Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, At Home in McHenry

This was an absolutely beautiful wedding, but since it was at a private home, I didn't feel right taking too many photos of the area; I figured the Fox River was a safe backdrop, so I just stuck with that. Plus, what a backdrop!! The bride requested the song "All My Days" by Alexi Murdoch. It wasn't available for purchase, but she hired someone to write it out for her, and I have his contact info in case someone else needs it going forward. It was all very sweet, and I was delighted to be part of the couple's plans!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Private Home, Lake Villa

 The setting for this wedding was absolutely gorgeous, and only steps from the backdoor of the family's house. The couple chose "Golden Hour" for their attendants to walk in, and it certainly matched the mood perfectly! I travel with a battery powered amp, and it is super useful in situations like these when you want to bump the sound up just a bit, but there isn't an outlet in sight. Just a little bit of amplification, and my harp can handle a large open area like this really beautifully!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Private Home, Michigan City, Indiana

 

This was my final outdoor wedding of the 2024 season, and it was a stunner! The client's home was situated on a private lake, so of course we had the ceremony where that incredible view could be enjoyed! I have a large repertoire, and it is always rewarding when couples find things there that they might not have asked for otherwise. In this case, it was the Metallica song "Nothing Else Matters", and it went over big with the folks in attendance that day - such a pleasure!!

You'll find repertoire lists on my website, near the bottom of the page on drop down menus.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, At Home in Oak Brook

A beautiful little pond was the focal point

My second lovely at-home wedding this month! The bride requested a "cocktail hour" before the ceremony, so all of the guests relaxed to harp music while enjoying some refreshments before the ceremony began. When it was time, the bride processed to "True Colors", and it was poignant and wonderful!

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 and Cocktail Harpist, Air BnB, Chicago

I was set up in the huge entryway

My first wedding of 2024 was fantastic! The couple rented an Air BnB in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, and invited their nearest and dearest to come celebrate for the entire weekend! The enormous staircase made for a perfect entrance for the bride ("Golden Hour" was the song), and they requested their "prelude" music be moved to after the ceremony for a little cocktail music. I was happy to oblige, and everything went beautifully!

I am excited for the amazing wedding season to come - contact me if you'd like to add music to your plans: www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, At Home, Chicago

Perfect framing for my harp!

To really get the scope of my harp between these oak trees, I would've had to have stood three lots over! Such was the magnificent setting of this wedding in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago! The couple planned a perfect evening: backyard ceremony and cocktails, then a walk over to Ridge Country Club led by a bagpiper! The weather was perfect, and I was delighted to be a part of bringing the new couple's vision to life!

A serene space for their ceremony

If you've got some big ideas, I would love to help you, too! wwwChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Reception Harpist, At Home in South Barrington

Set up to greet guests in the entryway.

This really was so much fun! I was initially hired because the beautiful bride had always wanted to enter to a specific Bollywood tune played on harp. Once we knew I was going to be on hand for the ceremony, we started to build the plans out from there! I started in the entryway, playing as guests arrived. Next, I moved closer to the outside deck for the bridal procession. Then I relocated a third time so that I could play in the entryway, but run my amp around the corner so as to effectively be in two rooms at the same time! My battery powered amp is a great tool for quite a few situations. You can go ahead and put me where you like, with no consideration for power availability, and my longer cord allows for some creativity for where the sound ends up!

If you would like to discuss plans for your specific event, we can always talk through the possibilities. I am available at (312) 860-4997.

Ceremony Harpist, at Home in Batavia

This beautiful little gazebo helped mark the ceremony site.

I love seeing my clients find ways to celebrate even when coronavirus restrictions are a struggle! This lovely couple had married in church, but faced a strict limitation of who could attend. To get around that, they planned an additional short service that included vows, and went straight into a phenomenal outdoor celebration! I was delighted to be part of their ceremony plans, and the harp music definitely gave everything a nice structure and a bit of formality. The start of a beautiful evening for sure!

