Minneapolis Wedding Harpist | Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

When we booked an outdoor wedding for October in Minneapolis, we were worried about the weather.  There could have been snow, but we were extremely lucky to have an 80-degree afternoon at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, MN.  It was so bright out that the bride wore sunglasses throughout the ceremony!

 

Jeff had never been to the Twin Cities, so we arrived the night before and spent the morning of the wedding exploring the area.  This is as close as we get to a paid vacation!

The ceremony took place in the rose garden, surrounded by trees showcasing their fall colors.  The reds, oranges and yellows were reflected in the bridal party flowers and in splashes of red in the bride's gown. 

Before the ceremony, we played primarily popular songs, such as:

• Longer (Dan Fogelberg)
• One Song from "Snow White"
• Our Love is Here to Stay (George Gershwin)
• Storybook Love from "The Princess Bride"
• Till There was You from "The Music Man"
• Your Song (Elton John)

The venue shuttled guests to the site, and late arrivals and traffic to the garden delayed the ceremony nearly half an hour.  No problem for us - we had plenty of music to keep going until everyone arrived and the ceremony was ready to go ahead!

The bride wanted to use the same song for the entrance of the bridal party and for her own processional ("Song of Memory" from Final Fantasy IX).  To enhance her entrance, we added vocals to the harp duet (well, I did - Jeff won't sing!).

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the bride had arranged a musical surprise for the groom - they recessed to "Throne Room" - the theme from the end of Star Wars IV.  And yes, we can play it on the harp!  It took a few seconds for the guests to figure out what they were hearing, but you could hear the murmurs of excitement as they placed the song.  And the groom loved it!  We followed that with "Princess Leia's Theme" and other upbeat pieces as the guests headed off to the receiving line.

After the ceremony, the shuttles had to make several trips to take all of the guests to the reception.  We kept playing through the receiving line, and then spent some time with the guests (young and young at heart!), answering their questions about the harp.  We love giving kids a chance to pluck a few strings - it's not a chance they're likely to get again!

We are available to travel for your wedding anywhere in the US, or internationally for destination weddings.  Contact us at 1-877-HARP-578 or visit our website (http://www.theclassicharpist.com/) for more information.

Client Thanks | Battle Creek, Michigan Wedding

We absolutely loved the work that Devon provided for us. She did an all Beatles ceremony and everyone walked away talking about what an amazing touch the harp added to the ceremony. Thank you for everything, Devon! 

~Saundra, Bride

September 26th, 2010
Kellog House, Battle Creek, MI

Battle Creek Harpist ~ Kellogg House Wedding Ceremony Music

The bride for our last wedding in September contacted me when the harpist she had originally hired fell through.  With just a few weeks to go before their wedding, that harpist wasn't returning phone calls or emails, so they went on a search for a replacement.  We're always glad to help out for last-minute bookings if we're available! 

They had beautiful weather for a late-September outdoor wedding.  The ceremony was held on the lawn of the Kellogg House in Battle Creek, MI, with the reception just a few blocks away at the McCamly Plaza Hotel. 

The bride and groom are Beatles fans, so that took care of all of the prelude and postlude music!  I included some of their special favorites (In My Life, All You Need is Love, And I Love Her, All My Loving, Eight Days a Week, and Love Me Do), and then filled in the remainder of the pre- and post-service music with some of their other hits.  For the ceremony itself, she went with more traditional selections:

• Family & Bridal Party Processional:  "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by J.S. Bach
• Bride's Processional:  "Bridal Chorus" by R. Wagner (also known as "Here Comes the Bride")
• Recessional:  "Wedding March" by F. Mendelssohn

During the ceremony, the father of the groom sang "Amazing Grace" in Ojibway.  It was a wonderful way to include the family's culture in the event!

If you are looking for a wedding harpist in Battle Creek, please visit our website http://www.theclassicharpist.com/, or call 1-877-HARP-578.  We'd love to work with you!

Hudson, Wisconsin Wedding Harpist

While I was playing for a ceremony in Fort Wayne, Jeff was further north at a wedding in western Wisconsin.  We've had bad luck with driving through Wisconsin in the past (most notably the year when the floods were so bad that they closed down I-94 from Madison to Wisconsin Dells, and we were left trying to get to LaCrosse using back roads in the pre-GPS era!), so he left on Friday afternoon to make sure there would be no surprises on the route!

The ceremony was held at Prospect Park in Hudson, WI.  It was a beautiful venue, especially on a crisp fall afternoon.

During the prelude, Jeff played a mix of popular and classical selections, including:

• All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera
• Fields of Gold by Sting
• I See You My Beloved ~ a Czech-Bohemian folk song
• Arioso by Bach
• Pavane Style Renaissance by Wachs
• Reverie by Grandjany

The ceremony began with the seating of the families to Schubert's "Ave Maria".  The group of 7 bridesmaids processed to Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", followed by the bride, who entered to "Canon in D".  

During the unity candle ceremony, Jeff played the traditional Irish tune "Down by the Salley Gardens".  The recessional was an upbeat "Trumpet Tune" - one of Jeff's personal favorites!  And even though it was in Wisconsin, there were no on-the-road disasters.  Now that we have a GPS and AAA membership, we're ready for anything!

