Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Starved Rock Lodge, Utica

A cozy late fall set up at Starved Rock Lodge

The bridal couple lives in Ohio, and much of their family is in Minnesota, so they set out to choose a location halfway in between where they could meet, hang out, and celebrate their wedding.  I have been inside at the lodge for a reception before, but never a ceremony.  I thought it looked really beautiful.  Since the wedding guests were staying at the lodge, however, they were already on site when I arrived, and I wasn't able to get very many pictures.  Above, you can see the general set up, and if you check out the picture below, you can see how the fireplace looks when all of the candles are lit.  It was really warm and appealing.  The curtains above actually have white lights hung from them, so there is yet another light feature that I couldn't even get in the photo!

Since the couple had a large extended family, they put together a processional that really showcased everyone!  I played "Moon River" for the couple's parents, "God Bless the Broken Road" for the bridesmaids, and then a traditional Irish slip jig, "Flying to the Fleadh" for two adorable little girls who danced down the aisle!  Next came the ring bearer to the tune, "Simple Gifts", and then it was the bride's turn, and she entered to "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles.

For the candle lighting ceremony, the couple chose "The Prayer" and had two of their nieces sing while I accompanied them.  We had a little rehearsal beforehand and, thanks to great preparation by the girls, everything went really well!

I played "Hornpipe" from Handel's "Water Music" for the recessional, and then a few minutes more postlude while the bride and groom dismissed the guests row by row.  It was a lovely Midwestern destination wedding!!

You can begin putting together your dream processional at my website www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com!

The fireplace is even more gorgeous
with all of the candles lit!

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Starved Rock State Park, Utica

The most romantic of settings!

This was my second trip to Starved Rock, and I will happily go many more times!  It was a warm, fairly muggy day, but the entire wedding party was comfortable in amongst the trees.  I have never seen an outdoor space hung with fabric the way the florist did here, but I thought it gave the most romantic of effects!

The bride loved the song "What a Wonderful World" and couldn't decide whether to put it for the first place she wanted music in the ceremony or the second place.  Easy!  She decided to use it in both places, and left it up to me to make it sound right!  I found two different arrangements, and I thought it ended up giving the ceremony a nice continuity.  If you've got an idea, do speak up!  We can likely work something out so that you can have exactly what you want!

The harpist's view gives you a nice idea of the dappled shade here!

Starved Rock Wedding Ceremony and Reception Harpist

This was the beautiful setting for my first ever wedding at Starved Rock State Park.  This site is really wonderful.  The river is just beyond, and the entire site is shaded!  Additionally, the parking lot is close enough for an easy load in, but the patio area is far enough back that we did not have random people passing through.  The wedding itself was so lovely, and the bride chose "Let it Go" from "Frozen" for her tiny flower girls to process in to.  The girls were so thrilled, and accomplished all of their flower girl duties admirably!

I thought this was a fabulous idea for securing wedding paraphernalia in a potentially windy situation. Plus, so cute!!

Then we were off to the Lodge for dinner.  The DJ played for the cocktail hour while I moved the harp.  I played for dinner and, after the couple had visited all of the tables, I heard from the lovely bride.  She told me that many of the guests over the age of 40 had expressed their satisfaction with the music, as the harp music allowed them to eat and visit without having to shout to be heard  It was a successful day all around!