Jens Lekman’s epic new album Songs For Other People’s Weddings has me thinking about my own wedding. Twelve years ago today, Steve and I got married in an outdoor ceremony at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens near Boothbay Harbor. It’s one of our favorite places and seemed like the best possible space to exchange vows even if it meant some degree of travel for most of our fifty-odd guests.
Keeping the event intimate, rather than hiring a DJ or a band, we put together two iTunes playlists for the reception: the second one was for the dancefloor with all the usual suspects (“Dancing Queen”, “Groove Is In the Heart”, the then-new “Get Lucky”) along with a sprinkling of personal favorites like Calexico’s “Crystal Frontier (Widescreen Mix)”; more of the latter informed the first playlist which soundtracked our cocktail hour and dinner.
I know I printed out copies of both playlists but can’t find either of them now. Thus, I’ve recreated the first one below to the best of my memory. It has plenty of theme-appropriate love songs including one I put on my first mix CD for Steve (“I’ve Been Waiting”), a few long-beloved standards (“Time After Time”, “Not Enough Time”, “Then Came You”) and other classics that have become 21st century Gen-X friendly wedding reception staples (“This Must Be The Place”, “Friday I’m In Love”).
Such a mix would not be complete with some of our all-time favorite songs. Steve requested “A Message” and “Somewhere Only We Know”; I made sure there was room for “This Is The Day”, “Elevator Love Letter” and “I’d Rather Dance With You” (and also “Spanish Flea” for fun) and together we wanted “California Stars” and “Into the Mystic”. “Santa Fe” looked forward to our honeymoon, while the cover of “Just Like Heaven” that ends this playlist actually led off the second one as it is what we chose for our first dance.
I have so many memories of that evening (many of them increasingly blurry as it went by in such a whirlwind) but one of the happiest was sitting at the head table, my husband next to me, and the euphoric Saint Etienne song that gives this mix its title playing overhead. If I had rarely known happiness and bliss beforehand, I felt both sensations in full force all around me at that very moment.
Nothing Can Stop Us: Chris & Steve, 9/21/2013
- The Cure, “Friday I’m In Love”
- Aretha Franklin, “Baby, I Love You”
- Cyndi Lauper, “Time After Time”
- Ivy, “This Is The Day”
- Beirut, “Santa Fe”
- Kings of Convenience, “I’d Rather Dance With You”
- Washed Out, “All I Know”
- Kirsty MacColl, “In These Shoes?”
- Florence + The Machine, “Cosmic Love”
- Coldplay, “A Message”
- Billy Bragg & Wilco, “California Stars”
- Matthew Sweet, “I’ve Been Waiting”
- Van Morrison, “Into The Mystic”
- Talking Heads, “This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)”
- The Spinners & Dionne Warwick, “Then Came You”
- Saint Etienne, “Nothing Can Stop Us”
- Luna, “Lovedust”
- Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, “Spanish Flea”
- Pink Martini, “Hey Eugene!”
- Michael Kiwanuka, “I’m Getting Ready”
- Keane, “Somewhere Only We Know”
- K.D. Lang & The Siss Boom Bang, “The Water’s Edge”
- Stars, “Elevator Love Letter”
- Sade, “Paradise”
- Jessie Ware, “Wildest Moments”
- Joan Armatrading, “Love and Affection”
- Ryan Adams, “La Cienega Just Smiled”
- INXS, “Not Enough Time”
- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, “All Over Again”
- Katie Melua, “Just Like Heaven”
Haunted Jukebox 