I was just running through these, and, I think they’re rather illuminating.
First wedding: Processional: Andres Segovia - Recuerdos de la Alhambra
a track I associate with family ski trips
Recessional: The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony let’s not talk about the implications
It should be noted that our vows were “for as long as it works.”
Second round: Processional (and this was truly brilliant): Harry Belafonte - Hole in the Bucket (careful what you first fuck to)
Recessional: Chihiro Onitsuka - Innocence
a track I looked up after an ad from Applied Materials
I really like the “for as long as it works” part.
Was that a religious ceremony of some kind or ‘just’ a civil wedding?
The song I picked for my second wedding was not a processional per se, but it was Nicht doof (loosely translated “Not Stupid”) by German band JBO. The male singer sings about how he enjoys somebody’s company because of a list of bad traits she doesn’t have: she’s not ugly, she’s not annoying, her farts don’t smell worse than his, she’s not an idiot etc. The melody is lovely though. The song was in line with the wedding theme, if you can call it that - the main event was a bad taste party at a swinger club, part of which was SO’s idea, which convinced me that she’s the one.
With the first, we had about the most stoic engagement ever. It was a Saturday morning, I’d gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed while she was grabbing something out of the closet, and I asked if we were headed toward marriage. She gave it a think, and as we were a year or so into things, figured this is what we’re supposed to do next, so yes. Actually exciting weekend ensues, as we realise we’re engaged.
I still have Lieder, die Die Welt Nicht Braucht, by Die Doofen from my time as an exchange student, so I get the … as the French would say, “I don’t know what” … about it.
Anyway, we had that wedding at the local science museum after the mountain lodge we’d booked for the ceremony, reception and the whole place for the night … burned down the day after we sent out the save-the-date cards. Glad I worked at a copy store to be able to quickly print and mail “We’re working on Plan B” postcards.
I’ll give that track a listen.
I admire your pragmatism. It’s a shame it didn’t work out, but at the very least it looks like it’s somehow led you to your second and better match, so there’s that!
Out of nothing more than personal curiosity, where in Germany did you live?
Aah, I remember owning that one. Personally I’ve filed it under “those were the 90’s and it seemed like a good idea at the time”.
Actually, the second engagement was arguably worse. We were on the back stoop smoking cigarettes, and I opened the conversation with “obviously, I’m not going to ask you to marry me.” There are red flags, and then there’s this.
What I was unaware of was the ring out of a quarter machine she’d given me a week earlier “as a joke” was not. So she happily let me fumble words for some 20 minutes after that opening, knowing exactly where I’d end up and basically said “you were already mine, but this was fun to watch.”
It was 1995, and I’m not saying it was high art, but it did feel like absurdist music like that was one of the main outlets for expressing humour amongst my classmates.
I was in Hameln for school and socializing but lived in a Dorf some 5km outside of town.