Ceremony Harpist, Ruffled Feathers, Lemont

The gazebo at Ruffled Feathers. 

This was pretty early in the year for an outdoor wedding, but Ruffled Feathers does a really nice job with their landscaping, and things were already looking quite pretty outside. It is hard to tell, but right behind those bushes is the loading dock for the club. If I were going to have an event at the gazebo, I would want to make plans to keep the loading dock free of noise and traffic during the ceremony. I think the bushes lead staff to think that unseen means unheard, and that just isn't so. Additionally, the gazebo is not rain proof. It'll help with some sprinkles, but that's it. Luckily, that's what we had this day, so all was good.

A dramatic entrance!
There's also a way with no stairs just around the corner.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Hoosier Grove Barn, Streamwood

This gives you a little bit of an idea of the scale and the lighting.

This was my first time at Hoosier Grove Barn in Streamwood. They have a lovely little fenced garden area that we were supposed to be in, but the weather just would not cooperate. The barn was a real hub of activity as everyone prepared for the switch, so I was only able to get a picture of the area the musicians were in, but hopefully that will be helpful. The aesthetic is romantic barn, and the facility seems really well run and comfortable.

The bride chose primarily classical music, with a few hymns as well. I had flutist Carlyn Lloyd with me, which made for a great sounding little ensemble. We played Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring for the wedding party, and Canon in D for the bride. The classical music was a wonderful contrast to the rustic barn setting!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, City View Loft, Chicago

The gorgeous chuppah is made of actual tree trunks!

This was my first time to City View Loft, and I thought it was quirky but terrific. There are several spaces in the building, but their site doesn't do a great job of defining them, so a trip over is probably necessary. In this space, the view is great, the lighting is great, and there is enough room to really have some options. The bride ended up popping out of the elevator you see there on the left, and that made for kind of a quick transition, but it worked out okay.

This couple had one of the more dramatic processionals I have ever seen. They chose "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie, and then (I think) they timed the processional to coincide with dusk. I did a special arrangement for them and it turned out great. I would absolutely recommend that particular song to anyone who has a fondness for it. It was a truly wonderful processional!

Enough room for the ceremony, and
tables ready to be moved into place afterwards.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, Double Tree Hotel, Alsip

Set up at the one of Double Tree ballrooms, ready for the ceremony!

This was one of those times where the music wasn't initially what I expected, but I wanted to follow the couple's wishes because, well, yeah. The couple wanted Coldplay's "A Sky Full of Stars" for the bride to walk in to, and "A Thousand Years" for their recessional. I have, most often, used those two choices for exactly the opposite ceremony jobs! Upon reflection, though, a slower "Sky Full of Stars" was really appealing and effective, and I just started "A Thousand Years" at the chorus, and I thought it worked great! In the end, they had really personalized music, and I got to look at those pieces in a different way. It was pretty fun.

The Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Alsip is a really appealing venue. The Banquet area has a separate entrance with easier parking nearby, and the hallways are a wide and comfortable location for your guests to gather if you need additional space. They were able to do a really quick turn around of the room, so the ceremony, cocktails, and dinner reception were all in the same room. Nice!

Harpist's view of the room.

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Ceremony Harpist, NoMi, Chicago

Set up in the Art Gallery for the ceremony.

The private dining rooms at NoMi Kitchen are a really wonderful venue for smaller weddings. This, however, did not end up being a smaller wedding! As the Art Gallery became standing room only, I was concerned, but there is really no way to go and find anyone to voice your concerns to at that point, so I just kept playing. Once the ceremony started, I couldn't actually hear anything that was being said at the front, so it was really tense trying to get my cues. 

Sometimes my clients are almost apologetic if they send me schedules and programs ahead of time.... I actually love it! The more information that I have, the better! I think if the officiant is aware that I am waiting for a music cue, things are apt to go more smoothly, especially if we are not able to speak beforehand. If I were able to add "check in with the harpist" to the do-to list of every officiant, many possible catastrophes would be averted! Unfortunately, by the time the officiant arrives, I am often already playing, and I think they are reticent to interrupt. In the end, the bride looked beautiful, and I think I got my cues right. Sometimes, that is the best outcome we can all hope for!

This is mostly where I was. There is actually a small
alcove to a hallway, and I was pushed back a little
further into that.

Vow Renewal Harpist, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Chicago

The sanctuary at Emmanuel Baptist. My harp is there in the center!

Vow renewals are such a riot! First of all, pressure off, I mean right? You're already married, and it's working enough that you are celebrating, so you're good. You can wear any wonderful thing you want, and who's going to complain? Also, you are probably old enough that you don't need to worry about inviting people your parents say you have to! The list of good things just goes on and on! The wonderful woman who hired me wanted some relaxing music for her guests, and a smooth transition into her processional, a recorded version of "When God Made You." Done and done. I also played the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and actually got to do a little impromptu accompaniment for the wonderful organist who also sang! See? Fun!!

Afterwards, I played some dinner music in the church hall, which was really done up, and just made me happy to look at it!

The harp was in that far back corner. Unfortunately, without pink adornment,
 but you can't have everything!

Do you have plans for a mid-marriage escapade? Call me! Let's talk! Renee 773.881.0706

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Deep River, Hobart, Indiana

A limited view at Deep River County Park

Okay, first of all, it was a beautiful wedding, so don't worry, but this location can really be a challenge. For this beautiful October day, they had weddings stacked up every two hours, and that is kind of a bigger deal than you would think. Essentially, you need everyone there right at the start of your 2 hours, but you can't start then, because....

1. Most everyone has set up to do. You will have to realistically evaluate how your friends and/or family will be with the set up, because you (being a member of the marrying couple) will likely be otherwise occupied. If you have a slightly bossy but super capable relative or friend, count your lucky stars and put them in charge. That's the sort of person you can base a schedule on!

2. How much prelude do you want your guests to hear? 15 minutes? 30 minutes? This can also be interpreted as how late do you suppose people will be? Lots of couples now plan that their wedding will start 15 minutes later than the time they tell their guests it will start. Seems fair enough to me!

3. How long will your wedding ceremony actually be? Everyone seems to think it will be about 30 minutes. Most of them turn out to be 15-20 minutes, but occasionally somebody's officiant really gets going and does 40 minutes. If your officiant is good, they know how long it will take and will not mind being asked!

4. How long do you need for pictures? This location is unforgiving if you run over, so you have to leave enough time if you want a lot of pictures at the Gazebo.

Luckily, this bride took all of this into account, and we were fine. No really good pictures, though, because there wasn't but a moment to spare as I moved my harp into place and began playing. You will have to take my word on the fact that it is a thrilling location. As the bride comes down the hill, it is always completely worth all the worry!