Come Healing - a wedding song?

[prettylies]

Hi all,

I'm getting married this year, and my (and to a lesser extent my partners...:p) love for Leonard Cohen is going to be very prevalent in the ceremony.

I really like the idea of walking down the aisle to 'Come Healing'. I think the poetic nature of it and the soft, haunting music is perfect, and I find the concept behind the lyrics something very moving and poignant to how I view starting a life and a family with my partner.

I can't decide if it would be suitable to use though. What do you think? Would it be too corny? Too much about mercy, God and healing? Too religious? Blasphemously too religious in a non-religious ceremony? Would it alienate the majority of friends/family who don't know Leonard? Does it seem like a strange choice?

Many questions...Any thoughts welcome!

[lizzytysh]

I've just seen this and will have to listen to this song from that very specific, particular perspective.
Hope others will, too... and then comment.
Of course, it will always remain that it is your and your beloved's wedding to do as you will.

[prettylies]

I've just seen this and will have to listen to this song from that very specific, particular perspective.
Hope others will, too... and then comment.
Of course, it will always remain that it is your and your beloved's wedding to do as you will.

Thank you - for replying more than anything! Very nice of you to take the time

[scocoh]

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Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. It seems to me you are over-thinking this. You love the song and want it in your wedding. Once you feel that you've made a fairly good decision, there is no reason to worry about how this or that person might feel during that 3 minutes. Unless you are having only a handful of guests, it is literally impossible to please everyone and to have everyone agree and understand ANY of your wedding-related decisions. From a guest viewpoint, they will be watching you with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts. What they will be picking up from the song is mostly pace and feel-- and Come Healing seems a good choice from that perspective. (Pace seems to me the thing too many people miss on in choosing aisle-walk songs.)The angelic voices give it an ethereal quality while Leonard's voice and lyrical deepness grounds it in the here and now-- and what is a wedding but a mix of the ethereal and the here and now? The lyrics speak to you so I would say definitely use it.

Heck-- the way I see it, as a member of the forum you are required to use Leonard in your wedding, so this is as good a choice as any.

[lizzytysh]

Hahah. Love scocoh's response to you and his reasoning [all of it ].

I have to agree with him, prettylies. So, if two responses are sufficient, I'm looking forward to hearing about your beautiful and unique choice for walking down the aisle. As a good relationship in today's world in so many ways can be exactly that... healing, then here comes healing for both of you, as you walk toward your soon-to-be husband.

Welcome to the Forum, prettylies

[prettylies]

Thanks both!

I've posted infrequently on here, but thank you for the welcome too

[cohenadmirer]

Just notice this - perusing threads in an idle moment or two.

Has the wedding happened .

A beautiful and comforting song - good for many occasions i'm sure. it's down on my list of songs for my own funeral- the list changes from time to time and the funeral will hopefully be a long time off.

[prettylies]

Two years later...I thought I'd update you all haha! I didn't go down the aisle to Come Healing in the end. (We chose a Tom Waits song that was special to us both). We did, however, do the 'exit' down the aisle to 'Dance Me To The End of Love, and we also incorporated some of the lyrics from Sisters of Mercy into our vows.

Leonard Cohen featured heavily in our wedding in many ways, which is as it should be

[lizzytysh]

Oh, what a beautiful outcome. Thanks for updating us! I'm reading infrequently, as my computer's broken and I need to come to the library. Your wedding sounds like it was Cohenly meaningful in so many ways <3

[Jim Rotonda 2]

Hi Glad to see you're still here.
Jim Rotonda