When picking out a venue, Sarah and Scott knew they wanted to celebrate their love out in nature. When they came across the Whispering Springs wilderness retreat, they immediately knew it was the spot for them. Once you see these pictures, you’ll know why! There’s nothing more magical than being surrounded by tall large trees while you profess your love to one another. We love what their photographer, Shannon Robbins, had to say about the nuptials:
“As a couple, Sarah and Scott love to escape the city and head up north every weekend. So they knew they wanted to incorporate their love of the outdoors/nature into their wedding day. Whispering Springs was the perfect venue to facilitate their dream day, as it was just 90 minutes from Toronto, had an incredibly unique and intimate ceremony space, outdoor fire pits that provided a Northern feel, and could accommodate their friends & family overnight in beautiful glamping tents.
Ultimately, these two wanted to keep things less traditional and instead enjoy a big party with their closest friends and relatives. Their wedding day style was classic and elegant, with the groomsmen in tuxes and the bridesmaids in olive green mix & match dresses. They wanted to contrast formal attire with a very casual atmosphere, which they did perfectly.”
“Don’t lose sight of what the day is really about. Have fun planning with your partner. Scott and I made pretty much every decision together and we wouldn’t change a thing because the day was a true reflection of us. Most importantly, surround yourself with supportive people and amazing vendors. I can honestly say that our day would not have been the same without each of the people we chose to work with.”
“We both grew up with Italian influences and we wanted to incorporate our Italian culture into the day. The figs in our place settings, speducci station during cocktail hour, the gnocchi served as a starter course, late-night pizza station and grappa bar were all small ways we did so.”
“Scott and I bottled our own wine in Toronto. We printed customized labels for the bottles and labeled them ourselves. For those staying on the property with us at Whispering Springs, each tent received a bottle of our homemade wine that we personalized with labels that said ‘Cheers to a lifetime of happiness SARAH+SCOTT 06.07.2019′
Tired of the classic wedding jams but love to get down on the dance floor? We hear you! The Junebug team loves a great wedding playlist—especially one that surprises guests with the most unexpected, yet awesome, tunes. We also have access to some of the world’s best wedding DJs, so we chatted with them about the most underrated love songs to play at your wedding. From Carly Rae Jepsen to Leon Bridges, we’ve curated a perfect list that spans genres and generations, so you’re sure to find one that speaks to you!
In this post you will find underrated love songs to add to your wedding music including:
Led Zeppelin – “Going to California”
David Bowie – “Heroes”
Zero 7 ft Sia – “Destiny”
Maggie Rogers – “Love You For A Long Time”
The Black Keys – “Howlin’ For You”
and more!
Make sure to scroll all the way through for a link to our Junebug Weddings Spotify channel, where you will find this curated list and many more for all your musical wedding planning needs!
This is the song our company is named after. It was also the last song we played at our friend’s wedding in 2007 and the processional at our first client’s wedding in 2014. We get a lot of punk rock clients and this one is an irrefutable classic among a certain set. If that bassline played like a lead doesn’t make you cry, I don’t know what will.
This one must be our single most requested ceremony song. We even had a wedding where the couple had turned it into a giant neon sign for everyone to take pictures in front of. I get it, it’s kind of a real heart breaking, end of a long journey kind of song. And way better than the folks who for some reason request “Once in a Lifetime.”
This is my new favorite wedding last song. We actually get a lot of clients that are other DJ’s and this one the clients came up with. I had actually never listened all the way to the end of the record to hear it. It’s kind of afrobeat and super good in the same way as Talking Heads “This Must Be the Place” only way more energetic and upbeat. James Murphy really knows how to steal from the masters.
In the annals of epic songs that will make you cry, this one’s got to be way at the top. We get a lot of clients that pick things like Mazzy Star “Fade Into You” which sort of blend folk elements and 90’s indie reverb. I used this one to set up the moment before the processional once and it brought the house down. Not a dry eye in the place.
We live in California, and so we get a lot of clients that want to riff on that and give their family the real California experience [makes weed emoji motion]. We’ve done a couple of different takes on the idea including a classic folk wedding, a summer of love wedding, and a couple of Wes Anderson style baroque pop weddings. This one works with all of them.
We get a lot of country weddings, but more often than not they are more of the hipster alt country 70’s variety. And you can’t talk about 70’s country rock without mentioning Gram Parsons of The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds. We’ve had more than a few weddings along these lines including one where we literally drove to Joshua Tree to do an all Gram Parson’s themed event and stayed in the hotel where he died. “Wild Horses” was originally written by The Flying Burrito Brothers but made famous by The Rolling Stones.
We’re slowly accumulating quite a few LGBT clients and this one really killed me. I wish I had more space to talk about a few other contenders we’ve gotten in this category including Father John Misty “Everyman Needs a Companion” and Sufjan Stevens “Futile Devices” but this one, my gosh. Hopefully, you all remember Boy George from the 80’s and this is his colab with Amy Winehouse producer Mark Ronson. If the song doesn’t make you cry, the video will, with all sorts of great MTV style outtakes of Boy George in his prime.
I’ll give you guys an easy one with this one. I think people can almost universally agree that Carly Rae Jepsen is the most indie cred of the modern pop divas and acceptable to audiences both hip and square. It’s a great song with an epic 80’s build up and production style. We had it for at least one recessional, and I think it came off pretty cool.
We get quite a few modern indie folk weddings that range from Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons, to Sufjan Stevens and Iron and Wine, to Explosions in the Sky and Songs: Ohia. This one sort of bridges the gap between the various flavors of modern indie folk hipsterdom, and works for both the people who like Cat Power and the ones who like Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros. It’s got a cool oldies reverb vibe mixed with a bit of a country guitar riff as well, so it easily inhabits the borderland between folk and country, classic and new. We’ve had this one for processional at least once as well.
