Ceremony Harpist, Chateau Del Mar, Hickory Hills

 

I hadn't been to Chateau Del Mar in a while, so it was nice to see the property looking great! We were having some pretty wild storms on and around July 3rd, so it was a relief to both:

1. Be inside, and 

2. Have it still be super beautiful and light filled, as I know the couple wanted.

I was so busy getting in and drying off, that the picture of me in my corner is the only good legitimate picture I have. I'm going to upload a screen grab from a  video below, because the room was lovely, and I can't get Google to let me load the video <sigh>.

This on a dark and stormy day.... I know!!

Ceremony Harpist, Blackstone Hotel, Chicago

 

I kept putting myself in the picture - not sure why!!

I have ALWAYS wanted to play a wedding in this ballroom, but it never happened until today! The Blackstone Hotel is an absolute icon in Chicago, and I have been in love with this space since the moment I saw it. The shape of it even allows for my favorite set up of all - me a the base of the aisle, off to one side. I can see everything (even when people stand up), and I get to see everyone just as they start down the aisle. That last fact gives me no advantage whatsoever, I just really enjoy it!!💖 

Look at all the details! It looks like a 
wedding cake!!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist University Club, Chicago

This stunning space is the 12th floor gallery. It faces out over Millennium Park and the lake, so the views are really unmatched.  The University Club has lots of wonderful spaces that you can preview here. I had played for the couple before, so I knew I needed to bring Star Wars themes and 90's rock. The bride actually process to "Across the Stars" from "Attack of the Clones"! It was a really wonderful day!!

Ceremony Harpist, Idlewild Country Club, Flossmoor

Idlewild Country Club, in the south suburbs, is a really gorgeous venue! I love all of the natural light, and the greenery that you can enjoy while still being cool and comfortable. Additionally, you are the only event here, so you can really enjoy yourself and not worry about how your plans will intersect with someone else's plans! They told me that they do work with clients who are not members of the club, so I think this is a fantastic place to consider!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Cafe Brauer, Chicago

Cafe Brauer is an iconic venue in Lincoln Park; it is a feast for the eyes, and just sparkles at night. I am always delighted to be there! The bride chose "So This is Love" from Cinderella for the flower girls, and "Can't Help Falling in Love" for her entrance. It was an absolutely fabulous combo, and I do hope I get to use it again someday! 

The room was a hub of activity, so I could only take pictures 
around the edges!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, theWit, Chicago

The ceremony space is small, but lovely!

This was my first time to theWit in downtown Chicago, and I thought it provided a fantastic boutique hotel wedding experience. This lovely room has a distinctive State Street view, and a lighted arch as the focal point of the room. This was a smaller wedding, and the space was so warm and inviting for the wedding party. Afterwards, I moved into the adjoining balcony overlooking the lobby, where guests enjoyed cocktails and more music!

Cocktail hours are an easy add-on for any ceremony! See my website for more info and prices 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 Harpist, The Croatian Center, Merrillville, Indiana

The Croatian Center was a new venue to me, and I thought it was lovely! I'm not positive that I understand how things are structured there, because the venue website seems to be less about the venue, and more about the caterer, which is Dimitri's? Regardless, the venue is worth checking out. It has a big wall of windows looking out on a garden area. It looks like there are opportunities for outdoor settings, although the day I was there was pretty rainy, so I couldn't say for sure. Still, look at the photo: super gray day, but still plenty of lovely light in the room!💖

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Baby Shower Harpist, Chevy Chase Country Club, Wheeling

 

A beautiful sunlit room, and plenty of space for a harp!

I love going to Chevy Chase because I know it is going to be a smooth, carefree experience. The room is beautiful, and it's the perfect size for harp music! On this day, my clients were celebrating the imminent arrival of a new baby boy, so I got dressed up in blue and played a mix of love songs and Disney songs. A perfect way to spend a Sunday morning!

If you're planning a shower of any kind, I would love to help! 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

Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, The Langham, Chicago

I am an absolute pushover for rooms that are one of a kind, and The Langham certainly delivers big on that score! The views in this room (Melbourne) reveal in stages: a gorgeous corner panorama, followed by a unique view down the river corridor.

Set as it is at the corner of the building, guests were able to spill out into the hallway for the cocktail hour, and the room functioned as much bigger than its floor plan. If you're looking for a signature room for your small ceremony, you really couldn't do better!

If you need seamless ceremony and cocktail music, I would be delighted to help! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Harpist, Gibson's Italia, Chicago

As you can see, the roof deck at Gibson's Italia is pretty spectacular. It is one of those spaces that is hard to capture in a photo; the roof is glass and retractable. You are literally surrounded by the river view, and it is stunning. The couple had planned a beautiful afternoon with their nearest and dearest that would also include their wedding vows! Live music can be such a wonderful way to set a mood in these circumstances. I move easily from soothing music while folks are setting up, to upbeat music to greet the arriving guests. As everyone relaxed and took in the view, I was able to incorporate the Bollywood selections the bride had requested, which kept everyone surprised and amused. When the couple was ready, just a few bars of Canon in D signaled that the ceremony was starting. It is such a joy to be able to be responsive to what is going on around me, and know that I am helping the flow of the event.

