Ceremony Harpist, St Peter's Latvian Lutheran Church, Wood Dale

 

The bridal couple were both musicians, so it was really fun hearing their choices for the ceremony! The bride had a very specific Grace George version of "Heaven is a Place on Earth" (originally by Belinda Carlisle). In a first for me, the bride's dad was able to supply an arrangement of the music, as it was not available for purchase elsewhere. He did a great job! I adapted it for harp a bit, and we were all set. We also agreed I would do an arrangement of "You're My Best Friend" by Queen for the recessional. You can all feel free to thank this lovely bride for that, as it is turning out to be one of my most requested options!

The Lithuanian at the Latvian wedding!!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

September 21st Harpist, Odyssey Country Club, Tinley Park

 

The East Gazebo

What a wonderful surprise! This amazing couple chose to celebrate their wedding on September 21st, even though it fell on a Wednesday! Luckily, the weather was beautiful, and everything was as smooth as possible. I even got to learn my very first Earth, Wind & Fire song (September, of course!). 

The location is so stunning that I stayed behind just a minute to get one last picture with the water feature all lit up!

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, The Joinery, Chicago

A really interesting space with an industrial vibe.

Okay, so I almost didn't post these pictures because I feel like they kind of don't do The Joinery justice. It was a beastly hot day in June, and also super gray out. There is a lovely courtyard area just outside of this room, but it just wasn't much use on this day. Later on when the Persian wedding got going, the whole space was colorful and vibrant, but during set up it was kind of drab. You have to look hard to even see the harp hiding off to the right in the picture because it is so dark. In some ways, though, I think that may be helpful to know about this venue.

I suppose it is possible that the bridal couple wasn't using some available lighting, but I think it more likely that you are meant to design your own lighting scheme here. It is a good blank canvas, and what you do with it is going to be completely yours. 

In this case, they warmed it up with friends, family, and wonderful Persian wedding elements that were new to many of those in attendance. They relied on music to bring in American cultural themes, and chose "I Will" by the Beatles, and "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz for their processional and recessional. It was a wonderful representation of them as a couple, and a total joy to be a part of!

Harpist's view!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Double Tree Hotel, Alsip

Set up at the one of Double Tree ballrooms, ready for the ceremony!

This was one of those times where the music wasn't initially what I expected, but I wanted to follow the couple's wishes because, well, yeah. The couple wanted Coldplay's "A Sky Full of Stars" for the bride to walk in to, and "A Thousand Years" for their recessional. I have, most often, used those two choices for exactly the opposite ceremony jobs! Upon reflection, though, a slower "Sky Full of Stars" was really appealing and effective, and I just started "A Thousand Years" at the chorus, and I thought it worked great! In the end, they had really personalized music, and I got to look at those pieces in a different way. It was pretty fun.

The Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Alsip is a really appealing venue. The Banquet area has a separate entrance with easier parking nearby, and the hallways are a wide and comfortable location for your guests to gather if you need additional space. They were able to do a really quick turn around of the room, so the ceremony, cocktails, and dinner reception were all in the same room. Nice!

Harpist's view of the room.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Thompson Hotel, Chicago

I thought my harp looked particularly good in this setting!

 I was not familiar with the Thompson Hotel on Chicago's north side, but I really thought they did a nice job on this medium sized wedding. The room was especially lovely, with floor to ceiling windows, and lots of nice design touches (like fabulous chandeliers!). 

A close up of where the couple stood, and you can see
the candles on the window sill a little better, too.

The facilities really matched the bridal couple's music choices, too. They went with very romantic, era spanning popular choices. The wedding party came down to "Flightless Bird," and the bride entered to "Moon River." Afterwards, they walked out to "Here Comes the Sun" and I continued postlude with the "Game of Thrones Theme" (as the groom wrote, "a few times, maybe?"). The Game of Thrones theme has been the breakout wedding hit of 2017, I would say, and no one is more surprised than me!

The windows continue the length of the room.

If you are planning your own vision of a throughly modern ceremony, I know I can help! 

Call with any questions! (312) 869-4997.

Ceremony Harpist, Southern Charm Venues, Frankfort

The charming entrance off of the parking lot.

This was a brand new venue for me, and I think it is utterly wonderful! It is certainly on the south end of the metro area, but really not far off of the expressway, and super easy to find. Once you are there, it is the perfect combination of country charm and modern conveniences. The barn style building is sparkling clean, and there are lots of amenities to make your guests comfortable:  ample parking, handicap accessibility, and fancy hotel type bathrooms! I spoke with the owner, and they are working on figuring out air conditioning, so you should check on their progress if that is important to you.

