Oh Clayton! How you have a way with your photos and making your couples’ romance shine through. It’s good. It’s goodness. It’s a match made in heaven for Hi-Fi Weddings…especially this particular post. If you’re like me, you’ll gasp as you scroll through…and then wish you and your love could be in font of Sir C. Austin’s lens. You might recognize the first image, as that’s the one I teased you with on Friday. And now I’ve got all the goodness to share!

So gasp away my dears!

The Goodness Captured by Clayton Austin

Perhaps you will recall the music tastes of Junia and Andres from each of their former Guest Mixes, but now to unveil the magical mix they created for their big day! I’ve been waiting to share their wedding with you readers for sometime now! Junia and I have been in contact since I first spotted her wedding and I’ve been so stoked to find out every musical detail! And because she’s SO awesome, Junia has provided a download link to their wedding songs and mixtape (see below). So from sunny-southern, succulent-lovin’, swoon-worthy California I present to you (drum-roll please) the celebration of Junia & Andres and how they made it THEIR day.

(omg those bouquets!!! succulents!!! gahh!!)

(succulent porn right here ladies and gents – wowzas!)

(how PERFECT are these invites they designed themselves? too! too perfect is the answer)

And now onto everyone’s favorite part – THE MUSIC! Thanks to the rad couple, they have provided a download link for the Ceremony & First Dance Songs – and you can also hear them right here before downloading:

Eluvium – Taken
New Order – Ceremony
Mayer Hawthorne – Shiny & New

I kept joking that I wanted a very epic song to play as everyone, including myself & dad walked down the aisle. I wanted it to play loud and I wanted that memory to have an awesome soundtrack. We’re both really into instrumental/experimental music so the Eluvium song was just what we wanted to create the perfect moment. As our exiting song we had to take it back to the 80’s and create what I like to call a John Hughes moment! I’ve always wanted to live in his films so having a New Order song play was a must. Just as we were pronounced Mr and Mrs, the New Order song came on, we threw our hands in the air and felt all giddy inside that it had all gone perfect and it was time to party! It was truly the perfect movie moment I’d always dreamed of. When it came to our first dance, we chose Mayer Hawthorne. We’d been obsessing over his first album for months and “Shiny & New” had the perfect lyrics that made us get down and hold each other close like little eighth graders.

Here is the link to download the 20 track Wedding Dance Mix…and a preview of the songs below:

The Delfonics – La La Means I Love You
Sam Cooke – Chain Gang
Archie Bell & The Drells – Tighten Up
J.J. Jackson – But It’s Alright
The Intruders – Cowboys to Girls
Tommy James & The Shondells – Crystal Blue Persuasion
Billy Stewart – Sitting in the Park
The Brothers Johnson – Strawberry Letter 23
The Young Rascals – Groovin’
The Yardbirds – For Your Love
The Clash – Rock the Casbah
The Troggs – With A Girl Like You
Nu Shooz – I Can’t Wait
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas – (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Mickey’s Monkey
The Spinners – It’s a Shame
Marvin Gaye – I Want You
Malo – Suavecito
Bloodstone – Natural High
Delegation – Oh Honey

The goal for our wedding was to host the best party we’d ever throw, with the best food, yummy drinks, diy project the heck out of it, and take our guests on a musical journey back to the old school. Lucky for us, our great friend Travis Gire (awesome artist & record collector) said yes when we asked if he would DJ our wedding. Because his vinyl collection of oldies is so extensive and awesome we told him it was a must to bring as much as he could to rock it! He threw in a little bit of everything that we wanted and it turned out to be one heck of a dance party!

Going back and reliving our day through these tunes makes us want to have a big party just to play them all over again. The day was perfect, and couldn’t have turned out the way it did had it not been for our awesome team that have now become life-long amigos! Props & high-fives to Sitting in a Tree Events for coordinating and executing all the little details that we had been obsessing over for months. MIHO Gastrotruck for cooking up the most authentic, insanely tasting Mexican food EVER! Sarah Yates for nailing every shot and capturing our wedding like no one else could! Travis Gire, for spinning the records that will forever be engraved in our memories! Our parents, because we love them and they’re awesome! And, Andres, because 15 years ago we became best friends over having both listened to Joy Division when everyone else was listening to Bone Thugs N’ Harmony. I love him. And, I love us!

ADDED CUTENESS: Junia and Andres wanted to give me something fresh to share with you readers in addition to all of their music details, so they sent along their darling honeymoon video. It doesn’t get much cuter than this y’all!

