Southern Sweethearts: The Wedding Party Line-Up

Mr. Lab and I finished our private meal and gave the DOC the go-ahead to move guests into the ballroom. We snuck back out the side door and waited until the parlour cleared before sneaking back in for introductions.

Now, let me tell you about our wedding party (aka our best friends). But I'm going to do that using songs.

If you can remember way back to this post, I used a newsletter to ask our groomsmen and bridesmaids to pick out songs that summed up their personalities. Our baseball-style line up came together and one-by-one we were introduced.

Our best man Don got things started with a dramatic, double-fisting entrance:

Carl Orff Carmina Burana Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi O Fortuna
Skip to 1:25 to get the full effect!

Our matron of honor, Amanda, followed Don with a fun take on her favorite past-time: playing poker:

Poker Face by Lady GaGa



I love that the girls were already putting the "sole mates" to use!

Who's next? Is it a bird? A plane? No, it's just Super Jay!

Superman Theme Song

His wife and my new sister-in-law, Leslie, showed off some leg when she came in:

Starstruck by 3oh3

Trey, the same guy who posed backward for his mug shot, tried to make a smooth entrance but got tripped up on the door ledge. He just laughed it off like he meant to do it:

Jambi by Tool

Brittany, who I joke is my sister from another mister, got down with a choreographed dance:

Diva by Beyonce

Like Trey, Jimmy tried to play it smooth. And also like Trey, he tripped on the door ledge (even after laughing when Trey tripped!)

The Joker by the Steve Miller Band

Jimmy's wife, Brooke, unlike the boys, really did make a smooth entrance:

Super Massive Black Hole by Muse

Then my little brother, Phillip, got crunk:

All The Way Turned Up by Travis Porter

And Ashley got a little bossy:

I'm Bossy by Kelis

Finally, it was our turn. But wait! What's that I hear?

Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley



Doing my best Rick Astley shuffle. Mr. Lab was supposed to be doing the same but bailed and left me looking like an idiot. Way to support your new wife! :P

Did my wedding guests just get Rick Roll'd? Why yes, yes they did. :)

After the introduction we went straight into our first dance.

Better Together by Jack Johnson

Yes, we just did the awkward middle school sway as our wedding party looked on. Although I used to be a member of a dance company, Mr. Lab just isn't coordinated enough to attempt the awesome choreographed first dances...

Guest photo.

...but our first dance was perfect just the way it was.

Will you use a special way to introduce your wedding party?

Previously on Southern Sweethearts:

• Southern Belles Do Tea
• A Rude Vendor Interrupts Our Rehearsal
• We Have Dinner on the Savannah River
• A Spooky Ghost Tour and My Last Fling
• Our Wedding Trailer
• Becoming a Blushing Bride
• I Slip Into My eBay Wedding Dress
• The Fellas Get “Sessay”
• He Got Boudoir, I Got Bling
• An Unplanned First Look
• Our Wedding Party…and Paparazzi
• Details Tell the Story
• Years of Waiting for This Moment (Ceremony Part: 1)
• We Tie the Knot with Faith, Hope, & Love (Ceremony Part: 2)
• My Wedding Party Poses for Mug Shots While We Take Formals
• We Shared a Private Dinner for Two During Cocktail Hour
  

Next Up: We get our nom on!

*All professional photos by Lindsi Jones Photography. Some images may have been slightly altered by moi.

Must Have Music

Source

Since becoming engaged, I've kept my ears open to possible "must have" songs for our wedding. I'm still unsure whether to hire a ceremony musician/reception D.J. or be an iPod bride all the way, but in any case I'll want to have a say on a few music selections for the day. I'm doing things a bit nontraditional, especially when it comes to the ceremony music.

I've compiled a list of songs for different parts of the ceremony and reception. There are a few gaps where I'm not sure what song(s) to use, so feel free to suggest something that will flow with the choices I've made so far! Without further ado, I present my wedding day "playlist":

Prelude: Beautiful Day by U2

Processional:

Seating of Parents: ?
Minister & Groom: ?

Groomsmen & bridesmaids: ?
Flower Girls, Ring Bearer, and Jr. BMs: Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole

Bride (ME!): Kingdom Come by Coldplay

Interlude: ?
(Not even sure if we'll have music in the middle of the ceremony at all.)

Recessional: Clocks (instrumental) by Coldplay

Cocktail Hour: Classical Music

Dinner: Laid back lovey-dovey songs

First Dance: Better Together by Jack Johnson

Cake Cutting: I'm Yours by Jason Mraz & a special song for Mr. Lab's groom's cake cutting

Bouquet Toss: Single Ladies by Beyonce ("All the single ladies put your hands up!" Classic.)

Garter Removal: ? (We definitely are thinking Mission Impossible or something along those lines!)
Mother/Son: Mr. Lab hasn't picked this out yet.
Mother/Daughter (because I don't have a dad to dance with): Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison (We both have brown eyes and picked this song out to dance to together when I was just a kid!)

Reception dancing: On our wedding website we've included a page for our guests to suggest songs to play during the reception. We figure that if they help pick them out, they'll be more likely to get on the dance floor. I'm a BIG dancer, so I want the dance floor packed all night! I think that by allowing song requests, having an open bar, and picking a wedding party that loves to get down, my wish will be fulfilled. :D We'll be sure to inlcude some songs everyone knows (YMCA, Baby Got Back, etc.), too. And as the night goes on, we'll move from the radio/clean versions to the "dirty filthy wanna make me shake my ass" music. Cause that's how I roll. ;)

Our website's music suggestion page.

Last Dance: Constellations by Jack Johnson

Etc. Music:

In addition to these songs, we're also allowing our entire wedding party to pick out individual songs tailored to their personalities to be introduced to at the wedding reception. For example, my MOH plays poker a couple times a week with her hubby and their friends, so she's chosen Lady Gaga's Poker Face! As for Mr. Lab and I's entrance song...we'll that's a HUGE surprise that will have to wait until AFTER the wedding to be revealed. ;)

Photo slideshow:

1. Mr. Lab growing up (I Go Back by Kenny Chesney)
   
2. Me growing up (Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison)
   
3. Our “courtship” (Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg)
   
4. Our engagement from the proposal all the way up to the wedding! (Better Together by Jack Johnson)

I'm including a homemade CD full of our wedding day music for the OOT bags (practically all the guests) so they'll have some songs to remind them of our day on the ride back home. They'll be more on that later, I promise!