Ceremony Harpist, Osteria Via Stato, Chicago

Osteria Via Stato is located in the northeast corner of the Embassy Suites Hotel in River North, and they do a lovely job hosting weddings! Above you see the middle room of three on this side of the restaurant, and it makes a fine ceremony site. The couple chose lots of unusual things for their ceremony, including "May the Force Be With You" for their unity candle!💗 It was whimsical, and charming, and very, very much them!

Afterwards, the newly married couple and their guests were able to enjoy the front room, and the outdoor patio, which they had all to themselves!

Set up with enough room for dancing!

My repertoire lists insure that you won't miss adding any of your favorites to your ceremony! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

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!

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.

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

Playing With Legos at the Marriott

It is always so much fun when couples showcase their shared interests and passions with those gathered to celebrate their union, and this wedding has so many fun components!  First, they hired the musicians separately, but (as often happens) we already knew each other anyway! They had a wonderful violinist named Jeff Yang all set to play both the ceremony and reception.  For their processional music they chose the adorable "Concerning Hobbits" from the Lord of the Ring movies, and the addition of the violin really made their selection perfect!  For their unity ceremony, they chose neither candle nor sand, but went with....... wait for it......... LEGOS!!  

Apparently the couple are big lego fans, and the officiant (Anita at Anitaweds.com) had the lovely idea of incorporating that into the ceremony.  Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate, so we were inside rather than at the hotel's outdoor space, but the reception was in a cute tent set in a green space that allowed for enjoying the garden without everyone being soggy.  At the reception, Jeff and I played lots of fun "Great American Song Book" selections;  wonderful songs by Gershwin and Cole Porter.  Plus, there was wedding cake made to look like giant lego blocks!

If you would like to hear more violin selections for your wedding, please visit my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

St. Michael's in Old Town Wedding Ceremony Harpist

St. Patrick's Day was a special treat for me this year, as I was able to spend it playing a beautiful Irish wedding at St. Michael's in Old Town. This gorgeous church has a fascinating history interwoven with the Chicago fire (which you can read about here), and sits just one block off of the busy North Avenue corridor.  Even though the church is near a thriving commercial area, you feel like you've stepped back in time as you approach the building.  As I rolled my harp towards the entrance, the tower bells (which were installed and dedicated in 1876) rang through the neighborhood.  What a beautiful way to call your guests to your wedding!

The lovely Irish bride made several wonderful decisions that truly made her wedding reflect her personality.  First, she included lots of Irish music.  She chose an Irish processional from a website featuring Celtic ceremony ideas, and encouraged me to fit other Irish choices in wherever I could.  I used a lovely little song called "The Lark in the Clear Air" for the unity candle, and I thought it worked so well that I plan to put it on my website just as soon as possible.  Additionally, the bride choose to have me play for the bridesmaids, and have the organist play for her entrance.  I was seated to the right of the main altar (in front of the St. Joseph Altar, see below), and I was able to easily play for the mass parts and the presentation to Mary from that location.  I wish St. Patrick's Day fell on Saturday every year; what an inspirational day for a wedding!

To start thinking about your perfect wedding music, visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.