Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Venuti's, Addison

Lots of natural light and special ceiling decorations!

This was a fairly complicated wedding, but it ended up coming out beautifully! The groom is a violinist, and a music lover in general, so he wanted to play for his bride. I will tell you what I told him.... You will be under a ton of stress that day, so I don't recommend it, but I will help you if you want to do it. He is a brave and determined sort of a fellow, so of course he wanted to do it! We worked to find the proper version of the proper piece (Ribbon in the Sky), and rehearsed at my house before the big day. 

Once I was set up at Venuti's, I began the prelude with all classical music, ending with Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring for the mothers. The groom entered to All of Me, and then the bridal party followed to Canon in D. Finally, it was time for the groom to play. He and I played through Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder and then, as he went to meet his bride, I picked up and played once more through on my own. It was stressful just like I warned, but he played really well, and it made everything feel very special.

Set up early and ready for rehearsal!

If you or someone else wants to play or sing at your wedding, I can absolutely accompany. There is no extra charge, and the results can be really spectacular!!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Southern Charm Venues, Frankfort

The charming entrance off of the parking lot.

This was a brand new venue for me, and I think it is utterly wonderful! It is certainly on the south end of the metro area, but really not far off of the expressway, and super easy to find. Once you are there, it is the perfect combination of country charm and modern conveniences. The barn style building is sparkling clean, and there are lots of amenities to make your guests comfortable:  ample parking, handicap accessibility, and fancy hotel type bathrooms! I spoke with the owner, and they are working on figuring out air conditioning, so you should check on their progress if that is important to you.

The ceremony room is furnished with a few pews and plenty of chairs.

The ceremony room is a smaller area off of the main banquet space, and it overlooks a lovely field. The day I was there was super hot, but we were out of the sun and there was a nice cross breeze, so it was fairly comfortable. The bride went ultra traditional with her processionals and recessional (Canon in D, Here Comes the Bride, and the Mendelssohn Wedding March) and then really showed her personality for the special music during the ceremony.  She and her groom had "Moon River" for the unity candle and "Solamente Una Vez" for the lasso ceremony. Then she gave one of the most touching and heartfelt stepmom vows I have ever heard.  It was beautiful, and poof!! Brand new family! 

The reception area features lots of lights, and is open to the outdoors
on two sides (hence the bright light from behind me)!

If you need music for your grand design, please give me a call at (312) 860-4997!

Ceremony Harpist, Odyssey Country Club, Tinley Park

The east gazebo at the Odyssey Country Club.

The Odyssey Country Club is a classic south side wedding venue, and we had a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and cool temperatures. The bride's mother is a musician, too, so the music was really important to her, and she wanted to specify as many of the pieces as possible. This is always an option for my clients. I am happy to come with a playlist, and even to fit the most important songs in at the most important times if I can. Of course, weddings do not always run exactly on time, so I always having a backup plan, but I am happy to do my best!

The bride's mother had lots of good choices for me, and wanted to end the ceremony with an Owl City selection called "Hot Air Balloon." Unfortunately, there is not music available for that, so we substituted "Fireflies" and that turned out beautifully!

If your wedding will be at the east gazebo, the harp placement is, by necessity, behind the chairs. Even so, the fountain will likely have to be turned off. For some reason, it always seems like the fountain being on will be okay, and then a gust of wind comes along, and everyone (and my harp) is soaked. Being behind the chairs also lets me get music to the stairs for the approaching wedding party, and then I turn the harp around during the ceremony. It is a beautiful setting, but a little complicated from the musician's point of view! It was all worth it, though, as the bride looked radiant, and the ceremony went beautifully!

If you need someone to work with you on your ceremony's complexities, just email me at reneewilsonharp@gmail.com!!

Ceremony Harpist, Salvage One, Chicago

The bridal couple starts their walk down the aisle between these elephants.

So, go back and read the caption to the photo above. If that sentence doesn't amuse you, you are not going to like this place. I personally found it delightful, but I think it is probably not for everyone.

The couple stood between the columns to be married,
 and I am off to the side.

From a vendor standpoint, the venue seemed pretty organized, and that is always a great sign. They knew what they needed from you, and it was easy to get in and get set up. Although it had tons of old stuff around, everything was clean and inviting. Indeed, the main room downstairs was organized into hang out areas that seemed like they would be really useful and inviting after the dinner.

Lots of great places to hang out and talk!

The best thing about this wedding (okay, from my standpoint) was that the groom had written a song for the bride when he was 13 or 14 years old, and I got to play it for their recessional!!!  It was just as sweet as you would imagine!

I loved the chandeliers marking the aisle!

If your middle school sweetheart wrote you a song, I definitely want to play it at your wedding!  Call me!?! (773) 881.0706

Cocktail Reception Harpist, The Blackstone Hotel, Chicago

The harp positioned at the midpoint of the Art Hall

The lighting is dramatic and effective!

The Blackstone is a magnificent hotel, and it is exciting to see it living its second life as an upscale boutique hotel! This is the second time I have played for cocktails in this space, and I have a few thoughts. It looks like the perfect sized space for a harp, but for some reason it is an extremely loud space.  The harp works well for the first third and the last third of the event, but it is completely a visual for the middle third (harpist slang for being seen and not heard!). Next time I will bring an amplifier, but that still doesn't usually fix the entire problem. If a space is loud, as the music gets louder people generally just start yelling over it to be heard and it is a overall upward spiral of noise. I do not know what the solution is. Certainly, it is lovely for the people getting off the elevator to be greeted by live music, and you catch them again as they wait to go to the ballroom level, so hopefully that is enough. This time, all of the other rooms off the Art Hall were open, so I got a few more pictures. The extra rooms REALLY vary in decor, take a look....

In some ways, these two pictures really say it all. The Blackstone Hotel is embracing its history in varied and ever changing ways. You'll want to stop in to see all of the areas you might find useful, and prepare to be delighted!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com