Also, if anyone wants to send in a mix, I’d love to have some guest posts lined up come moving week! Email me and let’s chat: hifiweddings@gmail.com

hip engagement!

this makes me want summer here now!

a music filled mountaintop wedding!

a rustic, glam engagement!

everyone’s favorite edward sharpe at daytrotter!

Music is what brought Joann and I together. We met at a Tegan and Sara concert, and we’ve shared our love for all types of music ever since, so there was no doubt that music was a huge factor for us at our wedding. Joann being a HUGE (we’re talking tattooed with an entire sleeve of album art, lyrics and songs) The Cure fan, we knew we had to have their music as a special piece of the reception so we had a cover band “The Curse” play our wedding. We knew we wanted to incorporate “Love Song” by the Cure as our main song, because the lyrics are beautiful and represent how we feel for each other.

While Joann and Jacqueline specified a few songs for certain moments of their wedding, at the reception they had a list of artists they loved and the DJ was able to have fun and get funky!

Processional: Adele – Love Song (Cure cover)
Recessional: The Gossip – Standing in the Way of Control

Reception (“The Curse” band played cover songs by)
Common
John Legend
Beyonce
Adele
Alicia Keys
Lauren Hill
Erykah Badu

DJ Tee Time (played songs by)
Crystal Castles
Ladytron
Le Tigre
Peaches
Santigold
Various Hip-Hop
Notorious B.I.G.
Kanye West
The Cure
Morrissey
Depeche Mode
Berlin
Devo
Dramarama
Human League
Joy Division

Photographer: Julie Pepin Photography
Band: The Curse
DJ: Tee Time
Officiant: Liz Coopersmith
Cake: Cuauthli Roura
Reception Venue: Memories Dance Hall
Wedding Ceremony Site: Penn Park, Whittier CA
Shoes: Betsy Johnson, Converse
Dress: Specialty Boutique – Alhambra
Pant Suit: Macys, Torrid
Centerpieces: DIY

Who doesn’t love The Beatles? Actually, I may not want to know…(haha jk). Shelby and Joe celebrated their love with each other among the music and decor of their favorite band – The Beatles. I adore all of the elements they incorporated, especially the bright pink vinyl records! Add a dash of Star Wars and skateboards and Shelby and Joe’s passions are prominent at their gorgeous wedding!

Entrance Song: “Golden Boy” Song by Groom’s band
Dinner: The ‘Love’ Album by the Beatles
Bride & Groom First Dance: “Real Love” – John Lennon
Bride & Father Dance: “Blackbird” – Evan Rachel Wood
Bride & Stepfather Dance: “Pink Bullets” – The Sins

Reception Highlights
On the Floor – Jennifer Lopez
Mother Mother – Hay Loft
Mother Mother – Arms Tonight
Metric – Sick Muse
Mates of State – Punchlines
Mates of State – Blue and Gold Paint
Mates of State – Fluke
Postal Service – Such Great Heights
Sufjan Stevens album

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Photography: Eryn.Shea. Photography
Dress boutique: David’s Bridal
Dress designer: Oleg Cassini
Starwars Cufflinks: Retro Classy Cufflinks
Bouquets: The Bride
Shoes: Figgie Shoes
Ceremony Location: Navy Yard Park, Amherstburg
Officiant: Joe McParland (Civil Marriages)
Reception Location: St. Angela’s Hall
Placecards, centerpieces, tablecards: The Bride
Cake: The Maid of Honor
Decor: Elegance by Design
Reception lighting: Marz Media
DJ: NXT Level Entertainment

It’s the end of January right? I mean, all of my calendars tell me so, but with the temperatures outside at 65+ degrees, it’s a little hard to believe. But hey, I’m the type that would prefer to sweat than shiver (I don’t handle the cold weather well at all!) I’m embracing the beautiful day with a super catchy tune that’s sure to raise your spirits…in case you are knee deep in snow or something. There’s lots of jingle jangle dancey awesomeness rolled up into a 3 minute and 34 second eargasm!

