Wedding CD: About White Ink
Since 2010, I’ve been making mix CDs of some of my favourite music for my families for Christmas. This series is called “Ink”. I change the colour of the ink I use to write the CD booklet, depending on the intended recipient. For example, my brother, Roland, gets Purple Ink every year, because his favourite colour is Purple. My father gets Blue Ink, and my mother gets Green Ink. When Sarah started dating with me, I decided to get her the same gift for Christmas. However, her favourite colour was blue, and I couldn’t give her the same mix as my Father, so instead, I gave her a mix called Invisible Ink.
We decided early on in the stages of planning for our wedding that we’d like to make a mix of some of our favourite music for wedding favours. In practice, white would not be useful as an ink colour, but it is a traditional colour associated with weddings in western culture. So, lengthy preamble aside, thank you so much for sharing our happy day with us. We hope you enjoy our latest mix, White Ink.
Romantic Flight – John Powell
Sarah and I are suckers for good animation, and How to Train Your Dragon is one of the best films we’ve ever seen, animated or otherwise. I could go on and on about the high quality of the animation, or the poignant and touching characters, or how brutally unfair it was that this movie lost the Best Animated Picture Oscar to #&@*ing Toy Story 3. Instead, I want to take a moment to talk about John Powell’s amazing score. The music in this film did such an amazing job of telling a story on its own. This song is from the scene where the film’s main couple, Astrid and Hiccup, go on their first flight together. It is such a simple, sweet melody, and Sarah and I desperately love this scene. Sarah chose it to be her processional music, and a quick listen should leave little confusion as to why.
Something for You – Hannah Georgas
In the past, the University of Calgary Students’ Union hosted free concerts in a tiny hole-in-the-wall venue called That Empty Space. As part of an ongoing effort to become completely irrelevant, the Students’ Union has stopped providing That Empty Space concerts. However, in 2009, That Empty Space hosted the single best concert I have ever attended: Hannah Georgas, opening for Said the Whale. Long story short, Hannah Georgas is my favourite musician. She is musically versatile, lyrically relatable, and her music is catchy as all get out. Sarah is also a fan, and we’re both quite fond of this song, the final track off of 2010’s This is Good. It is inspired by big band crooners like Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Bing Crosby.
The Ghosts That Haunt Me – Crash Test Dummies
This song is the title track off of the Crash Test Dummies criminally underrated debut album. This song showcases only a small fraction of their talents: soulful baritone, playful mandolin, wonderful accordion, and soaring harmonies. This song paints a lyrical picture of a world where our worst fears and self-doubt are personified by the things that go bump in the night. Furthermore, it is a song about finding comfort and peace of mind in a loving partner. It has been one of my all-time favourites for years.
Gabriel’s Oboe – Ennio Morricone, Yo-Yo Ma
This song is from a movie called The Mission, a tragic film about the attempts of Jesuit missionaries to stop the persecution and slavery of South American indigenous peoples. This film is scored by Ennio Morricone, who is best known for his work on the Spaghetti Westerns starring Clint Eastwood. This rendition of the film’s iconic theme, Gabriel’s Oboe, is played by Yo-Yo Ma, possibly the world’s best cellist.
Signal Fire – Snow Patrol
This song is the best thing to come out of Spider-Man 3, and otherwise egregious and poorly made film. If you hadn’t already guessed, I’m a person who loves language, and delights in an oversized vocabulary. While I’m not usually guilty of vanity, I do take immense pride in my use of language. I almost always know exactly how to say what I want in a way that is clear to the listener. Knowing that, you’ll understand just how significant the following statement is: Sarah leaves me completely speechless. The opening line to this song captures this sensation particularly well. “The perfect words never crossed my mind / ‘cause there was nothing in there but you.”
Odds Are – Barenaked Ladies
The Barenaked Ladies are still one of Canada’s best acts. They are best known for their quirky, fun songs, but their repertoire also includes some extraordinarily meaningful, introspective songs as well. This songs falls more on the quirky, fun side of things. A song about how the odds of awful things happening are slim, compared with good things. Not too worry, things are going to (probably) end up alright. This kind of happy outlook is one that Sarah and I try to have on life.
On A Clear Day – Joe Hisaishi
As I’ve already stated, Sarah and I love animated films. Dreamworks, Disney, and Pixar are all very good, but nothing really compares to the quality of Japan’s Studio Ghibli, and its founder Hayao Miyazaki. Almost every film made by this company is so delightful and whimsical, it’s impossible not to be charmed by them. Once again, the music of these films plays a large role in their success. This waltz, from the truly wonderful Kiki’s Delivery Service, was composed by long-time Studio Ghibli collaborator Joe Hisaishi captures the carefree atmosphere of this hallmark of animation excellence.
When Sarah and I were choosing a song for our first dance, we decided we wanted a song that had significance to both of us, and was easy to dance to. We considered many, including Sleeping Beauty’s Once Upon a Dream, and Lost Balloons by Steve Gates. However, one day we were listening to the Soundtrack from Kiki’s Delivery Service, and this song stood out as a clear winner.
