Perhaps no song is more beloved in the wedding repertoire than Etta James' 1961 ballad "At Last." But today those unmistakable opening bars giving way to James' powerfully raw voice carry with them a note of sadness. James died just shy of her 74th birthday after a long battle with leukemia, leaving behind the legend of her landmark career.
"This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends, and fans around the world," said James' friend and manager, Lupe De Leon. "She was a true original who could sing it all—her music defied category." Beyoncé portrayed the groundbreaking singer in 2008's Cadillac Records, also famously serenading the President and First Lady with her version of "At Last" during The Neighborhood Inaugural Ball in 2009.
Want to keep James' first-dance tradition alive with your own updated twist? Check out our list of classic wedding song remakes, including Jason Mraz's take on "At Last." Just remember, there will only ever be one original, and she will be missed. —Phillip B. Crook
"—this shot was taken during the line that goes: 'Little bit softer now.' Some people had crouched down for too long and fell over—I think the man with his foot in the air is my husband! Later, my 86-year-old grandmother got into the middle of a dance circle with her cane—that was priceless." —Susan, married November 6 in Washington, DC. See more dance floor shenanigans in the full slideshow.
"...we had about 25 people in total by the end of the song. Even though we were playing disco and hip-hop songs, my father, a ballroom dancer, began doing the fox-trot and the rumba, while my best friend and her husband broke out their swing dancing skills!" —Angela Sparacino, married April 17 in Leesburg, VA. See more dance floor shenanigans in the full slideshow.
"...we had almost 400 guests at our wedding, and nearly everyone was on the dance floor. When "Spring Love" started playing, some of our guests began breakdancing, including the boyfriend of one of my girlfriends. I don't think anyone knew that he danced at all! I loved the shocked expressions on everyone's faces." —Melinda, married October 9 in Lancaster, PA. See more dance floor shenanigans in the full slideshow.
The 20th-anniversary edition of U2's Achtung Baby is out now (one bride already told us she's putting the ginormous Uber Deluxe box set on her registry), which got us thinking about the great first-dance songs the band has recorded over the years ("All I Want Is You," "Love Rescue Me"). It also got us thinking about all their not-so-great first-dance songs—you know, the ones that are disguised as love songs but are actually dark and twisty voyages into the heart of despair. After the jump, find out which three U2 songs seem like totally genius wedding picks but are just very, very wrong:
For theater-lovers, the song "Sunrise, Sunset" holds a special place in the wedding repertoire, taken from the 1964 musical "Fiddler on the Roof." In the show, the ballad is sung during Tzeitel's wedding to the tailor Motel by her parents, Tevye and Golde, who reflect on the passage of time. Now, 47 years later, the song's lyrics have officially been re-written to include same-sex couples. Joshua Ellis, an interfaith minister, approached the musical's lyricist Sheldon Harnick a few weeks ago to request that he rework the non-inclusive words to premiere a new version at the wedding of Richard Skipper and Daniel Sherman's in Tappan, NY. Harnick agreed and spent a few days on the changes, so that the new lyrics now read:
For male couples:
Is that the little boy I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older.
When did they?
When did they get to be so handsome?
When did they grow to be so tall?
Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?
For female couples:
Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little girl at play?
I don't remember growing older.
When did they?
When did she get to be a beauty?
[Alternative: When did she get to be so handsome?]
When did she grow to be this tall?
Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?
Of course, Ellis—who has officiated many same-sex ceremonies since marriage equality went into effect in New York in July—could have simply changed the lyrics himself without ever going through the official channels. "I wanted them them to be sanctioned," he told The New York Times. "If I'm going to do it with a Sondheim lyric, why not ask him first? It's the professional thing to do, the ethical thing to do and the classy thing to do." —Phillip B. Crook
Choosing a father-daughter dance song for your wedding can be a difficult task. How do you select a song that appropriately honors the first man in your life? You want something that's meaningful without being cheesy, fun yet danceable, and memorable enough that 20 years from now you won't ask, "What was I thinking?!" We came up with some suggestions that we think fit the bill. From country to pop to rock, these touching tunes offer a new spin on that dance with Dad.
