St. James Chapel Wedding Ceremony Harpist

Well, certainly you know you are in a very special place when the church has its own fan site!  The windows of the St. James Chapel are modeled on the windows of Sainte Chappelle in Paris, and they are one of the hidden gems of Chicago architecture.  I had never been to the chapel, but I certainly got to see all of it on this day!  I started by setting up near the front of the chapel, and then found out there was an elevator to the choir loft, so I was able to join the rest of the musicians.  

The choir loft:  my eventual destination!

Besides being beautiful beyond belief, the chapel offers an interesting option for Catholic couples:  you do not need to be a member of a specific parish to qualify to marry here.  The chapel has a really helpful site for couples who want to explore the option of marrying here, plus their pictures are much better than mine!

To me, the designation of "chapel" conjures up a small space.  In actuality, this particular chapel can accommodate 299 people!  On top of that, you have all of the resources of the music department of the nearby Holy Name Cathedral at your disposal!  At this mass, the bridal couple enjoyed a full choir, a string quartet, two trumpet players, harp, and the magnificent pipe organ.  Thank goodness the choir loft is as roomy as the chapel itself!

Once up in the loft, I had a bird's eye view of the amazing windows,
and of course the pipe organ!

If you would like further information about my wedding services, please visit my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com 

An Irish Bride!

Back in June (yep, still catching up on old posts here!) I was privileged to play at St. John Berchmans Parish in Logan Square.  A really spectacular church, as you can see, and the musicians and priest were so welcoming.  I played prelude music, all of the mass parts, and two verses of Schumann's Ave Maria with a vocal soloist.  The bride was really and truly from Ireland, and she chose "The Gentle Maiden" from my website recordings for her walk down the long, long, aisle of this beautiful church.

If you would like to hear other Irish options, please visit my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Bird Haven Greenhouse (Pilcher Park) Wedding Ceremony Harpist

The Bird Haven Greenhouse in Pilcher Park is always hopping with weddings, and I seldom go a Summer without at least one trip to their beautiful gardens.  

Oddly enough, the wedding site is a gazebo set across from the greenhouse, but the site is always referred to as the "Bird Haven Greenhouse".  Most of the time I have played for guests seated around the gazebo, but they also hold weddinga in the grove of trees just to the West of the gazebo, and I can attest that the grove is a lovely, shaded option!

On this day, the bride's family set up adorable little pinwheels in the bride's colors!

To hear other music that will sound great at your outdoor wedding, please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Chandler's Chop House, Schaumburg

I love outdoor weddings, but there does seem to be a long list of things that can go wrong, so I am glad when I can report on an outdoor space that seems less risky, but still beautiful.  Chandler's in Shaumburg definitely fits in that category.  The large patio is in a fairly protected area just off the main building, but there are plenty of trees and plantings to give it a lush feel.  

Additionally, the banquet hall has huge windows, so even if you were rained out you would still have a natural backdrop for your photos.  I hate to ding anybody's website, but the photo of Chandler's I've linked to above just do not capture the room well.  The room has a nice feel to it, including stone and wood elements, and the colored lighting (matched to the bride's wedding colors) is a fun touch.  

There is a separate cocktail area that has a great fireplace, but I moved into the area after the guests were already there, so no pictures (sorry). Luckily, the site also includes a restaurant that is open to the public, so you could probably duck in and see for yourself!

If you would like more information, please visit my website at 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.

Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass

Sigh.  My pictures rarely seem to do justice to these beautiful events, but the story's the same again today.  This past Sunday, I was thrilled to be part of a mass celebrating 50 years of marriage for couples from all over the Chicago Archdiocese.  The mass was held at Holy Name Cathedral, and the celebrating couples filled the entire church!  Even immediate family couldn't be accommodated in the Cathedral, so the musicians had the best (and really only) seats available in the house.  It was a beautiful mass, featuring a full choir (in white shirts in the foreground of the picture), organ, harp, and violin.   Ricardo Ramirez (Director of Music at the Cathedral) kept us all together as we offered Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Panis Angelicus, and (of course) Schubert's Ave Maria.  

Chicago Cultural Center Wedding Ceremony Harpist

Well, the pictures just can't do it justice.  When you're in Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, there is truly beauty all around, and that is before you start setting up for your wedding.  Built in 1893, the hall features a Tiffany glass dome (backlit so you can always enjoy it), mosaics, ornate chandeliers and sconces, and a view of Millennium Park.  It is dazzling.  The bride descended the grand staircase to "The Prayer", and Katie from Bliss Weddings and Events kept everything moving along smoothly.  The bridal couple were theater folk, so they had lots of talented people in their wedding party, and two attendants actually sang the recessional to a taped accompaniment! They used a really fun tune from the Broadway show "The Wedding Singer" and it was super cute, but it wasn't quite long enough for the entire wedding party and left a fair number of attendants still at the front of the church.  No problem, because they had booked live music as well!  I finished their recessional to Gershwin's "Love is Here to Stay" and things stayed smooth.  Another hallmark of a well planned wedding, really, having all contingencies covered.  I couldn't possibly say enough good things about Katie and the way Bliss coordinated the wedding, and their website is really fun. Happily, thanks to Chaplain Tom Brandsness, the ceremony itself was lighthearted and sweet, like the couple themselves!

If you would like to hear some of the selections available for weddings please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.