Ceremony Harpist, Cathedral of St Raymond of Nonnatus, Joliet

The Cathedral is just magnificent

 I have played at quite a few Catholic Churches, but I was completely bowled over by St Raymond of Nonnatus! When I am a guest at a church, my job is to try and understand how they do things, and blend in as seamlessly as possible. I have my own set of Gather Comprehensive hymnals, which helps quite a bit. On this day, we used the Mass of Creation, and also the Ave Maria for the flowers to Mary. It was so beautiful, and it was an honor to be in this amazing church!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Mass Harpist, St Clare of Montefalco Church, Chicago

Weddings after Christmas are so nice with all of the
holiday decorations still up!

 The first wedding of 2026 was so lovely!! The church still had all of the Christmas flowers out, and everything was warm and cozy. I always enjoy playing a Catholic wedding mass, because the needs are so very different from any other type of ceremony. I own a set of Gather Comprehensive, so the process is generally very smooth. We used the Mass of Creation, and it was really lovely!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Saint Mary of the Lake, Chicago

It is always a pleasure to be a guest musician in a new parish! This couple found that they had room in their budget at the last minute, and I was delighted to fit them into my schedule. I have my own sets of music for mass, so it was easy to get organized. Frequently, I will play all of the prelude, so the regular church musician can have some well deserved time off during the wedding!

As you can see, Saint Mary of the Lake is breath taking, and so was the ceremony!

If you would like to add music at the last minute, please reach out directly (reneewilsonharp@gmail.com).

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Madonna Della Strada Chapel, Loyola University, Chicago

I frequently lament that, for a city with so much lakefront, lakefront weddings in Chicago are hard to come by. This amazing chapel on the campus of Loyola University is a location that was unknown to me until this spring! While you are actually indoors for your ceremony, there is a lovely terrace just outside the church that brings the lake front and center for guests, and provides a fantastic backdrop for pictures. The staff at the chapel are so helpful, and everything ran just as smoothly as you could ever expect!

If you need a harpist who is familiar with the Catholic liturgy, I would be delighted to play for you! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Mass Harpist, Church of the Holy Family, Chicago

Just awe inspiring!

The Church of the Holy Family is a really interesting institution. It serves the community of St. Ignatius College Prep, but doesn't have a neighborhood congregation. Because of that, it is available to host important life events for Catholics from other parishes, including weddings! Their website does an excellent job of outlining both the procedure and the costs, so I encourage you to visit it if this is an option for you. It was my first time playing here, and I would highly recommend it to anyone; what a pleasure!

I had actually played for the bride's wedding shower, so she and her mom were well acquainted with my repertoire! We chose classical things for the actual wedding, but Holy Family was super flexible about having some popular songs in the prelude, which was, I believe, appreciated by the bridal couple. Just really a lovely experience from beginning to end, and a wonderful way to ring in the New Year!

If you're planning a Catholic ceremony or mass, I would love to help! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Christmas decorations are one more benefit
of a New Year's Eve wedding!

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!
 

Catholic Mass Harpist, Winnetka

The absolutely stunning Faith, Hope,
and Charity Church in Winnetka

 

It is always a pleasure to play for a Catholic wedding, whether it is the full mass (as was the case here), or the simpler wedding ceremony. Additionally, I am happy to come and play with the regular musicians from the parish, or work as the only instrumentalist with your cantor. I have several Catholic hymnals, and generally only need a short conversation with someone from your parish to make sure that I am able to supply the specific music they are accustomed to. On this day, the harp was used throughout the mass, and the highlight was certainly when the bride took flowers to Mary, while the tenor and I performed Ave Maria. 

If you're considering adding harp to your wedding, please visit my website: www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, St. Lambert, Skokie

The beautiful St. Lambert's

So there's this sweet thing that some of my brides do, which is request that I play a song that was special to one or both of their parents. In this case, it was "Three Coins in a Fountain", and it was for the bride's mom. It was a really lovely touch, and I definitely want to encourage more of you to think about doing it!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, St. Michael's, Chicago

Just really lovely.

I generally play at St. Michael's in Old Town a few times a year and, although I don't always post, it is a distinct pleasure to play there. The musician's they use are such a delight, and they have their own wedding coordinator, so things happen in a timely, super organized way. 

One of the things that I have come to really enjoy, though, is their penchant for doing a few weddings right around St. Patrick's Day. We play exclusively Irish music for the prelude, and often do "Lady of Knock" for the flower offering to Mary. It is a really fun way to celebrate a marriage in an outstanding historic church.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Saint Gertrude's, Chicago

The amazing St. Gertrude's on Chicago's north side!