The ceremony room is furnished with a few pews and plenty of chairs.

The ceremony room is a smaller area off of the main banquet space, and it overlooks a lovely field. The day I was there was super hot, but we were out of the sun and there was a nice cross breeze, so it was fairly comfortable. The bride went ultra traditional with her processionals and recessional (Canon in D, Here Comes the Bride, and the Mendelssohn Wedding March) and then really showed her personality for the special music during the ceremony.  She and her groom had "Moon River" for the unity candle and "Solamente Una Vez" for the lasso ceremony. Then she gave one of the most touching and heartfelt stepmom vows I have ever heard.  It was beautiful, and poof!! Brand new family! 

The reception area features lots of lights, and is open to the outdoors
on two sides (hence the bright light from behind me)!

If you need music for your grand design, please give me a call at (312) 860-4997!

Ceremony Harpist, Odyssey Country Club, Tinley Park

The east gazebo at the Odyssey Country Club.

The Odyssey Country Club is a classic south side wedding venue, and we had a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and cool temperatures. The bride's mother is a musician, too, so the music was really important to her, and she wanted to specify as many of the pieces as possible. This is always an option for my clients. I am happy to come with a playlist, and even to fit the most important songs in at the most important times if I can. Of course, weddings do not always run exactly on time, so I always having a backup plan, but I am happy to do my best!

The bride's mother had lots of good choices for me, and wanted to end the ceremony with an Owl City selection called "Hot Air Balloon." Unfortunately, there is not music available for that, so we substituted "Fireflies" and that turned out beautifully!

If your wedding will be at the east gazebo, the harp placement is, by necessity, behind the chairs. Even so, the fountain will likely have to be turned off. For some reason, it always seems like the fountain being on will be okay, and then a gust of wind comes along, and everyone (and my harp) is soaked. Being behind the chairs also lets me get music to the stairs for the approaching wedding party, and then I turn the harp around during the ceremony. It is a beautiful setting, but a little complicated from the musician's point of view! It was all worth it, though, as the bride looked radiant, and the ceremony went beautifully!

If you need someone to work with you on your ceremony's complexities, just email me at reneewilsonharp@gmail.com!!

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Columbus Park Refectory, Chicago

Set up and ready to play at the Columbus Park Refectory.

I loved, loved, loved this venue. It is sort of a covered portico area off the back of a classic Chicago Park District building (rental info here).  It is brick with huge archways and a lovely view to a pond off in one direction. Additionally, there are bathrooms and some other rooms for the bridal party to use attached, and they all seemed to be in good shape. I was able to nestle myself in towards the back of the area where I had a good view of the processional, and even had a wind block to keep my music from blowing around. 

The view from the front!

The ceremony included some ideas I had not seen before, too. The biggest one, for me, was the use of the mothers of the bride and groom as flower girls!!!!  Yep.  Genius, right?  I always try and get an idea of who is in the processional, but I also allow for the fact that it is changeable, because, well, experience. I saw some little flower petal baskets and I had no knowledge of there being flower girls, so I asked. The baskets were for the moms! It was one of those ideas that was appealing in practice, too. Many times the mothers look a little ill at ease at a wedding, and who can blame them? Their duties are usually broad, difficult, and frequently hard to define. These moms looked relaxed and seemed really into it as they threw down some petals.  Go moms!

My accompaniment for the recessional (well, one of them)!!

For the recessional, I was to play the Iz version of Over The Rainbow. Sometimes this can be a hard choice to make work for recessional, due mostly to the fact that the harp is imitating the ukulele, not known as a powerhouse of sound.  Turned out not to be a problem here. The bridal couple had the most adorable little angel ceramic bells that they had given as favors to their guests, and everyone chimed in with their bells as I played the recessional. I wish I had a recording; it was a really charming, festive sound.

Need some support for your special ideas? Email me at reneewilsonharp@gmail.com!

Ceremony Harpist, Deep River Park, Hobart, Indiana

The day was gray, but the plantings and gazebo already looked fantastic!

This was a thread the needle type of day for sure. I have been to Deep River County Park several times over the years, and it is truly beautiful, but on this day it looked like it was just going to rain and rain. In the end, it rained right up to a half an hour before their ceremony, then knocked off for about an hour or so, and then started up again! Whew!

Harpist's view of the sand ceremony table and the chairs.

