Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Joliet Ballroom, Joliet

The Grand Ballroom in downtown Joliet is the perfect venue for live harp music! The ceremony space is located in the old ticketing area of the train station, and it features a fantastic staircase for the processional. The space is all hard surfaces, though, and really benefits from the way live music, and particularly harp music, can warm up a room. The couple chose a classical piece (Air from Water Music by Handel) for the wedding party, and then the bride processed to Young and Beautiful. It was stunning!

If you are planning a wedding at the Joliet Ballroom, I would love to help you find your perfect music! Learn more at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

All set up with a view to the staircase!

Ceremony Harpist, Assumption Catholic Church, Chicago

The gorgeous ceiling at Assumption Catholic Church

The musical needs at a Catholic wedding ceremony or mass are very specific! I have a long history of playing in the Catholic Church, and even own a set of the Gather Comprehensive Hymnals, so I am well prepared to jump in and help! The major need today was for prelude, as the ceremony started almost an hour late. I kept playing, and I think that helped everyone stay calm! When it was time, the large wedding party came in to Cannon in D, which is an excellent choice when you have a processional that you know will be quite long. I was also happy to play Ave Maria, when the bride brought flowers to the Mary Shrine. It was lovely!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Firehouse Chicago

 I've been to Firehouse Chicago several times over the years, and it is one of my favorite venues. First of all, it's gorgeous. But don't forget distinctive, and whimsical. Finally, the staff here are really good, so everything just works. This was the first time I've been here that the bride was able to use the long stairway (sorry, no picture of that), and it was very dramatic! She chose the Mitski song "My Love All Mine", for she and her mother to walk in to, and I think there wasn't a dry eye in the place.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Wilder Mansion, Elmhurst

 The Wilder Mansion in Elmhurst is an absolutely breathtaking location. The gardens are incredible, and the tent lets everyone enjoy them in shaded comfort! The bride requested "Enchanted" and "You are In Love" for the processionals (both by Taylor Swift), and they worked out beautifully! We had Hannah of Enchanted Events running everything, so the whole event was smooth and relaxed. This venue is a real winner if you're looking for a garden setting!

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, Oak Park Country Club, Oak Park

The Oak Park Country Club has an amazing rooftop veranda for their wedding ceremonies, and it boasts a sweeping view of the grounds. The bride choose "Halo" for her wedding party to process to, and I am really happy with the new arrangement that I put together. I will definitely be posting that to my YouTube channel soon!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, The Grove (Redfield Estate), Glenview

 

I love the storybook charm of the Redfield Estate at The Grove! It is always a luxury to have the facilities you need near a beautiful natural area, and this location really delivers. The couple chose "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie for their fairly long processional, and it worked really well. So nice to have 3 verses and choruses for what is a bit of a longer walk at The Grove. The bride entered to "Claire de Lune", and it was romantic and perfect!

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 Harpist, Mio Modo, St Charles

 

It was so much fun to be part of the very first wedding to take place in the newly remodeled Mio Modo event space! It is a really flexible, beautiful space, and has a nice long aisle, which only enhances the processional, for sure. The bride chose two Luke Combs pieces, "Better Together" and "Beautiful Crazy", so my country music choices have now increased. She also wanted a mash up of "Here Comes the Bride" and "Wildest Dreams" that she saw on YouTube for her entrance, and that was super fun!

Do I know any of your favorite songs? 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 Harpist, La Pergola, Galleria Marchetti, Chicago

I have been to Galleria Marchetti many times over the years, and I think the La Pergola space is my favorite, with its roll-away roof! It was a chilly fall this year, but having the protection of the walls really helps with comfort, while still giving a very outdoor feel. The team from Anticipation Events kept everything running smoothly while I played prelude and processional music. The bride choose special music for her family (Can't Help Falling in Love) as well as her bridal party (A Thousand Years), which I always think is a sweet way to bring in family members!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Firehouse Chicago, Chicago

Firehouse Chicago is a lovely little gem of a venue! This was my second time here, and the weather really cooperated, so I got to see all of the lovely features. It is one of the smaller venues, but it accommodates harp really, really well, and the sight lines are great, so your processional will be smooth, too. The bride chose "So This is Love"  and "How Long Will I Love You" for her processionals, and they were sweet and poignant. I brought my amp, because the bride wanted to be sure the sound would be strong, but you really don't even need it here - the courtyard setting is intimate, and the hard surfaces make the sound reverberate beautifully.

