Embellished Vows and Very First Dance

It felt great to be a part of Patty and Brian's wedding celebration.  They chose Diane Martinson as vocalist for the ceremony (with myself on piano) and our Jazz Trio for the reception.  Both took place in the Fireside Room of the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest.

The Ceremony

The wedding party consisted of the bride and groom, 3 flower girls, and a ring bearer.  For the processional and bridal entrance they chose Canon in D.  The young ring bearer was very poised escorting each of the flower girls separately.  Then I brought up the music, playing the grandest section of the piece, for the bridal entrance.

+Diane Martinson and
Rev. Derek Kiewatt

For the solo between readings they chose the Apache Wedding Blessing.  Diane and I wrote the music to this well known blessing.  You can hear the intent behind the words when she sings it.  You can find a recording of it on Spotify or iTunes.

During the vows the groom, Brian, added words like "really" and "always" to what he was asked to repeat.  It was a nice touch, and I also appreciated that Rev. Derek Kiewatt acknowledged that he "liked the embellishment" during the ceremony.  It was obvious that he enjoys officiating and I found him personable and easy to work with.

The ceremony recessional was Purcel's Trumpet Tune.  The wedding party left to receive guests outside the room before returning for cocktails and dinner.  Between the ceremony and reception we moved our portable piano and sound PA next to the dance floor for the jazz trio dinner and dance music.

The Reception

The reception band was Diane on vocals, myself on piano, and Kevin Teachout on drums.  We started off with light dinner music, and continued on to more upbeat dance music after dinner.  Patty chose "All For Love" by Bryan Adams as a special request for the first dance.  We arranged the song for the trio, and I must say that our rendition went over well.  Later in the evening Patty told us that this was actually the first time they had ever danced together.  They were out dancing for other songs with other couples joining in, as well as the kids having fun throughout the evening.

As we were packing up one guest said to us "Thank you, your music was wonderful.  It was a heart-felt performance, very professional."  It gives me a sense of purpose to add an emotional element to the celebration, and it's always a treat to perform with both Diane and Kevin.