Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Herrington Inn & Spa, Geneva

The rain plain for Herrington Inn & Spa is still really lovely!

 Well, we were supposed to be outside at the Herrington Inn & Spa, but it has been a really rainy summer. Luckily, the venue manager, Raquel, is a really capable person, so she called the event for indoors in enough time so everything could be beautiful for the couple! The room layout at the Herrington is pretty distinctive. I played for the ceremony, as you see, then I moved over to the small balcony, and played for the cocktail hour below. It made everything super seamless, and I was able to play right up to the introductions, as all that was needed was a quick move backwards, and the French doors were closed off! I would really recommend this venue for both beauty and flexibility!

In other news, I learned my first Rolling Stones tune, and can report that "Wild Horses" sounds great on harp!

See all my repertoire at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Prelude harpist, Pickerill Estate House, Yorkville

There's an area surrounded by trees on
one side of the house

This was my first time to the Pickerill Estate House, and it was lovely. The soon to be wed couple wanted recorded music for their walk down the aisle, but they brought me in to play live music while the guests assembled. I have a lovely repertoire of classic R and B, and I mixed it with some more current favorites so everyone got to hear something they knew. It was a beautiful day!

There's a lovely covered patio on the other side!

Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, The Farmhouse, Plainfield

This was on October 12 - so gorgeous!

 The Farmhouse in Plainfield was a new venue for me, and I thought it was brilliant. They have everything you need, all in close proximity, and the landscaping was absolutely stunning! I was on the job with the wonderful Sara Vettraino of Belle Music, which was a treat, as well. I love the sound of harp and violin, and Sara is a fantastic musician. We played prelude, and then they had recorded music they wanted for the ceremony. We quickly and quietly moved from the back of the ceremony over to the patio for cocktails. Here's our photo from the end of the evening!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Stonebridge Country Club, Aurora

Stonebridge's outdoor area is really stunning

 This was my first outdoor event of the year, and although it was a little chilly, it was so beautiful! The area they have for weddings at Stonebridge Country Club feels nicely out of the way of the normal club business - no golf carts were buzzing by or anything like that. Their website also states that they do accept non member weddings. 

The bride chose "Storybook Love" from "The Princess Bride" for her processional, and I really love that selection. I always feel like you hear a collective sigh of recognition when I begin that piece!

My repertoire lists can help you find your perfect processional, too. They are located near the bottom of the page on my website, in drop down menus. Happy planning!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Cantigny Park, Wheaton

I have played at Cantigny multiple times, but this was my first time at the Rose Garden. It is certainly a lovely location, and the ceremony was beautiful. The bride chose "Turning Page" by Sleeping at Last for her processional, and it was very sweet! The full sun was a big challenge, but I had my brand new stroller sun shade so I could still read my iPad, and that was a big help!

This helped the iPad not overheat, and cut down
on glare so I could still read it!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Reception Harpist, At Home, St Charles

I was set up in the room adjoining the greenhouse.

A wedding at home is a lovely, intimate affair. This particular bride loved the movie "Father of the Bride" with Steve Martin, so we had lots of fun music to start with: Chapel of Love, My Girl, and The Way You Look Tonight. After I played for the ceremony, I moved back just a few feet, and played until dinner was complete. Harp music is like that: a pretty good idea for many parts of your big day!

If you've got a favorite movie, let's see if I can play the music from it!! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Fragrance Garden, Morton Arboretum, Lisle

The Fragrance Garden at the Morton Arboretum is a charming location for a small ceremony! The bride made good use of her 2 special requests, and had the love theme from "Jane the Virgin" for her processional, and "Like a Star" for her recessional. The guests relaxed before and after the ceremony in the gorgeous garden, and it was a lovely start to the couple's new life together!

If you would like to see if I already know your special song, visit my website: www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Hotel Baker, St Charles

This is the gorgeous garden everyone traverses to get to
the ceremony!

This was my first time to Hotel Baker, and I was glad to finally see why people were always raving! The bride hired me for the ceremony and cocktails, so this one location for the harp actually was perfect for both. I was positioned at the base of the stairs to the upper patio overlooking the river.

The bride wanted to walk in to "Annie's Song" by John Denver, and I was happy to oblige. Everything was lovely, and even the rain held off!

Harp really is the perfect addition to any garden wedding!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Bolingbrook Golf Club, Bolingbrook

This lovely patio is at the front of the club

 This was my first time to Bolingbrook Golf Club, and I thought it was truly lovely. Wedding guests mixed and moved between the indoor space and the patio, enjoying the food and music. I played quite a few Bollywood tunes, but the bride requested "Clocks" for her processional. By the time they were married, the patio had taken on a magical glow in the dusk!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Ruffled Feathers, Lemont

 

A lovely blank canvas

I was very glad to be inside on this blustery day, and the rooms at Ruffled Feathers are so bright and airy, that they are pleasant even on the gloomiest days! The music for the ceremony was coordinated by the father of the groom, who is also a musician. He choose traditional tunes in Canon in D, Bridal Chorus, and the Wedding March, and it was lovely. Truly, the traditional things can be so soothing!!

