Arlington Park Racetrack Wedding Ceremony

It is always so much fun to find out about a new venue that you would never imagine holds weddings, and that was Arlington Park racetrack for sure!  I spoke with Arlington Park staffer Lauren, and she confirmed that they hosted 8 weddings this Summer!  The outdoor site sits in a courtyard of sorts, and features a large brick veranda with a double staircase for the wedding party's entrance.  I was unable to catch it on film, but in the background of this photo there is a path that the jockeys and trainers use to lead the horses to and from the track.  It is surprisingly calming to watch the early morning routine, but it probably gets pretty exciting later!  After the ceremony, the guests walked right across to the clubhouse where they enjoyed lunch and, one assumes, the racing!

Yes, I can play Camptown Races (or whatever else you like)! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Flossmorr Country Club Wedding Ceremony with Desiree'

Looking back towards the clubhouse.

As you can see, it was a beautiful day.  I think this venue is special, though, because even on a rainy wedding day it would be lovely.  If you look closely at the photo above, you'll see a large green awning.  What it is hard to tell is that the awning is really large, and it covers an equally large veranda that opens into a sort of suite of banquet rooms.  You could put a wedding party on the veranda and have a completely dry outdoor wedding in a bit of a rainstorm.  Meanwhile, you would be looking across a gorgeous green space that gives way to rolling hills and mature trees..... really amazing.  As it was on this day, the bride and her party were able to use the stairs down from the veranda for their dramatic processional.

Apparently Flossmorr Country Club has only recently began offering their club to non-members for private events.  I know this because the event planner for the day, Desiree', knows everything!  No, seriously. Dersiree' Moore Dent is so smart and capable and reassuring that you will be dazzled.  Plus, the photos at her website are really beautiful, so have fun!

Hard to capture the rolling hills and groves of trees, but they're there!

For beautiful harp music at any venue, please see www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Willis (Sears) Tower Wedding Reception Harpist

Windows all around!

When you are at the Sears Willis Tower, you know everything is going to be about the view.  What I was surprised to find, was that the Metropolitan Club has quite a number of private rooms, a super attentive staff, and no membership requirements for the brides that hold their wedding there!  We were in the East room, so the view was most of the loop and the lake beyond..... beautiful.  I was playing for cocktails and dinner, with a D.J. to take over for dancing.

Their website is quite helpful, and includes floor plans for all of the different room options, and sample menus.  Since some of the spaces are flexible and can be combined, it is hard to say what the "general options" are, but they certainly seem able to handle weddings from very intimate gatherings up to 240 guests.  This is definitely a venue worth serious attention!

An elegant table

For help planning your wedding music, please visit:  www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

A Quirky Little Tune

St. Anthony in Cicero

I was scheduled to play a Catholic mass in just 3 days, and the groom called with a request: could I possibly still learn his favorite song in time for the wedding?  It turns out that he and his bride are fans of a French movie called "Amelie" and there is a piano tune in the movie that he had just discovered could be played on the harp.  Youtube was definitely involved in the discovery process!  

Now, first of all let me say that almost any piano piece can be played on the harp, and I don't need special music as the piano version is a fine place for me to start on my adaptation.  I don't charge extra for learning special songs, although I do ask for my clients to cover the cost of the music if I don't already own it.  I also ask for 2 weeks notice, as I frequently have a pretty heavy schedule, and I want to be sure to have enough time to learn the music thoroughly.  Sometimes, though, that isn't possible.  Thank goodness www.MusicNotes.com had the arrangement, I made the time, and "Comptine d'un Autre Ete" was a focal point at their wedding.

Happy bridal couples are always the best!

Foreman Pavilion (Lincoln Park Zoo) Wedding Ceremony

I have played a number of events at Cafe Brauer over the years, but this time I got to see an entirely different side of the zoo:  the Foreman Pavillion.  It is just steps from the circle in front of Cafe Brauer, but it really has a secluded feel to it.  

The pavilion overlooks the flamingo area, but what you are really aware of is all of the gorgeous greenery.  Some of the pictures I am posting are a little redundant, but I really didn't know how else to show how beautiful the area is.  The pavilion itself is plain but attractive, and it would be easy to decorate.  There are two large sections to the pavilion, with private washrooms in between.  

The pavilion really goes back a long way, and
all of it is shady and lush.

The bridal couple were fans of all sorts of music, and they chose a really eclectic mix of songs including:  Storybook Love, Song to the Moon, Only Time, and Kiss From a Rose.  It was so much fun putting their music together! 

If you are looking for wedding music ideas, please see www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Centennial Park Wedding Ceremony in Munster, Indiana

The perfect vantage point for any harpist!

I love Centennial Park in Munster!  What a beautiful location.  The park opened in 2007, so it is still fairly new on the scene, but (as you can see from the photos) most of the plantings are looking mature and wonderful.  The lakeside patio is completely handicapped accessible (staff were bringing some of the guests with mobility issues down on golf carts), and there is a dramatic staircase that the wedding party can use for their entrance.

The wedding party came down these two sets of stairs.

This bridal couple wanted to honor their hispanic heritage, so we went with "La Paloma Azul" (The Blue Dove) for the processional, "De Colores" for the recessional, and "Blue Bossa" for postlude.  

After the ceremony, everyone went up the hill for a cocktail reception at the gorgeous banquet facility overlooking the park.  This site is a real winner.

Just to show the really beautiful plantings!