This was my first time to this lovely church, and it was a really rewarding experience. Catholic churches frequently have wonderful musicians already in place, so my job is to come in, blend in, and try to be helpful. On this day, that meant coordinating with their pianist, and switching over from a few of my regular arrangement to arrangements that she had. It is important for everyone to be playing from the same music, and she had to coordinate with the violinist as well! The pianist did a beautiful job getting me everything that I needed, and we even had time to run a few things when I arrived.

The sound of the piano, harp, and violin in the huge church was absolutely stunning, and the pianist made good use of the extra musicians throughout the mass. Thanks to wonderful leadership on the part of Saint Gertrude's pianist, the bride had really exceptional, one of a kind music for her wedding!

Set up for the processional up front.

If you are thinking of having harp, you do not need to only have harp! I am always delighted to work with other musicians!
www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago

A picture of my harp at Holy Name Cathedral from a different day.
Honestly, no time for pictures on this day!!

As you might imagine, the music staff at Holy Name is really wonderful. The Cathedral is so busy that playing there frequently feels like trying to jump into a game of double-dutch jump rope! I always arrive early, because in cold months it is important to find someplace for the harp to come up to temperature. Once the previous wedding is finished, there will be just under 20 minutes to move the harp, set up, tune, and rehearse. It is a challenge!! On the plus side, the wonderful Music Director, Ricardo Ramirez, almost always chooses a responsorial psalm that I get to accompany, which I definitely look forward to. It is so much fun to play chords for the wonderful Cathedral cantors to sing over! Another often used focus is Schubert's "Ave Maria" accompanied by harp, or on this day, harp and violin. Beautiful! 

I managed to get set up really efficiently on this day, and rehearsal was short and easy, so I also played 15 minutes of prelude music. Like many churches with amazing pipe organs, Holy Name knows exactly how to employ the organs (yes, they have 2!) to greatest effect.  After I finished the prelude music, the violin and the upstairs pipe organ began the processional for the parents and wedding party from the loft, with me joining in from down front. Then, when it was time for the bride, the organ took over and opened up completely; it is an amazing sound for a dramatic moment!! 

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, St. Christina, Chicago

The altar area at St. Christina is just stunning!

St. Christina's is a lovely parish close to my South Side home.  I was contacted directly by the bride's mother, as she wanted to add harp and flute to the standard piano accompaniment.  I frequently make recommendations for other instrumentalists, so it was no problem at all. Musical arrangements at Catholic churches can be just a little tricky, as there is generally a set music staff, and they need to be consulted.  I can help with this, and earlier is always better.  St. Christina's music staff is wonderful, and I have played there several times over the years, so it is especially easy.  A few emails back and forth, and we were organized for the big day.  The family chose "The Prayer" made famous by Celine Dion and "Perhaps Love" by John Denver to round out some of the more traditional wedding choices and mass parts.  It was a beautiful ceremony, and a true collaboration.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, St. Rita, Chicago

Down front at St. Rita's

I have lived just two miles from here for over 20 years now, but this was my first time inside!  The church is actually part of the St. Rita College Prep School for Young Men, and it is a large, lovely space.  The bridal couple made lots of really smart decisions.  First of all, they had both piano and harp, which is unusual, but perfect for this space.  The wonderful Mike Carso of St. John Fisher Parish was on hand to play piano and keep everything running smoothly.  I took care of the prelude, Mike and I played for the bridesmaids (Canon in D), and then the bride came down the aisle to solo harp (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring).  When you have multiple instrumentalists, it really gives you the option to mix things up a bit, and I think that is wonderful for the congregation.  Mike took care of the mass parts, while I rolled some chords as ornamentation.   We both played on the recessional, and everything was wrapped up nice and neat!

If you would like to have lots of options, think about adding harp to the piano or organ that is already included in your ceremony plans! I have lots of music that works for two!

The large congregational area at St. Rita

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, St. Hyacinth Bascillica, Chicago

My harp is there, but admittedly a little hard to see in the wide shot.

Well, I actually gasped a little when I first walked into St. Hyacinth, because it is just that kind of place.  I mean, you already know from the outside that it is going to be impressive, but that doesn't really prepare you for what the inside ends up achieving.  It is bright inside.  Sun filled, even.  And the colors from the stained glass are dazzling.  The church is beautifully cared for, and well worth a trip just as a tourist.  It is in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago, and was built between 1917 and 1921 by, and primarily for, the Polish immigrents that lived in that area.  The neighborhood is now an ecclectic mix of people, and the ceremony I played for included elements of Iraqi Christians! Additionally, the church seems to have a clearly defined path for people from other parishes to arrange to be married here.

