Help pick our wedding song -- Round 1 (part one)!

Let's get this party started! Remember: you have 1 week from when the poll goes live to vote, but not every poll is going up at the same time, so check in regularly.

Let Love Rule (Video) (Lyrics) is our top seed because it is one of the four songs Chris and I originally started with -- and when we each individually ranked those four songs, this one came up the best. Still, just because it was the best before we came up with 28 other ideas doesn't mean that it necessarily will or should maintain supremacy -- especially since it's the second-longest song on the list.

All I Want Is You (Video) (Lyrics) is a gorgeous song, with a great set of lyrics, but not only is it the longest song on the list at 6 1/2 minutes, it's also reallllly slow.

Between the two, we like Let Love Rule better, it's shorter by about 45 seconds, and its tempo is a bit more danceable. Prediction: Let Love Rule. Tell us why you agree or disagree in the comments below.



Stand By Me (Video) (Lyrics) is short, more-or-less danceable, and lyrically suitable. And it shares a title with an 80s movie about a little kid dying. That's the biggest objection, really, but as good as the song is, it just doesn't jump out and bite me on the face.

Your Song (Video) (Lyrics) is a good one, with... pretty much the same tempo as Stand By Me, thinking about it. It's longer, of course, which is always a factor, plus... the bit about the guy can't even remember what color his beloved's eyes are? I expect better of Chris...

Your Song is undeniably more romantic, but the combination of brevity and less conventionality gives Stand By Me more of a sense of "Oh, I never thought of that! Oh, it's over! How nice!" So, Prediction: Stand By Me. Tell us why you agree or disagree in the comments below.


Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Video) (Lyrics) is another classic that doesn't run too long. OK, yes, I do associate it with the closing credits of Sister Act, but that's not a deal-breaker. There are a lot of different versions out there, with different levels of danceability -- I have the original here, but we'd have to see how the band does it.

Bridge Over Troubled Water (Video) (Lyrics) is a beautiful song with amazing lyrics and would make for a pretty easy slow dance.

I expect this one to be kind of close, and I really don't expect either one to go beyond the next round. In fact, if I don't used Bridge Over Troubled Waters for this dance, I may see about using it for the father-daughter dance (unless you have a better idea, Dad. Um, assuming you're actually reading this). Prediction: Bridge Over Troubled Water.



Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You (Video) (Lyrics) may well be experiencing a resurgence thanks to hit Broadway musical Jersey Boys. It's a classic, but not necessairly an automatic go-to, which is nice. And there's some really danceable moments.

All My Life (Video) (Lyrics) is, for all practical purposes, a good choice. R&B tends to be both romantic and danceable, and while it had its moments as the giant cliche song, I think that moment has passed, making the song a bit more unusual again. That having been said... Meh.

All My Life should be the perfect choice, and may well win, but it just doesn't grab me. Frankie Valli has been grabbing people for generations. Prediction: Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You.



Hanging By a Moment (Video) (Lyrics) is nice because it's generationally appropriate. In addition to being romantic and danceable, it was at its peak popularity just as we were coming of age. That's sort of the problem, though. Not only is it a top choice for pretty much everyone our age, it also carries some emotional baggage: an ex of mine was a huge fan of Lifehouse for all romantic puproses, so while that doesn't ruin the song for everyday use, it kind of taints it for my wedding, you know?

Here and Now (Video) (Lyrics) is pretty much about getting married; you can't get any more appropriate than that, but you can't get much more cliched lyrically, either. It's a cliche for a reason, though -- lively, danceable, and while still relatively new in the grand scheme, primed to become a true classic.

Generational ties carry a lot of weight. Prediction: Hanging By a Moment


What the World Needs Now Is Love (Video -- I couldn't find the original on YouTube) (Lyrics) is one of those songs that's a love song on a more global scale, in case you couldn't tell from the title. It's a pretty little number with a good message.

Lovely Day (Video) (Lyrics) has a more general title, but the song is more romantic. It's a solid song, a strong contender but nothing special.

So really, the question is do you want to be reminded of a perfume commercial or a Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff song? Prediction: Lovely Day.


You're My Best Friend (Video) (Lyrics) is a cheerful, danceable, fun song, immediately recognizable but still fairly unconventional, and touches on an aspect of romantic relationships that tends to get overlooked.

Tonight, Tonight (Video) (Lyrics) is more generationally appropriate, and probably even less conventional. It may be a bit hard to dance to at points.

I could see this one being a really close race, and you can't go wrong, but Prediction: You're My Best Friend.



Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me for Me) (Video) (Lyrics) is a great, fun, compeltely unconventional song. The lyrics are great, and most people seem to forget this song existed until they hear it, at which point it hits them and they smile. Problem? We have no idea how we would dance to it. Personally, I think we can work with that.

In Your Eyes (Video) (Lyrics) is a great song, one Ir eally like, that would make for a pretty dance. A really long, pretty, slow dance. The short version (!!!) clocks in at about 5 1/2 minutes.

Unless the band has a 2-minute version they specialize in, I'd be afraid our guests would use In Your Eyes as an excuse for a bathroom break. Prediction: Hey Leonardo.

Update: Huh.  Looks like I accidentally wrote commentary for this match-up twice!  Well, no sense in letting it go to waste...

I love Hey Leonardo. It's a fun, cute, goofy song about how this guy is so great, but his girlfriend doesn't love him because he's great -- she loves him because he's him, which he doesn't udnerstand even though he feels the same way about her. Perfect, right? Well.... except it might take some work to figure out how to dance to it. And that's kind of important for a first dance, you know?


In Your Eyes is an immensely romantic song, and it is, in fact, easy to dance to. For about ten years. Even the short version clocks in a 5 1/2 minutes, and since it's so romantic, it shows up a lot. I'd be a little concerned that long+cliched=bathroom break for our guests.

This one is tough to predict. I think the average person would opt for In Your Eyes at first glance, but I think those who know Hey Leonardo and know us would go for that. Since I suspect most people who read this blog are my friends and family, Prediction: Hey Leonardo. Tell us why you agree or disagree in the comments below.





See the full bracket here.