How Music Customizes Weddings and Parties

Here we are last Wednesday, creating a casual background for the grand opening at Xceed Federal Credit Union, in San Jose. Left to right, Gary Milliken, me, and Andy Norblin. Thanks to Tom Vo (Accolade Photography) for the fine picture.

It was a wonderful evening. Our music was important for setting the congenial mood while not distracting from the business at hand, which featured several “welcoming” speeches, the Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony, and mingling with the guests. Our goal here was to provide upbeat, pleasant, recognizable music that did not intrude. Want your next event to be like this?

This open house is a world away from wedding ceremonies and receptions, anniversaries, and birthday parties, where the music is very important for highlighting unique features and making them special. Here people create opportunities to personalize these celebrations with their favorite music, especially songs with significant meanings for the occasion. Want your next event to be like this?

We’re versatile musicians and we always try very hard to customize our music. During my career I’ve seen hundreds of ways for music to add a personal touch and make every event even more memorable. I hope the following examples give you some good ideas for personalizing YOUR next event.

Here’s one popular request. At some of the most touching wedding ceremonies, personal friends sang special songs, ranging from “Ave Maria” to “Unforgettable” to “Our Love is Here to Stay”. In ceremonies, and during the receptions, everyone expects old favorites like “Pachelbel’s Canon in D”, “As Time Goes By”, “My Funny Valentine”, “Embraceable You”, “The Way You Look Tonight”, “Sentimental Journey”, and “Stardust”. Frequently people want newer favorites, too, like “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, “Happy Together”, “You Light Up My Life”, “L-O-V-E”, “Moon River”, “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life”, and “I Will”.

Brides and grooms who met in particular cities have asked us to include “New York, New York”, “Chicago”, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”, “Georgia On My Mind”, “April in Paris”, “A Foggy Day in London Town”, “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans”, “Hawaiian Wedding Song”, and more.

Two years ago we entertained at a little boy’s one-year birthday party. Many of the guests grew up outside the United States, his parents grew up in India, and they asked us to play a few of their favorite “Bollywood” mega-hits. This doesn’t happen often so we needed a little practice, but needless to say, they loved us! Would you recognize “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas”, “Chookar Mere Manko”, “Papa Kehten Hain”, “Kaho Na Pyar”, “Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaon”, and “Bheegey Hon Tere”?

Birthday guests of honor have been serenaded with “Bill”, “Nancy With the Laughing Face”, “Laura”, “Emily”, “Sweet Lorraine”, “Waltz for Debbie”, “Mona Lisa”, and more.

Whenever a wedding day coincided with a parent’s or grandparent’s anniversary or birthday, everyone sang “Happy Birthday” or applauded the couple waltzing to the “Anniversary Song”.

Themes are always popular. Once at a wedding planned on a Cinderella theme, our dinner music featured old Disney songs including “When You Wish Upon a Star”, “Heigh-Ho”, “Someday My Prince Will Come”, “Bippidy-Bobbidy-Boo”, and the first dance was “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”.

Finally, I remember a wedding ceremony where we accompanied the bride and the groom singing “All The Things You Are” to each other. It was lovely — really choked me up. Know the song? Written in 1939, music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein.

You are the promised kiss of springtime
That makes the lonely winter seem long.
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You are the angel glow that lights a star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Some day my happy arms will hold you,
And some day I'll know that moment divine,
When all the things you are, are mine!

Back to reality. On February 8, I’ll be entertaining brides-to-be in the “Bridal Extravaganza” at the San Jose Fairmont; on February 14 in a romantic Valentine's Day dinner at the Toll House, in Los Gatos; and on March 1st in the “Wedding Fair and Open House” at the Crowne Plaza Cabana, in Palo Alto. Details on MagnoliaJazz.com.

By the way, will you be celebrating a significant event soon? Throw a party and include us. Friends planning a party? Please recommend us. Today I’m talking with people planning soirees for Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day. If you’ll have a party on one of these days, or on any day in between, now’s a good time to plan the details, including the music. Have a question? We’ll have the answer.

Call us at 408-245-9120. You’ll love what we do. We’re easy to work with, so let our experience help your celebration, and I hope to see you soon.

What do you think about all this? I’d love your opinions and comments.