When it comes to music for their ceremony or cocktail hour, some brides know exactly what they want, and some know exactly what they don’t want. But what happens if she has no idea at all?!

I love getting into the mindset of each new couple I work with, and the wedding of Vanessa and Anthony presented me with a real and exciting challenge. Confessing that she didn’t really know anything about the ‘cello, Vanessa was worried that she might choose the wrong thing. But that’s no problem to me. I know people have hang-ups about choosing a classically trained musician, and I am sure they don’t always believe me when I say I can arrange any piece, but honestly I can! And I absolutely love putting playlists together.

To take the pressure off them and to get started all I needed to know was the kind of music they liked.

Easy – The Beatles, Police, classic rock.

“Classic rock meets ‘cello?” I asked her. “I’ll see what I can do!”

“Absolutely!” she replied, adding, “To be honest anything you play will be exquisite.”

Feeling reassured by such a lovely remark, I set about selecting pieces I felt quietly confident they and their guests would enjoy. Despite not getting Vanessa’s ceremony music choices until the Thursday before the wedding, and then having to learn Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” from scratch in 36 hours, I was calm, and really looking forward to them hearing my set.

It was going to be tough with the heat, thunderstorms forecast and lack of preparation time, but as I rehearsed the processional, I actually gave myself goosebumps, and I knew it was going to be alright. On the day we had downpours, sweltering heat and wind turning over the pages of my music at inappropriate moments, but it could not have gone better.

The highlights:

The big smile Vanessa gave me when she got to the end of the aisle,

Overhearing a guest during the cocktails saying, “You don’t except that from a classical musician,”

When the bride and groom wanted to have their picture taken with me,

Someone exclaiming, “Oh, I love this song,” as the piano intro started for “She’s Always a Woman”

And best of all, when at the end Vanessa gave me a big hug and told me, “You nailed it!”

(I love my job…)

Congratulations to a lovely couple!

Here is what I played for them.

Vanessa & Anthony

Chateau de le Cazine

4^th July 2015

Music Performed by Samantha Bramley (‘cello)

Prelude

Butterfly Waltz – Brian Crain

La Vie En Rose

O Sole Mio – Di Capua

None But The Weary Heart – Tchaikovsky

Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Judy Garland

Moon River – Breakfast at Tiffany’s

When I Fall In Love – Nat King Cole

My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion

Little Things – One Direction

Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton

Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper

Entrance of The Bride and Groom

Photograph – Ed Sheeran

Recessional

Happy – Pharrell Williams

Champagne Reception

Fly Me To The Moon – Frank Sinatra

Penny Lane – The Beatles

Come Away With Me – Norah Jones

If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys

I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing – Aerosmith

Desperado – The Eagles

Blackbird – The Beatles

True Colours – Cyndi Lauper

Let There Be Love – Nat King Cole

Mon Cœur S’Ouvre à Ta Voix – Saint-Saëns

All Of Me – John Legend

Michelle – The Beatles

To Make You Feel My Love – Bob Dylan

She’s Always A Woman – Billy Joel

The Long & Winding Road – The Beatles

Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars

L’Amour est un Oiseau Rebelle – Bizet

Home Again – Carole King

Fields of Gold – Sting

Due Tramonti – Einaudi

Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers

Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran