Love at The Ranch: Special Dances

After toasts and feeding each other cherry pie, after everyone had exhausted the photo booth and enjoyed some ribs and cornbread, it was time for the first dance. Our band, Elephant Revival, took the stage (they'd learned Neil Young's Harvest Moon for us). If you remember, our wedding coincidentally fell on the night of the Harvest Moon which we didn't figure out until after we'd picked our song.

Press play to listen while we dance.

Our band played it beautifully.

We didn't practice but Mr. CB was spinning me so naturally--I think I was floating on pure bliss.

We were singing softly to each other.

Photo by Amanda Wilson

Three quarters of the way through, Mr. CB decided to invite everyone up to join in our first dance. It was totally unexpected but so sweet.

Many couples joined us and I wondered if the ones who were married were remembering their first dances.

After our first dance, my dad and I took to the stage. My dad and I decided on our song too late in the game to have the band learn it, so we switched to the iPod for a short, sweet dance to Amos Lee's Apple of my Eye (just like the lovely Mrs. Powder Puff).

How did we get here?

• Mr. CB and I road-tripped it
• A peaceful morning
• A rowdy bachelorette party
• Two days before, we fought
• We made up.
• Mr. CB recuperated while I hiked with friends
• Our rehearsal dinner
• The girls got ready
• The guys got ready
• Our First Look
• Budget Breakdown: Bouquets and Bouts
• Potraits of the bride and groom
• Our wedding party
• We all lined up
• The wedding party walked
• Papa CB walked me down the aisle
• Our ceremony begins: a song from Grandma Cowboy Boot
• And ended with a kiss
• Some family portraits
• The Details
• Our centerpiece budget.
• Our photo booth!
• After toasts, we fed each other pie
• Our pie bar and reception signage.

**All images above by the ridiculously talented and awesome Tec Petaja, unless otherwise noted. Head to his blog for some serious eye candy.**

Love at The Ranch: Teaser!!

In four hours, we leave for New Zealand for our honeymoon. In the meantime, I thought I might leave you a couple of pictures from our beautiful, harmonious wedding. These are from friends (not pro pics) but they make me giggle with glee nonetheless.

The day began clear and blue but clouded up by noon. With howling winds and chilling temps, we trudged into the field for outdoor pictures anyway. Thanks b-maids and groomsmen!

Our band Elephant Revival played Neil Young's Harvest Moon so beautifully. The moon hid behind the clouds until later in the evening. When it finally peeked out, Tec was able to shoot us with it. Can't wait to see his pictures!

The day went off without a hitch. We had our ceremony inside a mostly-glass barn because the weather got chilly and as soon as it ended, rain started dotting the window panes.

I can't wait to share all of the recaps with you once we get our pro pics and as soon as we get back from New Zealand. The love that surrounded us on Sunday felt so organic. I wish I could replay the whole night.

Playlists, Playlists

While we've hired a bluegrass band to play for three hours of our reception (more on that soon) and we also have a friend who's going to strum his guitar during our cocktail hour, there are a few interim hours during which we'll need to keep our guests musically entertained. For instance, if our friend gets tired, we'll need a cocktail hour playlist. We need a dinner playlist, a playlist for when the brand takes their 10-minute breaks, and some dance music for post-band antics.

I've also padded either end of our playlists with more music than we need just in case our ceremony is shorter than we think or some other party-foul occurs.

Here's what we've come up with so far:

Cocktail Hour (1.5 hours of music)

Little Red Corvette - Mike Zito (3:53)

Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol (4:07)

Resurrection Fern - Iron & Wine (4:50)

Over the Rainbow - Brotha Iz (3:38)

Jackson - Johnny Cash and June Carter (2:46)

Such Great Heights - Postal Service (4:29)

Chocolate - Snow Patrol (3:43)

Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson (3:06)

Call Me Papa - Donavon Frankenreiter (3:45)

Ocean Breathes Salty - Modest Mouse (3:55)

You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder (2:57)

Good to Be In Love - Frou Frou (3:33)

Stickshifts and Safety Belts - Cake (2:08)

Simple Man - Lynard Skynard (5:58)

Strawberry Swing - Coldplay (4:15)

Total Time: 57:03

Dinner (2 hours of music)

At Last - Etta James (2:53)

Come Away With Me - Norah Jones (3:20)

Tamacun - Rodrigo y Gabriela (3:23)

Danke Schoen - Wayne Newton (2:34)

