This was our first weekend in 2014 where we performed at outdoor wedding ceremonies, and the weather could not have been better! Many guests at the ceremony echoed this, and the officiant even mentioned this at the start of the ceremony. Lauren and Abim’s wedding was really wonderful, and interesting as well, as it combined very interesting Thai tradition that I’ll get to in a moment. For the music the couple requested upbeat pop songs for the prelude and we performed a number of selections including Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. During the ceremony they requested Here comes the sun for the maid of honor and the bride, Henry Mancini’s Moon River, and Brian Williams’ God only knows for the recessional. These songs worked exceptionally well. In the middle of the ceremony, the couple who met in Thailand, added two Thai elements to their ceremony involving both bracelets and a conch shell with holy water (extracted from the wedding program):

Rod Nam Ceremony: In traditional Thai weddings, an elder will take a conch shell filled with blessed water and pour it over the hands of the bride and groom to bestow luck and good fortune upon them. The ceremony is called Rod Nam Sang as ‘rod nam’ means soak with water and ‘sang’ means shell.

Sai Sin Ceremony: In traditional Thai ceremonies, relatives tie blessed string bracelets on the wrists of the bride and groom wishing them luck. These bracelets are to be kept on for at least three days.

Both of these were interesting to watch and learn about, and I can see these traditions being used in weddings in the future.

As the guests crossed over the bride following the ceremony, we were escorted into the 1812 room of the Ancaster Mill where the cocktail reception was supposed to take place. As the weather was so nice, all of the guests were on the outdoor patio, so we decided to setup there and perform for the cocktail hour. We received many compliments, and the bride and groom really appreciated the music we performed. What a beautiful day!

Officiant: Al Harder, Kettle Creek Weddings

Photographer: Old Mill Studios

Hamilton/Burlington wedding ceremony music: Duo d’Amore-violin and cello duos, string trios and string quartets