Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Lake Katherine, Palos Park

The stunning Lake Katherine

Besides being beautiful, Lake Katherine is so very convenient. If you were able to turn around in this picture, you would see a really fantastic party facility with proper running water and a lovely view of the lake. I have been in this facility numerous times for parties, but it is always wonderful when the weather cooperates and you can be lakeside. On this gorgeous day, the only problem we had was a parade of geese that thought they would "play through." The photographer and I (both on site early) gently discouraged this, and all was well!

If you would like to add live music to your outdoor event, please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.  Goose wrangling provided completely free of charge!

Wedding Ceremony and Reception Harpist, Ruffled Feathers, Lemont

It is actually pretty hard to judge from this picture. Things are mostly
set up but the lights and candles were not yet as they would eventually be.

I think January weddings are so romantic, and this wedding certainly took advantage of all that early January has to offer!  We were scheduled for just after the new year, so all of Ruffled Feathers' holiday decorations were still in place, and the early sunset made sure that everything was sparkly as the guests arrived.  The bride chose the "Glasgow Love Theme" from the movie Love Actually, and then she walked down to "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music. Probably the biggest surprise for me, was the piece that they couple requested for the seating of their relatives.... "The Inner Light" from the televisions series "Star Trek: The Next Generation."  I have been down this particular road with couples on a number of occasions (where one person loves something very specific and the other is a bit lukewarm) but everything worked out great this time.  "The Inner Light" is actually a lovely piece of music that sounds terrific on harp.  If someone knows "Star Trek." they may well recognize it and remember it as a particularly touching segment but, if not, it is just a pretty piece of music.  Basically your classic win-win.  After the ceremony, I moved into the cocktail hour and played some pop things and a bunch of upbeat Irish tunes, and a good time was had by all.

If you would like to consider warming up your winter wedding with live music, please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com!

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, Chicago Firehouse, Chicago

The front entrance. Also, 
parking for your firetruck 
(not even kidding!)

This is going to be a picture-heavy entry, but it can't be helped. Chicago Firehouse is a super charming, really distinctive venue, and it would be impossible to do it justice without a lot of pictures.  Just as you suspected, this is a converted firehouse, and it is located on the far Northside of Chicago, in the Edgewater neighborhood.  The venue has an agreement with a nearby school, so parking can be arranged, but of course the vintage fire truck that brought the bride to the wedding parked out front.  Did they have a Dalmation dog on the fire truck? Yes, they did.

The side garden with balcony.

To the left of the main doors is a lovely side yard, with a balcony overlooking the space.  Unfortunately, it was raining on this particular day, so we were inside a tent.  A really, really nice tent.

Set up inside the tent.

This bride was perhaps the most creative I have ever seen.  She had amazing decorating ideas, and the tent really just glowed!  She requested that I play a variety of Enya music, and then other atmospheric pieces that would not be recognized by anyone.  She wanted the music to wash over the guests without them stopping to think, "Oh, I know that piece."  It was a lovely, relaxed setting as soon as friends and family stepped into the tent!

Harpist's view.
The sparkly water lanterns were fabulous!

The bride wanted the theme from "Up" for both her processional and her recessional.  I loved the idea, and set about making a second, quieter arrangement for the processional.  It worked really well, and was a perfect reflection of the beautiful bride!

I didn't play inside, but I grabbed a few pictures while the staff was setting up so that you could peek. 

Inside, the view to the front doors,
and of course the fire pole to the right!

Looking at the center of the venue,
the long farm tables worked really well.

It is a long, somewhat narrow space, but really lovely, with high ceilings and lots of vintage charm.  Warm and cozy on a cold, damp night!

Such a beautiful table, and of course
a parasol hanging from the ceiling!

The caterer was a company named "Fig." From the looks of it, they are pretty special, and you should definitely know about them, too! They specialize in weddings and gatherings of 150 and less.  They certainly did a fabulous job setting this intricate table.

If you are looking for an unforgettable location, with a meal to match, I think this combo of venue and vendor could work for you. And don't forget the harp music!

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Century Memorial Chapel, Naper Settlement, Naperville

Set up at dusk in Century Memorial Chapel

I was delighted to be back at Century Memorial Chapel on the Naper Settlement campus.  The church was built in 1864, and has been lovingly cared for and even moved to its present location!  Happily, it is completely handicap accessible, and sits in a beautiful park setting. The congregational area fits my idea of big enough without being too big.  A small party of 50 people would not feel overwhelmed here, but it can accommodate almost 200 hundred.

The bridal couple wanted to keep things sleek and simple, so I played "Canon in D" for everyone in the processional.  Parents and attendants all walked down to the slower part of the piece, and when I could see the bride was ready to start down the aisle I switched to the more exciting part, put in a special little intro, and the congregation all stood up - this is how I know I have done my job correctly!!

This particular couple knew that they wanted live music, but were not set on any particular pieces.  Once they answered my short list of questions (Classical or popular?  Any religious or ethnic  traditions that we should honor?) I was delighted to pick for them.  This is actually much more common than I think most people would guess.  I am always happy to choose for you if that would be helpful.  Music should be the least of your wedding day stress, and I am happy to help with that in any way possible!

Harpist's view into the congregational area.

Cocktail Reception Harpist, The Meadows Club, Rolling Meadows

Ready for cocktails at The Meadows Club

It was a Bollywood kind of week for me!  I am slowly building up my Bollywood repertoire (30 minutes so far), and I was glad to have such a nice venue to play them in!  

I knew that the wedding was to include over 500 guests, so I packed my amp, but I was still more than a little concerned that a single harp would not be up to the challenge.  It actually turned out much better than I could ever have hoped!  This venue features two prefunction areas, and I was stationed in the longer and more narrow of the two. As the guests approached the table to find their seat assignment, I was off to the right.  There were quite a few small children attending, and their parents enjoyed showing them the harp.  After listening for a little, the guests would stroll over to see the other entertainment (a magician and a photo booth).

The couple had selected songs from my standard list of American love songs, so I was able to intersperse the Bollywood songs with tunes like "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz and "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith.  It was fun for the guests and me, too!

The main room at The Meadows Club, still being set for the evening.

Wedding Reception Harpist, Hyatt Chicago Magnificent Mile, Chicago

Set up for dinner in the Lakeshore Ballroom West

This hotel was new to me, and I thought it was in a terrific location. There is a real glut of hotels just West of Michigan Avenue, such that it is hard to drive down some of the streets, and frequently really difficult to get close enough to load in a harp.  This wonderful hotel is East of Michigan Avenue in a slightly quieter business and residential area, but still close to all of the things your guests would need and want.  

While the hotel is not huge, it had a lovely mid sized meeting room with lots of windows, a lovely city view, and a stylish prefunction area that the party used for their cocktail hour.  Once they came into the main room, I started to play my more modern love songs (think "Marry Me" and "One Thousand Years") interspersed with some quirkier titles ("Eternal Flame" by the Bangles is one of my current favorites).  The group began having everyone toast the newlywed couple, and I continued to provide very quiet background music, which I think helped some of the more nervous speakers!  After the first course, the couple decided to do a first dance, and they choose "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele.  I have a really terrific arrangement of that, and their dance was a super sweet moment, even for someone who had just met the happy couple mere minutes before!

A stylish cake with a wonderful, masculine topper!