Help us pick our wedding song -- Round 2!

And now, Round 2!

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. It dominated in Round 1 with a good two-thirds of the vote, but will it maintain supremacy -- especially since it's now the longest song on the list?

Stand By Me (Video) (Lyrics) is short, more-or-less danceable, and lyrically suitable. And it completely slaughtered the competition -- only one person voted for Your Song (sorry, one person!). Even so, it still just doesn't jump out and bite me on the face.

Let Love Rule might be longer, but it might also stronger.  We're getting into tough calls already, and I don't know if you can go wrong on this one.  Still, Prediction: Let Love Rule.





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

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 necessarily an automatic go-to, which is nice. And there's some really danceable moments.

Chris has been known to get a little twitchy around musicals, so the Broadway aspect has the potential to be a deal-breaker. This is another race where you really can't go wrong, so while Prediction: Bridge Over Troubled Water, I wouldn't object to being wrong, either.






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. Baggage.

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.

In conclusion, Lovely Day is safer, but less special.  Prediction: Hanging By a Moment




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.

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) (Video) (Lyrics) is a strange choice (which, as you may have picked up by now, tends to be a good thing), and it's still quite lyrically appropriate. Added bonus? It featured prominently in an episode of How I Met Your Mother, a show Chris and I both love.


See the full bracket here.

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

So hopefully by now you've voted in the first 8 games -- if not, go do it now  -- most of the polls are still open!

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.

And here is the second half of Round 1!

(Note: if you see a poll from the first half of Round 1, that means the polls closed with a tie, or an insanely low vote count -- so if you haven't voted on that one, go ahead and break that tie!)

Iris (Video) (Lyrics) is a nice song, danceable fairly appropriate generationally, with nice lyrics... and I feel like I'm trying to convince myself. It works really well on paper, doesn't it? Leave a comment and convince me...

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) (Video) (Lyrics) is a much stranger choice (which, as you may have picked up by now, tends to be a good thing), and it's still quite lyrically appropriate. It's far from timely, but dancing shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Added bonus? It featured prominently in an episode of How I Met Your Mother, a show Chris and I both love.

Feel free to prove me wrong, but Prediction: I'm Gonna Be.


Here Comes the Sun (Video) (Lyrics) has a very nice sense of "things are going to be ok from here on out." It's danceable and cheerful and appropriate but not entirely conventional.

All You Need Is Love (Video) (Lyrics) is more of the classic wedding song, which has both its pros and its cons. It's probably easy to dance to, but I don't know if it's as much fun to dance to.

In the battle of the Beatles, less conventional and more danceable make the decision. Prediction: Here Comes the Sun.



I'm a Believer (Video) (Lyrics) is classic Monkees -- cute, goofy, a little weird, and insanely danceable. But... it's the Monkees. Debateably the prototypical boyband. Boyband, people.

Truly Madly Deeply (Video) (Lyrics) is more a traditional-syle love song, and it's far more generationally appropriate, but to me it says less "Today I marry my friend" and more "Sex! Yay! Oh, and romance too."

If it's good enough for Shrek, it's good enough for me. Prediction: I'm a Believer.








Unforgettable (Video) (Lyrics) is a very sweet, classic, romantic song, easy to dance to. But all those aspects make it a little cliched. Also? She's singing with her dead father.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love (Video) (Lyrics) is not even remotely grandmother-friendly. Well, not our grandmothers. That's not a deal-breaker, mind you, but as completely awesome the song is, it's pretty heavy on the sexuality.

This is a sort of an apples vs oranges game, and I would not be at all surprised if I was wrong, but Prediction: I Believe in a Thing Called Love.






They Stood Up For Love (Video) (Lyrics) is a great song. It's very inspirational, very pro-love on a general basis -- not perfectly grandmother-friendly, if you look at the first line, though.

Maybe I'm Amazed (Video) (Lyrics) is also a very nice song. It's too slow to do much with, but lyrically it's just amazing.

Still, dancing counts. Prediction: They Stood Up For Love.





You're Still the One (Video) (Lyrics) is a good song. It's a crossover from the realm of coutrny music, which is a pro for a lot of people, though not necessarily for us. I've actually heard punk covers of it that, while silly, were pretty good. The lyrics can't get much better, either.

Best of My Love (Video) (Lyrics) is an older, faster song that I think is likely more danceable. The lyrics might not be quite as good, but they're still good, and the music is more fun. Plus, the fact that it's a classic means it's likely falling out of use among people our age, making it less conventional.