Credit/Links:

DJ Chavez Gee
Sitting in a Tree Events
MIHO Gastrotruck
Andres
Junia
Magical Moments captured by Sarah Yates

Of course during the midst of wedding season there are lots o’ goodies floating around! This here is a collection I’ve found that tickle my insides and remind me how blessed I am to be surrounded by love – online and off! Speaking of online love, this here lil’ blog got over a thousand hits yesterday! So a huge thanks to everyone spreading the link…and to the vendors who let me feature their works…and to the brides and grooms that love music and want to be a part of this sit…and for YOU reading these very words. Now feast on these very [awesome] photos:

my jaw hit the floor and I was rendered speechless (and that’s a hard feat)

holy shit whatta find! and yes, there’s more!

loooooovin’ that radio!

oh my wow! Thumbelina has never looked so magical!!

a TOILET PAPER wedding dress…wet t-shirt contest anyone?!

omg the colorrrrrrrs!

Feather Love-in and lusting over here!

what a kickin’ cake! and wedding!

what a lovely way to spend a summer day!!

oh c’mon! you know you stalk them too! what a lovely honeymoon! congrats you two!

a stunning dress designed by the stunning bride!

best wedding photos ever!

a farmer’s market inspired wedding = perfect!

…and a lovely handmade dress from a lovely mother to daughter!

ah WOW! it only gets better!

summer garden wedding board!

you can make this hanger slipcover! and peep at some cute intimate lady wear!

chinese elvis = fucking awesome!

AND a Michael Jackson look-a-like?!

OMG YES!!!

personalized wedding signs!! (you can get “normal” ones too)

CUTE BEER CAPS = great ring shot

hubba hubba whatta shoot!

HAH!

an exciting elopement story!

cause yunno…sometimes shit happens. and it makes for original photo ops!

‘sup superstars!

HOT STUFF FOR REALS!

cute gift idea! for dads, hubs, or bridal party peeps

sfgirlbybay’s lovin’ on twiggy – and I totally do too!

comfort zoooooooone mix…available for download, of course

12 songs for summer (so far)

oh man…to be among this sing-a-long!! how awesome!

stoned or not, this is trippy!

and for all of you Best Coast lovers, you’ll probably dig this tune by the hubby/wife duo Tennis!

So lately I’ve been having an influx of crazy awesome energies and gut feelings that end up presenting themselves as true…all that sort of thing. And right when I think it’s all slowing down, something else happens! Like today! I was opening up this page to start writing about the super sweet (tear-jerker alert) post I helped create with Dog ‘n Bird about Father/Daughter dance songs, when lo and behold – my mom IMs me and tell me to check my email to see this old pic of my dad. Right before she messaged me I was trying to think if I even had a photo of my dad online that I could include in the post…and I don’t**. So this is perfect!

Internet, meet my dad Jeffry Brody, better known as just Brody (far right, in the Panama shirt):

In this photo he’s 22 years old. The guy on the far left was his best man. They are all camping out at the Daytona 500 (you guys knew I was born and raised in the South right?!)…and my mom likes to point out this was B.C. (before children). My dad is a photographer, and he’s the one that first handed me his old camera and told me to “shoot what I see that I love” and I still hold those words to be the most valuable lesson for me in photography. My dad is also the man who didn’t get mad when we realized we misspelled his name (Jeffery) on our invites…in fact, he laughed about it and gave me a big hug and told me that’s not what is important. He’s always been supportive, understanding, kind, gentle, and loving. And while we didn’t have a first dance together at the wedding* I’ll always remember when I was little and being able to stand on top of his feet as he held my hands and we’d dance around the living room. Happy early Father’s Day, dear daddy!

So if you are looking for tune ideas for YOUR father/daughter first dance, hop on over to visit the lovely Bird’s post! She found such moving photos that flow right along with the songs. I am thrilled she asked me to be a part of such an awesome post idea! Thanks darling Bird!

*No dancing at my own wedding?! Shock, gasp, and all that! There’s a few reasons actually. We had a morning (10am!) ceremony with an afternoon lunch…not really an all night dance party or anything. Also, there was such an odd mix between family and friends that I’m not sure how well dancing would have gone over anyway. Andy, my dear darling husband, doesn’t really care for dancing…or at least not making it a focal point. The playlist we compiled was perfect for drinking afternoon mimosas and catching up with family and friends from all over. Plus, there was no area to even dance at the venue – it was a very intimate place.

**Edited to add: ok so apparently I wasn’t thinking earlier…cause there’s totally a shot of my dad walking me down the stairs/aisle at our wedding! After he called to thank me about this post, he said he felt like that walk down the 20 feet stone steps (with his broken toe!) was like a first dance in his mind. So with that sweet thought in mind, here’s a picture of us right at the bottom of the said stone steps!