I’ll end on kind of a weird one. We get a lot of punk rock clients and have accidentally come to specialize in the early to mid 70’s style of British invasion influenced, melodic rock tunes known as power pop. These are the artists that were influenced by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Byrds and a range of Phil Spector style 60’s girl groups and went on to create banging, romantic, rock anthems for the punk generation. We’ve had at least three power pop specific clients now, and this one is a must have if you “Knew the Bride When She Used to Rock and Roll” like the Nick Lowe song. It was also my MySpace profile song in 2005 and I just got engaged, so I guess it worked? My girlfriend and now fiancee is also my DJ partner and business partner. Book with us and help us afford to get married as well!
This song is so romantic and has a nice summer outdoorsy feel to it with the guitar-forward rhythms and melodies. Definitely for those wild hearts, the independent, bohemian souls out there.
This song DRIPS. It’s sultry, intimate, almost haunting, and so tasty sweet. The romance levels border on too hot. I know some couples will want this song and only be focused on each other throughout a slow, close dance together.
Something about the soul and emotion of this live cover enchants me. One of the greatest rock voices of our time, also covered beautifully by another one of the greatest musicians of our time — the inimitable Prince.
This song is quirky and vibrant and with a truly indie quality in its production. It’s romantic almost in an ironic manner, but upbeat and fun to sway to.
This song has a very outdoor summertime vibe to it. Very Boho, and incidentally, this song has a unique musical time signature and rhythm amidst the overall list.
I suppose I love indie, singer-songwriter feeling songs, and Lord Huron is no exception. Very much a song of travel and worldly love, for the jet setters and those with a great affair to move.
This song is very much modern romance, as only the voice of Miguel can bring us. And it combines coffee and love together, so therefore it was a no-brainer to make this list.
This R&B song is romantic in an early 2000s style, almost like a Justin Timberlake beat. Falsetto voice and ambient waves of the ocean. The Frank Ocean.
A quirky, upbeat waltz with the romantic, soulful whimsy of one of the great crooners from our parents’ time. And it’s lesser-known versus Into the Mystic.
The Marley family continues a wonderfully eclectic musical legacy, but this track almost feels like Bob Marley reincarnated to write a soulful, sun-drenched reggae tune. The lyrics are simple but powerful, and the overall vibe is more upbeat romantic.
I love this cover of Bob Marley’s classic, brought to its knees in a sultry, jazzy iteration for lovers who want Corinne’s crooning voice to serenade their intimate close-dance.
This one is for the quirky, fun-loving couples to party it up in totally ironic country way, with silliness and joie de vivre that may be the cornerstone of their relationship.
Barry White – “My First, My Last, My Everything”
It’s all in the title. To be someone’s “first, last, and everything” says you are pretty much their universe. That’s not an easy position to earn, so congrats!
Zero 7 ft Sia – “Destiny”
It is difficult to put this band in a category. Their songs merge multiple genres including indie, folk, hip hop, and electronica. This particular track includes Sia who is not only a brilliant writer but has a sultry voice that brings this love song to life.
Michael Jackson – “I Can’t Help It”
I’m not sure who wrote this for Michael, but somebody was head over heels for the love interest in this song. Every line in this song includes serenade, chivalry, and smooth talking.
Marc Anthony – “My Baby You”
I’ve played this for a client as their first dance song. However, because Marc Anthony wrote this for his daughter, it could also be called an underrated Father-Daughter song as well!
Marina and Adam’s industrial yet whimsical nuptials have us swooning. With friends and family all over the world, the couple knew getting their loved ones to one place would not be an easy task. While they live in Brooklyn, they decided on MAPS Backlot in Miami where the bride’s father lives and where the weather is ideal all year round. We love the words that their wedding planner, The Creative’s Loft, put together to describe their picture-perfect day:
“Marina and Adam are a fun and creative couple who live in Brooklyn. She is from Brazil and he comes from the UK. Their desire…organize a cool, fun and creative wedding in Miami. Brooklyn is their neighborhood and their wish was very simple: bring Brooklyn vibes to their big day organized in Miami. They contacted The Creative’s Loft as soon as they chose Miami and we made sure to come up with a very unique and creative wedding.
They had a creative + romantic vision for their day. We all thought that MAPS Backlot was the perfect spot to make their dream come true! Their reception was unique with those customized wood structures we designed. Their ceremony was edgy and colorful. The florals gave a very delicate touch to the overall venue and the music brought by Event Factor put the vibe up! Party time was fun and they brought the Brazilian Hora Loca to the last hour of the day.
Indeed a very touchable and unforgettable day…all their guests flew from all parts of the world.”
My engagement ring is in the shape of a hexagon. A lot of the wedding inspiration came from my ring, actually, and we did a huge wooden hexagon to mirror my engagement ring – and as a symbol for our love. It was a beautiful surprise for everyone.
In Brazilian tradition, you usually thank the parents, grandparents, and honor all grandparents who have passed. No one knew we would carry this tradition. We had our parents and grandparents stand up to honor them and mentioned the names of our grandparents who have passed and who we knew were there with us. It was special to us – but was deeply emotional and special to our parents. Unforgettable.
Our wedding was during Carnaval in Brazil – and so we decided to bring Carnaval to our wedding. We had live musicians and dancers who, for an hour, brought traditional Carnaval to our wedding. It really brought the party to a whole other level, and everyone was so shocked and amazed by it!
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