Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Chevy Chase Country Club, Wheeling

This room is so warm at night; it just glows!

 

This was an emotional one for me, just because this bride was the first of my clients to have to cancel her wedding, way back in the early part of the pandemic, March 2020. She had a specific vision for her wedding (which okay, that's kind of everyone), and it kept being impossible to access as the pandemic and scheduling intervened. So the day finally came together, and you know what? It was perfect. Chevy Chase was beautifully decorated for the holidays, the wonderful coordinators kept things humming along like clockwork, and I think the bridal couple was delighted. Happy ending for sure!

If harp music would help your happy ending, please visit my website: www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Saint James Chapel, Chicago

A stunning little jewel box!

It is always a pleasure to be at Saint James Chapel! The chapel was built between 1917-1920, and features stained glass modeled after the famous windows of Sainte Chapelle in Paris. The musician's loft there is large and couples frequently choose to have the harp upstairs. Yes, you lose the visual effect of the harp, but the music sounds like it is drifting down from the heavens, and that is worth it!! 

I am always happy to coordinate music with your regular church musicians, or outside people. When planning a religious service, it is probably best that we email or speak on the phone. I am easy to reach at reneewilsonharp@gmail.com or (312) 860.4997. I am always delighted to talk about wedding plans!
 

Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Deer Path Inn, Lake Forest

The ceremony used Windsor II, with Windsor I as an
entry area.

It has been a fair number of years since I've been to the Deer Path Inn, and it was so wonderful to see what an elegant venue it remains! The Windsor Rooms are incredibly versatile, and I love how the entire area has its own impressive entry. The bride's family were classical music fans, so they wanted me to save the popular choices for their cocktail hour, and play all classical music for the ceremony prelude. They used "Air from Water Music" for the bridal party, and the bride chose to walk to the traditional "Bridal Chorus". It was truly lovely, and I did a quick move into the bar area in Windsor I to start some livelier cocktail music. 

Live music programming can be anything you want it to be, and I would be delighted to help you set your perfect mood. Please feel free to reach out to me and discuss your plans directly. I can be reached at (312) 860.4997.

Bollywood Harpist, The Ivy Room, Chicago

Set up for a short program and dinner music.

I have a small (but growing!) Bollywood repertoire, and it has become a very popular option for my clients in the past few years. Frequently, they will request that I play classical and American pop selections for the first part of the event, and then reveal the Bollywood repertoire as a surprise for their guests. On this evening, the host was celebrating an engagement in their family at the Ivy Room, and I began by playing the cocktail hour in their lower level bar area.

The lower level bar/cocktail area.

Towards the end of the cocktail hour I moved upstairs so that I could greet the guests with music when they entered. The host wanted me to talk just a little about my specific harp, and how it is constructed, so I combined that with the Bollywood selections she had requested. I finished up with some dinner music, and everything moved along seamlessly!

If you would like to incorporate some Bollywood into your event, my repertoire is listed on my website: www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Cocktail Harpist, Ignite Glass Studios, Chicago

Positioned just inside the dining area 
to greet guests.

 This was my first time at Ignite Glass Studios, and it is a beautiful location. The bride had hoped to be outside, but the weather was just cold and windy enough that the guests briefly looked outside, and then wanted to relax indoors. I actually changed locations slightly several times, as the guests sort of worked things out on their own. They weren't technically supposed to come into the dining area, but the venue was relaxed about it, so all was good! The bride wanted "Phantom of the Opera" selections in recognition of her grandmother's favorite musical, so I worked a bunch of those into my more contemporary playlist, and everyone got to hear things that were important to them!

Please visit my website to see if my repertoire list is a fit for your event: www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

The unused outdoor space was still stunning
to look at!