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

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 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 Ceremony and Reception Harpist, Ruffled Feathers, Lemont

It is actually pretty hard to judge from this picture. Things are mostly
set up but the lights and candles were not yet as they would eventually be.

I think January weddings are so romantic, and this wedding certainly took advantage of all that early January has to offer!  We were scheduled for just after the new year, so all of Ruffled Feathers' holiday decorations were still in place, and the early sunset made sure that everything was sparkly as the guests arrived.  The bride chose the "Glasgow Love Theme" from the movie Love Actually, and then she walked down to "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music. Probably the biggest surprise for me, was the piece that they couple requested for the seating of their relatives.... "The Inner Light" from the televisions series "Star Trek: The Next Generation."  I have been down this particular road with couples on a number of occasions (where one person loves something very specific and the other is a bit lukewarm) but everything worked out great this time.  "The Inner Light" is actually a lovely piece of music that sounds terrific on harp.  If someone knows "Star Trek." they may well recognize it and remember it as a particularly touching segment but, if not, it is just a pretty piece of music.  Basically your classic win-win.  After the ceremony, I moved into the cocktail hour and played some pop things and a bunch of upbeat Irish tunes, and a good time was had by all.

If you would like to consider warming up your winter wedding with live music, please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com!