Lisa's Flute Blog: Wedding Music News

It’s been a busy wedding season so far! I’m hoping to put up blog entries from recent weddings when I receive pictures from photographers from the June weddings, but in the meantime, here’s a picture I took before Erin and Michael’s wedding last Friday of the lovely Trinity Episcopal Church in Shelburne.

I’ll be catching up on some 2010 weddings as well – sharing wedding details, music choices, and hopefully some pictures as well if possible! In the meantime, you can click here to check out pictures, thoughts, wedding music choices, and more, from some other weddings from recent years.

Patricia and James were married at the Mountain Top Inn in Chittenden, Vermont, on October 22, 2010. I’ve been so looking forward to these pictures! One of the most wonderful things about my work is to be able to be a part of so many forms of celebration, so many family traditions. Patricia and James’ wedding ceremony itself was a traditional North American wedding. But preceding the wedding was another tradition – a Chinese tea ceremony – with other Chinese traditions woven into the day. It was such a joy to be present in this celebration. Patricia and James chose Greg Trulson as their officiant.

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Patricia and James chose a duo of flute with violin for their wedding. I played this wedding with violinist Jen Flaster. Jen and I have played together as members of the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, and Jen also plays with the Eleva Chamber Players, among numerous other ensembles.

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Patricia and James’ choices in music were quite traditional:

Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring for the Mothers, Pachelbel’s Canon in D for the bridesmaids, ring bearers and flower girl, Wagner’s Bridal Chorus for the Bride, Simple Gifts for the signing of the marriage certificate, and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March for the recessional.

For the prelude, they requested Vivaldi’s Spring and Air from Handel’s Water Music, Sheep May Safely Graze, as well as a general interest in keeping it light and cheery.

The Mountain Top Inn has numerous possible ceremony locations. Patricia and James had hoped for an outdoor wedding, but cold temperatures along with potential for rain in the forecast led them to have the ceremony indoors. With a small group of guests this sweet lodge made a perfect ceremony location – open and airy – and with the windows it almost felt like an outdoor wedding.

And as you can see below, as so often happens on wedding days, the rain did not come to mar the day in the least – a simply beautiful, though chilly, autumn day, with some fall foliage still gracing the day.

These pictures are courtesy of Patricia and James and family.

Photographers include: Paul Ng, Mindy Lau and John O’Leary. Many thanks!

I’m very excited to have received these pictures of Dory and Kate’s June wedding! My friend, violinist Liz Reid, and I were comparing thoughts recently, comparing teary and particularly memorable sentimental moments at this season’s weddings, and Kate and Dory’s was definitely one of those highlight memories for both of us.

“What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent memories which cannot be spoken?” Mary Ann Evans, read at the ceremony by Lea Wood

In the picture above, Reeve Lindbergh reads a passage from “Gift From the Sea” written by her mother,  Anne Morrow Lindbergh. “…When each partner loves so completely that she has forgotten to ask herself whether or not she is loved in return; when she only knows that she loves and is moving to its music-then, and then only, are two people able to dance perfectly in tune to the same rhythm.”

Other reading were given from the Bible – the King James version according to Kate’s traditionalist preferences.

Kate and Dory chose flute/violin duo for their ceremony and reception. Above is my friend and duo partner Elizabeth Reid, pictured above. Dory and Kate chose for us to play classical selections for the prelude. They selected Bach’s “Sheep May Safely Graze” for their processional. In the middle of the ceremony, just after the second reading above from “Gift of the Sea”, they selected “Simple Gifts” – that was the point Liz most remembers getting teary-eyed. As a flutist, I’ve had to learn to make sure the faucet’s off at such moments!

There was a bit of discussion between Kate and Dory, in the pre-wedding planning stages, about the recessional choice. They compromised with a brief bit of Handel’s “Rejouissance” from the Fireworks Suite, according to Dory’s preference, followed immediately with “Get Happy” by Judy Garland.

As you can see, the wedding took place in a beautiful old barn – hosted by their very gracious neighbors. A light rain that morning had moved their plans indoors, though, as so often happens, the rain had stopped before the ceremony began. In honor of their British neighbor, Kate and Dory requested that I play a special selection to honor and thank the Wilson’s for their gracious sharing – the tune was “Jockey to the Fair” – which had been played at their own wedding in England many years before.

For the remainder of the reception, they chose for us to play 1 1/2 hours of music, including a mix of  Broadway show tunes, Sinatra, Beatles and Celtic. Particularly special requests included: “Gonna wash that man right outa my hair,” “Till there was you,” “To Life,” “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “My Way,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “A Fine Romance,” and “As Time Goes By.”

Kate and Dory have a lovely woodworking business, and designed for their cake a special stand – with branches to hold different levels of their cake. It was a great solution for a beautiful display of a home-made cake without the hastle of worrying how to support it! They create lovely boxes and trays in the Shaker tradition – you can contact them at swallowtailww@msn.com.

