If playing at weddings has taught me anything, it's that different people really have different tastes. No surprise there, but the variety of choices often catches me a little off guard. The disappointing thing is just how narrow minded I can be. "Why do they want me to play THAT song?"
I'm a bit of an old "fuddy-duddy" when it comes to these things. Which is really odd when you consider that I play traditional music on solo guitar. This past weekend I played "The Feather Theme" which is the main title song to the movie "Forrest Gump" as the bride entered. Past processionals have included "Brown-Eyed Girl" and "The Imperial March" (Darth Vaders theme). One recessional was the Michigan State University fight song. My least favorite request was Led Zeppelins "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You".
Very often I'm genuinely surprised at how great their choices are. But you have to take them in context. Sometimes it's the shared sense of humor of the couple. Sometimes it was the favorite song of a deceased loved one featured as a loving tribute. Embarrassingly I must admit that often the couple just has much better taste than I do. I have started playing the processional or recessional and suddenly realized just how perfect the song is.
Wedding magazines inform us of the upcoming trends. Venues, cakes, colors, fashion, etc. Rarely does music choice come into the discussion. There are those who, like me, prefer the traditional and others who want modern. This year it seems that many people wanted the unexpected. Nice music but not tunes that you hear at weddings.
The common thread is that it's all personal. "I don't want the same music that everyone else has", you can imagine them saying, "I want MY music." A year ago I even composed a Gaelic (ish) song for a friends wedding. In one seven day period, this summer, I performed music by Bach, Handel, Pachelbel, Wagner, Mendelssohn, Gershwin, Jerome Kern, The Beatles, Elvis, Maroon 5, Jason Mraz, and Aerosmith.
Technically I find it difficult. I've never considered myself a great guitarist so I worry and even obsess over the details trying to get it right. If I don't understand and immediately like their choices then I privately grumble and even whine while I'm arranging and then practicing the songs. But when it all comes together it can be magic. And I feel like a very lucky musician indeed.