Lindsey & Nathanael

Lindsey and Nathanael got married on a Thursday, September 10th, 2020, at Twenty Mile House in Graeagle, with the ceremony out under the tall pines. We planned it over a Zoom call in August, and in the last week before the wedding Lindsey and I traded emails to lock in every song and every moment.

Lindsey asked for piano covers of love songs while guests found their seats, so from 4:16 I played The Piano Guys, from Bless the Broken Road by The Piano Guys and All of Me by The Piano Guys to Can't Help Falling in Love by The Piano Guys and Charlie Brown Medley by The Piano Guys. The wedding party walked in at 4:49 to Butterfly Waltz by Brian Crain, and Lindsey came down the aisle at 4:52 to Epiphany by The Piano Guys, their piano cover of the BTS song.

At 5:08 they walked back up the aisle as husband and wife to This Will Be by Natalie Cole. Lindsey wanted upbeat songs for the family photos at the ceremony site, like Smile by Katy Perry, so that is what played while everyone lined up.

Cocktail hour was all their picks: Never Let You Go by Jakaranda from The Parent Trap, Groovin' by Pato Banton, The Happy Club by Bob Geldof and I Want You Back by The Jackson 5, mixed in with Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin, Uptown by Prince and Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond.

Their first dance at 6:46 was End of the World by Dirty Heads. Before it started I told everyone the story Lindsey sent me, that this is the song Lindsey fell in love with Nathanael to, while he sang it to her. She asked for a shorter version with exact start and end points, so I made the edit for them and sent it over the day before the wedding.

Dinner had the oldies Lindsey asked for, Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye, Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations, Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson, I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) by Four Tops and On My Way by Phil Collins, plus some country love songs like Born to Love You by LANCO and In Case You Didn't Know by Brett Young. They cut the cake at 7:52 to L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole.

At 8:29 Lindsey danced with her dad to Forever Young by Rod Stewart, and Nathanael danced with his mom to Then and Now, a song Lindsey sent me as a YouTube link because she could not find who sang it. I faded both out where she asked.

Next came the anniversary dance to Then by Brad Paisley, and right after it, just like Lindsey planned, Cupid Shuffle by Cupid pulled everyone onto the floor. From there it was one request after another: Cha Cha Slide by DJ Casper (the original, as she asked), Yeah! by Usher, Get Low by Lil Jon, September by Earth, Wind & Fire, Dancing Queen by ABBA and Footloose by Kenny Loggins.

Lindsey asked me to play only about a minute of Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex, so it went straight into Single Ladies by Beyoncé for the bouquet toss at 9:24 and Brick House by Commodores for the garter. I took the photo below a little after 9:20, with Lindsey out on the dance floor in front of the brick house.

The rest of the night kept the floor full with Hips Don't Lie by Shakira, Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus, Hey Ya! by OutKast, Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show and Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners. Near the end came Don't Stop Me Now by Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, and at 10:42 the night closed with their last dance, Last Dance by Donna Summer.

Thank you, Lindsey and Nathanael, for trusting me with your music.