Wedding Reception Harpist, The Signature Room at the 95th, Chicago

I played from the West windows, and this gives you an idea
of the clarity of the view.

Okay, it is going to feel a little funny labeling this one as "a room with a view."  Perhaps "room with THE view" would be more appropriate. The Sears Willis Tower building is certainly lovely, but there is nothing like being next to the lake and up high.  The Signature Room at the 95th (located on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building) has a number of private rooms to chose from, and they all have gorgeous views, because of course they do.

I started out working with the bride, but as the big day drew close the groom had some ideas for music, too.  He wanted to plan a special song that the couple could dance to.  I don't often provide the music for the first dance, but it is absolutely something that I can do.  In this case, the groom found a piece on my YouTube channel that he liked, "Ribbon in the Sky" by Stevie Wonder, but I also found a piece on his prospective list that I liked:  "Tupelo Honey" by Van Morrison!  I asked him which he preferred, and he suggested a little medley.  Done!  The song choices were kept a secret from the bride and the guests, and made for a lovely moment as the new couple spun around the dance floor.  It really was such fun, as it so often is when people share their ideas for their wedding day!

If you need to jump start your wedding day ideas, please visit my YouTube Channel!

It is so hard to get a good picture in front of windows! Still, it gives you
an idea of the scope of the view. The windows continue to the left!!

Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Boulder Ridge Country Club, Lake in the Hills

Some of the view. I was trying to avoid getting golf carts in the frame,
as this was early on and they hadn't yet been moved!

Boulder Ridge Country Club has an absolutely stunning view, able to be enjoyed from the patio, or the huge balcony off of the reception area. The balcony is so large that smaller ceremonies can actually be held there, but as we were larger on this day, we were down on ground level, which is also amazing. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful, with the weather cooperating in every way!  Afterwards, although the official party was starting inside, I continued to play outdoors, and guests returned to the gorgeous balcony to enjoy the amazing view, sip their drinks, and listen to live harp music. It was truly the loveliest of settings!

Visit my main website (www.Harp123.com) if you would like to see the comprehensive list of available cocktail music.

Guests, and eventually the bride, enter here. 

A little bit better picture of the arbor.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, St. Christina, Chicago

The altar area at St. Christina is just stunning!

St. Christina's is a lovely parish close to my South Side home.  I was contacted directly by the bride's mother, as she wanted to add harp and flute to the standard piano accompaniment.  I frequently make recommendations for other instrumentalists, so it was no problem at all. Musical arrangements at Catholic churches can be just a little tricky, as there is generally a set music staff, and they need to be consulted.  I can help with this, and earlier is always better.  St. Christina's music staff is wonderful, and I have played there several times over the years, so it is especially easy.  A few emails back and forth, and we were organized for the big day.  The family chose "The Prayer" made famous by Celine Dion and "Perhaps Love" by John Denver to round out some of the more traditional wedding choices and mass parts.  It was a beautiful ceremony, and a true collaboration.

Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Drake Hotel, Chicago

The Grand Ballroom.  My harp is on the right.

I have been to the Drake on many, many occasions, and it is always an adventure!  The building is so old that getting a harp in, and to the floor where you are needed, is generally a complicated, multi-step process. No matter.  I just show up plenty early, and that always works.  There really is no substitute for allowing enough time!  On this particular day, I also needed to be onsite early to rehearse with the singer.  The music had been in flux in the days leading up to the wedding, and when everything settled it was agreed that I would accompany one of the bride's friends on "A Thousand Years."  The room looked beautiful, and the singer was quite talented..... all going well, right?  Then we found out that due to microphone needs the singer and I would not be on the same side of the stage; she would actually be a good 20 feet away from me!! Officially?  Yikes. We made it work, which was the important thing, but it was nerve racking.  Generally, when musicians are far away from each other, they have monitors so that they can hear one another. This actually is not even the main issue at a wedding. For wedding processionals, it is rare indeed that once straight through the song is exactly the amount of music needed. You almost always have to cut the song short, or repeat some portion of it, and (even if you get to rehearse) you never know how it will really go ahead of time. Communication among the musicians is absolutely key to a smooth processional. So, I am delighted it worked out for this lovely bride, but plan to keep your musicians together, if possible.  We will be able to do our best work for you!

