Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Eaglewood Resort, Itasca

The lanterns along the aisle looked terrific,
especially as it got darker!

Okay, so probably they were hoping for snow. Not at all unreasonable for a December 22nd wedding. In the end, it was one of the warmer Decembers on record, and this particular day was really sunny. So essentially, even winter time brides can get thrown a curve by the weather! Luckily, the Eaglewood Resort is really amazing, and the wedding party and all of their guests had tons of amenities at their fingertips, so everyone had a terrific time regardless of the weather.

This bride chose Storybook love from "The Princess Bride" for her walk down the aisle, and it worked wonderfully, per usual! She wanted quite a bit of music during her ceremony, so she chose 3 selections to go under 3 separate readings, and I think it was really effective. She had Can't Help Falling in Love, Hallelujah, and Beauty and the Beast, but lots of other songs could've worked as well. The basic premise was #1 pick a reading about love, #2 pick a song about love, #3 enjoy! 

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Katherine Legge Lodge, Hinsdale

The wonderful upstairs room at the Lodge

I've played downstairs at the Katherine Legge Lodge before, but this was my first trip upstairs. It was an absolutely beautiful room for a late fall wedding. The only drawback is that it is not handicap accessible (no elevator to the upstairs), so you will want to keep that in mind. Other than that, the facility is really amazing. Lots of comfortable rooms in a large park setting. It is a Hinsdale Park District Facility, and their website has a lot of great pictures showing the possibilities at this venue.

The bride chose "Marry Me" by Train for her processional, and it worked beautifully. Her sons walked her down the aisle, and there wasn't a dry eye in the place!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Girl and the Goat, Chicago

Private dining at Girl and the Goat

So, the sensible course of action would've been not to have live music because, honestly, there wasn't what you would call an abundance of space. No matter. There are some venues that just make it work, cheerfully and smoothly, and that is the way they roll at Girl and the Goat. There was some pre-planning with the restaurant where we discussed how much room I really needed, and they told me what was possible. Then a ride down in the Adele-evator (Adele apparently used the elevator when she dined in the private room, hence the moniker), and there I was. No one could really get past me, but the staff cheerfully worked around, and the guests seemed absolutely delighted to come into this cozy space and find live music. The bride entered with her father to "Can't Help Falling in Love", and it was really lovely. If you need an intimate space with amazing food and service, this should definitely be in the running.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Galleria Marchetti, Chicago

See that chair on the left? That was supposed to be mine!

Yep, it rained. The garden area at Galleria Marchetti still looked really lovely, and it was dry under the canopy, but it was pretty cold. The bride decided to keep everyone comfortable and dry, but they were still able to get some lovely pictures outside after the ceremony. I mean, really, here I am telling you that it was kind of miserable out, but my amateur photos still make everything look pretty magical, right? Well, Galleria Marchetti really delivers when the weather is nasty.

This wedding was unusual because the bride decided to add violin just a couple of weeks before the wedding. She saw a video of violinist Jacob Murphy and I playing, and we were delighted to add that special touch to her wedding. We played "Marry Me" by Train, and "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, and warmed everything right up!

The lovely view outside the tent

Set up in the corner of the tent. Better tent pictures are available on their website!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, St. Charles Country Club, St. Charles

Truly, a midwestern view can't get much better than this!

I have been to this club before, but the weather had always prevented me from playing outdoors. What a delight to finally see how they arrange things here! The manager of the club actually zoomed me around on a golf cart to show me how to load in without having to deal with any stairs, and where to stash my gear. Everyone was super friendly and helpful, and the ceremony went off without any concerns at all. There was quite a bit of shade for the guests, and everyone seemed delighted to walk down the hill on the gorgeous path, be greeted first by harp music, and then by the amazing view.

A shady path down to the pond!

The bridal party also used this walkway, so the music was
super easy to coordinate.

www.ChicagoWedding Harpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Royal Fox Country Club, St. Charles

It is hard to tell, but the view just went on forever!

