Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Tree Studios, Chicago

The congregation sits in those chairs, and quite a few more you can't see!

This was a surprising day at the stunning Tree Studios. As I was waiting to be buzzed into the building just outside this courtyard, there was a young man waiting with me, and he was carrying a trumpet case. I am a generally suspicious person, so I chatted him up a little and found out that he was a friend of the bridal couple's and he figured he would play for their ceremony. He was very nice, really, but the whole idea of last minute changes can be sort of dicey, and super time consuming. I was early enough (as was he), so we set about trying to work things out to the general satisfaction of the bridal couple. 

A better look at the plantings along the path.

Thank goodness, in addition to being very nice, the young man played really well. We tried a couple of things, and decided that he would play for the bride's entrance. I thought the results were quite nice, but I would not have hesitated to tell him no if I thought it was going to make a shambles of the bride's wedding plans. We were lucky that we were able to run it by the family and wedding planner in the time we had, and everyone seemed delighted with the idea. 

The indoor spaces are very elegant and refined.

So, I am not sure what the moral is here.... maybe.....If you need someone who is suspicious of wedding guests with instrument cases, but who also knows "Trumpet Voluntary," call me! Sure, that sounds about right!!! Renee Wilson (312) 860.4997

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

Engagement Party Harpist, Prestwick Country Club, Frankfort

Aren't the decorations lovely?

I live quite far South, but I didn't even know that this club existed. The website for Prestwick Country Club says that they host members and non members for special events, but there wasn't a lot of other information available.  What I can tell you from experience, though, is that the club looked incredibly beautiful with its Christmas decorations, and that the table settings and indeed the plates coming out of the kitchen all looked absolutely beautiful, too. This club may be a little out of the way even by my South Side standards, but it is definitely worth consideration.  I always think that anyone who plans a December or early January event gets extra wonderful decorations just by default, and how amazingly smart is that?

Engagement parties are so much fun to play!  I swept through many of my favorite wedding and love themed music, with lots of Christmas music thrown in.  I have been lucky enough to play for this lovely family before, and they are of Italian heritage, so they also get some opera arias, and a particular Christmas tune that I love, but that only musicians and Italians ever seem to know. What can I tell you? Everyone had a good time, myself included!

If you would like to include Christmas music at your event, you can see all of my holiday songs listed here!

The "room" is actually two rooms joined by an archway. Cocktails were
in this section with the cool high ceiling.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago

A picture of my harp at Holy Name Cathedral from a different day.
Honestly, no time for pictures on this day!!

As you might imagine, the music staff at Holy Name is really wonderful. The Cathedral is so busy that playing there frequently feels like trying to jump into a game of double-dutch jump rope! I always arrive early, because in cold months it is important to find someplace for the harp to come up to temperature. Once the previous wedding is finished, there will be just under 20 minutes to move the harp, set up, tune, and rehearse. It is a challenge!! On the plus side, the wonderful Music Director, Ricardo Ramirez, almost always chooses a responsorial psalm that I get to accompany, which I definitely look forward to. It is so much fun to play chords for the wonderful Cathedral cantors to sing over! Another often used focus is Schubert's "Ave Maria" accompanied by harp, or on this day, harp and violin. Beautiful! 

I managed to get set up really efficiently on this day, and rehearsal was short and easy, so I also played 15 minutes of prelude music. Like many churches with amazing pipe organs, Holy Name knows exactly how to employ the organs (yes, they have 2!) to greatest effect.  After I finished the prelude music, the violin and the upstairs pipe organ began the processional for the parents and wedding party from the loft, with me joining in from down front. Then, when it was time for the bride, the organ took over and opened up completely; it is an amazing sound for a dramatic moment!! 

Wedding Reception Harpist, The Lincoln Inn, Batavia

That's the corner area where the wedding party sat. 

This was such a charming reception! The bridal couple, and indeed all of the guests were members of a Seventh Day Adventist Congregation nearby. Since Seventh Day Adventists adhere to a Sabbath day of rest of Saturday, the wedding and reception were both scheduled for Sunday morning. I actually think that brunches, or "wedding breakfasts," as I believe they are called in Britain, are overlooked as a practical yet romantic alternative to evening affairs.  The Lincoln Inn in Batavia is perfect for this.  The owner was telling me that they host a popular Sunday brunch every weekend, so you could easily stop by and see what you think of the facility and its food without having to schedule an appointment! On this morning, we were in the Springfield Room, and it is quite remarkable. It is sort of an "L" shaped room, which is generally kind of a drag, but not in this case. The owners, very cleverly, installed a corner area that is perfect for the wedding party. Everyone sits elevated just a bit, and the reality is that the bridal couple is able to be seen from every bit of the room!  In addition, there are a number of large windows for natural light, and some large wall mirrors to disperse the light throughout. All in all, a super pleasant room.

The couple had requested hymns and classical music, so the music was very soothing. Brunch was served buffet style, and everything looked wonderful and well tended.  Definitely a place worth remembering!

See? This is why you need to plan December events...
the floral possibilities are so romantic!!

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 Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Danada House, Wheaton

Absolutely perfect weather!

This was the latest outdoor wedding I have agreed to play in quite a while, and I was glad that I did.... the weather was beautiful! Of course, it is very reassuring to know that you have all of the resources of the Danada House available if necessary! The bride chose an eclectic mix of classical and popular music for her ceremony, but was thrilled to find that I have a small selection of Bollywood tunes available as well. So the ceremony reflected the shared American heritage of the couple, but the reception was able to fold in the additional Indian heritage of the groom and his family. Brilliant, and inclusive, and who doesn't love that! 

If you think you might be interested in Bollywood music, you can find a sampling on my YouTube channel!

The bridal party processed to the ceremony from the house,
and we all returned there for cocktails.

The guests, and then the bride and her father used this pathway!