My head is humming all the the fantastic song choices that goes along with this wedding. I love getting emails from brides and grooms about the music selection from their wedding day. When reading Kristen’s email I found myself cooing over certain selections, especially their reasons behind choosing the songs. It’s always wonderful to see how two people come together and began their lives anew…and I love when couples choose music that reflects who they are, individually and as a couple. Tim and Kristen did just that with their afternoon courtyard marriage.

Our wedding was a fun, laid-back, rock-n-roll wedding. The ceremony was in the courtyard of the Black Walnut/Robert Wayner Gallery. Post-ceremony, our guests went inside for home-brewed beer and snacks while the bridal party went for a wander through Fulton Market with our amazing photographer, Jeremy Lawson. We ended up at our reception venue, Bottom Lounge. Located right around the corner from the grounds of the Pitchfork Music Festival, it’s a warehouse turned bar and music venue, and a place we’ve seen a lot of great bands over the couple of years it’s been open. (Incidentally, I also ran into Julia Stiles in the bathroom there once. I couldn’t think of anything to say to her, but I did notice her Chanel flats.)

omg what an amazing first dance shot!

Kristen did a wonderful job explaining their music and why they chose certain songs. Perfect examples of “personalizing” the music!

We had a pre-ceremony playlist iPod-ing while people sat down. It was as follows:

Pavement – Texas Never Whispers (My family is from Texas)
Palace Music – New Partner
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – May it Always Be
The 6ths – You, You, You, You, You
Band of Horses – No One’s Gonna Love You
Beirut – Postcards from Italy
Andrew Bird – Fake Palindromes

My dude (who is, in fact, a drummer) and his groomsmen walked in to Wilco’s “Heavy Metal Drummer.”

Our gorgeous bridesmaids sauntered in to Of Montreal’s “Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games.”

And two dear friends played a gorgeous double-keyboard instrumental version of “She’s a Rainbow” by The Rolling Stones when I walked in with my parents.

During the ceremony, four friends played and sang Yo La Tengo’s “My Little Corner of the World” with a simple piano and guitar accompaniment.

Our recessional was M. Ward’s “To Go Home”– we wanted something big and full and happy-sounding, and that was it.

For our reception music, we had The Incantations, a group of musicians who play in Chicago bands Baby Teeth, Detholz!, and Mucca Pazza. We’re lucky enough to call them friends, and they played a jazz set during the cocktail hour and absolutely killed it with two sets of classic rock-n-roll tunes during the post-dinner dance party. I don’t have the full set list, but they opened with our first dance song, a cover of “I Should’ve Known Better” by the Beatles. They followed with “Twist and Shout.” Other highlights included “Whip It,” Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough,”and “Our House.” They finished their second set with a stellar version of “The Final Countdown.”

Post-band, we plugged in the iPod and kept the tunes going until the wee hours! iPod playlist (designed to keep both the younger and the more mature crowds on the floor as long as possible) was as follows:

Wouldn’t it be Nice – The Beach Boys
I’m the Man who Loves You – Wilco
Signed, Sealed, Delivered – Stevie Wonder
French Navy – Camera Obscura
Victoria – The Fall
Empire State of Mind – Jay-Z
Modern Love – David Bowie
If You Ever Get Your Hands on Love – Gladys Knight and the Pips
You Really Got Me – The Kinks
Heart of Glass – Blondie
I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You – Black Kids
Ready for the Floor – Hot Chip
Crazy in Love – Beyonce
Devil’s Haircut – Beck
Dancing Queen – Abba
Electric Feel – MGMT (Yeah, I know. It’s like the “Celebrate” of our time.)
Sing me Spanish Techno – New Pornographers
Big Dipper – Built to Spill
Saturday Night – Blitzen Trapper
I Wanna Love Him So Bad – The Jelly Beans
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
Batucada – Towa Tei
You Came, You Saw, You Conquered – The Ronettes
Come Rain or Come Shine – Billie Holliday
Ooo Baby Baby – Smokey Robinson
Let Me Off Uptown – Anita O’Day
Like Someone in Love – Chet Baker
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
Dedicated to the One I Love – The Mamas and the Papas
The Boots Were Made for Walkin’ – Nancy Sinatra
He’s So Fine- The Chiffons
Car – Built to Spill
I Turn My Camera On – Spoon
White Wedding – Billy Idol
Little Honda – Yo La Tengo
Wolf Like Me – TV on the Radio
Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran
Here Comes Your Man – Pixies
Slow Hands – Interpol
Lust for Life – Iggy Pop
Rock the Casbah – The Clash
Don’t You Evah – Spoon
Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
Zero – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Drunk Girls – LCD Sound System
Shake it Up – The Cars
Let’s Spend the Night Together – Rolling Stones

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Hip Happenin’ Hot Shots By: Jeremy Lawson