-2006, 21:40	#4
Garp Preparing more tumbleweed Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hawaii Posts: 6,038	phew Got that over and done with. Went down really well, I added in a couple of extra songs for the gathering of the guests just in case, and got appreciative comments from various guests whilst they were waiting. I must admit it taxed my improvisational skills to stretch out "Love is all around us" for the length of time it took to sign the register. I even went to the extent of busking a verse out of wholecloth.. something I've not had to do under such circumstances before (done it at home when no one else could here); so that was interesting. The wedding was great, it was fantastic to see a lady who is dear to my heart happy again after all the heartache and agony of her first wedding. __________________ Mal: Define "interesting"? Wash: "Oh, God, oh, God, we're all gonna die"?

15-10-2006, 09:25	#5
William Vodka Martini Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Church Broughton Posts: 533	... Busted. __________________