Another item of note: Some of the above pictures were taken by Dory’s brother, Richard Brown. Yes – actually that is the same Richard Brown noted for his nature photography! My husband and I have been fans of his work since the year we were married. We had a calendar of his photographs on our wall that year, and gave his book “Views from the Kingdom” to our families as Christmas presents that year. Most of his work is with pre-digital cameras and is truly phenomenal – he’s considered one of America’s foremost photographers of rural life, gardens, and the New England landscape. Do check out his web site!

Tricia and Dario had a crystilline fall day for their ceremony. Though the day was quite chilly, spirits and fall colors lent fire and warmth that burned through the cold.

These fabulous pictures are courtesy of Katrin Mooney of Kingdom Wedding Photography. You can see more pictures of Trish and Dario’s day at Katrin’s blog, as well as many other beautiful wedding pictures.

The wedding took place at the luxurious Killington Grand Resort Hotel.

Trish and Dario chose flute with violin for their ceremony and cocktail hour music. My friend Elizabeth Reid joined me again for this one.

Ceremony repertoire choices included the traditional English hymn “Allelujah” toward the end of the prelude. Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” was the processional for the bridesmaids, ring bearers and flower girl. Trish loved Pachelbel’s “Canon” and chose it for her processional. Since she wanted to hear more of the piece than is often heard at weddings, and to allow it to reach it’s high point by the time she reached the altar, Trish made special arrangements with the wedding planner to time the processional so that her entrance was delayed for a bit after the music started and before she began. She arrived at the altar – pictured above - just when the music was completing it’s climax – one of those best layed plans that worked beautifully! During the ceremony, Trish and Dario chose the song ”The Rose” for a moment of meditation -  a piece I had recently arranged specifically for our combination of instruments. Their recessional was Clarke’s “Trumpet Voluntary” – sometimes known as the “Prince Of Denmark’s March.”

 I love this picture above – the leaves, the flowers, the dress, and the beatiful bride!

And the cake to match!

As you can see, no shortage of warmth here! Cocktail hour moved indoors by a blazing fire. Cozy, large but intimate, and amazingly great acoustics for the music!

Abby and Justin had one of those picture perfect summer days in one of those picture perfect Vermont locations. Tourterelle has a strong reputation for fine dining in the French Country style, and on top of that, their views, at the crest of the hill in New Haven, Vermont, just can’t be beat. Dona Davis just sent me the link to the pictures and, as you can see, between Dona’s great photography skills, the views, and Abby’s amazing smile that just radiated through every picture, my greatest challenge in putting together this blog entry was narrowing the choices of which pictures to use! I could have easily filled many pages and spent the whole day uploading pictures! It’s also well worth checking out Dona’s beautiful web site and blog at www.donadavis.com.

Abby and Justin chose solo flute for their wedding and cocktail hour music. It has been a summer of primarily less traditional music choices at the weddings I’ve played, with little bits of traditional wedding music peppered in here and there. Abby and Justin’s repertoire choices are a perfect example. After numerous communications and YouTube exchanges, Abby and Justin chose the more traditional Pachelbel’s Canon in D for the processional of the wedding party, and The Lover’s Waltz by Jay Unger for Abby’s processional.

There’s nothing like the face of an enraptured groom. Sigh…

 For their recessional, Justin and Abby selected the Gigue from Bach’s Orchestral Suite in D.

 OK, can we go play now? 

I just received these beautiful pictures of Heidi and Brian’s July 10 wedding at the Red Clover Inn in Mendon from photographer Don Landwehrle. In addition to wedding photography, Don also does some beautiful nature photography, with work currently on display at the Robert Paul Gallery. You can also check his web site here or the blog he shares with his wife, Karen (also linked above).

The week prior to Heidi and Brian’s wedding was the hottest of summer weeks, with temperatures in the 90s every day. So the rain that fell with the incoming cold front that morning was very welcome relief from the heat. As we approached the ceremony time, the very light sprinkles were intermitent and decreasing, leaving only a lightness and coolness in the air before the ceremony, with rain completely stopped for the duration (it’s really uncanny how often that happens at weddings…).

One of the highlights of the ceremony was Heidi’s mom’s reading of “I Like You” by Sandol Stoddard. As she explained before the reading, Heidi had gone back and forth about the choice of reading, considering Shakespeare and Mark Twain, among others. She happened upon this story on the internet and when she mentioned it to her mom, she said “Oh I think I have that book.” I had a brief chat with Heidi’s mom after the ceremony and got a fuller story. She had apparently given the book to her own husband just a few months before they were married – she showed me the inscription inside the book she had written to her husband – Heidi’s dad – many years ago. Heidi had no prior knowledge of the book, but coincedently happened upon it, via the internet, and decided she liked it.

I love these stories – it’s one of the greatest things about playing at weddings!

 Heidi and Brian chose “Turidae” flute/violin duo, with my daughter Mariah on violin, for their ceremony and cocktail hour. There were many emails exchanged back and forth to decide on which duo and on specific musical selections.