My website includes repertoire lists that you may find helpful in planning your ceremony: www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, At Home in Morton Grove

 

At home weddings are just so lovely and personal, and this one was no exception. The groom met me out front in shorts to help with the load-in! The couple chose classical music for their processional, and asked me to play "Terrapin Station" by the Grateful Dead for the recessional. After the ceremony, they relaxed on the deck with their guests, and I provided some cocktail music to get the evening truly underway. 

If you are a lover of the Grateful Dead, I now have a selection for you!! You can peruse my repertoire list for other off-the-beaten-path selections at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, At Home in Burr Ridge

 I set up on the back patio and started with an hour of cocktail music as the guests visited before the ceremony. When it was time for the ceremony, I moved to the back of the property, and soon the music was beckoning the guests to head around the tent and take a seat for the wedding. The bride wanted the traditional Canon in D for the processional, but also loved the Bob Seger tune "Living Inside My Heart" from the 1986 movie "About Last Night". A guitarist played and sang the special song during the ceremony, and I played an instrumental version for the recessional! Perfect!

The selection of 80's sheetmusic available online is excellent, so if you have a song from your past that is special, there's no reason not to include it in your plans! Who knows, maybe I already know it! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, At Home in Crown Point, Indiana

Home weddings are always intimate and relaxed, so definitely a terrific idea during a pandemic! This one was particularly memorable for me, because the groom turned out to be a musician, and he knew exactly what he wanted for his wedding. He chose "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica for the processional, and it was incredible. I did an arrangement for them, so I could get as close as possible to the original, including the opening guitar solo. Since the "aisle" was short, the groom decided to use the one song for everyone, and it was a great decision. It was smoother than changing songs, and it also let the song choice really sink in with the congregation. Making things special for the bride is always at the forefront of my thinking, so I brought the music down before her entrance, and started fresh when I saw her coming down the aisle. They recessed to the Smashing Pumpkin's "Tonight, Tonight", and it all just fit beautifully.

The decorations were so lovely!!

I have a large repertoire, but I am always happy to learn new music! Please see my website for the special request procedure at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Proposal Harpist, Private Home, Burr Ridge

So the groom put some effort in. It was lovely!

Okay, so "private home" is probably not quite right. You should definitely look up 6501S. County Line Road, Burr Ridge, because it has a pretty interesting history; part grand mansion, part real estate over-reach. At this writing, it is available to rent for events, and that's where I came in. The very sweet prospective groom was planning a wonderful evening around his proposal, and he knew the bride had seen and enjoyed my YouTube channel. Some quick thinking on his part resulting in my arrangement of a new favorite of her's (Somewhere Only We Know), and we had ourselves a plan!

Pretty hard to get the scope of this place in a camera phone shot!

The repertoire page on my website is a great place to start any plan! 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

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Client's Home, Chicago

The couple stood by the fireplace to take their vows!

This is the third intimate home wedding that I have done, and it was lovely! The bride descended the stairs to the "Hawaiian Wedding Song," with friends and family gathered on all sides. As soon as the ceremony concluded, I launched into cocktail music and champaign was served! Everyone visited and watched the new couple take photos until it was time to leave for the dinner reception. It was a relaxed and elegant way to start their new life together!

Live music can be a wonderful element if you are looking to reimagine your everyday environment for a special occasion! Plus, tunes originated by Elvis Presley, you know, obviously. 

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, At Home in Ingleside

A view of my perch and a little bit of the aisle!

Weddings at home are really fabulous.  You get a wonderful idea of who the bride and groom are, and everyone is so relaxed!  Yes, it did take me a minute to visualize where Ingleside was (head for Fox Lake, and turn right just before you get there), but it was all easy after that!