My website is the first step in getting to know what I offer, and I am always available by phone or email to answer any questions you have. www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Reception Harpist, Abbington Banquets, Glen Ellyn

Eventually you'll be able to view the wedding 
couple and the garden!

This was a lovely reception at the well kept Abbington Banquets in Glen Ellyn. The biggest surprise for me was the lovely garden view from this particular room! If you peer through the window, it looks like there are even tables out there! That's all. I thought you would want to know about a banquet hall with a patio garden!

The view really made the whole room!

The cake shown in the picture before this
 was just to the left here.

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

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

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.

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Harpist, NoMi, Chicago

The first of the three private rooms has a really warm feel.....

And an amazing view!

NoMi was one of the venues that I played in twice this year! The restaurant, located in the Park Hyatt Hotel on Chicago's Gold Coast, is a succession of intimate rooms, ending with three that they use for private events. For this wedding, we started in the first room with prelude and the ceremony and then, while the wedding party was taking photos on the terrace, I moved into the second room.

A slightly larger, brighter room that this family
used for dancing!

I was a surprise for the bride (planned by her mother), and they wanted to be sure to have music for dancing. They planned 3 special songs (My Wish, Marry You, and Daughters) and found a very talented singer to sing to my harp accompaniment. It worked out wonderfully well, and indeed they danced!

Here is a picture of how the two rooms connect.

Write me if you have an idea of how I can help you define the important moments of your wedding! reneewilsonharp@gmail.com

Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Chevy Chase, Wheeling

Rich brown tones and lots of bright woodwork makes for a warm feel!

I hadn't been to the Chevy Chase Country Club in years, and it was nice to see the facility looking so good. They had two large events going on that evening, but because of the way the venue is laid out, everyone had their own space. The mother of the bride requested the hymn "This is My Father's World," and I found a lovely arrangement. Like at many weddings, when the bridesmaids were ready to come down the aisle, they just came right ahead, without a thought to the music that was playing. I think this is frequently the detail that eludes clients. Your friends and relatives are going to be nervous, and they have not been living with the details of your ceremony for as many weeks as you have! In my experience, it is always nice to have #1 a little wiggle room in the music and #2 a ready-to-go Plan B. We, luckily, had both. The wedding party was large, and the officiant and I had agreed that if the bridesmaids started down during the special hymn, why I could just go ahead and finish it out with no harm done. So I did. Then I transitioned to Canon in D, and the whole thing turned out fine. Plenty of music, and everything nice and smooth. Additionally, the mother of the bride had chosen the Coldplay song "A Sky Full of Stars" for the recessional just because she thought it would be nice. Boy, was it ever. It translated to harp so nicely that I am going to put it up on the YouTube channel just as soon as possible!  

If your mother would like to suggest a new song for my repertoire, give me a call!  (773) 881-0706.

Wedding Reception Harpist, The Signature Room at the 95th, Chicago

I played from the West windows, and this gives you an idea
of the clarity of the view.

Okay, it is going to feel a little funny labeling this one as "a room with a view."  Perhaps "room with THE view" would be more appropriate. The Sears Willis Tower building is certainly lovely, but there is nothing like being next to the lake and up high.  The Signature Room at the 95th (located on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building) has a number of private rooms to chose from, and they all have gorgeous views, because of course they do.

I started out working with the bride, but as the big day drew close the groom had some ideas for music, too.  He wanted to plan a special song that the couple could dance to.  I don't often provide the music for the first dance, but it is absolutely something that I can do.  In this case, the groom found a piece on my YouTube channel that he liked, "Ribbon in the Sky" by Stevie Wonder, but I also found a piece on his prospective list that I liked:  "Tupelo Honey" by Van Morrison!  I asked him which he preferred, and he suggested a little medley.  Done!  The song choices were kept a secret from the bride and the guests, and made for a lovely moment as the new couple spun around the dance floor.  It really was such fun, as it so often is when people share their ideas for their wedding day!

If you need to jump start your wedding day ideas, please visit my YouTube Channel!

It is so hard to get a good picture in front of windows! Still, it gives you
an idea of the scope of the view. The windows continue to the left!!

Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Boulder Ridge Country Club, Lake in the Hills

Some of the view. I was trying to avoid getting golf carts in the frame,
as this was early on and they hadn't yet been moved!

Boulder Ridge Country Club has an absolutely stunning view, able to be enjoyed from the patio, or the huge balcony off of the reception area. The balcony is so large that smaller ceremonies can actually be held there, but as we were larger on this day, we were down on ground level, which is also amazing. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful, with the weather cooperating in every way!  Afterwards, although the official party was starting inside, I continued to play outdoors, and guests returned to the gorgeous balcony to enjoy the amazing view, sip their drinks, and listen to live harp music. It was truly the loveliest of settings!

Visit my main website (www.Harp123.com) if you would like to see the comprehensive list of available cocktail music.

Guests, and eventually the bride, enter here. 

A little bit better picture of the arbor.