First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes (3:02)

Volare - Gypsy Kings (3:39)

Brown-Eyed Girl - Van Morrison (3:03)

Turn Me On - Norah Jones (2:36)

Georgia on my Mind - Ray Charles (4:41)

Pink Moon - Nick Drake (1:59)

Green Eyes - Coldplay (3:48)

Hearbeats - Jose Gonzalez (2:48)

Homeward Bound - Greensky Bluegrass (5:09)

Something Good This Way Comes - Jakob Dylan (3:37)

Love of My Life - Carlos Santana and Dave Matthews (6:29)

Total: 53:01

Band Breaks (45 minutes of music)

Lucky One - Alison Krauss (3:06)

More Love - Dixie Chicks (5:04)

You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon (4:34)

Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root (4:04)

Wildflower - Kasey Chambers (4:08)

House That Never Was - Kasey Chambers (4:00)

Reverend - Greensky Bluegrass (5:01)

Old Barns - Greensky Bluegrass (4:29)

Fork In The Road - Infamous Stringdusters (3:52)

When You Feel It - Brett Dennen

Total: 38:42

Dance Party (1.5 minutes of music)

You Are The Best Thing - Ray Lamontagne (3:30)

City of Angels - Ozomatli (3:16)

Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield (2:25)

99 Luftballoons - Nena (4:06)

Crazy - Gnarls Barkley (3:03)

Just Like Music - Eric Sermon (4:20)

The Seed (2.0) - The Roots (4:21)

Gold Digger - Kanye West (3:46)

I Want You Back - Jackson 5 (2:55)

Ghetto Superstar - Mya and Ol' Dirty Bastard (4:11)

Can't Help Falling in Love With You - Elvis Presley (1:56)

Maggie May - Rod Stewart (5:47)

Kids - MGMT (4:35)

Poker Face - Lady Gaga (3:52)

Say My Name - Destiny's Child (4:03)

Breath - Blu Cantrell (3:47)

Crazy in Love - Beyonce Knowles (3:55)

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Total: 1:03:42

As you can see, I'm short on music in quite a few places. Our cocktail hour is quite the smattering of music right now and could use a little pick-me-up if you ask me. What type of music do you think should be played at a cocktail hour? Song requests?

Dinner feels pretty smooth, but we could use a few more oldies but goodies.

While the band takes breaks, I'd like to keep the music in the bluegrass/country genre just so we don't go from a bluegrass band to Jay-Z. Any suggestions for easy-listening, maybe some dancing country or bluegrass?

Our dance party could also use some stellar tunes. What makes you move?

Sappy Love Songs

Yep. That was the name of a mix CD I came across while house-sitting recently. Sappy Love Songs. Mr. Cowboy Boot and I were cooking dinner at this gorgeous house when I was sifting through the house-owner's CD collection. Since we haven't decided on any of our song choices yet for the wedding I thought, perfect, let's give it a whirl and possibly, find a first dance song. Maybe we'll be inspired? Or maybe we'll hear something unexpected that will fit in perfectly? 

(source)

We love music and are thinking we'd like to hire a bluegrass band to play the wedding. Some of these songs would sound so awesome bluegrass-style. We're both really drawn to the Pink Floyd song Wish You Were Here but there's something so sad about the line "We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl." 

We have a lot to plan out: ceremony songs, what to play during our cocktail hour, our first dance, any other important moments. Whew--it's a bit overwhelming. So, hive, I share Sappy Love Song's playlist with you with our first dance in mind. Let me know what you think! 

1. Jackson by Johnny Cash and June Carter

2. She is My Everything by John Prine

3. Tell Her This by Del Amitri

4. Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

5. Quiet Town by Josh Rouse

6. Love and Some Verses by Iron & Wine

7. Looking for Nothing by Aimee Mann

8. I'm the Man Who Loves You by Wilco

9. Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg

10. Strawberry Swing by Coldplay

11. Something Good This Way Comes by Jakob Dylan

12. Falling at Your Feet by U2 & Daniel Lanois

13. Naked as We Come by Iron & Wine

Our favorites? The Coldplay and Jakob Dylan songs. I also love Resurrection Fern by Iron & Wine, but I'm not sure the lyrics make much sense for a first dance (or make much sense at all for that matter): "In our days we will live like our ghosts will live." It just sounds so somber. 

What song are you planning for your first dance? Any ideas for us based on the above?