After the ceremony, I transitioned to "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, and the guests were happily off to cocktails!

Planning something traditional? I would love to help! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Venue 5126, Oswego

The view from the outdoor ceremony site

 

Venue 5126 (formerly Emerson Creek), is a beautiful, self contained wedding facility. The lovely outdoor area is mere steps from your reception area and potential rain site.

Looking back towards the reception areas

In this case, I played for the ceremony, and then did a quick move to the patio, where I played Bollywood favorites. The bridal couple had many guests who had traveled all the way from India, and the Bollywood music was a big, welcome surprise for them!

Even the back of the patio is super cute!

Let me know if I can help you plan a surprise for your guests! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Mistwood Golf Club, Romeoville

You're overlooking the golf course lake...wow!

I thought the view on the Mistwood Golf Club patio was one of the loveliest I have ever seen! Situated between two buildings of the complex, it provides a fair amount of shade as the afternoon progresses, and the landscaping is really beautiful. You are near enough to the parking lot that it is super convenient, but the landscaped path and archway make it seem tucked away. Such a treat for all involved!

If you would like to add music to your dream location, my repertoire lists can help! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Guests and the bridal party enter through a landscaped path
and archway (see it in back?)

 

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Fisherman's Inn, Elburn

The gorgeous ceremony room. the windows continue all the way down
the left, and give you a panoramic view.

I at Fisherman's Inn years ago when it was a restaurant, but this venue is a revelation now that it is a designated wedding venue. It had been raining (basically the ongoing story of 2019), and the bride decided to move everything indoors. In many ways, it wasn't a big compromise. I think their ceremony room does an amazing job of bringing the view indoors. The cocktail room is directly above the ceremony room (no pictures, sorry), and features a lovely deck overlooking everything. Apparently, they only host one wedding at a time, so all of this is yours and only yours. Wow.

Okay, so the guests were already in the cocktail space (so no photo),
but I took a photo for you from the elevator. Best elevator view ever.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.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

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 and Cocktail Harpist, Cog Hill, Lemont

The patio at Cog Hill

I have been to Cog Hill many times, but always in December, so this was a treat! Our weather was perfect, and the set up on the patio includes a wonderful long aisle for the wedding party to process down.

The wedding party looked fantastic here!

This bride was a delight to work with; she wanted to combine classical music and some popular selections (which is a really common approach these days) but she was a little afraid that she would get it "wrong." The nice thing is, there really isn't a wrong way to do it! I encourage my clients to listen to my YouTube channel recordings, and try listing the music they think they want. Nine times out of ten, it is just fine as is! If there is a selection they feel unsure about, we usually talk about it further and make sure that we address their concerns. If I see something that I think is not going to work, I mention it for sure. A good example is a song that is too fast for the processional (perhaps "Marry Me" by Bruno Mars) or too slow for the recessional. Sometimes the brides agree with my concerns, and sometimes we do it their way, because they have a vision and I am here to make that happen! This lovely bride found that the process was easier than she thought, and we took her list verbatim!

As soon as the ceremony was over, I moved to a more central location on the patio, and continued to play for the cocktail hour. Eventually, the wedding guests had this stunning room to look forward to!

This is the only banquet space at Cog Hill, so you will never
have to compete with another wedding!

Remember, in addition to my YouTube channel, I have a list of songs that I play. No recordings, true, but you still might find it helpful!

Wedding Reception Harpist, The Lincoln Inn, Batavia

That's the corner area where the wedding party sat. 

This was such a charming reception! The bridal couple, and indeed all of the guests were members of a Seventh Day Adventist Congregation nearby. Since Seventh Day Adventists adhere to a Sabbath day of rest of Saturday, the wedding and reception were both scheduled for Sunday morning. I actually think that brunches, or "wedding breakfasts," as I believe they are called in Britain, are overlooked as a practical yet romantic alternative to evening affairs.  The Lincoln Inn in Batavia is perfect for this.  The owner was telling me that they host a popular Sunday brunch every weekend, so you could easily stop by and see what you think of the facility and its food without having to schedule an appointment! On this morning, we were in the Springfield Room, and it is quite remarkable. It is sort of an "L" shaped room, which is generally kind of a drag, but not in this case. The owners, very cleverly, installed a corner area that is perfect for the wedding party. Everyone sits elevated just a bit, and the reality is that the bridal couple is able to be seen from every bit of the room!  In addition, there are a number of large windows for natural light, and some large wall mirrors to disperse the light throughout. All in all, a super pleasant room.

The couple had requested hymns and classical music, so the music was very soothing. Brunch was served buffet style, and everything looked wonderful and well tended.  Definitely a place worth remembering!

See? This is why you need to plan December events...
the floral possibilities are so romantic!!