Piper Hall Mansion on the Lake in Chicago

Piper Hall as seen from Sheridan Road

This one is definitely worth considering.  You may have already seen it if you ever make the drive from Chicago to Evanston along Sheridan Road.  The mansion sits at a bend in the road, and right on the lake.  It has been renovated to host events, and it has some wonderful features. No need to go into all of them here (as the Loyola website is really quite good, prices included!), but it seems a shame to leave all of it to another website, so.........  You are right on the lake here.  Surprisingly, right on the lake is not that easy to accomplish in a Chicago wedding venue. There is a large veranda off the side of the house that would be beautiful in fine weather. 

There is a staircase on the left, if the bride wants a dramatic entrance!

The day I was there, it was a bit cold, so we were inside the mansion. Inside is pretty gorgeous, too.  Tiffany windows, gilded ceilings, paneled walls;  really, really lovely.  The couple was married inside, then went outdoors to take pictures among the beautiful gardens.  The guests lingered in the mansion listening to harp music, and then walked a block to retrieve their cars from the Loyola University Welcome Center parking.  For a city venue, it was really very convenient.

We were warm and comfortable inside!

The bride was British, so I got to play the Beatles classic "Here, There and Everywhere" for the unity candle, and "Here Comes the Sun" for the recessional.  The bridal party stood in the sunroom, which you can see just a bit of in the above photo, and the guests looked on from the paneled rooms.  It was a beautiful, late fall wedding.

Considering harp music?  Please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Chicago's Waldorf Astoria: Like Traveling to Europe For Your Wedding

The entrance drive to the Chicago Waldorf Astoria

From the moment you turn into the cobbled courtyard drive of the Chicago Waldorf Astoria, you feel like you've taken an unexpected turn and ended up someplace wildly different.  In a good way.  This hotel was built as the Elysian Hotel, but now is part of the Hilton line.  Here is a link to their website, but I warn you, it doesn't really capture the place. The inside of the hotel is furnished in a modern style, but with a European flair.  The bridal couple requested that I play contemporary music for the prelude, classical music for the ceremony, and Chinese folk songs for the tea ceremony that followed.  In addition to the harp, they had Emily from Toast and Jam there to provide sound equipment and DJ services.  Emily was super helpful and professional, but you'll see that the whole company has that reputation if you go to Yelp and check out their ratings.  Toast and Jam definitely struck me as a company to remember.

A very elegant room.

For more wedding ideas, please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Gwen, The Hero of Two Locations!

Our target location (Palos Country Club gazebo) under threatening skies.

The situations don't really get more difficult than this one:  a light rain starting just as the musicians begin to arrive for an outdoor wedding. Lucky for us, wedding consultant Gwen English is the kind of person you want on hand when the difficult decisions need to be made. Knowing that the couple really wanted to be outdoors, she completed her set up there early, and then turned her attentions toward transforming the large room overlooking the golf course at Palos Country Club into a beautiful wonderland of flowers and candlelight, just in case we were kept indoors.  Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get a photo of the set up, since just as soon as it was completed the doors swung open and we began to play.  We, in this case, were a trio:  harp, flute, and violin.  It was a magnificent wedding, salvaged from soggy prospects.  Gwen works through the South Loop Floral and Events Gallery, and I can tell you that besides being delightful, she has enough imagination, foresight, and work ethic to keep anyone's wedding on track for memorable and amazing.

Gwen English, with a relieved groom!

For additional information on wedding music, please visit:

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com