In this case, uniqueness trumps generational propriety. Prediction: Best of My Love






At Last (Video)(Lyrics) is an excellent song for the first song at a wedding. It's short, pretty, meaningful, and easy to dance to. That makes it a big, giant cliche. Also? The President and First Lady danced to it at the Inaugural Ball, which means it's likely even more of a cliche at weddings.

I Just Called to Say I Love You (Video) (Lyrics) is another one of those songs that may not be quite as perfect on a technical level, but will make people smile when they realize that, while it may never have occurred to them, it's really a good choice. Plus it's a bit more upbeat (and a bit less possessive, let's be honest).

You should be able to tell from this breakdown how I'm leaning, although if the voting audience proves me wrong, I will not be surprised. Even so, Prediction: I Just Called to Say I Love You.




Unchained Melody (Video) (Lyrics) is probably best known for being that song from Ghost. It's a lovely, romantic song, if maybe a tiny bit on the slow side.

Just the Way You Are (Video) (Lyrics) is more danceable I think, and has more relateable lyrics -- maybe not the most complementary lyrics, but that's the point. Billy Joel belongs more to our parents' generation than ours, but there's nothing wrong with catering to the parents.

You can't really go wrong on this one, but Prediction: Just the Way You Are.



View the full bracket here.

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.

N-Song-AA?

Sorry for the disappearance, folks. Life got, well, boring for a while. But I'm ramping up to do something that is not only not boring, it is downright odd!

See, Chris and I are having a hard time picking our first dance song for our wedding. We had it narrowed down to four good, but not perfect choices, but then more options kept coming up. So, randomly, I started taking note of every song that was good enough, even if not perfect. And what shall I do with this unweildy list, you may ask? Why, my friends, I shall create a bracket!

Ok, I'm not gathering up 64 songs. That's excessive. But I've got 32, which is quite enough.

Also, as far as seeding goes, I went in order of length, so that a long song has to be *amazing* in order to beat a short song. Because no one wants to sit through a decade-long first dance, amiright?

So below is a link to the bracket. Over the next couple of weeks, you'll see polls open, with commentray on each match-up. Each poll will be open a week or until I get 25 votes (I don't think 25 people even read this blog, but what the heck).

And of course Chris and I reserve the right to, you know, not actually use the winner... but your feedback will help us, no matter what!

So! Check it out, and feel free to sign up for the service and make predictions, while you're at it.

Observe: the bracket!

In which I wish a dead author well

Happy 200th birthday, Edgar Allan Poe!

In which I guest-post

Image via WikipediaImage via WikipediaMy brother and his friends have a blog, and were kind enough to let me guest-post for them. So go check it out, and feel free to browse around. Just be warned -- the language is most definitely not safe for work.

The Biblioholic and the Anachronistic Onomatopoeia

In which I ring in the New Year

Image by Kramchang via FlickrReally, a conversation I had with a friend of mine on AIM says it all...

Me: [realization] Awww crap.

Friend: ?

Me: I didn't check *any* items off my things-to-do-before-I-die list this year.

Me: I had given up on most other resolutions, but I was really hoping for that one.

Friend: Oh.

Me: So last night, I was like, "OK, so do I want to ring in the New Year with Ryan Seacrest, or with Carson Daly"?

Me: The answer, of course, was, "No."

Me: So my parents and I watched my new Dr. Horrible DVD, including special features and about half of "Commentary! The Musical."

Friend: cool

Friend: I did neither -- I waited until 11:58 to put on Channel 6 to catch Dick Clark one last time.

Friend: I had a migraine, actually.

Friend: First time I've gotten one.

Me: I was mildly annoyed at the ball drop.

Friend: Yeah, Clark was a second off the countdown.

Me: Waterford was all "Every year will be a unique ball with a unique pattern," and, dude: the ball was exactly the same as last years

Me: I saw last year's up close, and no joke, they could have ripped that thing out of Macy's and reused it.

Friend: "We need to figure out how to fix the city's budget deficit."

Friend: "How about reusing the ball?  That saves 5 million right there."

Me: Oh, at least.

Me: But this is Waterford.  They had those things ready to go in '88.

Me: Just sitting there, being pretty and waiting for the appropriate LED technology to be invented.

Friend: ...Why?

Me: Hyperbole, dude.

Friend: Not with Waterford.

Friend: They do pull that sort of [bleep].

Me: Point is, W got a contract, and you know they were all over that [bleep].

Me: So even if the city decided to reuse, they' d still have to foot the bill.

Me: Ergo: two matching balls.  Which.... yeah. 

The good

I know better than to do New Year's Resolutions.  This year, I'm setting monthly goals.  It just feels more realistic.  Wish me luck!  (Oh, and remind me to share my things-to-do-before-I-die list one of these days...)

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Simple Dollar Weekly Roundup: New Years Notes Edition