Luckily, that was as much tense drama as there was. The bride chose "Endless Love" for the bridal party, and "Here Comes the Bride" for herself. For the sand ceremony, she had a lovely little melody from the "Romanza" movement of Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", and we ended with the traditional Wedding March by Mendelssohn. For postlude, she requested "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, and that brought the music to a close with an upbeat feel. Who even notices the storm clouds when the wedding is beautiful and the music is cheerful?

The path the wedding party use!

Interested in any of the songs mentioned in this post? They are all recorded on my YouTube channel, along with many other options!

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Holiday Inn, Elk Grove Village

Set up for the ceremony.

This bride really did things well.  When she contacted me initially, she informed me that while the event was to be an American style wedding, many of those attending would be of Nigerian descent, and that a 3 pm Nigerian wedding would likely not start right at 3 pm.  We had a little chat, and decided to specify a time frame that I would set aside for the wedding, acknowledging that the start time within that time frame was unknowable!  It really helped me, as I came with extra music organized, and was not staring into the back of the hall the entire time wondering if I was going to get a signal in the next 30 seconds to start.  Truly, the time just before the processional is the most difficult for any wedding musician (as you want everything to be as smooth as possible) and having a realistic idea of what is going to happen is just wonderful!

This bride loved soft music, so she decided to go with "Storybook Love" from the movie "The Princess Bride" for her bridal party.  This is frequently an overlooked option, especially when you consider that the song is so familiar to so many people!  The bride walked down to "A Thousand Years" and, bless her heart, although it was a relatively short aisle, she walked slowly enough that I was able to play both sections of the song!  I think perhaps I will ask her to coach all of you... walk slowly, brides!  You are so beautiful, and we all want to enjoy the moment!!!

For the recessional, she chose the more up tempo "I'm Your's" by Jason Mraz.  The best part for me was that one of the groomsmen was actually singing along a little!  Yet another good argument for using pop music at a wedding... people enjoying hearing songs they know!  

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Harpist, Salvatore's, Chicago

The patio at Salvatore's

Salvatore's is really a Lincoln Park institution, but it is still a little off the beaten path.  It is nestled just North of Fullerton, back in a neighborhood of one way streets that makes getting there just a bit of a challenge.  Once you arrive, though, the street is quiet and there is valet parking!  The building used to be a hotel, and was converted (many years ago) to apartments and a restaurant.  The patio where they hold weddings is completely shaded and looks out on the landscaped courtyard of the apartment building.

The bride and groom wanted a mixture of pop and classical music, so the mothers of the bride and groom processed to "Air on the G String" by Bach, and then the bridesmaids entered to "Ribbon in the Sky" by Stevie Wonder.  I had forgotten how wonderful "Ribbon in the Sky" sounds on harp!  Look for this to appear on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, for sure!  The bride walked in to "A Thousand Years" and everybody recessed to "Marry You" by Bruno Mars.  I updated my arrangement of this piece, and I am finally completely happy with it, so you can expect a video of that soon, too!

After the ceremony, I moved indoors to play for the cocktail hour while the bridal party took pictures.  Things were moving along really efficiently, so my stated "cocktail hour" time actually ended up extended into the dinner, so of course I kept playing!

If you are looking for a convenient everything-in-one place venue in the city, you really should see Salvatore's.  And of course, consider harp music!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

The dining room at Salvatore's.
The patio is just through the doors on the left.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Galleria Marchetti, Chicago

See the white building hidden among the trees on the far right?  That was us!!

I have a long history with this place, but in a super odd way.  As a newlywed, I lived at 525 N. Halsted, virtually across the street, so I can certainly attest to how the neighborhood and this facility have changed over the years.  We used to run into the owner on what was then a desolate part of Halsted, and our loft had a view of what is now the outdoor ceremony garden!  Over the years, many many improvements have been made here, and the plantings in the garden have grown up to give a wonderful sense of seclusion in the middle of the city!

On this particular evening, it was cold; below 50 degrees by the time I was finished. I doubt very many venues were able to go on with their outside weddings, but we were fairly comfortable at Galleria Marchetti! The garden is on the East side of the property and is sheltered both by the buildings and the trees.  Plus, with the building so close, guests who would rather not be outside can take shelter, and the large staff is always ready to whisk the entire event inside if things get uncomfortable.

The bride and groom for this wedding chose a really lovely little ceremony where they put love letters they had written to each other in a small bottle, to be opened on their first anniversary.  The bride's mother suggested Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" for musical accompaniment and it was perfect!  The bride told me that she and the groom were huge Beatles fans, so she went with "Here Comes the Sun" for her recessional, and I did a medley of Beatles' tunes for postlude.  I covered "All You Need is Love", "I Will", and "When I'm 64"!  It was fun, and fit them perfectly!

