Royal Steamline The Blog | Inspiration for Brides & Grooms

A few weeks ago, I noted that A. and I had spent a marvelous Halloween with the Vagabond Opera. Such fare readily presents itself when one might be considering options for entertainment at a appropriately vintage or Steampunk-inspired wedding.

However, for those looking for something completely different, I present Mr. B, the Gentleman Rhymer (yes, while he’s not quite of the Victorian age, I argue the fit could still be made):

It would take a certain affair and a certain audience, but I feel that Mr. B. would encounter no difficulty providing ample entertainment as he introduces hip-hop to the Queen’s English. Hear hear.

As a general rule, we don’t tend to feature real weddings (we leave that up to the fabulous bloggers out there who have that as their primary focus), but this was way too good to pass up. It’s all so serendipitous: our good friend Allyson (who has probably participated in more weddings than any two people should) was strolling near her home in Santa Monica and happened upon the most extraordinary ceremony. We’ll let her explain:

All of the wedding party (and most of the guests) arrived by bicycle adorned with big green or orange or pink paper flowers and following the ceremony everyone did a lap of victory around the park. The wedding party (and again most of the guests as well) wore outfits that denoted the perceived time period(s) of the song “Bicycle Built for Two”: ragtime-era, ’20s flapper, Victorians, Edwardians, steampunks, etc. The bride and bridesmaids were preceded by a Dixieland brass band. Ushers passed out green blankets for sitting on the grass. The event was so public and so colorful that lots of bystanders (obviously myself included) stopped to watch the entire ceremony. For the unity ritual, the bride and groom each had a large basket of rose petals – hers were pale, his were dark (orange and yellow, not red) – and they mixed the two. Then they “shared their blessings” by throwing the petals on their guests. As they walked on back down the aisle as a married couple, guests threw breadcrumbs instead of rice. And (from talking to a groomsman) the reception was then held in the Victorian House on Main Street in Santa Monica.

C’mon, how great is that? And to prove she actually saw this amazing spectacle, Allyson was fast enough with her camera to capture the following shots:

The bride, the groom and the bicycle built for two.

A nice mix of styles within the party...

Cyclery...

A pleasingly pleased crowd...

Well done Allyson! And congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple!

This was a difficult post to write. You see, I hesitated because I didn’t want to use examples or labels that might offend or turn people off; something as subdivided and debated as music (and metal) presents a natural minefield. But if you like metal, read on. If not, no harm done, eh?

The following song, “The Knell and the World” by Dawn, came up in my playlist recently. While it’s held a special place in my heart since it was released over a decade ago — on an absolutely underrated masterpiece entitled Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy) — I had never before imagined that it possibly could be the perfect metal wedding processional. But upon hearing it the other day, that’s exactly what popped into my head. Here’s how it breaks down:

0:00 – 0:29  The bridesmaids and groomsmen take their places

0:29 – 0:46  With the arrival of that two-ton bass line, the groom takes his position

0:47 – 1:22  As soon as the double bass drum begins, the bride comes into view in all her blackened glory and proceeds down the aisle…

Now, I know what you’re thinking: 15 or 30 seconds isn’t nearly enough time for people to get down the aisle. That’s true, but don’t miss my point. I’m not suggesting you use this exact song and follow my exact times, but imagine the power that a song like “Knell” would have as a metal wedding processional. No one has ever made overdriven arpeggios sound so good.

So, if you’re thinking about having a metal wedding (or if you already have), please let us know what songs you used during the ceremony. Oh, and if you’re not familiar, please check out the rest of Dawn’s work as it’s truly great stuff!

… J