Here's a goodie by Kenny Loggins called "Always, In All Ways." For the complete list that appeared in the September issue of BRIDES magazine and to hear the playlist, see the full article.
BRIDES has teamed up with Grammy Award-winning rock band Train to give one lucky couple a one-of-a-kind first-dance experience. Before beginning their first dance, the grand-prize winning couple will surprise their guests with a personalized video greeting from the band Train, which will be followed by the music video of the band's hit song "Marry Me"—the ultimate way to kick off the reception. To enter the contest, visit us at facebook.com/brides, upload a photo of yourself and your fiance, and tell us about your proposal story.
Kate entered the cathedral on her father's arm while an organist and a brass quartet performed Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary. She chose this traditional piece to complement the regal ceremony venue; she also liked that it was Princess Diana's processional when she wed Prince Charles in 1981—the year Kate was born. "I remember standing in the back of the church with my father, waiting for the music to start. As the cathedral doors swung open and the trumpets sounded, he turned to me and said, 'Let's just wait a minute and take this all in—it's awesome, isn't it?'" —Kate
See the full slideshow to read more grand entrance moments from real weddings—and get great ideas for music to play during your processional.
Of course you'll want to play your favorite songs at the reception, but if you want a packed dance floor, it's important to have your DJ spin some of your guests' favorite tunes, too. Don't know exactly which songs your guests love? Now you can, thanks to the new (free!) Songasaurus app for iPhones. Just download the app on your phone and create a username, then get your iPhone-carrying friends and family members to do the same. After finding your friends and confirming the connection, you'll be able to see what songs, artists, and albums they're playing the most, listed in order of popularity. You can listen to clips, and link to iTunes to download if you like what you hear. So now you'll know what your music-snob friends are really listening to—and you can add that Britney Spears song to your wedding playlist accordingly. You can download Songasaurus here, and be sure to visit our Music & Entertainment page for more wedding playlist ideas. —Lauren Matthews
While Will and Kate are rumored to be hiring close friend and club entrepreneur Guy Pell to spin dance floor favorites from the 1980s at their reception (who knew the royal couple were ABBA and Culture Club fans?), we've compiled our own Royal Wedding Sleepover playlist to help keep you and your friends geared up (read: awake) for the early morning nuptials. Our playlist combines classic British rock with current U.K. dance faves, mixes in Will and Kate's beloved '80s tunes, and winds down with love ballads by the Cure, Spandau Ballet, and English songstress Adele. Visit our Royal Wedding Sleepover page to download the playlist and other party essentials for your own celebration. —Leigh Bond
Last week, we asked if you could spend an extra $10,000 on any part of your wedding, where you would splurge? While honeymoons and videographers were the most popular hot-ticket items, we loved the creativeness of ShannonTrain's response: "The band. For $10,000 I could probably get a whole marching band and turn the wedding into a parade."
We thought that was such a stellar idea that this week, we want to know if you could have any musician or band perform live at your ceremony (like pop sensation Lady Gaga, above), who would you choose? Tell us about it in the comments and we'll post the best answer next week!
Compiling the perfect wedding playlist can be a bit daunting, and whether you're brainstorming your own creative lineup or scouting out a few great songs to steal, it helps to have some inspiration. From a cool and classic Frank Sinatra cocktail hour to an indie dance party courtesy of MGMT, these smart selections by recently wed couples can help you get your own musical impulses flowing. Check out some song selects from Kate and Andrews's playlist below, and visit the story to see more great wedding playlist ideas. —Leigh Bond
Requesting covers of favorite classics and/or popular hits is an easy way to jazz up your playlist while keeping guests of all ages happy, entertained, and inclined to boogie. See our favorite picks below:
