Saturday, July 19, 2008

Heaven? Or Tacky?

Okay, so we may or may not seriously be considering having me walk down the aisle to Heaven by Bryan Adams. Is this a great idea, or seriously tacky? I need your honest opinions, please.

For those of you who need a refresher course, here's a video. Excuse the poor quality.

37 comments:

  1. All that matters is what YOU think. Period.

    If you love the song but want to stay closer to traditional, play the instrumental of the song only.

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  2. Hmmmm... I'm on the fence on this one. The lyrics are very pretty, but I don't know if you can escape the 80s implications.

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  3. i love that song. i can picture you walking down the aisle to it. i agree with going with the instrumental if you want to go more traditional.

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  4. My favorite part of the wedding is the aisle-walk. And what chokes me up most is the total traditional music: not even Pachelbel's Canon, which is "new traditional," but the older traditional ("Here Comes the Bride," whatever the real name of that one is, and the other one that often gets played---you'd think I'd know the names but I don't).

    Pop songs don't have the right sound for such an important part of the ceremony. Pop songs are AWESOME for the first dance.

    There's my opinion.

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  5. I'm with Swistle on this one. It doesn't matter who is getting married, I will ALWAYS get teary-eyed at "Here comes the Bride" during the aisle-walk.
    I've been to a couple of weddings where they played a pop song (actual CD, not instrumental version) during the ceremony, and I thought it was tacky both times.

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  6. I'm definitely on the fence about this one too. Maybe do the instrumental, while it is a gorgeous song and the lyrics are what makes the song so special to you (I'm totally guessing at this, but am i far off? :) ), you want people focusing on you, not the music.

    Check out what different versions they have of the instrumental, you could find a really pretty rendition. And then, you know, share it with us :)

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  7. Personally I like the idea. The song's lovely. I think it doesn't matter what's traditional. If 'Here Comes the Bride' doesn't speak to YOU, then why have it?

    I had a friend walk down to 'Ain't No Sunshine', a far from traditional choice. But it meant something to the couple. And I thought it was gorgeous...

    I agree with nicole, in that all that matters is YOUR opinions.

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  8. it would be unique and different for sure.
    but i don't know...it's a little bit cheesy movie ending-ish, in my opinion.

    a friend of mine did ave maria...lyrics are there, but its more traditional.

    let us know what you decide!

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  9. Sorry, I'm going to have to say tacky. Because it's Bryan Adams, he's kind of become a pop culture punching bag.

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  10. I'd pick whatever you love. That's really the only thing that matters.

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  11. I was going to pull a "whatever youuu like" but I'll come out and say... it feels sort of weirdly 80s. Or like the prom scene at the climax of a movie set in a high school. You know?

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  12. I love the idea of a non-traditional song for the recessional, but maybe not for the walk down the aisle. Friends of mine used "Where the Streets Have No Name" and the music began when they kissed and built as they walked back down the aisle. It was an amazing moment.

    Of course, I hate, hate, hate Pachelbel's Canon and since I'm Jewish would probably never use the Wagner bridal march or "Ave Maria," so it's not like I have any alternatives to recommend.

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  13. it really depends.

    are you going with the actual version? an instrumental version? an acoustic version? a version performed on a different instrument(violin, piano, cello, harp, whathaveyou)?

    I wouldn't do the lyrics version, but I'm pretty traditional.

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  14. i am pro, so long as it's done tastefully. mabye with a pianist who can sing?

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  15. I love the idea of anything a little unexpected and nontraditional. I think your guests will get a kick out of it when they expect to hear Pachebel's Canon and hear Bryan Adams instead. I guess it depends, though, on whether you want your guests to "get a kick out of" you the moment when they're looking at you all gorgeous and weepy in your dress for the first time. Maybe save Bryan Adams for the exit song? Or not. Really, Nicole is right: the only thing that matters is what YOU want.

