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Getting hitched next year. My missus isn't much of a Beach Boys fan (in fact, she barely likes any music at all!), but has agreed that we can have a BB song after the (civil) ceremony as we walk back down the aisle.

Any suggestions?

(Beautiful though it is, Forever is something of a cliche...)

Only With You

why do fools fall in love

Their catalogue is vast, varied, and wonderful.

But I didn't have to ponder this at all: 'God Only Knows'.

My Solution

Seriously, God Only Knows has got to be a no brainer here. Don't want an obscure album track as only you and a few select guests will listen to the lyrics and understand their importance

God Only Knows is walking in to the place of worship music.

I Can Hear Music is walkin' jubilantly  OUT of the place of worship music

I'm gonna be playing "only with you" and "god only knows" in the church at a friends wedding later this year. I think "our sweet love" would be a great choice. I'm getting married this year as well so Ive been thinking a bit about this stuff too.

My advice, don't get married. Bloody women ! Maybe Forever is cursed. I had that for my marriage in 96'. 17 years later, marriage kaput, done and dusted. On a serious note, we're now trying to reconcile after 5 months apart. I played her Only With You down the phone just yesterday and she cried. She's now claiming that as our song so that'd be my tip

Kokomo - the women can dance around their handbags...

Surfer Girl would be nice if you want something sweet that isn't God Only Knows. Everyone knows it, and its just a loving song.

Where I Belong is just a gorgeous, great song for a wedding recessional.

For the Mother/Son dance at my wedding I danced with my Mom to "I Wish For You" by Beckley, Lamm, Wilson.

Meant for You

A girl I used to be really good friends with and I used to exchange mixes on teh interwebz, and she knew I was a big Beach Boys fan and she and a couple others asked me to make them a Beach Boys mix. "Forever" was included with the note that the song would later go on to be cringe-worthy John Stamos-sung version on Full House.

Upon getting the mix and reading the little tidbits I'd put together for the song,she informed me that at her wedding, she had said John Stamos-sung version of "Forever" from Full House played because when she was a little girl, she always said she wanted that song played at her wedding. I felt like a terrible person. :'(

At first I laughed at this, but, actually, "Kokomo" isn't a bad choice. It has recognition, a catchy "walking out" beat, and the lyrics are honeymoon-ish. When I used to DJ weddings and wedding receptions, I incorporated "Kokomo" into my dinner music mix, and, inevitably, you would see the people sitting at their tables, bopping their heads and singing the words.

The only problem I have with "God Only Knows" at a wedding is the first line, "I may not always love you."  I think that's an honest reflection of Brian's self-doubt and insecurity, but not something you would want to hear out of the mouth of a bride or groom at their wedding.  The song would have flowed just as well with the first line as "I know I'll always love you," but who am I to rewrite Tony Asher and Brian Wilson? :)

But then again you could interpret the first verse of the song to mean "I can't promise to love you to eternity, but I can promise to love you as long as you're on this earth ("as long as there are stars above you").

I love "I Do," but likewise, the first line of "I Do" isn't really wedding ceremony fodder -- "Well I've gone steady with lots of girls."

Lee

I Can Hear Music

perfect harmonies, upbeat, relevant to the occasion I dare say.

Sang Surfer Girl to my wife at our wedding years ago, sitting in with the band. Brought the house down!

Screw it - if she really loves you she'll let you have more than one Beach Boys song or she's not worth marrying. She must know how important they are to you. Seriously.

God Only Knows!!!

 1. Mt. Vernon & Fairway
 2. Cuckoo Clock
 3. Problem Child
 4. Fall Breaks and Back to Winter
 5. Beaches in Mind

My girlfriend and I agreed on Where I Belong, she loves that song.

Battle Hymn of the Republic.

.

No.

Hey Little Tomboy

Summer Of Love

Never Learn Not To Love

Here Comes The Night 1978 12" version

Beach Boys Medley

Smart Girls

Oh Lord

Shortenin' Bread (preferably looped up to 1 h of playing, to create a truly intimate and celebratory mood)

Ding Dang

Santa Goes To Kokomo

_____________

There's so much to choose from... we're spoilt for riches.

Hope this helps.

At my wedding back in '81 the live band learned "Lady". My then-wife loved that song. They also played "Forever", "Surfin' U.S.A", and "Fun, Fun, Fun". and I got to sing backgrounds to the latter two songs holding a beer in one hand and EVERYBODY was on the dance floor! Then the song "Freebird" started playing, just about everybody stayed on the dance floor at the beginning, but as soon as it revved up and the lead guitars and drums started wailing, the older people hurried back to their seats. THAT was funny.

For my youngest daughter's wedding we used the Dennis version of Forever for the father/daughter dance because that's the
tune she wanted.  Also used The Like In I Love You for our family dance.. that turned out nice.  No one had ever
heard that one before.

Thanks for all the suggestions - keep 'em coming!!

'God Only Knows' she poo-pooed because of the opening line.