If you're thinking about hosting a Firehouse Chicago wedding, I think harp would be a great addition for sure!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, St. Sophia, Des Plaines

It was such a pleasure to play at St Sophia; the Church is highly ornate, and just a joy to behold! With all of the hard surfaces, the harp sounded fantastic, too. The bride actually fell in love with one of the Bollywood tunes on my YouTube channel (Kal Ho Naa Ho), so her processional was truly a multicultural event!💖

If you are looking to combine all the things you love, I definitely want to help! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, W Chicago - Lakeshore, Chicago

A little hard to get the sense of the roundness of the room,
but it's there!!

We were set to be on the balcony of the 6th floor at W Chicago - Lakeshore, but the weather had other ideas. It's kind of great when your fallback is this iconic round space with fantastic lake views, though! After a flurry of activity, it looked really beautiful!!

The bride chose "November Rain" by Guns 'N Roses for her processional, and it was really dramatic and lovely!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

This was plan A

Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park, Chicago

The Gold Room, which I kind of thinks looks silvery?

This was a lovely wedding with the amazing Desiree Dent of Dejanae Events at the helm! The Fairmont can be a complicated venue, but everything ran like clockwork with Desiree on the scene.

The bride had very specific musical ideas, and it took some months for her to decide on everything. She went all the way back to the 1990's for her processional, and landed on "Forever in Love" by Kenny G. It translates really well to harp, and I have since added it to my YouTube channel! Frequently "my" best ideas come from all the lovely brides I get to chat with!!

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 and Cocktail Harpist, Room 1520, Chicago

 

It is always an honor to play for a family more than once, so I was delighted to get this call! The elder daughter had gotten married in February of 2020, just as the pandemic was getting ready to start, and now the younger daughter would wed just as the pandemic seemed to be winding down. Both of the sisters used "Can't Help Falling in Love" for their processional, and they were both beautiful brides! Room 1520 is a wonderful sounding venue for harp, and just around the corner from the harp factory, so a well known neighborhood for all harpists!

www.Harp123.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Patrick Haley Mansion, Joliet

 

Even the indoor site delivers an outdoor feel!

On this particular day at the Patrick Haley Mansion in Joliet, rain was threatening. Lucky for the bridal couple, everything was moved indoors without issue! The indoor area is so full of windows and light (even on a gray day) that it is a total joy! I had my amp, but the couple arranged for me to go through the DJ's system instead, and this is becoming more and more common. Whenever you mic a harp, you get that amplified sound, but you also still have the acoustic sound of the instrument. It is a really nice mix!

The bride chose the "Flower Duet" and "Air on a G String" for her relatives and bridal party to process to, and "Storybook Love" for her own entrance. Not a dry eye in the house!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Deer Path Inn, Lake Forest

The ceremony used Windsor II, with Windsor I as an
entry area.

It has been a fair number of years since I've been to the Deer Path Inn, and it was so wonderful to see what an elegant venue it remains! The Windsor Rooms are incredibly versatile, and I love how the entire area has its own impressive entry. The bride's family were classical music fans, so they wanted me to save the popular choices for their cocktail hour, and play all classical music for the ceremony prelude. They used "Air from Water Music" for the bridal party, and the bride chose to walk to the traditional "Bridal Chorus". It was truly lovely, and I did a quick move into the bar area in Windsor I to start some livelier cocktail music. 

Live music programming can be anything you want it to be, and I would be delighted to help you set your perfect mood. Please feel free to reach out to me and discuss your plans directly. I can be reached at (312) 860.4997.

Ceremony Harpist, Artifact Events, Chicago

The catwalk you see in the middle of the
picture is part of the processional path!

This was my first time to this amazing venue, and Artifact Events certainly has a lot to offer. The ceremony space is just really grand; so much so that it is impossible to get all of the wonderful elements in a single picture! My favorite is the nice long walk for the processional...more time to admire the wedding party and bride! The groom turned out to be a big fan of the singer and harpist Joanna Newsom, and he really wanted to include some of her music (in an instrumental version) in the ceremony. We spent some time discussing the possibilities, and decided on "Sprout and the Bean" for the processional. I am happy to report that it worked beautifully!

If you have a non-traditional wedding song in mind, you might be able to make use of my special request process. See more information in the FAQ section of my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Multiple levels for all you'll need!