Ceremony Harpist, Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook

The ceremony site is right next to the lake!

 I have been to the Hyatt Lodge many times, but it never fails to impress. There's even a little portico, so if the weather is wet, I have some options, and could still play for couples that want to go ahead with their outdoor plans. That wasn't an issue on this glorious day! The couple had chosen a variety of Anime and video game music, including "Merry-Go-Round of Life", "One Summer's Day", and "The Great Fairy Fountain". It was fantastic!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Shower Harpist, Perry's Steakhouse & Grille, Oak Brook

Cocktails were in this side room

I played for a wedding shower, and the harp music was a surprise for the bride from the mother of the groom!! It was held at the beautiful Perry's in Oakbrook Center, and the restaurant was closed except for the shower guests. It was a truly lovely situation, and harp music was perfect!
 

With my wireless amp, I can definitely provide music for
larger spaces!

Cocktail Reception Harpist, Drury Lane, Oak Brook

The lobby for the ballroom is very large!!

The Drury Lane complex has so many facilities! I have been here several times, but there have always been too many people around to allow for a photo. On this day, I was playing Bollywood reception music as people arrived, and got themselves settled with a little food and drink. Then, they passed by me again as they headed into the main reception. It is a lovely use of the harp, and helps everyone settle into an evening of delightful things!

My Bollywood repertoire is listed at my main website:

www.Harp123.com

Ceremony Harpist, Portiuncula Chapel, Oak Brook

This is my third time to the Portiuncula Chapel at Mayslake Peabody Estate, and it is always a thrill. The chapel is tiny, as you'll see in the photos below, but absolutely charming. On this particular day, the couple had been planning to go to the courthouse, but their family convinced them that a small wedding would be lovely, and it was! The family chose mostly things from my repertoire, but also wanted to hear "Everything" by Michael Buble, and I was delighted to learn it.

If you are looking for someplace for your micro wedding, you really might love this venue!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Brunch Harpist, Grand Oaks Pavilion, Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook

The Grand Oaks Pavilion is an iconic spot for events in the Chicago area; there's just nothing else quite like it. It nestles into the trees in the most wonderful way, but there is also a nice view of the little lake, too! On this morning, the couple was having their western wedding ceremony down by said lake, and then they all climbed the hill to the wedding brunch. At the couple's request, I played mostly pop music, but added in a few Bollywood tunes as a way to transition into the full weekend of Indian wedding festivities!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Bridal Shower Harpist, The Drake Oak Brook, Autograph Collection

This lovely bridal shower was a tea, and I think many people associate The Drake  downtown with tea service and harpists! The two hotels are no longer owned by the same company, but you can see many features in the suburban location that remind you of the downtown hotel. I hadn't been in years, and was pleased to see what a wonderful property it continues to be!

I played love songs as everyone chatted and celebrated the soon-to-be married couple, and it was a delight!

Harp music is perfect for a bridal shower! There's more information at my website: www.Harp123.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

Cocktail Reception Harpist, DoubleTree Hotel, Oak Brook

 

The lobby at the DoubleTree in Oak Brook is a very generous size, and harp music warms it up really nicely! On this day, we were celebrating a 25th anniversary, and the party attendees wandered between the various stations providing food and drink while listening to Bollywood favorites. It was a lovely party, and I was so happy to try out my newest Bollywood arrangement - Mitwa!

I now have a complete hour of Bollywood music, and the selections are listed at my main website:

www.Harp123.com

Ceremony and Cocktails Harpist, Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook

This area is referred to as the grassy knoll

I have played at the Hyatt Lodge quite a few times over the years, but it still never fails to impress with all its natural beauty. Here, I am set up and ready to play prelude music and the processional. The communication with the wedding party can be complicated here (the walkway is long and curved), but completely worth the effort!!

www.Harp123.com

Nikah Ceremony and Reception Harpist, Doubletree, Oak Brook

In my mind, there is no better way to start the new year than a wedding, so I was thrilled! The Doubletree, Oak Brook seems to have oodles of experience with big weddings, and it was a pleasure to see things work out so beautifully for this couple! There was a last minute issue with pandemic precautions, and I believe there may have been a change made with how things were broadcast for those not able to attend the Nikah. The hotel tech experts came and offered solutions, and things were managed quickly! Once we were started, things went smoothly, and we were off to the many specialty stations they had chosen for their pre-reception! I played Bollywood selections while guests mingled, and it was the joyful occasion everyone had hoped for!

If you are interested in my Bollywood rep, you can view it at: www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Reception Harpist, Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook

A perfect setting. You are both right by the water, and 
only steps from the hotel!

I have been to the Lodge many times, but this was my first time down by the lake. It is an absolutely stunning location, and was perfect for this particular wedding. The mother of the bride had requested that I play from my Bollywood repertoire, but the drummer and I had something unexpected happened! The groom's family approached using the bridge that spans the lake, and I had continued to play as they were gathering across the lake from the ceremony site. When the drummer began to lead them across the lake, he locked in with me, and we played a duet!! It was unexpected, and so cool! After the ceremony, the guests gathered for light refreshments overlooking the lake. It was a serene setting for the couples big day!

This patio is directly adjoining the hotel.

You'll find a listing of my Bollywood repertoire at my website: www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Harpist, Michael Jordan's, Oak Brook

The sparkly ceremony room!