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  16. Honestly, I've played at so many weddings (in a quartet, as a soloist, whatev) and if I hear one more Pachebel's Canon... (And usually I'm with Swistle on everything but we really differ in opinion on this one.)The weddings that are the most memorable are those that fit the bride and groom. When it's all about them and not the bridesmaid dresses or the flowers or getting the right angle for the photographer while the minister (whoever) is marrying you. I think if you like it, then it will fit. I personally do, but it's not about what any of us think. :)

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  17. Honestly, I think it's cheesy, in an "ohmigosh, i can't believe she picked THAT song"... just doesn't fit. But do agree, it's your day, you get to call the shots. How about having this song as your 1st dance or cake cutting song? :-)

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  18. I think it's great in a sort of awesome / hilarious way, but I also think you have to be OK w/people chuckling when they hear it. if you want the walk to be solemn / processional, I don't think this will accomplish that. but if you're aware it's nontraditional and are cool w/that, by all means :-)

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  19. Try not to worry about what other people think. This day is for you and your hubby to look back on, so do exactly what you want.
    I personally think it would be amazing! honestly, the bride is always so beautiful and such a tear jerker, believe me, NO ONE will be laughing!

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  20. My friend had it by string quartet. Lovely, but when the best bit is the lyrics, seems pointless...

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  21. I think you should do whatever makes you happy. My friend walked up the aisle to You Fill Up My Senses by John Denver and it was beautiful and perfect for her.

    Here's what we did: my cousin is an amazing singer, so we had her sing a pop song (Love is All Around Me) before the processional, then we had a more traditional song for the processional (that's a whole other story), then she sang another song during the signing of the registry (Love Changes Everything) and the traditional Wedding March for the recessional.

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  22. I have yet to attend a wedding where a pop song was used for the processional and it was possible to play the entire song to great emotional effect. As a result, Celine Dion/Bryan Adams/Maroon 5/Rob Thomas/whomever ends up cut off midway through the song and it just sounds dorky.

    I would say, if you like this song so much, make it one of your top five at the reception, but stick with something for the ceremony that times well with your processing up the aisle to meet Torsten at the altar.

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  23. I am not a Bryan Adams fan, but I definitely don't think it's tacky. It's your day, you should walk down the aisle to any song you like!

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  24. I think it's your wedding and you should do what you like. ;)

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  25. I love this song - but my cousin got married to the 'new' version of this song, by some weird dance band and it is now sort of ruined.

    Maybe reception?

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  26. I think that if you love it, totally do it. It's your wedding, your memories, your day!!

    That said, I also think that if you walk down the aisle to this, Torsten should have a popped collar and your dress should have poofy sleeves. ;)

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  27. Tacky? Not at all.

    Delightfully cheesy? A bit.

    But if you can handle the latter? OWN IT and go for it!

    It's a beautiful song.

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  28. I agree with someone else... no matter what song you pick, make sure that you don't have to cut it off in the middle. That takes any song (even traditional songs) and makes them tacky.

    Pick the song that fits for you both.

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  29. Are you getting married in a church? If so, I personally wouldn't choose pop music...It sounds great for a first dance, though!

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  30. I think that Swistle said it best. This is a PERFECT first dance song but no matter how many weddings I have attended, no matter if I know the bride or not, Pachelbel's Canon brings tears of joy to my eyes every single dang time!

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  31. Oh, I love that song.

    I think you should pick whatever song you both adore and what makes you grin thinking about walking down the aisle. Who cares what anyone else thinks!! As long as you are grinning your *ss off now thinking about it, and you still grin like crazy 10 years from now.

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  32. Heaven! Not tacky and such a cute idea.

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  33. I think that if it is what you want it is what you should do! I love different wedding ideas. Do it your way!!

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  34. All I can say is to make sure that whomever is in charge of playing the CD knows exactly which song to play and when and how much of it. The IDIOT sound guy at our wedding was THERE during rehearsal (when we specifically told him to let the WHOLE song play even if I was already at the front) and cut it off. It ended up sounding retarded. Grrr....

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  35. did you ask mom what she thinks about this idea? she does tend to be good and say that it's our decision about things like that, but if she thought it was extremely tacky you could probably tell... I think I would lean toward tacky, especially given the true comment about Bryan Adams as the pop culture punching bag... John said tacky right off the bat.

    um, hello, how is your haircut????

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  36. 1. Your wedding, your choice.

    2. Personally, I wouldn't, but that's for the reason that the LENGTH isn't right for the march. The march is short. Very, very short. You may think it's long, but it's not. You'll find it takes about 3.5 seconds and 300 heartbeats to get to the front. If you have a long song, you're going to feel like a real dwink while you try to let it play out, standing there silly, or cut it down to make sense.

    The niceness about traditional songs played on an organ is that the organist can cut it down very easily to hit the hilights and that's it, making it perfect. Fitting something intended for a dancing song into a 3.5 second marching song is really, really tough.

    But hey..your wedding, your will. If you want to make it happen, go for it!

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