Still hankering for more music?! Check out all of the past Tuesdays!

Photographer: Carmen Salazar Photography
Floral Designer: Botanica Floral Designs
Invitation Designer: Invitations Ink
Cake Designer: Sweet Cakes by Rebecca
Personal Stylist: Fringe Boutique
T-shirts with Invitations Ink: Fibers
Homemade Bottled Beer: Robert’s Home Brew

Click to listen, right click “save as” to download:

Side A:
Gloria

Side B:
Dark Side

At the time Shadows of Knight first started recording, the band’s self-description was as follows: “The Stones, Animals and Yardbirds took the Chicago Blues and gave it an English interpretation. We’ve taken the English version of the Blues and re-added a Chicago touch.” Seems pretty fitting don’t ya think? Give these songs a whirl and tell me you don’t agree! If your name is Gloria, then today is a double bonus for you!

Wanna mingle with more singles?! Check out all of the past Sundays!

If you’re looking to get everyone off their feet – young and old – without the cheesy banter, your best bet is to hire a radtastic DJ. At Scratch Weddings you have a selection of folks who can get (and keep) the dance floor packed. According to their site, they feature the world’s most talented team of DJs. With a roster that covers all music genres and styles, includes all major cities, and brings a guaranteed level of experience and quality. Today I have Rob Principe, owner and founder of Scratch Weddings, to answer the “Meet the Vendor” questions! Let’s get a peep at his musical interests, shall we?

Can you describe your life (so far) in 3-5 songs?
“Beautiful Day” – U2
“Midnight Train to Georgia” – Gladys Knight & the Pips
“Empire State of Mind” – Jay Z & Alicia Keys
“Get up, Stand up” – Bob Marley & Peter Tosh
“I’ll be there” – The Jackson 5

Close seconds are “I’m the Magnificent” – Special Ed, “I’m cool like that” – Digable Planets, “If I ruled the world” – Nas,….. just kidding

What is your favorite love song?
“At Last” by Etta James (RIP)

If you could go see anyone perform live who would it be?
Jimi Hendrix or Miles Davis

What is your preferred format of music?
LP (because of the crackles…often imitated but never duplicated)

Are you a musician? If so, what do you play? If not, what would you play?
Do air drums and guitar count? If it doesn’t, then I’d probably say cowbell. Definitely cowbell.

*Do you know someone who should be on the vendor/inspiration page? Just email me and let’s chat!

a music inspired DIY daydream of a wedding!

THIS IS BADASS! and Archies engagement!

M-A-G-I-C-A-L!!!

love everything about this!

swoon!

Jesse and I are music and dance fanatics and had a lot of fun hand-picking the songs we played at our wedding. We have gone to countless concerts and music festivals throughout our 10 years of dating and plan to go to many more for the rest of our lives

Our ceremony was filled with music with special meaning. Family Tree by TV on the Radio was a song that Jesse introduced me to on a long bus ride–I remember him making me put on his headphones and telling me to listen to this beautiful song he just discovered. It’s always held a special place for us, and now every time I hear it I am reminded of watching our wedding procession begin and waiting to walk down the aisle to marry Jesse. We incorporated live music into the ceremony by having about a dozen of our aunts sing When Irish Eyes Are Smiling between readings. It was a very cool moment to watch our families join together in song.

We decided early on that we would forgo a DJ and custom-make our cocktail, dinner, and dance playlists. We asked four wonderful and musically inclined friends to each give us an hour’s worth of music, which was a great way to add songs into the mix that we might otherwise not know or think of. When we added those four hours of music to our own list, we had about 15 hours of dance music! After some tough choices/cuts, we whittled that list down to about 7 hours of a dance playlist that transitioned from timeless classics into late-night-appropriate tunes, and we made our dreams of dancing into the night with family and friends become a reality. It was a lot (A LOT!) of work to edit each song and make sure the dance party would flow without a DJ, but it was completely worth it! If you like playing around with music and are willing to put in the time, don’t listen to anyone who tells you MUST have a DJ or band. We were 100% happy with our choice not to.