The bride and groom wanted to involve their grand children in the ceremony, and the bride wondered what song would work for the little 3 year old flower girl.  So easy!  "Let it Go" from "Frozen"!  I learned this from a bride a couple of summers ago, and it worked like a charm again!  No timid little march down the aisle; the petals got happily distributed, and the flower girl actually enjoyed her special moment. Then it was time for the bride's procession, and she was escorted by her adorable little grandson who looked to be about 5 or 6 years old!  It was truly one of the sweetest things I've ever seen, and I see plenty of good stuff!

The ceremony went off beautifully, and I stayed to play some cocktail music afterwards.  The best part was that when I was loading out, the groom came over to make sure I didn't need any help (I didn't), and we had a little chat.  You know what he wanted to talk about?  How much he loves his new wife!

If you want to hold your own cozy wedding in your natural surroundings, call me.  Harp music can add just the right touch!

The harpist's view of the proceedings!

South Loop High Rise Ceremony and Reception Harpist

A fabulous lake view!

This wedding location was a surprise for everyone.  The bride and groom had planned to travel to a foreign destination and marry while they were there, but a last minute family illness changed their plans. Luckily, they stayed flexible, had access to this lovely party room in their condo building, and everyone worked together to make sure it was a delightful day.  

I played as the guests arrived, and then just a little bit of a processional as the bridal couple worked their way to the front of the room.  As they didn't have a traditional wedding party, that was all they needed!  When they had finished exchanging vows, I started back in with upbeat popular tunes to set the mood for the reception.  It was an all-in-one type of event, and the couple got to relax and spend time with family and friends, so a complete win!

If your plans look as though they might change, give me a call.  We can arrange lots of beautiful music even when it seems like it is the last minute!  Visit my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com for ideas! 

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Harpist at Home in Glencoe

The beautiful Glencoe backyard setting

Okay, just fair warning, I was so excited about this wedding.  Granted, I am a huge wedding geek and get excited about all of them, but this one really was amazing.  For those of you who keep track of such things, marriage equality just arrived in Illinois this Spring, so that alone had me pretty excited.  I have been playing commitment ceremonies and domestic partnership ceremonies before now, but I do enjoy having an easy-to-use, one size fits all sort of arrangement.  Additionally, it has been super fun working with long time couples who didn't necessarily think a proper wedding was in their immediate future, but here we all are!  So now to the details of this particular wedding....

The brides chose mostly classical music for their service, with one very cool exception.  One of the brides recorded herself singing "Can't Help Falling in Love With You" a cappella (or without accompaniment). When it was time for the bridal couple to come down the aisle, they paused on the back porch of the home, and the recording was played as a surprise for the other bride.  I joined in and provided harp accompaniment for the last verse, and then transitioned into just a snippet of "Here Comes the Bride", before playing Canon in D.  After the ceremony, I stayed and played love songs while everyone had a glass of champagne before heading out for dinner.  It was truly a lovely celebration! 

Visit my website (www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com) for music ideas, or call me to see if we can work out something really special for your ceremony!

At Home in Harvard

Well, the picture doesn't quite do the scene justice, but you'll understand once I explain a little.  The wedding took place on a beautiful piece of land out in McHenry County (Northwest of Chicago about 90 minutes).  It was lovely, and the predicted rain held off, thankfully.  You can see a bit of the archway/trellis that the couple used as a focal point on the left, through my harp strings.  I was seated on the grass (under a tree), but once you get the harp into place on grass, you dare not take your hand off of it to get a photo!  The couple took advantage of one of my options for choosing music........ they left some of it to me to decide!  They chose "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" for the bridesmaids, "Canon in D" for the flower girls and the bride, and left the recessional choice to me!  When given this responsibility, I always try to choose something that fits in with the other music that is being used.  In this case, I went with "Come Ye Sons of Art", a lovely piece by English composer Henry Purcell.  It can serve as either processional or recessional, and you can listen to it here.  It is not a familiar piece to most people, but I find that it is an immediate favorite once people hear it.  The piece was written for  Queen Mary's birthday in 1694, so it is a real piece of history, all ready to be incorporated into your own history!

If you would like to hear any of the selections mentioned here, please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.