Visit my website to see what might fit you perfectly!  www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

A better view of the lush lawn and, of course, our old apartment!

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Medinah Country Club, Medinah

The room actually glowed, and the candles were not even lit yet!!

Saturday was wet.  And cold.  My heart went out to any and all that had planned an outdoor wedding, but I was thrilled for my client who had planned to be indoors all along.  We were at the historic, amazing Medinah Country Club, and even the staff was marveling at how beautiful the room looked!  

The bride wanted a small ensemble, so Jennifer Silk played violin with me, and it was wonderful.  The bride chose all popular music for her ceremony, which is becoming more and more common.  The parents and grandparents entered to "Here Comes the Sun", the bridesmaids walked to "What a Wonderful World", and the bride and her father processed to "A Thousand Years".  During the ceremony, we played "All I Ask of You" for the gift of roses to the moms, and the theme from Beauty and the Beast for the unity candle.  The recessional was "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, and I am happy to report that it is absolutely wonderful with violin and harp!

It might be hard to tell, but the framed object front and center is actually a flower arrangement inside of a silver frame.  It was amazing!

If you need music to go with your amazing ideas, please visit my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

The harpist's view.

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Harpist, Kenilworth Club, Kenilworth

So, first of all, you should go to the website of The Kenilworth Club, because it is good, and my pictures are not!!  This is a private club in the small North shore community of Kenilworth, and it is a little gem.  I was on hand to play for the short ceremony, and then I continued through the cocktail hour and most of dinner. At that point, many of the guests were up and moving around, and the party switched to recorded music. The couple requested the Sara Bareilles tune, "I Choose You" for their recessional, and it turned out super cute!  I get some of my best repertoire from special requests, that is for sure!

The dividers behind the table lead to additional space.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist in Alsip Chateau Bu-Sche

A view through the retractable doors to the courtyard.

Chateau Bu-Sche has gone through a lot of changes and renovations over the years, and it is looking really wonderful these days!  Their two main rooms on the first floor open up onto little courtyard areas, and I do mean open up!  Your guest will be in heated or cooled environments (not to mention shade), and yet you will be able to enjoy a garden setting while you take your vows.  Truly, it is a wonderful have-it-both-ways sort of an option!  On this particular day, Linda Veleckis (the violinist) and I played prelude with the doors closed.  Just as the ceremony was about to start, staff came out and smoothly did away with the door.  Temperatures were low this particular evening (just below 50 degrees), so I think the guests were probably glad to be out of the breeze, but the bride and groom will have lovely outdoor pictures!

Harp and violin carry beautifully here!

The inside of this venue just really sparkles, and the white palate is terrific for setting off your wedding colors.  The bride chose traditional favorites including Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Bridal Chorus, and The Wedding March and had harp and violin for all of those selections.  For her sand ceremony, she chose the Shania Twain song "From This Moment" for harp solo.  It was a beautiful indoor/outdoor wedding!

Violinist Linda Veleckis, ready to begin!

If you need music for indoors or outdoors, please visit my website: www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Riverside Receptions, Geneva

The courtyard at Riverside Receptions in Geneva

I really love Autumn weddings in general, but this one was particularly lovely.  The bride had a great sense of what she wanted, and the event planner, Carlene Smith at Naturally Yours Events, was really terrific. The flowers were spectacular, as the florist (Heidi at FieldAndFlorist.com) has her own flower farm in Barrington and an artist's eye.

Autumn arrangement by Heidi at Field and Florist in Chicago

The courtyard at Riverside Receptions is lovely, but it is a public space. People were kind of randomly coming and going until I began to play. Like magic, all of the wedding guests came and sat down, and the people who didn't belong headed for the exit.  

The bride chose really eclectic music, which I always love.  She had the bridal party enter to The Nightingale, and then she entered to Debussy's Clair de Lune.  I have only used "Clair de Lune" as a bridal procession twice in the last 20 years, but both times the congregations have literally gasped just a little bit. Something about the beautiful bride and Debussy's song about moonlight just really grabs people.  Then, for the recessional, the bride wanted "Tonight, Tonight" by The Smashing Pumpkins.  I was a little worried at first since you don't right away think "harp" when you think about the Pumpkins, but it turned out really well. I'm definitely going to be playing "Tonight, Tonight" whenever I get the chance.

A lovely aisle highlighted by flower petals.

