Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Herrington Inn & Spa, Geneva

The rain plain for Herrington Inn & Spa is still really lovely!

 Well, we were supposed to be outside at the Herrington Inn & Spa, but it has been a really rainy summer. Luckily, the venue manager, Raquel, is a really capable person, so she called the event for indoors in enough time so everything could be beautiful for the couple! The room layout at the Herrington is pretty distinctive. I played for the ceremony, as you see, then I moved over to the small balcony, and played for the cocktail hour below. It made everything super seamless, and I was able to play right up to the introductions, as all that was needed was a quick move backwards, and the French doors were closed off! I would really recommend this venue for both beauty and flexibility!

In other news, I learned my first Rolling Stones tune, and can report that "Wild Horses" sounds great on harp!

See all my repertoire at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist and Violinist, Armour House, Lake Forest: A Cautionary Tale

 This is a picture from a 2021 wedding I played at the Armour House, and I am using it because there really wasn't a chance to take a photo this time. It was raining when we arrived, but the couple insisted that they would have their wedding outdoors. They suggested that we could keep our instruments dry if we positioned ourselves in the pavilion that you can see (a little bit) at the very back of this photo. That was true, although it would mean moving the harp a fairly large distance in the rain, up and down 3 sets of stairs. We went ahead and moved out, only to have them decide they preferred to be inside, and that we needed to move back inside as soon as possible. Of course, we also did that. In the end, their wedding was beautiful, and we were happy for them. The harp was not in as a good of tune as it would've been if I hadn't spent the majority of my setup time moving back and forth, and they didn't get as much prelude music as they would've normally gotten. So, the two pieces of information that I would want clients to consider from our experiences this day would be:

1. A venue manager is not really acting as your wedding planner. They will likely make decisions based on keeping you happy with your venue choice, and those might not be the best decisions for the big picture of your wedding.

2. Moving your musicians multiple times, especially if it is a fast move, may come with loss of quality and/or quantity of music. Someone holding an instrument looks very mobile, but with cases, stands, chairs, and sound equipment, it can be much more complicated.

Jacob Murphy and me, a little damp from the move,
but ready to go!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Cathedral of St Raymond of Nonnatus, Joliet

The Cathedral is just magnificent

 I have played at quite a few Catholic Churches, but I was completely bowled over by St Raymond of Nonnatus! When I am a guest at a church, my job is to try and understand how they do things, and blend in as seamlessly as possible. I have my own set of Gather Comprehensive hymnals, which helps quite a bit. On this day, we used the Mass of Creation, and also the Ave Maria for the flowers to Mary. It was so beautiful, and it was an honor to be in this amazing church!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Chateau Del Mar, Hickory Hills

 

I hadn't been to Chateau Del Mar in a while, so it was nice to see the property looking great! We were having some pretty wild storms on and around July 3rd, so it was a relief to both:

1. Be inside, and 

2. Have it still be super beautiful and light filled, as I know the couple wanted.

I was so busy getting in and drying off, that the picture of me in my corner is the only good legitimate picture I have. I'm going to upload a screen grab from a  video below, because the room was lovely, and I can't get Google to let me load the video <sigh>.

This on a dark and stormy day.... I know!!

Ceremony Harp, Violin, and Cello, St George, Cicero

 

Set up to the right of the altar, ready to go!

Sometimes, you just want more sound, and a trio with harp, violin, and cello is a perfect solution! I've played at St George before, and it is always such a treat! We did classical prelude selections as the guests came in, and then "Bridal Chorus" when the chandelier went on (St. George's cue that the bride is starting down the aisle). The effect was stunning!

If you would like to plan a larger ensemble for your celebration, I would love to help!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Joliet Ballroom, Joliet

The Grand Ballroom in downtown Joliet is the perfect venue for live harp music! The ceremony space is located in the old ticketing area of the train station, and it features a fantastic staircase for the processional. The space is all hard surfaces, though, and really benefits from the way live music, and particularly harp music, can warm up a room. The couple chose a classical piece (Air from Water Music by Handel) for the wedding party, and then the bride processed to Young and Beautiful. It was stunning!

If you are planning a wedding at the Joliet Ballroom, I would love to help you find your perfect music! Learn more at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

All set up with a view to the staircase!

Proposal Harpist, The Joinery, Chicago

This is only some of the set-up!

 I always like to protect the privacy of my clients, so it can be hard to share much from a proposal, especially this time. The prospective groom planning the proposal is a magician, so the set up was very cool, but also seemed proprietary, so here we are. I can tell you that:

1. The Joinery is a fantastic place for a proposal. We were able to complete a fairly complicated set up very smoothly, and the venue manager there, Shay, is really just the best.

2. This was the first time I did a proposal where the groom was already at the site, and had concocted a story to bring the prospective bride to the site on her own. She was definitely and delightfully surprised!

3. She said YES!!

Planning a proposal? I am in!!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com