This was my first wedding back after the pandemic lock down, so it was pretty memorable for me just for that fact. To get to work with this lovely bride who wanted to go forward with a celebration based on whatever was possible was, well, kind of amazing. She gathered her nearest and dearest, called Michael Jordan's in Oak Brook, and kept things romantic and manageable. The ceremony was in a small room off the dining room, and the venue made it beautiful and sparkly for the couple! Once they were well and truly married, they had the dining room and patio to roam around during cocktail hour, and then they sat down at a wonderful square banquet table for the dinner. I played a real quirky mix for cocktail hour (they wanted to keep it light), and then added in some classical choices and love songs for dinner. It was a fantastic evening for the couple, and thank goodness. 

I thought this was a lovely way to seat a small group for a party!

Playing for the dinner meant just turning the harp around!

If you find yourself having to rethink your plans, I am always happy to help. My website contains various ways of contacting me, and I would love to hear from you! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Reception Harpist, Q Room, Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook

The private balcony is really very large!

Okay, so this was actually for a corporate event, but I was totally knocked out by how lovely this room was, so I wanted to post it. This is the Q Room, and it is tucked in to a corner of the main level at the Lodge. I have always been fond of the Grand Oaks Pavilion, but I think this is a little gem, too. There's a wrap-around veranda, and absolutely stunning views. Certainly worth considering if your wedding is going to be on the smaller side!

The view of the lake is really lovely!

The room accommodates 60 people. The small area outside the room
worked well for a medium sized buffet line set up.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Cocktail Hour Harpist, Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort

The cocktail hour and ceremony space overlooking the pond.

Frankly, we were lucky it wasn't super hot the day of the event. I think the Oak Brook Hills Resort is an absolutely beautiful venue, but there is really not a lick of shade where all of the tables were set up. There is some shade down by the pond where I was, but I think this is something anyone who is planning an event here might want to consider. Additionally, there was some music from the pool area directly to the east. I am not shy. I went over and politely asked them to turn off the music (which they did), but not everyone is as pushy as I am, so there's also that. In the plus column, boy is there room to roam at this venue, and I bet they have everything to keep all of your guests happy throughout the entire wedding weekend. Also, the bride requested "Despacito", so that's up and running for everybody else now, and it sounds great on harp!

The pond that is overlooked!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Reception Harpist, Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook

One of the most distinctive venues in the west suburbs,
at Hyatt Lodge you feel you are in the trees!

It is always a pleasure to return to the same venues year after year and find them looking well kept and still very much themselves! Hyatt Lodge is certainly in that category for me. There is not another venue that gives you the feeling of being in the woods as this one does, and the vista down to the lake is unmatched. The slightly irregularly shaped room lend an intimacy that is hard to get in other banquet rooms. Overall, I think it is definitely worth a trip to see if you are a tree lover!!

In the other direction, you see through the trees down to the lake!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Doubletree Hotel, Oak Brook Wedding Ceremony Harpist; Also, Bollywood!!

The ceremony set up was vast.  My harp is off to the right in the front.

This was so much fun.  I had never played a Hindu wedding before, only receptions.  The traditions are quite different, and it was wonderful to see how the bride and groom mixed the old and the new. I have had requests for "Bollywood" tunes before, but have never been able to find a source for sheet music (I do not play by ear, unfortunately).  This enterprising young couple was able to find something!  The site (sheetmelodies.com) did not have all the music that they had hoped for, but they chose four pieces and I went to work. I am happy to report that all of them worked on harp, and the bride and groom were pleased!  Plus, my 13 year old daughter and I got to spend a week watching Bollywood videos (so I could be sure I was adapting them accurately), and that made us both happy.  (Dancing! Romance! General sparkliness!)

My harp set up next to the mandap
where the ceremony was held.

Grand Oaks Pavilion at the Hyatt Lodge Oakbrook

Just outside the Grand Oaks Pavilion

The website for the Hyatt Lodge calls the Grand Oaks Pavilion a "Fairy Tale Setting" and I would have to agree.  This is one of my favorite banquet halls in the entire Chicago area, and a truly one of a kind setting.  Outdoors, there is a lovely patio with towering oak trees above, and lovely plantings all around.  Inside, you no longer have perspective on the trees, as you are in and among them!  My pictures don't really do it justice, but this is definitely a site worth a special trip.  I was set up in the ante room to the banquet hall, which has a fireplace and a nice gathering area, but the light was tricky and I never got a good picture of the harp - sorry!  

Banquet hall as elegant tree house?

Portiuncula Chapel (Oak Brook) Wedding Ceremony Harpist

The Portiuncula Chapel (on the Peabody Estate in Oak Brook) is one of the most distinctive venues in all of Chicago.  The chapel was built in 1926, and is a replica of a chapel in Assisi, Italy.  The chapel is a National Historic Landmark, and has a fascinating history which you can read about here. If you are looking for an intimate venue in a secluded setting, this should definitely be on your short list!

On the day I played there, the weather was really cooperative!  Snow has been in short supply here in Chicago this winter, but there was enough that day to make the landscape look absolutely beautiful without blocking any of the paths I needed to use for my harp!  

In some venues I need all of my harp's resonance to fill the room, but that is definitely not the case in this little gem of a building.  With its diminutive size and hard surfaces, I was more concerned that I not blast the guests with harp music!

The Mayslake/Peabody Estate website states the capacity of the chapel at 62 seats.  On the day I played, the chapel was set for 40 guests, and that felt comfortable with plenty of room for everyone to move around. I have seen the chapel with the doors thrown open to accommodate guest seating on the surrounding walkways, and that is a lovely option when the weather allows.  The Mayslake website has lots of wonderful information (including pricing).  If you need harp music, too, you can find all of my information at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.