However, 'Where I Belong' - yes! That just may be the one. And I did meet her on an island funnily enough, albeit an intensely boring one where we've been stuck ever since. (Jersey, Channel Islands - near France)

Next to Sir Paul I am probably the biggest fan of "God Only Knows", but, gorgeous as it is,  it's not a good wedding song for the second verse as well. Some just hear it as "I can't go on without you"  but the verse assumes that's what's going to happen so life is not worth living!  My wife picked up on that right away when we were choosing our "first song" for our wedding. 

I am just shocked no one has said "All I Wanna Do"... or "All I Want To Do" for that matter!

Haha The Heartical Don. I would love to hear Ding Dang done at a wedding, and then just get the crowd reactions.

I agree with those suggesting Only With You.

Try I Want to Pick You Up, if only for the expressions on the faces of your new in-laws.

All I Wanna Do
All This Is That
And Your Dream Come True
Fallin' In Love
Friends
Hushabye
Just Once In My Life
Kiss Me, Baby
Love Surrounds Me
Match Point of Our Love
Our Sweet Love
Soulful Old Man Sunshine
Summer Means New Love
The Warmth of The Sun
Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again

Thinking more about "I Do"... I think would be fairly easy to create a "wedding-friendly" edit.  The instrumental tracking session is on Sea of Tunes, isn't it?  You could use the vocal-less track for the verses, then cut to the BB version for the choruses.  I may have to play with that in my spare time...

Lee

My first dance with my wife at our wedding was to "All I Wanna Do".

"Devoted To You" -- the version without the party noises.  It's on the Hawthorne comp.  You're welcome.  :smokin

  Seriously, "All I Wanna Do" would be very nice.

"Meant for You" would be a nice one, if a tad short.

I'd love just once to see you in the  nude.... :afro

THAT would be great! I'd have to give a cheeky wink to my new father-in-law at the last line.

Not your intention I know, Lee, but I read that as the narrator reserving the right to terminate his partner's life if ever he changes his mind! Interesting concept for a song, huh?!?!

So opinions on 'God Only Knows' vary. Perhaps that was to be expected.

I stick by it, but that may well be due to the way I read ('feel') the intention of the whole of a song; including melody, chorus, the 'soul' of it. And GOK unequivocally (to me) is the expression of true and dedicated love.

But at the same time I can imagine that others have a different experience, and feel that for instance the opening line has too much doubt in it to feel comfortable (for the occasions of a wedding).

To each his own, then.

Male Ego

I'd Love Just Once to See You

Use the MIC version.

My wife and I had our first dance to God Only Knows!  It was truly an awesome experience.. beautiful and spiritual.

I think the song depicts a reality..  yeah we may drive each other crazy every now and then, but ultimately the love wins out in the end.

But thanks for coming by and playing our game, Don.

When one of my sons was married, earlier this month, I danced the the Mother-Son to God Only Knows, for the "taken as a whole" (legal term-of-art) feeling and message, of "What would I do without you?" And of course, it was magnificent.  It is such an extraordinary song.  And The Voice, metaphorically, "straight from Heaven." This, on a family day when we kept in mind those who were not "physically with us" on that special day, but, with us "in spirit." Who better than Carl for the lead?

And, when the bride asked me what song, to be "intro'd" at the reception, she didn't say, "What song?" But, she asked, "What Beach Boys song?" So it was the first section of California Girls, and that got the "party started!"  :lol

So, I think it is the "global feeling" and the fact those songs are now "standards" in our culture that everyone just knows and connects to, and less, the fine-tune of the analysis of the lyrics.   ;)

I had to explain the lyrics to "God Only Knows" to my ex ten thousand times. It was not meant to be.

There's absolutely nothing negative or insecure about the lyrics, merely a clever little twist in both verses. It doesn't need to be fixed, that's the song's lyrics entire "thing". You "fix" that, the song is automatically taken down to being about half as good as it is.

Is she called Linda?
How about Don't Back Down?
Strange Things Happen?
Or maybe I Get Around?

Y E S
Thanks for saying that, I was afraid nobody would, and I couldn't be bothered to say it all again myself for the umpteempth time.

Say what you want, but this is the third time I've heard of a bride-to-be saying, "You may not always love me?  Unh-unh, not at my wedding. "

I had...

Walking out of church : Why Do Fools Fall In Love? (It was April Fool's Day too)
First Dance: Wouldn't It Be Nice

Yeah, the lyrics are great. Those few opening lines are actually quite romantic - As long as the stars shine, you'll never need to doubt the fact that I love you.

Drip Drop...  ;D

"Sherry, She Needs Me"

wild situation

Hey Little Tomboy  :lol  ;D

I was all set to play "Only With You" on acoustic at my best friend's wedding a few years back before we realized it was written by Dennis & Mike: two guys with exactly how many failed marriages between them???

Not the best way to start, we realized.

How about "I Do"

We had Our Prayer as we walked into ours.  Short, so it can finish, depending how far you have to walk.

Amazing. Perfect choice.

2 Disney Boy: you so many times repeated your admiration for "Where I Belong" that it'd be weird if you didn't go with it as an ultimate wed song choice. No, really. Plus the song will serve as a nice remembrance of your cheap island meeting with your half.

Btw, it's very bizarre you plan that early the wedding. All the fuss & ceremonial stuff is so boring, you know.