Midlane Resort Wedding Ceremony, Wadsworth

On the green at Midlane Resort in Wadsworth

Well, certainly the day was beautiful and things went smoothly, but for me the revelation at this wedding was the song "La Vie en Rose". Frequently, the brides I work with point me in directions I would not go in on my own, and such was the case here.  I knew the melody, certainly, but I had never taken the time to read a translation of the lyric.  Just in case you haven't either, here they are:

Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose

When you kiss me heaven sighs
And tho I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose

When you press me to your heart
I'm in a world apart
A world where roses bloom

And when you speak...angels sing from above
Everyday words seem...to turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be
La vie en rose

Of course, there is no wonderful translation for the phrase "La vie en rose" itself, but it translates directly to "The life in pink", and means something more along the lines of the perfect life. Here is a link in case you would to hear the original Edith Piaf recording.  Soon it will be on my website as well. It is a fabulous love song.

To listen to other processional music, please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

St. James Chapel Wedding Ceremony Harpist

Well, certainly you know you are in a very special place when the church has its own fan site!  The windows of the St. James Chapel are modeled on the windows of Sainte Chappelle in Paris, and they are one of the hidden gems of Chicago architecture.  I had never been to the chapel, but I certainly got to see all of it on this day!  I started by setting up near the front of the chapel, and then found out there was an elevator to the choir loft, so I was able to join the rest of the musicians.  

The choir loft:  my eventual destination!

Besides being beautiful beyond belief, the chapel offers an interesting option for Catholic couples:  you do not need to be a member of a specific parish to qualify to marry here.  The chapel has a really helpful site for couples who want to explore the option of marrying here, plus their pictures are much better than mine!

To me, the designation of "chapel" conjures up a small space.  In actuality, this particular chapel can accommodate 299 people!  On top of that, you have all of the resources of the music department of the nearby Holy Name Cathedral at your disposal!  At this mass, the bridal couple enjoyed a full choir, a string quartet, two trumpet players, harp, and the magnificent pipe organ.  Thank goodness the choir loft is as roomy as the chapel itself!

Once up in the loft, I had a bird's eye view of the amazing windows,
and of course the pipe organ!

If you would like further information about my wedding services, please visit my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com 

An Irish Bride!

Back in June (yep, still catching up on old posts here!) I was privileged to play at St. John Berchmans Parish in Logan Square.  A really spectacular church, as you can see, and the musicians and priest were so welcoming.  I played prelude music, all of the mass parts, and two verses of Schumann's Ave Maria with a vocal soloist.  The bride was really and truly from Ireland, and she chose "The Gentle Maiden" from my website recordings for her walk down the long, long, aisle of this beautiful church.

If you would like to hear other Irish options, please visit my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Bird Haven Greenhouse (Pilcher Park) Wedding Ceremony Harpist

The Bird Haven Greenhouse in Pilcher Park is always hopping with weddings, and I seldom go a Summer without at least one trip to their beautiful gardens.  

Oddly enough, the wedding site is a gazebo set across from the greenhouse, but the site is always referred to as the "Bird Haven Greenhouse".  Most of the time I have played for guests seated around the gazebo, but they also hold weddinga in the grove of trees just to the West of the gazebo, and I can attest that the grove is a lovely, shaded option!

On this day, the bride's family set up adorable little pinwheels in the bride's colors!

To hear other music that will sound great at your outdoor wedding, please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Chandler's Chop House, Schaumburg

I love outdoor weddings, but there does seem to be a long list of things that can go wrong, so I am glad when I can report on an outdoor space that seems less risky, but still beautiful.  Chandler's in Shaumburg definitely fits in that category.  The large patio is in a fairly protected area just off the main building, but there are plenty of trees and plantings to give it a lush feel.  

Additionally, the banquet hall has huge windows, so even if you were rained out you would still have a natural backdrop for your photos.  I hate to ding anybody's website, but the photo of Chandler's I've linked to above just do not capture the room well.  The room has a nice feel to it, including stone and wood elements, and the colored lighting (matched to the bride's wedding colors) is a fun touch.  

There is a separate cocktail area that has a great fireplace, but I moved into the area after the guests were already there, so no pictures (sorry). Luckily, the site also includes a restaurant that is open to the public, so you could probably duck in and see for yourself!

If you would like more information, please visit my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Playing With Legos at the Marriott

It is always so much fun when couples showcase their shared interests and passions with those gathered to celebrate their union, and this wedding has so many fun components!  First, they hired the musicians separately, but (as often happens) we already knew each other anyway! They had a wonderful violinist named Jeff Yang all set to play both the ceremony and reception.  For their processional music they chose the adorable "Concerning Hobbits" from the Lord of the Ring movies, and the addition of the violin really made their selection perfect!  For their unity ceremony, they chose neither candle nor sand, but went with....... wait for it......... LEGOS!!  

Apparently the couple are big lego fans, and the officiant (Anita at Anitaweds.com) had the lovely idea of incorporating that into the ceremony.  Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate, so we were inside rather than at the hotel's outdoor space, but the reception was in a cute tent set in a green space that allowed for enjoying the garden without everyone being soggy.  At the reception, Jeff and I played lots of fun "Great American Song Book" selections;  wonderful songs by Gershwin and Cole Porter.  Plus, there was wedding cake made to look like giant lego blocks!

If you would like to hear more violin selections for your wedding, please visit my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.