March 17, 2011
Posted by Ashley
A Real Hi-Fi Wedding: Ashley & Sean’s Swooning Songs
Happy St. Patrick’s day! This “proper” Kansas wedding will have you hankering for the jigs and the honkey-tonk! Ashley and Sean had a live band, the Phantoms of the Opry (how awesome is that band name?!), to ensure the guests’ heels stayed kickin’ and the skirts stayed swingin’! Morgan shared some excellent details:
My husband and I are pretty sentimental people, and after months of searching for a venue we thought: “Why don’t we get married someplace that matters to us, instead of spending a fortune on a compromise where everyone else gets hitched?” My grandparents live on the outskirts of Kansas City and we couldn’t have gotten a better, more special spot. In homage to the land and our family we were set on having a “proper” Kansas City wedding.
Our entire inspiration stemmed from our favorite whiskey bar, Harry’s Country Club. We spent a lot of time there together and felt it embodied everything we love about our Cowtown—from the home-cooked menu, the dapper service, and the classic country jukebox. We even hired the band that frequents Harry’s to play at the wedding, Phantoms of the Opry; They won our hearts with a voice uncannily like Hank Williams Senior and a steel guitar to kill.
The music that inspired our wedding needed to have that honky-tonk, knee-slap to it, but also a sweet swooning property. Beyond Patsy Cline and Hank, we love the Old Timey singers/songwriters of the Depression era (when blues was born and storytelling became a critical component). Before recordings, it was this music that passed on tales of old—and in that sense Sean and I feel a romantic connection to our past. Musicians like Iron & Wine and Tallest Man On Earth pull from this traditional folk style—not to mention Sam Amidon who carries the Old Timey torch, singing the same songs, same style; “Wedding Dress” predates Amidon, and is such an old song the original writer is unclear.
I walked down the aisle to Santo & Johnny’s Sleepwalk, played on my mother’s record player—which she gave to me as a teenager. The evening was filled with lots of dancing, not unlike the jigs performed in “O’ Brother Where Art Thou?” We finished with a bon fire and Hot Toddies for all.
Check it! Ashley sent me a selection of songs that were played at the wedding…so push play and enjoy!
Plastic Jesus – Paul Newman
Diddie Wa Diddie – Blind Blake
Flowers Blooming in The Wildwood – Coon Creek Girls
My Man’s a Jolly Railroad Man – Moonshine Kate
My Sweet Farm Girl – Clarence “Tom” Ashley
That’s How Much I Love You – Patsy Cline
Hey, Good Lookin’ – Hank Williams
Honky Tonk Blues – Hank Williams
Sleepwalk – Santo and Johnny
Shallow Grave – The Tallest Man On Earth
Little Satchel – Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins & Tommy Jarrell
‘Bout You – Phantoms of the Opry
Fall On My Knees – Sam Amidon
Little Birdie – Roscoe Holcomb
The Rooster Moans – Iron & Wine
Talking Fishing Blues – Woody Guthrie
Tenderly – Santo & Johnny
Wedding Dress – Sam Amidon
You’re the Traveling Kind – Phantoms of the Opry
HAH! Last but certainly not least, you gotta check out their wedding jig in the rain!
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Photography: Austin Goldberg

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2 Comments
March 17, 2011
beautiful photos, gah! i love the warmth…i’m a sucker for warmth in photography. brilliant.
March 19, 2011
Briliant song selection!
And i think i saw this wedding elsewhere a while ago, because i remember that beautiful dress! If i was to get married right now, i’d want a dress exactly like that. Soooo pretty.
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