This wedding came to me through a wonderful singer named Maureen Christine.  She sings a wide variety of events, but specializes in Catholic liturgies.  If you are planning to have a Catholic Mass, you probably already know that the music needed is substantial and incredibly specific.  It really helps to have musicians that are well versed in the traditions, and that absolutely includes Maureen!  In addition to the places in the Mass that had music (Alleluia, Psalm, Gifts, and Offretory), she sang "The Prayer" as the mothers came down the aisle, and it was so lovely with voice and harp.  We also performed Schubert's "Ave Maria" while the bride placed an offering of flowers to Mary, and that is always a special, exceptionally sweet moment for the bride that I think is really enhanced by music.  Maureen's website has some great examples of her singing, and she is a really helpful person in general!

I took care of the processionals and the recessional with solo harp, but it sure was useful to have Maureen there watching the people file in. St. Hyacinth's is a big place, and it was great to have her telling me who was on the way down the aisle and how far they had gotten!

If you are planning a ceremony with a cantor (another name for a vocalist at a Catholic Mass) I would love to help!  Call me to talk about how harp can do all of the duties of the piano or organ, no problem!

A view to the side.
Visit the website of St. Hyacinth to see the amazing stained glass dome!!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

The Beautiful St. John Cantius, But, Alas, No Wedding

The fabulous St. John Cantius from the first loft!

Okay, so I wasn't here for a wedding (I was playing Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols), but I couldn't resist posting this photo.  The church recently went through a renovation, and it is incredible!  If you were putting together a group of ten churches not to be missed in the Chicago area, this one would have to be on it.  Plus, after reviewing the parish site, it looks like they might accept couples from outside the parish.  It says they generally don't, and then gives a price for if they do in the very next sentence!  The parish is quite active with special events and concerts throughout the year.  Stop in and enjoy one of the loveliest sacred spaces in Chicago!

Wedding Ceremony Harpist St. Tarcissus

The beautiful St. Tarcissus from the harpist's vantage.

I believe the groom told me that, including the bridal couple, they were expecting 15 people at their wedding ceremony!  The couple wanted a relaxed atmosphere but also, of course, a sense of occasion. I was happy to help, and luckily the harp can really make a large space feel more intimate and warm for a small group.  It was a beautiful ceremony, and the bridal couple looked relaxed and radiant.  Your classic big win!

Gorgeous, bold fall colors!

Visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com to plan music for your large or small wedding!

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, St. Vincent Ferrer, River Forest

In place up front by the musician's area.

It is always a pleasure to work in the area's beautiful and historic churches, especially when the staff musicians are as wonderful and welcoming as Camela Daley!  Cami is the Minister of Music at St. Vincent's and she really knows how to put together a beautiful ceremony.  The bride in this case wanted a more modern, meditative mood for her music, so Cami helped her select Hymne by Vangelis, and The Wedding Song by Kenny G., and then brought me in to add to the full, rich sound of the piano.  Since I was playing harp, Cami was also able to play her flute, so the bride had an incredible amount of variety with just the two musicians!  As always with Catholic Masses, I am willing and able to play the mass parts and other musical parts of the service.  The harp can be a terrific addition to a wedding mass, whether or not you have a keyboardist already playing!

My view of the beautiful altar area of St. Vincent Ferrer.

If you would like to hear other pieces for your processionals, visit my website at:  www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

St. Alexander's in Palos Heights

The altar area at St. Alexander in Palos Heights

If you need an experienced keyboard player who can both sing and play for your mass, Andy Perz is a wonderful choice.  Andy has his own church to play for in Glenwood, but he is frequently available for other services as well.  He sings beautifully, and is such a pleasure to have around.  On this occasion, Andy and I played with a fine Irish violinist who was a friend of the family's, and provided a wide range of classical music for their mass.  The bride chose Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and Canon in D for her processionals, and the sound was rich and full with three musicians on hand.  When the newly married couple was ready to process out, they were led by a bagpiper!

St. Michael's in Old Town Wedding Ceremony Harpist

The outdoor renovations are complete!

Well, the scaffolding is down at St. Michael's, and the church and square are looking better than ever!  I was here back in April (yep, behind on my blogging), so the trees aren't all quite out yet.  This church has it all: a convenient city location that feels secluded, and one of the most talented music directors you are likely to come across, Daniel Stucker. Daniel is a fantastic musician, and keeps the ceremony full of variation. Harp solo, harp with cantor, harp and piano, piano solo, we did it all! Daniel is a proponent of one of my favorite wedding practices: changing instrumentation when the bride comes in!  This time I played the processional for bridesmaids, and then Daniel started the Canon in D on piano, and I joined him part way through.  With that kind of variation, the music supported the entrance of the beautiful bride, and the moment was perfect!  

If you would like to talk about adding harp music to your wedding ceremony, call and we'll talk!  

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!