Arlington Park Racetrack Wedding Ceremony

It is always so much fun to find out about a new venue that you would never imagine holds weddings, and that was Arlington Park racetrack for sure!  I spoke with Arlington Park staffer Lauren, and she confirmed that they hosted 8 weddings this Summer!  The outdoor site sits in a courtyard of sorts, and features a large brick veranda with a double staircase for the wedding party's entrance.  I was unable to catch it on film, but in the background of this photo there is a path that the jockeys and trainers use to lead the horses to and from the track.  It is surprisingly calming to watch the early morning routine, but it probably gets pretty exciting later!  After the ceremony, the guests walked right across to the clubhouse where they enjoyed lunch and, one assumes, the racing!

Yes, I can play Camptown Races (or whatever else you like)! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Flossmorr Country Club Wedding Ceremony with Desiree'

Looking back towards the clubhouse.

As you can see, it was a beautiful day.  I think this venue is special, though, because even on a rainy wedding day it would be lovely.  If you look closely at the photo above, you'll see a large green awning.  What it is hard to tell is that the awning is really large, and it covers an equally large veranda that opens into a sort of suite of banquet rooms.  You could put a wedding party on the veranda and have a completely dry outdoor wedding in a bit of a rainstorm.  Meanwhile, you would be looking across a gorgeous green space that gives way to rolling hills and mature trees..... really amazing.  As it was on this day, the bride and her party were able to use the stairs down from the veranda for their dramatic processional.

Apparently Flossmorr Country Club has only recently began offering their club to non-members for private events.  I know this because the event planner for the day, Desiree', knows everything!  No, seriously. Dersiree' Moore Dent is so smart and capable and reassuring that you will be dazzled.  Plus, the photos at her website are really beautiful, so have fun!

Hard to capture the rolling hills and groves of trees, but they're there!

For beautiful harp music at any venue, please see www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Willis (Sears) Tower Wedding Reception Harpist

Windows all around!

When you are at the Sears Willis Tower, you know everything is going to be about the view.  What I was surprised to find, was that the Metropolitan Club has quite a number of private rooms, a super attentive staff, and no membership requirements for the brides that hold their wedding there!  We were in the East room, so the view was most of the loop and the lake beyond..... beautiful.  I was playing for cocktails and dinner, with a D.J. to take over for dancing.

Their website is quite helpful, and includes floor plans for all of the different room options, and sample menus.  Since some of the spaces are flexible and can be combined, it is hard to say what the "general options" are, but they certainly seem able to handle weddings from very intimate gatherings up to 240 guests.  This is definitely a venue worth serious attention!

An elegant table

For help planning your wedding music, please visit:  www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

A Quirky Little Tune

St. Anthony in Cicero

I was scheduled to play a Catholic mass in just 3 days, and the groom called with a request: could I possibly still learn his favorite song in time for the wedding?  It turns out that he and his bride are fans of a French movie called "Amelie" and there is a piano tune in the movie that he had just discovered could be played on the harp.  Youtube was definitely involved in the discovery process!  

Now, first of all let me say that almost any piano piece can be played on the harp, and I don't need special music as the piano version is a fine place for me to start on my adaptation.  I don't charge extra for learning special songs, although I do ask for my clients to cover the cost of the music if I don't already own it.  I also ask for 2 weeks notice, as I frequently have a pretty heavy schedule, and I want to be sure to have enough time to learn the music thoroughly.  Sometimes, though, that isn't possible.  Thank goodness www.MusicNotes.com had the arrangement, I made the time, and "Comptine d'un Autre Ete" was a focal point at their wedding.

Happy bridal couples are always the best!

Foreman Pavilion (Lincoln Park Zoo) Wedding Ceremony

I have played a number of events at Cafe Brauer over the years, but this time I got to see an entirely different side of the zoo:  the Foreman Pavillion.  It is just steps from the circle in front of Cafe Brauer, but it really has a secluded feel to it.  

The pavilion overlooks the flamingo area, but what you are really aware of is all of the gorgeous greenery.  Some of the pictures I am posting are a little redundant, but I really didn't know how else to show how beautiful the area is.  The pavilion itself is plain but attractive, and it would be easy to decorate.  There are two large sections to the pavilion, with private washrooms in between.  

The pavilion really goes back a long way, and
all of it is shady and lush.

The bridal couple were fans of all sorts of music, and they chose a really eclectic mix of songs including:  Storybook Love, Song to the Moon, Only Time, and Kiss From a Rose.  It was so much fun putting their music together! 

If you are looking for wedding music ideas, please see www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Centennial Park Wedding Ceremony in Munster, Indiana

The perfect vantage point for any harpist!

I love Centennial Park in Munster!  What a beautiful location.  The park opened in 2007, so it is still fairly new on the scene, but (as you can see from the photos) most of the plantings are looking mature and wonderful.  The lakeside patio is completely handicapped accessible (staff were bringing some of the guests with mobility issues down on golf carts), and there is a dramatic staircase that the wedding party can use for their entrance.

The wedding party came down these two sets of stairs.

This bridal couple wanted to honor their hispanic heritage, so we went with "La Paloma Azul" (The Blue Dove) for the processional, "De Colores" for the recessional, and "Blue Bossa" for postlude.  

After the ceremony, everyone went up the hill for a cocktail reception at the gorgeous banquet facility overlooking the park.  This site is a real winner.

Just to show the really beautiful plantings!

Midlane Resort Wedding Ceremony, Wadsworth

On the green at Midlane Resort in Wadsworth

Well, certainly the day was beautiful and things went smoothly, but for me the revelation at this wedding was the song "La Vie en Rose". Frequently, the brides I work with point me in directions I would not go in on my own, and such was the case here.  I knew the melody, certainly, but I had never taken the time to read a translation of the lyric.  Just in case you haven't either, here they are:

Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose

When you kiss me heaven sighs
And tho I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose

When you press me to your heart
I'm in a world apart
A world where roses bloom

And when you speak...angels sing from above
Everyday words seem...to turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be
La vie en rose

Of course, there is no wonderful translation for the phrase "La vie en rose" itself, but it translates directly to "The life in pink", and means something more along the lines of the perfect life. Here is a link in case you would to hear the original Edith Piaf recording.  Soon it will be on my website as well. It is a fabulous love song.

To listen to other processional music, please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.