When the miles kept them apart, the music kept them together. This sweet couple, Caleb and Jes, shared some of their most intimate songs with the guests of their wedding. Luckily, I get to share them with you all as well! These two truly poured themselves into the details of their day and everything came out so beautifully…and the proof shines through these beautiful images.

Also…totally digging the fact Caleb walked down the aisle to Thom Yorke.

Jes gives us a little back story and the sweet details behind the wedding favors:

For the first six months of Caleb and I’s relationship, he lived in Nashville, TN and I lived in Philly. Even though we flew to see each other an absurd amount, the weeks we weren’t together were pretty rough. Since Caleb designs a lot of things for the Web (and has very good taste in music), he would design website playlists. They would have songs that he was recently listening to, maybe even a picture or a note. These songs would always be on my iPod — they kept me company while we were apart.

Fast forward a year: We were not even sure we wanted to do a wedding favor since so many of them are lame and just suck money from the budget. Then one night we were listening to an old playlist and smiling — each list is pretty connected to a certain time and they always bring back good memories. So we got the idea to make a playlist for our guests of the music in our wedding. Of course the music in the wedding was a huge mix of songs that included all of the six playlists Caleb had made for me. The last song on the list is the song “Special” by Mew. It’s the ringtone we use for each other and the song is really close to our hearts. We didn’t get to use it in the actual ceremony because the syncopation is so awkward (and lovely) but we wanted to make sure it made an appearance.

So the favor became a little paper tag with the playlist address (follow the link to have a listen). It was attached to the program at each place setting. (This is a great alternative if the cd favor is breakin’ the bank…dontcha agree?!)

The Playlist:
Feist and Ben Gibbard – Train Song
Brendan Benson – Good To Me
Mew – Am I Wry? No
Nada Surf – Blizzard of ’77
Royksopp – Happy Up Here
The Beach Boys – The Warmth of the Sun
Johnny Cash – I Feel Better All Over
People Press Play – These Days
Bright Eyes – First Day Of My Life
The Thrills – This Year
Mew – Special

The Ceremony:
Caleb walked in to Thom Yorke “The Eraser”
Jes walked in to Mew “Am I Wry? No” (This was actually awesome because this was the first song Caleb ever had me listen to of theirs and it just brings back all of the feelings of meeting him and those first conversations.)
Recessional to Johnny Cash “I Feel Better All Over”

ooey gooey magical mementos captured by: For You Love Me

*hehe mewsical…did you see what I did there?!

I’m gathering quite the page of kick ass vendors/inspiration sites*. These are people in the industry that not only would you hire for your special day, but you can just as easily sit down with and have a beer (or coffee). And since Hi-Fi is all about the tunes in our lives, we’re gonna get to know what these peeps dig on musically.

If you know me personally (which I have no idea how many people I know read this…) then you know I love cameras. It started as an early infatuation because my dad always had one in his hand. And he planted that seed. Well, the seed has grown into a full fledged camera tree with branches and limbs full of vintage and new cameras. As much as I love still shots, there’s nothing…nothing I tell you…that compares to the simplistic beauty of Super 8. Sure, just about anyone can hold up a cam and get the dreamy looking footage. But it takes talent to see and notice the small moments that happen in life worth capturing. Combine that with the knowledge and appreciation of good music and you have the formula for a true filmographer. Megan of Hello Super 8 is just that person. Formerly a dj/vinyl collector turned Super 8 Movie Magic Maker she creates such wonderful mini movies backed with such a moving soundtrack.

Can you describe your life (so far) in 3-5 songs?
“California Soul” Marlena Shaw or “California” Joni Mitchel
“Everybody Loves the Sunshine” Roy Ayers
“Empire State of Mind” Jay-Z or “Living for the City” Stevie Wonder
“Be Thankful for What You’ve Got” William DeVaughn
“Spread Love” Lenny Fontana

What is your favorite love song?
“Ribbon in the Sky” by Stevie Wonder. This song totally gives me goosebumps every time. This will be my wedding song someday. (I hope you’ll let me feature your wedding, cause I know it will be badass!)

If you could go see anyone perform live who would it be?
Stevie Wonder with Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott on backup, with Prince & Snoop opening (dream line-up). (UM…YES!!!) And yes, Stevie Wonder is my musical god.

What is your preferred format of music?
Vinyl, followed by mp3’s (only because they are lighter and take up less space).

Are you a musician? If so, what do you play? If not, what would you play?
Not anymore, though, I used to play a mean flute in middle school. I have visions of rocking the jazz flute now. Think Will Farrell in “Anchorman”… best “yazz” flute scene in a movie EVER.