Everything Is AWESOME!!! – Tegan and Sara (feat. The Lonely Island)
The Lego movie was extraordinarily fun, as was its iconic theme song, performed by Calgary’s own Tegan and Sara (featuring comedy-rap superstars, The Lonely Island). When Sarah and I started thinking about what kinds of songs we felt represented our relationship, Sarah though for about half a second before saying, “Everything is awesome.” I’m putting this song on the album, not only because I agree with her, but also because I vetoed using it as the recessional. Sorry!
In The Mood – Glenn Miller
This song is, with the possible exception of Sing, Sing, Sing, the best big band song of all time. It has been used countless times in countless places, and it’s a little hard (okay, a lot hard) to not dance when this song comes on. Sarah and I are quite fond of music from the 40s, and we knew that any collection of music showcasing our preferences would be incomplete without this track.
Magpie to the Morning – Neko Case
I don’t remember where I got the album Middle Cyclone by Neko Case. Probably an impulse buy from my local used cd store, or a gift from an acquaintance. Anyway, this album sat in my cd collection for at least a three years before I started listening to it. It’s good. Really good. And this song, Magpie to the Morning is absolutely great. Then again, as anyone who knows me even a little bit is aware of, I am absurdly fond of Magpies. Most people consider magpies annoying thieves or bullies. I still think they’re great, and this song is incredibly relaxing.
Someday Out Of The Blue – Elton John
Have you ever watched Road To El Dorado? If you haven’t, stop whatever you’re doing right now and go watch it. This film is an early effort by Dreamworks animation studios, and it’s about a pair of Spanish con men who plan searching for the legendary city of gold. Not good enough? It has music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, the same musical team behind Disney’s the Lion King. It is crazy fun, and you should go watch it.
Lost Balloons – Steve Gates
This song is possibly one of the prettiest songs I have ever heard. Steve Gates is a country, folk, and blues singer from Halifax, and this song contains such beautiful imagery, poignant lyrics, and the best use of slide guitar I have ever heard. On nights when Sarah can’t sleep, this is the song I sing to her. I could ramble on about it for ages, but I feel like anything I say about it would just detract from it.
We decided early on in the stages of planning for our wedding that we’d like to make a mix of some of our favourite music for wedding favours. In practice, white would not be useful as an ink colour, but it is a traditional colour associated with weddings in western culture. So, lengthy preamble aside, thank you so much for sharing our happy day with us. We hope you enjoy our latest mix, White Ink.
Romantic Flight – John Powell
Sarah and I are suckers for good animation, and How to Train Your Dragon is one of the best films we’ve ever seen, animated or otherwise. I could go on and on about the high quality of the animation, or the poignant and touching characters, or how brutally unfair it was that this movie lost the Best Animated Picture Oscar to #&@*ing Toy Story 3. Instead, I want to take a moment to talk about John Powell’s amazing score. The music in this film did such an amazing job of telling a story on its own. This song is from the scene where the film’s main couple, Astrid and Hiccup, go on their first flight together. It is such a simple, sweet melody, and Sarah and I desperately love this scene. Sarah chose it to be her processional music, and a quick listen should leave little confusion as to why.
Something for You – Hannah Georgas
In the past, the University of Calgary Students’ Union hosted free concerts in a tiny hole-in-the-wall venue called That Empty Space. As part of an ongoing effort to become completely irrelevant, the Students’ Union has stopped providing That Empty Space concerts. However, in 2009, That Empty Space hosted the single best concert I have ever attended: Hannah Georgas, opening for Said the Whale. Long story short, Hannah Georgas is my favourite musician. She is musically versatile, lyrically relatable, and her music is catchy as all get out. Sarah is also a fan, and we’re both quite fond of this song, the final track off of 2010’s This is Good. It is inspired by big band crooners like Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Bing Crosby.
The Ghosts That Haunt Me – Crash Test Dummies
This song is the title track off of the Crash Test Dummies criminally underrated debut album. This song showcases only a small fraction of their talents: soulful baritone, playful mandolin, wonderful accordion, and soaring harmonies. This song paints a lyrical picture of a world where our worst fears and self-doubt are personified by the things that go bump in the night. Furthermore, it is a song about finding comfort and peace of mind in a loving partner. It has been one of my all-time favourites for years.
Gabriel’s Oboe – Ennio Morricone, Yo-Yo Ma
This song is from a movie called The Mission, a tragic film about the attempts of Jesuit missionaries to stop the persecution and slavery of South American indigenous peoples. This film is scored by Ennio Morricone, who is best known for his work on the Spaghetti Westerns starring Clint Eastwood. This rendition of the film’s iconic theme, Gabriel’s Oboe, is played by Yo-Yo Ma, possibly the world’s best cellist.
