Getting married is kind of a big deal. Picking a song for that first dance just might be the biggest deal of the aforementioned big deal. At least it is for the groom who probably has at least some interest in this decision unlike, say, flowers or dresses. Choosing that perfect song that captures the essence of your relationship can be a stressful task. Avoiding obnoxiously sappy cliché songs can be damn near impossible. You’ve all heard the offending songs, I needn’t list them here. Undoubtedly some of you chose them for your own weddings. It’s okay, hang your head in deserved shame.
The choice for my wife and I was thankfully rather painless. We had not lived a proverbial fairy tale romance by any stretch. We were not highschool sweethearts or love-at-first-site whirlwind lovers so we didn’t have a particular song or even band that had played a meaningful part in the initiation of our relationship. Nor were we sentimental country bumpkins or edgy punkers or any other number of readily identifiable groups with appropriate go-to love songs to pick from.
Luckily, I had discovered a perfect song a few years before we’d even met that I felt was the perfect love song and exactly what was needed for our epic first dance. You know, once it had been established in no uncertain terms that “Down by the River” by Neil Young and Crazy Horse was not going to happen.
I can’t honestly remember how I discovered this artist. I don’t even recall which song inspired me to buy the CD. But with the exception of an unfortunately religious spoken statement at the end of the song (which I gracefully edited out of the version played at our wedding) I think this is a very beautiful love song. I’m thrilled my bride agreed and thus we ended up with a perfectly apt and perfectly unique first dance song at our wedding.
In loving honour of my bride as we approach our 12th wedding anniversary, I’m kicking off the weekend with our wedding song. From Melanie Doane’s 1996 debut album Shakespearean Fish, this is the stunningly romantic “Never Doubt I Love”. I still get chills when listening to the song.
Studio Version:
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