We also decided to make our wedding favor a mix CD. We made mix tapes/cds for each other throughout our dating years and thought that would be a cool reflection of us to give to our guests. The songs we picked were mostly about love and happiness and had been played at some point during our wedding festivities. A wonderful friend of ours designed the CD art, and then we hand-stamped and tied baker’s twine around each of the CDs.

Ceremony
Wedding Party Processional: Family Tree – TV on the Radio
Bridal Processional: Home – Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Recessional: M79 – Vampire Weekend

Cocktail & Dinner
How Long Do I Have to Wait for You – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
We Fight / Love – Q-Tip feat. Raphael Saadiq
Black Tambourine – Beck
Inside and Out – Feist
Just – Mark Ronson feat. Alex Grenwald
Luck of Lucien – A Tribe Called Quest
Le Jardin Du Luxenberg – The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger
Still Sound – Toro Y Moi
Lovefool – The Cardigans
Virtual Insanity – Jamiroquai
Do it Again – Steely Dan
Collarbone – Fujiya & Miyagi
The Bike Song – Mark Ronson and the Business International
Badfish – Sublime
Jamming – Bob Marley
The Breeze – Dr. Dog
Somebody to Love – Queen
Ponta De Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma) – Jorge Ben
Make You Feel That Way – Blackalicious
Somebody to Love Me – Mark Ronson and the Business International
The Horizon has Been Defeated – Jack Johnson
Gronlandic Edit – Of Montreal
If it Hadn’t Been for Love – Adele
The Wind Cries Mary – Jimi Hendrix
I’ll Fly Away – Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch
Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
Help Yourself – Amy Winehouse
Imitosis – Andrew Bird
Lost in the Supermarket – The Clash
On & On – Erykah Badu
Many Rivers to Cross – Jimmy Cliff
High and Dry – Radiohead
Try a Little Tenderness (live) – Otis Redding
Just Like Heaven – The Cure
The Night Last Night – Mark Ronson and the Business International
Littlest Things – Lily Allen
Jackeyed – Micah P Hinson
Umi Says – Mos Def
Sweet Thing – Van Morrison
Baby’s Got Sauce – G. Love and Special Sauce
The Light – Common
Romeo and Juliet – Dire Straits
Reception Entrance: Kashmir – Led Zeppelin
Bride/Groom First Dance: Lovely Day – Bill Withers
Father/Daughter Dance: Ruby Tuesday – The Rolling Stones

Dance Party
Jackie Wilson Said – Van Morrison
Think – Aretha Franklin
Hold On! I’m A Comin’ – Sam & Dave
100 Yard Dash – Raphael Saadiq
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
Land of 1000 Dances – Wilson Pickett
September – Earth Wind & Fire
You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon
In My Life – The Beatles
Tears Dry on Their Own – Amy Winehouse
American Girl – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
Canned Heat – Jamiroquai
Ain’t no Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
When a Man Loves a Woman – Bette Midler
Red Red Wine – UB40
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours – Stevie Wonder
Rolling in the Deep – Adele
Got to be a Love – Sharon Jones
Tightrope – Janelle Monae
American Boy – Estelle
Bust a Move – Young MC
Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
Hold On! – Wilson Phillips
Just Dance – Lady GaGa
Nan You’re a Window Shopper – Lily Allen
All That She Wants – Ace of Base
Let’s Dance – David Bowie
Toxic – Brittany Spears
Electric Feel – MGMT
1901 – Phoenix
Paper Planes – M.I.A.
Get By – Talib Kweli
Single Ladies – Beyonce
Vogue – Madonna
Poker Face – Lady GaGa
The Seed – The Roots
Crazy in Love – Jay-Z
Poison – Bell Biv Devoe
I Wish – Skee Lo
Bang Bang Bang – Mark Ronson and the Business International
Regulate – Warren G
Hypnotize – The Notorious B.I.G.
California Love – Tupac
Thriller – Michael Jackson
Empire State of Mind – Jay-Z
Jump – Kriss Kross
Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses
Living on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
Like a Prayer – Madonna
I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ – Scissor Sisters
Doo Wop (That Thing) – Lauryn Hill
O.P.P. – Naughty by Nature
Let’s Get it Started – Black Eyed Peas
Stronger – Kanye West
Yeah! – Usher
H to the Izzo – Jay-Z
Breathe – Blue Cantrell & Sean Paul
Hate it or Love it – The Game
Hey Mama – Black Eyed Peas
Umbrella – Rihanna
Low – Flo Rida
All I Do is Win – DJ Khaled
Bottoms Up – Trey Songz
You Can do it – Ice Cube
Dirt off Your Shoulder – Jay-Z
OMG – Usher
Juicy – The Notorious B.I.G.
The Next Episode – Dr. Dre
Basket Case – Green Day
Any Way You Want it – Journey
Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes
M79 – Vampire Weekend

