Days to go: 68
I studied music at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and most of my friends and colleagues are musicians I met whilst studying. Due to this I have been very fortunate in being able to cram a huge variety of music into our wedding day – for a tiny fraction of the price it would have cost otherwise!
The Ceremony
I used to run a film and media music business with a great friend and colleague, Michael, who kindly offered to write music for our ceremony for string quartet (and the string quartet comprises three very good friends and an ex-housemate!). He has written some beautiful music for the entrance of the wedding party and myself, and for the end of the ceremony has also arranged one of the most beautiful songs we know – that we are also having played by a different band for our first dance! (I’m afraid I’m going to keep this a secret for now as I am aware my guests are reading these posts and I’d like to keep an element of surprise here and there!) See Michael’s other work here.
The Wedding Breakfast
During our meal we’re going all out avant garde jazz with a local jazz trio – Gogo Penguin, who are Rob (maid of honour’s boyfriend), and RNCM friends Chris and Grant. Check out a video of them in action on Youtube! What’s nice is that they’ll be able to join us for the evening reception and let their hair down after an afternoon of entertaining us!
Evening Reception Part 1
Whilst I was studying at the RNCM, I played flute and sang in a ceilidh (barn dance/folk dance) band – The Maerlock – for six years and we played at heaps of weddings and functions. To honour my time as a ceilidh-bander, we’re starting the evening reception with a ceilidh from Triple Scotch – the pianist Olly used to play in The Maerlock with me, and I played a ceilidh at his wedding in 2005. I love ceilidhs at weddings – they’re a great way to get everyone dancing straight away and get the mingling going!
Evening Reception Part 2
To see us into the night, we have six-piece jazz band 6pac with guest singer (and one of my best, most beautiful friends) Alice Zawadzki. I actually won a competition writing music for these guys back in 2005 (the track is on their Last Minute Changes album) – so I am really looking forward to them helping me celebrate into the night on my wedding day!
So there you have it!
We thought about reforming the band that Richard and I were playing in when we first got together… actually we didn’t… but it could have been hilarious…
