Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, W Chicago - Lakeshore, Chicago

A little hard to get the sense of the roundness of the room,
but it's there!!

We were set to be on the balcony of the 6th floor at W Chicago - Lakeshore, but the weather had other ideas. It's kind of great when your fallback is this iconic round space with fantastic lake views, though! After a flurry of activity, it looked really beautiful!!

The bride chose "November Rain" by Guns 'N Roses for her processional, and it was really dramatic and lovely!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

This was plan A

Engagement Party Harpist, Mon Ami Gabi, Chicago

The amazing patio!

This was my first time to Mon Ami Gabi on the north side, and I was super impressed! The restaurant hosts private events prior to their 4 pm general opening, and the patrons have full run of the restaurant and patio. With the building, tree, and umbrellas, the majority of the patio remains in dappled shade throughout the afternoon, and it just could not be more pleasant! I played love songs, and family and friends gathered to celebrate the engaged couple - heaven!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Cocktails Harpist, Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook

This area is referred to as the grassy knoll

I have played at the Hyatt Lodge quite a few times over the years, but it still never fails to impress with all its natural beauty. Here, I am set up and ready to play prelude music and the processional. The communication with the wedding party can be complicated here (the walkway is long and curved), but completely worth the effort!!

www.Harp123.com

Ceremony Harpist, The Croatian Center, Merrillville, Indiana

The Croatian Center was a new venue to me, and I thought it was lovely! I'm not positive that I understand how things are structured there, because the venue website seems to be less about the venue, and more about the caterer, which is Dimitri's? Regardless, the venue is worth checking out. It has a big wall of windows looking out on a garden area. It looks like there are opportunities for outdoor settings, although the day I was there was pretty rainy, so I couldn't say for sure. Still, look at the photo: super gray day, but still plenty of lovely light in the room!💖

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park, Chicago

The Gold Room, which I kind of thinks looks silvery?

This was a lovely wedding with the amazing Desiree Dent of Dejanae Events at the helm! The Fairmont can be a complicated venue, but everything ran like clockwork with Desiree on the scene.

The bride had very specific musical ideas, and it took some months for her to decide on everything. She went all the way back to the 1990's for her processional, and landed on "Forever in Love" by Kenny G. It translates really well to harp, and I have since added it to my YouTube channel! Frequently "my" best ideas come from all the lovely brides I get to chat with!!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Loft Lucia, Chicago

There's a fabulous place where the harp can be heard, but 
also protected from the sun!

Loft Lucia was a venue I had heard about for some time, but had never visited. I thought it was fabulous! Not only is it an indoor/outdoor space, but with the reception area on the floor below, nothing has to be flipped directly after the ceremony! The sight lines for the processional are terrific, and the harp sounded great. What more could you need??

The view out to the ceremony space

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Vow Renewal Harpist, Wilder Park, Elmhurst

Where the couple will eventually stand

Wilder Park is an unusual situation. There really isn't much call for additional decorations when the garden is as lovely as this one, so no one needs to be on hand in the time preceding the wedding. Since this was a vow renewal, the couple was also quite a bit more relaxed than many of my wedding clients. The reality for me, was that I had a lot of time on my own before music was needed. I amused myself by taking pictures! The park is an absolutely stunning location!

A look back to the entry aisle and seating area

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com