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

Click to listen, right click “save as” to download:
Jace Everett – Bad Things

Oh boy…it’s that time again. Perhaps if you follow me on twitter you noticed I gave away the Tuesday Tune already, but that’s ok…it’s a good’un. This twangy tune is a sultry little number that might make it on to the after party bedroom playlist. You guys make those too right?!?! (hint hint that would make such a fun new series! Sheet Songs! or something. so who wants to be the first post?!)

Not sure how many of you are True Blood fans – but hands up fangs out if you are! Or if you’re one of those rolling your eyes right now, that’s totally fine. You should still hit play!

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

Talk about a passion for music! Mariah and Andrew love it all! From a live band – to gospel (times 2!) – to a dj, it seems like every music base was probably covered! How wonderful to see two souls in love and in happy with their favorite music all around them! Add to it being married at a family home in Virgina Beach and that’s the perfect recipe for this elegant and musical affair!

And all of this amazing music recollection came straight from the lovely bride’s mouth email:

Gospel Choir: New Hope Baptist Gospel Choir – Norfolk, VA
(they do not have a website or anything – I found them through our mailman actually and then went to see them at the equivalent to battle of the bands but for gospel choirs. I surprised Andrew and all of our guests with them and they performed three songs – “Oh Happy Day” among them!)

Band: The Gregory Brothers, Brooklyn New York
(they are the group behind auto tune the news on youtube)

DJ: DJ on the Side – Virginia Beach, VA
(our DJ was Tommy – he used to play the club scene in New York and Brooklyn – he was AMAZING)

The last musical group we had at our wedding was actually a group of 15 of our friends that we organized into a choir for the ceremony. They sang “Down to the River to Pray” from the Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack during communion and a gospel song – “He’s Allowed Us To Come Together One More Time” during the recessional after the pastor pronounced us husband and wife and we walked back up the aisle. You can go here to see the youtube video of the choir performing these at our wedding – it was one of my favorite parts of the whole day!

Here’s how it broke down:

1. Our “friend choir” were first up – performing during the ceremony
2. The Gregory Brothers performed at the cocktail hour during the reception – jazz standards
3. Gospel Choir surprise performance at reception
4. DJ played music during dinner
5. Gregory Brothers played another 30-40 minute set after dinner – more up beat dance music
6. DJ played dance music for the rest of the night

And finally the song lists… I’m afraid this is just a taste of what we listened/danced to:

Gregory Brothers / Cocktail Hour
Someone to Watch Over Me
Kiss to Build a Dream On
Only You
Moon Dance
My Girl
Baby I Love You
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
Ain’t No Sunshine
Crazy
Same Old Song
Stand By Me
Beautiful Girls
I’ve Never Been in Love Before
Sugar in My Bowl
Bring it on Home

DJ / Dance Party
Lady Gaga – Just Dance
Rihanna – Please Don’t Stop the Music
Gold Digger – Kanye West
Beyonce – All the Single Ladies
Nelly Furtado – Promiscuous Girl
Rihanna – Live Your Life
Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
The Notorious B.I.G. – Mo Money Mo Problems
KC & The Sunshine Band – Boogie Shoes
Donna Summer – Last Dance
Outcast – Hey Ya
The Manhattans – Shining Star
Justin Timberlake – Rock Your Body

First Dance: Bob Marley – Redemption Song
Father/Daughter Dance: The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
Mother/Son Dance: Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World

Lovely and romantic images by: Stephen DeVries

We all love a good mix…especially one that has meaning! I don’t require my Guest Mix Posts to be love songs, but it’s super sweet to know that this mix was made by husband to wife.

Junia Isabel is no stranger to Hi-Fi Weddings and now I’m happy to also have a mix made by her hubby, Andres! Now that you’ve gotten to know them both a bit better through music, it will be super exciting to unveil their wedding to you once the last of the details are put in place!

photos by: Liza Galvan
design by: Andres Montano

What happens when you combine a super cute and talented singer with a striking, handsome photog man? Pure bliss and an exciting wedding to boot! The two love birds were wed at Union Hill Inn in Sonora, California with the fabulous One Love Photo in tow to capture the whole shebang! Erin and Jeremy are probably delighted to be sharing their wedding again (100 Layer Cake and I are on the same brainwave!), and I certainly thank them for expanding on the music details…an extra little insight to such a ethereal and magical day!

Erin shares: I am in a little folk band called Ivory Owl. Josh, bandmate played in our ceremony as I walked down the aisle. He played the hidden track on our album called “The privilege” which is a song he wrote about being my friend and watching me grow up. He also sang our first dance with the band – a cover of at last by Etta James (my fave).

At our reception our friends Jaymes Reunion played. They were AMAZING!! They played covers of stevie wonder and justin timberlake.