interview with jason campbell: raleigh ceremony musician.

if you’re looking for a fantastic jazz pianist in the raleigh area for your wedding, jason is totally your man. we might be a little biased (he’s our ceremony musician!) but take our word for it. we’re having a bit of a… *ahem*…interesting wedding…and wanted the music to fit the bill. we scoped out a couple of different options, but always came back to using a piano. there’s a piano at artspace as well, so it’s pretty much perfect. but then we really didn’t want traditional piano music. and we looked for a long time trying to find someone who could play something other than traditional classical pieces.

jason is a local music teacher (bonus cool points for one current teacher and one former teacher teaming up!) and genuinely offered to play just about anything for our wedding. we wanted jazz background piano, and he was all over it. but more importantly, he learned how to play a specific song that we wanted for my aisle walk. and while that’s totally under wraps right now until our wedding, let me just say that we are thrilled! not only is he totally open to playing anything, he can play anything…and that’s awesome. seriously…highly recommended, folks. a good guy. here’s his interview!

raleigh wedding photographer

jason campbell

raleigh/durham/chapel hill ceremony musician: piano

j_rcampbell@yahoo.com

http://www.ivoryman.com/

1. What inspired you to first start playing music for wedding ceremonies?

The first time I played at someone’s wedding, it was actually a favor for a friend. The wedding was coming up soon and she still didn’t have anyone to handle the music. I offered the music as my wedding gift. She and her now-husband were really relieved to have one less thing to stress about and they were both so grateful. I was honored to provide that relief and comfort.

2. Do you have a specific list of songs that you’ll play, or do you work with the couple to create a custom list?

I have a binder labeled “Wedding” that contains standards like Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and “Trumpet Voluntary,” and I can pretty much play “Canon in D” blindfolded by now. Most people want at least one piece of music that really means something to them and I’m happy to learn a new piece for the occasion or suggest my own ideas if they’re not sure.

3. Do you attend rehearsals for the ceremony to make adjustments in the timing?

Whenever possible. Most people don’t think about things like how fast this song should go or how long it should take until they actually hear it, and I really don’t want anyone’s great-grandmother to trip down the aisle because she had to rush to the tempo of the music.

4. What genre of songs do you typically play for the guests while they await the ceremony?

Music from the Impressionist Period, like Debussy and Ravel. It was designed for weddings. It’s so melodic and ethereal, I think it really helps set up the ambiance.

5. What is your personal favorite genre of songs to play and why?

Jazz! Yes, I’m one of those people that has an unwavering love of it. Jazz is the only type of music that truly captures the moment it’s in. I could go on and on here, but to sum it up, I just can’t play jazz without feeling uplifted.

6. Have you ever worked with other musicians during a ceremony?

Frequently. I’ve accompanied both singers and instrumentalists including clarinet, guitar and string quartet.

7. If the couple has no ideas for specific music choices, how do you go about deciding on what music to play?

In these cases, I usually go to my standards notebook and make a lot of suggestions. I also try to draw that unique song out of them. A lot of times they just don’t think that a simple piano version of their song can be arranged when it’s usually little trouble at all.

8. Do you let the couple hear the selections before the ceremony?

Of course. I’m always looking for feedback and I want to make sure that the music suits what they have in mind.

9. What is the most unique piece of music that you’ve played for a ceremony?

I have two, one really meaningful, the other hilarious. When my brother got married last fall, I played/arranged a version of “All You Need is Love” for string quartet, piano, and voice (my little sister sang). The runner-up would be when I played “Linus and Lucy” (the Peanuts Theme) as the recessional while the wedding party did the “Snoopy Dance” down the aisle.

10. What is your favorite thing about playing live music for weddings?

I like being a part of the celebration, even if it’s for two complete strangers. Especially for complete strangers. I get to meet people that I would have otherwise never met on one of the best days of their lives and help shape their memory of that day in a small but meaningful way. It’s quite a privilege.

**yay! thank you so much, jason, for taking part in the interview! we are so ecstatic to have found you for our own wedding and i hope to work alongside you at someone else’s wedding soon! :)

interview w/ rev. barbara lodge: NC wedding minister.

as a wedding photographer, i get a lot of questions about local vendors from my brides. who i recommend, what i think about so-and-so, etc. to help them and others out, i’ve decided to start a weekly blog interviewing local wedding vendors. i’m very excited about this and i hope it’s helpful to everyone involved.

mostly these vendors will be from north carolina, but occasionally they’ll be from out of state. i’ll be asking them business questions, personal questions, and practical questions that could benefit everyone (like you out-of-staters) when shopping around.

today, my first interview, is with rev. barbara lodge. rev. lodge was the officiant at a wedding i photographed last year (below) and we loved her service. not only was it beautiful, it was also very tailored and personal. when geoff and i became engaged, we decided to have rev. lodge preside over our wedding ceremony later this year.

let me tell you, we are so excited! she is very professional yet incredibly friendly, and when we reunited at her house for the consult it was like talking to an old friend. she’s fabulous! so without further ado, here are the interview questions and rev. lodge’s answers.

rev. barbara lodge

Reverend Barbara Lodge

http://www.ncweddingminister.com/

For weddings, vow renewals, commitment ceremonies in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, NC and surrounding areas.

