Juliette Recommends: “(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry” by Darlene Love

When I was a little girl, I knew that, if I ever met the man of my dreams and he asked me to marry him, I would be wearing a pair of white sneakers with ribbons for laces when I walked down the aisle. When I got older (and discovered Pinterest), I had the exact shoes picked out, too.

I’d never really been the little girl who dreamt of her wedding day, but I knew those shoes were a must. Aside from simply knowing it would help keep my utter lack of coordination from ruining the day, I had a specific inspiration in mind: Annie Banks (Kimberly Williams) in Father of the Bride(1991).

Father of the Bride is one of my mom’s all-time favourite movies, which means, as with many in our relationship, it’s become one of mine. From the brilliance that is Steve Martin to one of the funniest characters I’ve ever enjoyed in Martin Short’s Franck Eggelhoffer, this movie has a list of great qualities that I could ramble through for an essay all its own.

But, for me, the soundtrack was always special. Of the songs, I, of course, have my favourites and “(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry” is one of them.

In the film, the song plays the night before Annie’s wedding, as George Banks (Martin) remembers his daughter as a little girl through to the grown woman he’ll be giving away in just a few hours. The scene itself is fantastic and drives home George’s emotional reaction to Annie’s getting married and truly “leaving the nest.”

The song, though, is what makes it. Darlene Love’s vocals are beyond compare and the optimism and adoration in these lyrics are what I imagine everyone wants to feel when they think about the person they’re gonna marry:

“Today I met the boy I’m gonna marryHe’s all I wanted all my life and even moreHe smiled at me and the music started playingHere comes the bride when he walked through the door”

I’ve always been partial to the “oldies but goodies,” and this is the perfect upbeat example. It’s hard not to smile at just the opening chords. And if it makes you think of that special someone? Even better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpe8u-FDXVU(Song recommendation by Juliette Sebock)