July 17, 2010 The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens

If the weather cooperates, this is one of my favorite wedding venues. Even though we have to park up top and haul all of our equipment, the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens are always absolutely breathtaking. The mountain backdrop against all of the flowers and gurgling fountains and light breezes add a magical quality to everything - especially a wedding.

Todays weather was perfect, and the wedding we played for was beautiful.

Here's a view from the top of the rock steps directly above the wedding area in the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.

We started out our prelude with Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze" and "Arioso", and then went to "Andante" and "Allegro" from Handel's Water Music, followed Mozart's "Menuetto" from the Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Handel's "Largo" from Xerxes.

Just prior to the ceremony, we performed an Elvis cover tune of "Can't Help Falling in Love with You", and the processional began.

As the family members and wedding party entered, we played Handel's "Air" from the Water Music, and then the bride'smaids entered to Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", followed by the bride to Pachebel's "Canon".

We played Schubert's "Ave Maria" for the unity candle, and "Con te Partiro" (Time to Say Goodbye) for the recessional. As a request from the bride, we ended with "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure.

Vail Interfaith Chapel & The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens

On the last weekend in June, we had the opportunity to play for two beautiful weddings.

The first was in the Vail Interfaith Chapel. Joanne Moore of Meadow and Mountains was the wedding coordinator. She amazingly transformed the chapel with the runners, flowers, and swaths of material which were draped along the pews.

For our part, the music was strictly classical and we started off the prelude with Bach's "Air". We continued with Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", "Sheep May Safely Graze", and "Arioso". We then went into some of Handel's Water music because it led into the processional music. The attendants entered to Handel's "Air", and the bride to Pachebel's "Canon".

During the lighting of the unity candle, we played Liszt's "Liebstraum", and Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as the recessional. We finished with several celebratory pieces including Hornpipe, La Rejouisannce, Trumpet, Tune and Trumpet Voluntary.


The second wedding was in Vail's Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. While afternoon rain was on the forecast, the skies were blue and it ended up gorgeous, and rain free.

 

While we played several classical pieces by Bach, Handel, and Mozart, the wedding party entered to Pachebel's "Canon". This piece was great as the parties crossed the footbridge, entered from the back, and also descended from the steps. As Canon's counterpoint wraps and layers itself, this piece is ideal for seamless repetition.
In a non-traditional fun twist, the bride came down the steps to the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun". Also, instead of a unity candle, the parents came together and planted seeds to Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze". We played Purcell's "Trumpet Tune" for the recessional and also ended with several celebratory pieces.

We truly enjoy the individuality of every wedding we play for, and love to see the couples with whom we've worked with for several months as everything they've planned for finally comes together.

Congratulations to both of these couples - we enjoyed playing for them!

Vail's Betty Ford Alpine Gardens

Despite recent wet weather, Vail is absolutely breathtaking right now. I spent some time this week at a couple of different sites where we often play, and thought I'd showcase a couple of them.

 

This is the wedding area of the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. Wedding parties often descend the stone steps (upper left) or cross the footbridge (to the center right), while their guests are seated on the patio. Surrounded by the fragrant garden flowers, we generally sit off to the far right, and along with trilling birds and the gently cascading waterfall, we whisk our clients and guests off to an enchanted, idyllic fairyland.

Following are additional garden photos

 

Footpath