This location is a little remote, even on the venue property, but it was truly lovely once you had everyone assembled. The ceremony site was quite a ways beyond the main building, but there was plenty of parking if you knew where to go. The club was running people down in golf carts, which was certainly helpful. Probably the only downside was that there wasn't an easy place for the bride to stay hidden until processional time. The view was amazing, and it was nice and quiet at the site, which isn't always that easy to manage. All in all, this place is a solid choice if you're looking for a lovely outdoor setting!

The ceremony area was really lovely!

I thought the flowers were adorable.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Salvatore's, Chicago

Salvatore's really gives such a lovely first impression!

I have played at Salvatore's quite a few times over the years, but I had never done a ceremony indoors. I thought it worked exceptionally well, and it offers such flexibility for the couple and their guests!

The bride and groom selected a lovely, whimsical group of pieces for their ceremony. The processionals were: Pure Imagination (from Willy Wonka), Moon River, and the Dorothy version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The recessed to Married Life from "Up"! It set the tone beautifully for the celebration to come!

Being at the bottom of the stairs makes
timing the music so easy!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Home Wedding, Northlake

Next to the arch in the tent.

Sometimes, plans change. We were set to be in a church, and then we weren't. No matter. All of the musical plans we had made stayed exactly the same, and we were fine. I learned another Beyonce tune (Halo), and it was about time, too. It works really beautifully as a processional or as prelude music. The bride used it as her processional, and it was a truly lovely moment!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, The Odyssey Venue, Tinley Park

The gorgeous west Gazebo

I always enjoy being at The Odyssey, and the west gazebo works much better for live musicians than the east gazebo. It is easy to stay away from the water spray, the tree provides the necessary shade, and I've never seen goose droppings over on this side (which sounds like a small issue, but really isn't when you're trying to position an instrument in the grass!).

This bride wanted music under her vows, and used one of her special requests on "Dangerously in Love" by Beyonce. It turned out so well that I am playing it fairly regularly for wedding prelude and parties in general. I always love it when my clients point me in some interesting musical direction!

This tree has shaded many a wedding, and probably
many a harpist over the years!!

Cafe Brauer, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago

Just a gorgeous room!

It is always a pleasure to be in a historic room like the Cafe Brauer. In one way, however, this was a first for me. I had all of their special requests parceled out, with the bride's favorite (Falling Slowly from "Once") set to be absolute last. Now, most weddings start a little late, so absolute last for me is 3 minutes until the stated start time, and that's worked just fine. Until now. On this day, they actually started early!!! It was a confluence of super organized people, and a disciplined wedding coordinator, and it definitely did not work out to my advantage! Luckily, the couple came back in after the ceremony, and I got to play at least a little of it for them. However, in the future, everyone's special requests are going to be played just a little earlier, so be ready!!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, The Joinery, Chicago

A really interesting space with an industrial vibe.

Okay, so I almost didn't post these pictures because I feel like they kind of don't do The Joinery justice. It was a beastly hot day in June, and also super gray out. There is a lovely courtyard area just outside of this room, but it just wasn't much use on this day. Later on when the Persian wedding got going, the whole space was colorful and vibrant, but during set up it was kind of drab. You have to look hard to even see the harp hiding off to the right in the picture because it is so dark. In some ways, though, I think that may be helpful to know about this venue.

I suppose it is possible that the bridal couple wasn't using some available lighting, but I think it more likely that you are meant to design your own lighting scheme here. It is a good blank canvas, and what you do with it is going to be completely yours. 

In this case, they warmed it up with friends, family, and wonderful Persian wedding elements that were new to many of those in attendance. They relied on music to bring in American cultural themes, and chose "I Will" by the Beatles, and "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz for their processional and recessional. It was a wonderful representation of them as a couple, and a total joy to be a part of!

Harpist's view!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, City View Loft, Chicago

A super interesting, sunlit space.

This was my second time at City View Loft, and it was good to see their other large space. Or at least I think this is their other large space. I found their site to be a little confusing, and I didn't manage to find this space mentioned specifically at all. Maybe you have access to it when you are having dinner upstairs? It seemed like there were smaller conference type rooms tucked here and there also, so I guess I just really need to get someone to talk me through it at some point.

