Brides-to-be: I’d like to share a really simple presentation idea for your ceremony’s processional: the Surprise Voice-Over Message. I love this idea because your recording will perfectly convey to family and friends in attendance how you feel during this very moment and the person escorting you down the aisle. It’s also very easy to create and execute.
To illustrate the emotional impact of this idea, here’s a photo essay of Amber and the presentation of her Suprise Voice-Over Message for her father, Bryan, from her wedding ceremony a little over two weeks ago.
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BEHIND THE SCENES
For her processional, Amber selected the Vitamin String Quartet’s rendition of “A Thousand Years, Part 2“. A little over a month before her wedding day, Amber stopped by my recording studio to record her message. After a few takes, we had her vocal track edited, processed, mastered, and rendered. Total preparation time – including writing – was less than one hour.
THE LIVE AUDIO
Here’s the live recording of Amber’s Processional. The walk was rather lengthy, and since Amber wanted to walk in at the medley that kicks in at 1:18 of the original version, I put an internal loop in “A Thousand Years, Part 2” so there was no need for Amber and Bryan to feel rushed during their walk. Finally, it just came down to some “DJ magic” to ensure that as Amber’s recording finished, that medley played on cue. And like any good magician, I’ll never reveal my secrets 😉
AMBER’S PROCESSIONAL, A PHOTO ESSAY
As the last of the wedding party members took their place for the ceremony, Amber, escorted by her dad, Bryan, started her Processional walk. As they made the turn to proceed down the aisle, they paused for just a moment. At the ceremony rehearsal, Bryan was instructed that this pause was for photos, and then he needed to await Amber to take the first step before they proceeded down the aisle.
Little did he know, those instructions were all a ruse.
As Amber and her dad stood at the start of the aisle, I pushed play on Amber’s Surprise Voice-Over Message. The grin on Amber’s face speaks volumes, as does Bryan’s completely-caught-off-guard reaction!
“Thank you for not scheduling an Iron Man this weekend.” 😀
“Thank you for not wearing cargo shorts.” ????
Laughter and tears of joy will always be two of the best emotions expressed over the course of the wedding day. Nailing the laughter, Amber’s heartfelt and sincere thank you’s continued as the man who taught Amber to be “a princess and deserved to be treated as such” reached for his handkerchief to wipe a few tears of joy from his eye.
Yeah, that’s the good stuff.
As Amber’s voice-over concluded, she allowed Bryan a chance to recompose himself, and then she took that first step down the aisle, still smiling as she held on to the arm of her “bestest-bestest”.
What an emotionally powerful moment as a father gave his daughter away before family and friends in the most intimate of all settings: the wedding ceremony.
Bravo, Amber, bravo!
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Originally Published: June 1, 2021
Last Updated: December 28, 2021
Image Credits: Amy Galbraith Photography