Signal Fire – Snow Patrol
This song is the best thing to come out of Spider-Man 3, and otherwise egregious and poorly made film. If you hadn’t already guessed, I’m a person who loves language, and delights in an oversized vocabulary. While I’m not usually guilty of vanity, I do take immense pride in my use of language. I almost always know exactly how to say what I want in a way that is clear to the listener. Knowing that, you’ll understand just how significant the following statement is: Sarah leaves me completely speechless. The opening line to this song captures this sensation particularly well. “The perfect words never crossed my mind / ‘cause there was nothing in there but you.”
Odds Are – Barenaked Ladies
The Barenaked Ladies are still one of Canada’s best acts. They are best known for their quirky, fun songs, but their repertoire also includes some extraordinarily meaningful, introspective songs as well. This songs falls more on the quirky, fun side of things. A song about how the odds of awful things happening are slim, compared with good things. Not too worry, things are going to (probably) end up alright. This kind of happy outlook is one that Sarah and I try to have on life.
On A Clear Day – Joe Hisaishi
As I’ve already stated, Sarah and I love animated films. Dreamworks, Disney, and Pixar are all very good, but nothing really compares to the quality of Japan’s Studio Ghibli, and its founder Hayao Miyazaki. Almost every film made by this company is so delightful and whimsical, it’s impossible not to be charmed by them. Once again, the music of these films plays a large role in their success. This waltz, from the truly wonderful Kiki’s Delivery Service, was composed by long-time Studio Ghibli collaborator Joe Hisaishi captures the carefree atmosphere of this hallmark of animation excellence.
When Sarah and I were choosing a song for our first dance, we decided we wanted a song that had significance to both of us, and was easy to dance to. We considered many, including Sleeping Beauty’s Once Upon a Dream, and Lost Balloons by Steve Gates. However, one day we were listening to the Soundtrack from Kiki’s Delivery Service, and this song stood out as a clear winner.
Everything Is AWESOME!!! – Tegan and Sara (feat. The Lonely Island)
The Lego movie was extraordinarily fun, as was its iconic theme song, performed by Calgary’s own Tegan and Sara (featuring comedy-rap superstars, The Lonely Island). When Sarah and I started thinking about what kinds of songs we felt represented our relationship, Sarah though for about half a second before saying, “Everything is awesome.” I’m putting this song on the album, not only because I agree with her, but also because I vetoed using it as the recessional. Sorry!
In The Mood – Glenn Miller
This song is, with the possible exception of Sing, Sing, Sing, the best big band song of all time. It has been used countless times in countless places, and it’s a little hard (okay, a lot hard) to not dance when this song comes on. Sarah and I are quite fond of music from the 40s, and we knew that any collection of music showcasing our preferences would be incomplete without this track.
Magpie to the Morning – Neko Case
I don’t remember where I got the album Middle Cyclone by Neko Case. Probably an impulse buy from my local used cd store, or a gift from an acquaintance. Anyway, this album sat in my cd collection for at least a three years before I started listening to it. It’s good. Really good. And this song, Magpie to the Morning is absolutely great. Then again, as anyone who knows me even a little bit is aware of, I am absurdly fond of Magpies. Most people consider magpies annoying thieves or bullies. I still think they’re great, and this song is incredibly relaxing.
Someday Out Of The Blue – Elton John
Have you ever watched Road To El Dorado? If you haven’t, stop whatever you’re doing right now and go watch it. This film is an early effort by Dreamworks animation studios, and it’s about a pair of Spanish con men who plan searching for the legendary city of gold. Not good enough? It has music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, the same musical team behind Disney’s the Lion King. It is crazy fun, and you should go watch it.
Lost Balloons – Steve Gates
This song is possibly one of the prettiest songs I have ever heard. Steve Gates is a country, folk, and blues singer from Halifax, and this song contains such beautiful imagery, poignant lyrics, and the best use of slide guitar I have ever heard. On nights when Sarah can’t sleep, this is the song I sing to her. I could ramble on about it for ages, but I feel like anything I say about it would just detract from it.
Ceremony Details
Where: Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church
4612 Varsity Dr NW, Calgary, AB When: 11:00am on June 12. What to Wear: The dress is summer semi-formal. (Think sun dresses, skirts and bright colors for the ladies. Simple suits or dress shirts and nice pants for the men). Things to note: Please, no cell-phones, cameras, or social media during the ceremony. |
Reception InformationWhere: The Commons at Baker Park
9333 Scenic Bow Road NW, Calgary, AB When: We're having a dry reception which will start at 1:30 with Lunch around 2:00 The first bit will have games and some photos, for lunch let us know if you have any allergies when you RSVP. What to Wear: Flats are recommended because heels sink into grass. Dress should still be summery - semi formal but if you want to switch into something slightly more casual that's fine. Keep the weather in mind if it's chilly bring a jacket, rainy bring an umbrella etc. If there is a natural disaster the reception will be moved or delayed. |