How do you sneak up on someone when you’re playing bagpipes?

I got a call about playing a wedding a few weeks ago. I get many calls like this; last year I played a dozen weddings between May and October, so it’s not unusual for me to get a phone call like this.

What made this particular phone call different was that the bride and groom didn’t know there would be bagpipes, and the groom’s father was arranging for me to be there as a surprise. I am skeptical about this sort of thing, since bagpipes are not everyone’s favorite sound and it would be very awkward for me to start playing and the bride turn around and say, “Oh yuck, I hate bagpipes. Go away.”

I mentioned this to the father, and he assured me that this scenario would happen. Turns out they had recorded pipe music to be played during the ceremony and had desperately wanted a live piper, but due to financial reasons had to eliminate the piper. The groom’s father saw this as a problem he could fix, and so he contacted me.

The ceremony was a Catholic mass, and I arrived in town about halfway through. One nice thing about a Catholic mass is that it’s almost always an hour long, so I had a very good idea of when it would end. I found the church to make sure I knew where it was, then kept driving and found a parking well out of earshot in which to tune up. Upon my return to the church, I parked myself in front of the main doors and waited for them to open.

They opened and the bride and groom exited the church, walked down the steps, then turned around to greet their guests. I wasn’t hiding, but I don’t think they registered my presence as they turned; they must have looked right at me. When I started playing, though, they definitely noticed me, and the look of surprise, wonder, and delight on their faces was a great thing to behold.

It’s nice to get paid to play bagpipes, but it’s so satisfying to know that I have a part in someone’s special day. I love this job.