919-942-2808

1. How and when did you decide to become a Reverend and work as a wedding officiant?

I decided to become a wedding minister after I had moved here, thinking I would be retired from the ministry, but finding myself bored with retirement pretty quickly. I was asking God to show me what kind of work would be good for me when I learned I could perform the sacraments in NC without having a congregation. All that was required was to be ordained with a church, which I was already. That was great news because then I had the freedom to do exactly as I would want and I could tailor wedding ceremonies (and christenings) around each couple.

I thought I would only be doing this work part time but learned pretty quickly that there are many couples in our area who do not attend a church or who have different faith or belief backgrounds and many of the local churches turn these people away for a variety of reasons. Many of the ministers of those churches cannot perform ceremonies outside of their own sanctuaries so that is also limiting for couples who want a ceremony in nature, or their homes, or hotels and bed and breakfasts. Someone like me, who writes ceremonies for each couple based on what is important to them and who can travel to any location chosen by the couple, fills an important niche in our area. In many ways, I have come to see that my calling is a wedding ministry and I love what I do.

2. What is your inspiration for writing ceremonies?
Always the couple. I learn what is important to them, who they are as partners, their plans for their futures and weave all of that into the ceremony in a variety of ways. I believe the ceremony becomes far more rich and compelling when you see the couple expressed in the words and symbolism of a ceremony that reflects them, their love, their cultures and dreams. I have always thought that what was missing in a wedding was the couple and this is my way of correcting that.

3. What is the most unique ceremony you’ve written?
There have been many, but I think the one with the most unique perspective would have to be the ceremony I wrote for a couple who were avid golfers. Golf had played a huge part in their lives and courtship and was sure to continue in their marriage. They even planned to be married on a golf course in Pinehurst with a golfing honeymoon so I wrote them a ceremony that compared marriage to the game of golf.

4. What is the cutest or funniest thing you’ve seen happen at a wedding?
The cutest – so many to choose from, but the first that comes to mind are the two little flower girls wearing fairy wings at the wedding we did together at the Raleigh Rose Garden.

The funniest – the 4 year old Ring Bearer who got so nervous as he was coming down the aisle that right before he got to the front row of chairs he went down on one knee and threw the ring pillow (holding the actual rings) with all his might in an incredible diagonal throw. Luckily, the Best Man had the presence of mind to jump out and catch the pillow as it flew by and saved the day.

5. What is the most rewarding part of doing this job?
Being around people who are in the bloom of love – and those who love them.

6. Who has encouraged you to start your own business and helped you along the way?
My husband and children encouraged me right from the start, even when I was unsure of myself in this new arena. My husband, particularly, has the patience of Job when so much of my work takes time away from him and our time together. He often rides with me to rehearsals and weddings so we can be together, which touches my heart.

The one who helped me get started was my dear friend and mentor, Rev. Kayelily Middleton, a local wedding minister with a long background of doing this work. Kayelily had married my daughter, Becca, a couple years earlier and Becca had always told me once I moved here that I should call Kayelily because she thought we were so similar that we would be good friends. Becca was certainly right about that and when I spoke with Kayelily about how to get started doing this work she was a fountain of good information, always giving freely of her time, ideas and resources. I will always owe her a debt of gratitude for her help and she is indeed a wonderful friend.

7. Where is the most interesting place you’ve traveled to in order to perform a ceremony?
We hiked through the woods to a wonderful old rock outcropping above a small river and stood on the rock to have the ceremony. The couple had spent many a romantic afternoon on that rock and the groom had proposed there so it was very important to them that they marry on the same spot. As we began, the sun started coming through the trees, dappling us and the rock with sunshine and it was a spectacular scene.

8. What is the most challenging part of being a wedding officiant?
Time constraints. Because of the travel involved between locations, you can only fit in so many weddings a day and there are many couples looking for ministers for their weddings.

9. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Family time, Date Days with my husband, time with the grandchildren, teaching myself photography.

10. What advice would you give young couples searching for a wedding officiant?
Trust your instincts. Our area is blessed to have so many wonderful wedding professionals in every field. When you meet with someone and have a good feeling about them, you should trust your instincts and sign with them as soon as you are sure, particularly for weddings in April, May, June, September and October. Those are the busiest wedding months in our area and tend to book in quickly.

For wedding ministers in particular, that person will be overseeing your ceremony and launching your new life as husband and wife so you want someone with whom you feel comfortable, who can provide you with the services you need or want and who is accepting of everything about you.

**thank you so much, rev. lodge, for agreeing to be interviewed for the blog! i can’t wait to work with you on more weddings in the future and, of course, to see you at my own wedding in a few months. :)