Wedding Ceremony and Reception Harpist, Michael Jordan's, Oak Brook

The sparkly ceremony room!

This was my first wedding back after the pandemic lock down, so it was pretty memorable for me just for that fact. To get to work with this lovely bride who wanted to go forward with a celebration based on whatever was possible was, well, kind of amazing. She gathered her nearest and dearest, called Michael Jordan's in Oak Brook, and kept things romantic and manageable. The ceremony was in a small room off the dining room, and the venue made it beautiful and sparkly for the couple! Once they were well and truly married, they had the dining room and patio to roam around during cocktail hour, and then they sat down at a wonderful square banquet table for the dinner. I played a real quirky mix for cocktail hour (they wanted to keep it light), and then added in some classical choices and love songs for dinner. It was a fantastic evening for the couple, and thank goodness. 

I thought this was a lovely way to seat a small group for a party!

Playing for the dinner meant just turning the harp around!

If you find yourself having to rethink your plans, I am always happy to help. My website contains various ways of contacting me, and I would love to hear from you! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Proposal Dinner Harpist, The Signature Room, Chicago

The view is mesmerizing!

The Signature Room is in the John Hancock Center 875 North Michigan Avenue building. It is a well known building in Chicago, and the view from the top floors is stunning. The restaurant has a lot of experience making people's romantic moments shine, so I was thrilled when they called me to provide the musical background for a proposal dinner. As you'll see in the photos, the view is the thing, so it can be hard to capture the mood with a camera. The space where they host these dinners is ideal, because there is enough room to allow some privacy for the couple. The prospective groom chose exactly the music he wanted for the actual proposal from my repertoire list, and the staff kept me informed about when the exact moment was approaching. Everything went as expected, and she said yes!

So romantic for the couple!

Not the greatest picture, but you can get an idea of the space.

If you would like to plan your special moment, my website can help! Please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, City View Loft, Chicago

An overview of the space often used for ceremonies

City View Loft is such a fun venue, and this couple was really ready to enjoy their wedding! They are both in the event business, and the bride had heard me play at a wedding that started very late. She appreciated my perseverance, and hired me to play for her own ceremony! The bride chose Canon in D for her wedding party, and then she walked to "Can't Help Falling in Love". It was fabulous, and I was delighted to be a small part of making that happen!

If you need help planning your perfect ceremony, please visit www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com for ideas and my contact information.

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, The Grand Ballroom (Events by Mistwood Golf Club), Joliet

 

The old ticketing area

Whew. Long title, but super cool venue. The ceremony was downstairs in what used to be the ticketing area, and it comes with some real advantages: a dramatic entrance for the bride, and an insular space that just glows when lit with candles. Also, the acoustics for music are absolutely terrific - I had my amp with me, but it wasn't even necessary. The couple chose to mix popular and classical, as many of my clients do. The bridal party walked to "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen, and the bride entered to Canon in D. The event was managed by Mistwood Golf Club, which explains why everything went so smoothly! I didn't play for the reception, but I stopped by before I started so you could get a look at this amazing space. There is also a terrific website with some great video (www.JolietUnionStation.com).

The bride enters using this staircase

A really grand space!!

Please visit my website at www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com for repertoire lists so you can find your own perfect music choices!

Anniversary Harpist, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

As much of the view as the camera could fit!

The Museum of Contemporary Art does events in several different locations throughout the building, but this room is really the only one that is a truly private space that can host an event during regular museum hours. I think it made for a really fun and relaxed celebration of the couple, and the views of the sculpture garden are lovely. I played background music as the party goers came and went, spending some time together in the exhibits. Then, as the museum closed, they settled down to food, speeches, and celebration!

I thought my harp fit in nicely with the 
surrounding architecture!

My regular wedding and cocktail hour repertoire makes for great party music, too! www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, Swissotel, Chicago

The room has a contemporary feel, and of course
great views!

We were in the 42nd floor banquet space they call Eleve at the Swissotel. It's a good space for a small or medium sized wedding, especially if you want to have different areas for different parts of your wedding, as it very naturally splits into 3 areas. The views are terrific, especially of Navy Pier. I think this is a hotel that even many native Chicagoans are less familiar with, as it is situated at the very end of Wacker Drive. The bride chose the two most traditional wedding songs (Here Comes the Bride and The Wedding March by Mendelssohn), and then joined them with Lionel Ritchie's "Endless Love" and Bruno Mars' "Marry You". I thought it was great fun!

A closer look at the additional space that was
just behind the flower screen in the first photo

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com

Wedding Ceremony Harpist, St. Lambert, Skokie

The beautiful St. Lambert's

So there's this sweet thing that some of my brides do, which is request that I play a song that was special to one or both of their parents. In this case, it was "Three Coins in a Fountain", and it was for the bride's mom. It was a really lovely touch, and I definitely want to encourage more of you to think about doing it!

www.ChicagoWeddingHarpist.com