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courtney ellis
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BrideZilla’s Playlist
By
C.A. Ellis
Forced into piano lessons at an early age, I recall the tedious elementary pieces my peers and I first played, such as “This Old Man,” “Twinkle Twinkle,” and I remember being so eager to progress to “Chopsticks.” But the least favorite piece for me to learn was the Bridegroom’s March. To this day, when I attend a wedding my smile masks the dislike for “here comes the bride, big fat and wide.” The traditional march is an earworm, striking its dissonant notes on a badly tuned organ. On my wedding day, this is the last piece I requested to have played. I remembered the distaste and looks of shock from naysayers. “But it’s a tradition!” I was told, by family and friends alike. Everyone plays that at their wedding!” Then again, I am not everyone. Getting married should be an adventure, a turning point, and a triumph. I looked all these years to find Mr. Right and the day came. The day should be exuberant, full of color, and so should the music. I found my muse in both a march and a ballad. The march will be played as I walk down the aisle, specifically Robert Sheldon’s march “Beyond the Higher Skies.” The piece opens with trumpets ringing, descending, and the orchestra ascending into a gorgeous unison. This piece is reminiscent of my years in high school band, specifically the one when we won the gold medal during summer competition. It sings of memories past, and the memory upon us that very moment known as holy matrimony.
So why not enter it with a bang?
After Mr. Right and I shared our vows, devotions, and that passionate liplock, the second piece I chose is at first glance, one of those tedious pieces you had to sing in elementary school choir, but if you put those memories of childhood groaning aside, you will notice that it is a timeless, beautiful piece, perfectly suited for a wedding, the ditty “Apple Blossom Time,” written by Neville Fleeson & Alvert Von Tilzer in 1920, and recorded by the Andrews Sisters in 1941. The line “Happy the Bride that the Sun Shines on today” could not have said it better, as my hubby and I frolicked on that sunshine day in 2003, dreaming of the frolicking in the dark that night, and all the frolicking we’d do for years to come.
If you are a non-traditional bridezilla-to-be, I encourage you to think outside the box when selecting music for the big day. This often neglected necessity of the wedding planning must be enforced, for nothing makes memories like the right music.
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