Heidi had played oboe in high school, and had fond memories of playing the Allegro from Bach’s  ”Brandenburg Concerto #2″, which she chose for her recessional. She really wanted to go a non-traditional route in other music choices as well. After exchanging many emails and YouTube videos, Heidi selected Bach’s “Trio Sonata in G” originally for 2 flutes and harpsichord for the wedding party processional, and Brahms’ “St. Anthony Chorale” for her processional. They also had a special moment during the wedding – a tree watering ceremony, where both Heidi and Brian watered their new tree from two pitchers. During the tree watering, they requested Loeillet’s “Adagio” from Sonata No. 1.

Before the ceremony, Heidi let me in on the secret that she and Brian had been taking dance lessons, unknown to any of their guests. When cocktail hour ended, and the DJ took over with the microphone and the music, one of the first events was Heidi and Brian’s first dance – a merengue – pictured below.

Peter and Silvia’s wedding earlier this month was a testimony to the elegance of simplicity.  They held their ceremony in the shade of two beautiful oak trees at the Three Stallion Inn in Randolph. These beautiful pictures are courtesy of Melissa Reid Photography . (Do check out her blog and web site - so many beautiful pictures!). 

Silvia and Peter chose solo flute for their ceremony. Silvia’s processional was “Sheep May Safely Graze” by J.S. Bach.  For prelude music they chose classical selections.

This wedding represented a beautiful blending of two cultures – Silvia’s Peruvian family with Peter’s American. Silvia read her vows in Spanish, with Peter reading his in English.

I had the pleasure of knowing Peter’s parents from several years back, which made this wedding a particular pleasure. Seeing so many similarities between father and son, even during this relatively brief time, was for me a particular tribute to the joys of life and love and the blending of families. The invitaion to join a family in such moments is truly a great joy and highlight of my life!

There was some discussion beforehand about both the processional and recessional – traditional vs. non-traditional, and traditional options from Silvia’s home of Peru. In the end they chose the traditional Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” as their recessional.

If you’d like to see a few of Silvia and Peter’s pre-wedding pictures, check out my August 9 entry titled “Three Stallion Inn.”

This afternoon, Gerald and Robert had one of those picture perfect, ideal temperature days, in the most idyllic spot I can imagine – the Meadow at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe. They chose cello with flute for their ceremony music. Above we’re pictured together after the ceremony – a rare occasion to be photographed with the wedding couple! I worked with fellow VAWP member Indigo Ruth-Davis for this wedding – not our first together and hopefully one of many to come! You can reach Indigo’s MySpace site by clicking here.

Gerald and Robert chose “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables as their processional. For the end of the ceremony, they chose “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Classisical selections rounded out the Prelude and Postlude music.

Gerald and Robert’s ceremony was rich with symbolism. Their four rings were of different varieties of gold – yellow gold symbolized Gerald’s Filipino heritage, and was worn by Robert. White gold symbolized Robert’s caucasian heritage, worn by Gerald. Each of their mother’s brought forward a jar of sand, and Robert and Gerald mixed the two kinds of sand during the ceremony to symbolize the inseparable mixing of their lives and families. There were also symbols for numerous family members not able to be present, including Gerald’s father who had passed away, as well as numerous dogs and grand-dogs who were unable to travel with them. Each had a special family member or long-time friend speak of their past lives and their journey toward sharing a life together. Few eyes remained dry for this ceremony!

And here’s the site prior to the wedding. Breathtaking! What a blessing to live in Vermont.

It’s really fantastic to open my email and find pictures from past weddings! Here are a couple of pictures from Olivia and Andrew’s wedding this past March at “The Essex.” The picture above is courtesy of Olivia’s aunt, Madora Hebert. The one below is courtesy of Olivia’s uncle, Tom Lavoie, who can be contacted for wedding photography at: docentediottoni@gmail.com.  

Olivia and Andrew chose “East Hill Winds” flute/oboe duo for their ceremony. Olivia has fond memories of sitting in on her Mom’s woodwind quintet rehearsals when she was little, and has always been drawn to the reed sound – her Mom plays clarinet. The ceremony was in a lovely building with an elegant staircase, from which the wedding party descended. Olivia chose to have Amazing Graze toward the end of the prelude music, followed by “Ode to Joy” as the processional for the wedding party – starting with her Mom, then the bridesmaids, two flower girls, and one ring bearer. The flower girls were a little hesitant about the descent down the stairs – must have been quite the view from up there walking toward all those people who were watching! But with a little encouragement they made it down to the wedding site just fine. Olivia chose Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” for her processional. There was a beautiful candle lighting moment in the middle of the ceremony, accompanied by “Simple Gifts.” Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” ushered them up the aisle for their recessional.

After the ceremony we had a lovely opportunity to chat with Olivia and her Mom, Judy. Turns out that Judy and Sandra shared many mutual acquaintances from their previous years of ensemble playing, so it was one of those chats that makes you realize that it’s a very small, friendly and cozy Vermont world out there.