Abby & Jesse Make a Good Mix CD
M79 – Vampire Weekend
All Night Long – Lionel Richie
Valerie – Mark Ronson and the Business International
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
How Long Do I Have to Wait for You? – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
Lovely Day – Bill Withers
Umbrella – Rihanna
Can I Kick it – A Tribe Called Quest
Inside and Out- Feist
Stickshifts and Safetybelts – Cake
Good Day Sunshine – The Beatles
Fat Bottomed Girls – Queen
La Revolution – Ugly Duckling
P.Y.T. – Michael Jackson
Electric Feel – MGMT
Thank You – Led Zeppelin
Skinny Love – Bon Iver
Jigsaw Falling into Place – Radiohead
Family Tree – TV on the Radio
Redemption Song – Bob Marley

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Photography: Kris Holland Photography
Flowers: Homegrown by Abby’s family
Event Planning: Day-of coordination by Cristina Heald
Ceremony/Reception Location: Relais du Soleil, Glen Ellen, CA
Dress: Marciel (New York)
Cupcakes: Bijoux Cupcakes
Catering: Park Avenue Catering
Makeup: Chloe Couch
Hair: Rachel Eaton/Salon Nonfiction
Car: Abby’s dad’s 1951 Willy’s Jeepster

Pre-Ceremony

Honey Come Home – The Head and the Heart
I Knew The Bride (When she used to rock n roll) – Nick Lowe
I’m the Man Who Loves You – Wilco
Love You In The Fall – Paul Westerberg
I Get The Sweetest Feeling – Jackie Wilson
Save It For A Rainy Day – The Jayhawks
Love Will Turn You Around – Kenny Rogers
Looking For Love – Johnny Lee
Let’s Get Married – The Proclaimers
L-O-V-E (Japanese Version) – Nat King Cole
Jessica – They Might Be Giants
I’m In Love With A Girl – Big Star

Ceremony Processional: Baleen Mornings – Balmorhea
Groom Entrance: The Final Countdown – Europe
Bride Entrance: Question – Old 97’s
Recessional: You Make My Dreams (Come True) – Hall and Oates

Cocktail Hour
Wilco’s Whole Love album

First Dance: All The Right Reasons – The Jayhawks

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Venue: 29th Street Ballroom at The Spider House Austin, TX
Day of Coordinator: Pearl Events
Caterer and cake: Whole Foods
Cake Topper: Etsy
Cookies: Bride’s mom
Bouquets: Central Market Flowers
Bride and Bride’s Mother Favor Bags: Whisker Graphics
Wedding Poster: Ello There on Etsy
Photographer: Katherine O’Brien
Photo Booth: Annie Ray
DJ: DJ Huxtable
Dress: Bride’s mother’s worn in 1973 made by her grandmother in Brazil