Harpist's view!

Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Harpist, Revolution Brewing, Chicago

It is a little hard to see with the shadows, but the harp is there on the left.

Located in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, this was a new venue for me.  Their party room is above the brewery and has quite a few windows and lots and lots of light!  The Revolution website has some nice additional pictures of the party space, and helpful information about how many people it can accommodate.  The downstairs area was really hopping when I came through, but the upstairs area is completely private, and actually pretty serene.  The staff were all super helpful, and I was set up early enough that I even ended up playing for the little run through the wedding party had with the officiant.  The bride and groom were concerned that mixing classical music (Canon in D) and a popular tune (What a Wonderful World) in the processional would seem odd, so I made sure to mix things up in the prelude music.  Live music is perfect that way.  No one ever notices, but I am setting up whatever mood you have requested long before the processional even begins.  In this case, the crowd that was attending was a pretty eclectic mix, so it was really easy to chose music.  They loved the Puccini aria I played (O Mio Babbino Caro) and they loved the Pixar theme "Married Life" from "Up."  They were ready to celebrate the newly married couple, and it was all good.  My favorite kind of wedding!

Let me know if I can help you set the tone you want at your ceremony!  www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

A better shot of where the couple stood for the ceremony.

I also snuck a picture of the cake for you, because
I have never seen anything like it.  Wow.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Ravisloe Country Club, Homewood

Yep. It really was this pretty. The courtyard at Ravisloe is amazing.

YouTube has really changed the way people shop for music. I have a YouTube channel with many of my most requested songs, but frequently clients will send me YouTube links of other harpists, and that can be really helpful, too. In this case, the bride had fallen in love with the Romanza movement from Mozart's Eine Kleine Nactmusik. Not only did she love the piece, she loved what one particular harpist did with it (it was slower and more romantic than it is normally done). No problem. If I can understand what you want, I can probably do it, and nothing is easier for a musician to understand than a recording! After a little back and forth we got the whole thing managed, and the bride got exactly what she wanted:  Romanza for the mothers to walk into, Arioso by Bach for the bridesmaids, and Canon in D for the bride. Perfect!

Ravisloe Country Club is a stunningly beautiful location. It is open to the public, and comes with a really rich history and the kind of vintage charm you just can't get everywhere. If you need music to complete your wedding, please visit my YouTube channel to start your shopping!

I didn't play the reception, but I snuck a picture for you.
Great windows, right?

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Cantigny, Wheaton

It is really hard to get a complete perspective on Cantigny.
My harp is in the extreme right hand corner of the shot.

Cantigny is an amazing spot for a wedding. It is somehow vast and impressive while also being intimate. The park does an amazing job keeping visitors behind the wedding party, so as soon as the bride descends the stairs you really feel you have all of this splendor to yourself.

This ceremony was unusual in the fact that I accompanied two fabulous young high school students. They were students of a friend of the bride's, and they both sang and accompanied themselves with guitars. I always figure that my job in these circumstances is to let the soloists shine, and it was certainly very easy to do with these young men! Originally we had planned to have me fill out the accompaniment to "Hawaiian Wedding Song," but since they were already at my house rehearsing, we also tried "Can't Help Falling in Love" and it went super smoothly. A quick call to the bride, and I was added to that for the wedding day, also.

If you are going to have a soloist for your wedding day, I generally arrive a few minutes earlier than normal so that we can run things again. Safely is definitely my motto for weddings! The boys handled the special music with me nicely, and I filled in with prelude and recessional (Bruno Mars!). Total teamwork success!

If you would like to discuss having me accompany your special guests, just call! (773) 881-0706.