This was my first time working with the event planner, Carlene, so after everything had turned out so beautifully, I was eager to talk to her and find out more about her company.  She described her service as, "Non-traditional, eco-friendly, and a little quirky."  Additionally, she says that couples come to her at all stages in the planning process, with all types of ideas and all budgets.  She says nothing is too out of the box for her staff, and they concentrate on creating a fun and memorable party.  I saw it in action, and I can highly recommend her!

If you just can't imagine "Tonight, Tonight" on the harp, call me directly and I'll give it a go over the phone!  (773) 881-0706.  

Wedding Ceremony Harpist Cantigny, Wheaton

The beautiful view from the seating area on the East side of Cantigny.

The Cantigny complex is large and varied.  There are a number of public gardens, picnic groves, a visitor's center, and a historic mansion. I believe they do weddings in several locations, but I have only ever been on the East side of the mansion.  There, you will find terraced lawns that work their way down to reflecting pools and one of the loveliest views around.  This location has the added distinction of keeping all of your guests in the shade, as long as your wedding begins after about 5 pm!

The bride and groom on this day wanted the lovely "Flower Duet" song from the opera "Lakme" for the wedding party, then it was "Bridal Chorus", more commonly known as "Here comes the Bride"!  I was able to include "Bianco Fiore" (as the recessional) to honor some guests who were Italian, and "Evening of Roses" (in the prelude) for some who were Jewish.  Everything was a beautiful reflection of the bridal couple!

If you would like to see if I know any of your favorite songs, please visit my website:  www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

The view as you descend the hill at Cantigny.

St. Alexander's in Palos Heights

The altar area at St. Alexander in Palos Heights

If you need an experienced keyboard player who can both sing and play for your mass, Andy Perz is a wonderful choice.  Andy has his own church to play for in Glenwood, but he is frequently available for other services as well.  He sings beautifully, and is such a pleasure to have around.  On this occasion, Andy and I played with a fine Irish violinist who was a friend of the family's, and provided a wide range of classical music for their mass.  The bride chose Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and Canon in D for her processionals, and the sound was rich and full with three musicians on hand.  When the newly married couple was ready to process out, they were led by a bagpiper!

Piper Hall Mansion on the Lake in Chicago

Piper Hall as seen from Sheridan Road

This one is definitely worth considering.  You may have already seen it if you ever make the drive from Chicago to Evanston along Sheridan Road.  The mansion sits at a bend in the road, and right on the lake.  It has been renovated to host events, and it has some wonderful features. No need to go into all of them here (as the Loyola website is really quite good, prices included!), but it seems a shame to leave all of it to another website, so.........  You are right on the lake here.  Surprisingly, right on the lake is not that easy to accomplish in a Chicago wedding venue. There is a large veranda off the side of the house that would be beautiful in fine weather. 

There is a staircase on the left, if the bride wants a dramatic entrance!

The day I was there, it was a bit cold, so we were inside the mansion. Inside is pretty gorgeous, too.  Tiffany windows, gilded ceilings, paneled walls;  really, really lovely.  The couple was married inside, then went outdoors to take pictures among the beautiful gardens.  The guests lingered in the mansion listening to harp music, and then walked a block to retrieve their cars from the Loyola University Welcome Center parking.  For a city venue, it was really very convenient.

We were warm and comfortable inside!

The bride was British, so I got to play the Beatles classic "Here, There and Everywhere" for the unity candle, and "Here Comes the Sun" for the recessional.  The bridal party stood in the sunroom, which you can see just a bit of in the above photo, and the guests looked on from the paneled rooms.  It was a beautiful, late fall wedding.

Considering harp music?  Please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Centennial Park Wedding Ceremony in Munster, Indiana

The perfect vantage point for any harpist!

I love Centennial Park in Munster!  What a beautiful location.  The park opened in 2007, so it is still fairly new on the scene, but (as you can see from the photos) most of the plantings are looking mature and wonderful.  The lakeside patio is completely handicapped accessible (staff were bringing some of the guests with mobility issues down on golf carts), and there is a dramatic staircase that the wedding party can use for their entrance.

The wedding party came down these two sets of stairs.

This bridal couple wanted to honor their hispanic heritage, so we went with "La Paloma Azul" (The Blue Dove) for the processional, "De Colores" for the recessional, and "Blue Bossa" for postlude.  

After the ceremony, everyone went up the hill for a cocktail reception at the gorgeous banquet facility overlooking the park.  This site is a real winner.

Just to show the really beautiful plantings!