What I can tell you is that the acoustics are great, and the light is phenomenal. All the makings of a fantastic ceremony close to downtown, but not so close that no one can park. There is just a lot to like here!!

Strictly speaking, the view isn't as good as upstairs, but
it is nice to see so much sky!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

All Saints Episcopal Church, Western Springs

Harpist's view! 

This was such a pleasure. I have played for this congregation on Christmas Eve for over 25 years! Every few years I get invited to play for them at some other time of year, and I always love it. Seeing all of them turn out to celebrate a marriage was just a completely joyful experience. The couple chose a variety of music from an old fashioned hymn (Shall We Gather By the River) to a modern love song (All of Me, sung by a family friend with harp accompaniment). In between, they wanted the Bach Prelude #1 and Trumpet Voluntary. For the Bride's walk, she chose Storybook Love from "The Princess Bride". I find that to be an endearing piece for many people, and it makes a really wonderful processional.

The fence outside the church was decorated!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Avalon Manor, Merrillville, Indiana

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This was my first time to Avalon Manor, but I frequently work in Northwest Indiana. This was a lovely ceremony where the mother of the bride took care of everything so that the bride could concentrate on just enjoying her day!

One of the things I liked best about Avalon Manor was the natural light from the big windows. The purple theme and the wonderful flowers looked terrific in the natural light!

The aisle was marked with
huge flower arrangements on pedestals!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Reception Harpist, Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook

One of the most distinctive venues in the west suburbs,
at Hyatt Lodge you feel you are in the trees!

It is always a pleasure to return to the same venues year after year and find them looking well kept and still very much themselves! Hyatt Lodge is certainly in that category for me. There is not another venue that gives you the feeling of being in the woods as this one does, and the vista down to the lake is unmatched. The slightly irregularly shaped room lend an intimacy that is hard to get in other banquet rooms. Overall, I think it is definitely worth a trip to see if you are a tree lover!!

In the other direction, you see through the trees down to the lake!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Ruffled Feathers, Lemont

The gazebo at Ruffled Feathers. 

This was pretty early in the year for an outdoor wedding, but Ruffled Feathers does a really nice job with their landscaping, and things were already looking quite pretty outside. It is hard to tell, but right behind those bushes is the loading dock for the club. If I were going to have an event at the gazebo, I would want to make plans to keep the loading dock free of noise and traffic during the ceremony. I think the bushes lead staff to think that unseen means unheard, and that just isn't so. Additionally, the gazebo is not rain proof. It'll help with some sprinkles, but that's it. Luckily, that's what we had this day, so all was good.

A dramatic entrance!
There's also a way with no stairs just around the corner.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Hoosier Grove Barn, Streamwood

This gives you a little bit of an idea of the scale and the lighting.

This was my first time at Hoosier Grove Barn in Streamwood. They have a lovely little fenced garden area that we were supposed to be in, but the weather just would not cooperate. The barn was a real hub of activity as everyone prepared for the switch, so I was only able to get a picture of the area the musicians were in, but hopefully that will be helpful. The aesthetic is romantic barn, and the facility seems really well run and comfortable.

The bride chose primarily classical music, with a few hymns as well. I had flutist Carlyn Lloyd with me, which made for a great sounding little ensemble. We played Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring for the wedding party, and Canon in D for the bride. The classical music was a wonderful contrast to the rustic barn setting!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, City View Loft, Chicago

The gorgeous chuppah is made of actual tree trunks!

This was my first time to City View Loft, and I thought it was quirky but terrific. There are several spaces in the building, but their site doesn't do a great job of defining them, so a trip over is probably necessary. In this space, the view is great, the lighting is great, and there is enough room to really have some options. The bride ended up popping out of the elevator you see there on the left, and that made for kind of a quick transition, but it worked out okay.

This couple had one of the more dramatic processionals I have ever seen. They chose "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie, and then (I think) they timed the processional to coincide with dusk. I did a special arrangement for them and it turned out great. I would absolutely recommend that particular song to anyone who has a fondness for it. It was a truly wonderful processional!

Enough room for the ceremony, and
tables ready to be moved into place afterwards.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com