Client Thanks | Minneapolis, Minnesota Wedding Music

I was incredibly impressed by Devon and Jeff. I had a couple of special songs I wanted played for my wedding. One of them had vocals in it. Devon did a search for sheet music online, and they performed the pieces beautifully! Devon sang for the piece with vocals while Jeff played. It was exactly what I had wanted! I also had a few younger kids at the wedding, and after the ceremony they were curious about the harps. When a couple of them came up and started playing with them, instead of getting angry and yelling at them to stop, Devon and Jeff started teaching them some easy songs to play. I would highly recommend them for any event you're planning!!

~Shannon, Bride

October 9th, 2010
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, MN

Wish Upon a Wedding

We are proud to partner with Wish Upon a Wedding!

 

Wish Upon a Wedding is the world's first nonprofit wish granting organization that provides weddings and vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances. Less than one year old, the organization has 16 active chapters, and will have granted 12 wishes by the end of 2010.

 

During the month of November, they are hosting several fund raising galas and auctions throughout the country, and would like to invite you to participate.

Whether you are a bride or groom to be, a wedding industry professional, or you simply love the concept behind their mission... YOU can help make Wedding Wishes come true, while raising crucial funding needed to sustain this wonderful, new nonprofit organization.

 

Here's How:

Attend The Blissful Wishes Ball

 A Gala Celebration to Benefit Wish Upon a Wedding

Chicago November 1

LA November 4

San Francisco November 10

Houston November 11

Charlotte November 12

Orlando November 14

St. Louis November 14

  Baltimore November 17

Portland November 18

Atlanta November  21

The Blissful Wishes Ball is a festive way to support Wish Upon a Wedding.  Enjoy a nice night out on the town with an elegant dinner, entertainment, music, dancing, and incredible auction items.

Buy your tickets today!

 

Bid Your Wish for Wedded Bliss

Online and Live auctions for a Worthwhile Cause

For the first time in history, couples getting married can plan their entire wedding from virtually any city in the United States, knowing that every penny they spend will go directly towards helping a couple in need.  It's so EASY to bid.  Find everything from invitations to flowers, catering to DJs, photography to wedding planners, honeymoons and more.

Simply visit their online auction site here to choose from hundreds of items from the industry's best vendors.

Even if you are not getting married, check it out for other exciting items, such as dinners in top-rated restaurants, entertainment, sporting events and popular autographed memorabilia. Every cent earned goes towards Wish Upon a Wedding and their mission to provide these heartfelt Wedding Wishes.

 

About Wish Upon a Wedding

Founded in January of 2010 by CA wedding planner, Liz Guthrie of San Jose Wedding Consultants, Wish Upon a Wedding was
created to help couples who did not have the time, money, resources or strength to plan a wedding on their own, because of terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances. The organization now celebrates the courage, determination and spirit of these couples by granting their dream wedding wishes. It is their goal that chosen recipients can
inspire other couples facing similar situations to find hope and strength, while raising awareness for terminal illness.

 

Growing up with a sister who was deaf since birth, and raised by parents who ran a board and care home for people facing numerous disabilities and life hardships, Liz learned early on to value the many blessings in life, and the importance of helping others. Volunteering throughout her life for a variety of nonprofit organizations, Liz was looking for a way to combine weddings and community service. 

After producing the San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway in 2009, a contest in which only one couple would be granted a dream wedding, Liz came up with a way to merge her two passions. While going through the process of giving the wedding "prize" to a woman suffering from stage IV Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Liz  created Wish Upon a Wedding. Overnight, Liz decided to change wedding history, and the way we give, by launching a nonprofit organization that was totally unique and had never existed before.

Supported by industry leaders such as Sasha Souza, David Beahm, Stella Inserra, Jenny Orsini, Kevin Covey, Stacie Francombe, Sylvia Weinstock, Steve Kemble, Mindy Weiss, Mary Dann, and Ivy Robinson (to name just a few), the organization has experienced rapid growth and seen voracious acceptance throughout the country.

To date, eight couples have benefited from the generous work of Wish Upon a Wedding. Over 4,000 volunteers have signed up to become Wish Granters. Their facebook page has attracted over 10,000 fans. 

None of this would be possible without public support.

In Loving Memory of Wish Recipients who have Passed On


 

 

Dani and Tony married in St Louis on September 1. She passed away September 30th. Dani had suffered from Cystic Fibrosis since age 3, and had recently received a double lung transplant.

 

Florence and Micheal married near Sacramento on March 13. She passed away on September 28. Florence battled stage IV breast cancer, and was diagnosed with six months to live at the time of her wedding.

 

Shelly and Jay married in Seattle on May 2.  Shelly passed away three weeks later. She had been battling a rare type of cancerous lymphoma, and Jay suffered from Multiple Sclerosis.

Please help Wish Upon a Wedding continue to do great things.

Attend a Gala.  Donate to or bid in the auctions.

And help them spread the word, by sharing this article with your friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances.

You CAN make a difference in someone's life today!

Fort Wayne Harpist | Allen County Courthouse Wedding

On September 25th, I got to play for a wedding ceremony in the Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  It was modeled after the Statehouse in Indianapolis, where I provided harp music for a wedding last March.  Great acoustics again!

To create a backdrop for the ceremony, they had a fabric drape in the wedding colors of plum and gold.  A high-top table held the unity candle and a flower arrangement.

The bridal party and bride processed down the grand staircase to "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Canon in D".  I would have been terrified of falling!     

I've been set up under a mounted deer head before, but never by a tax enforcement office.  Every wedding brings something new!

The ceremony area from my point of view:

During the unity candle, the bride requested the Bach-Gounod version of "Ave Maria".  While less well-known than Schubert's version, this one is equally - if not more - beautiful.  She didn't want the song to drag on after the candle lighting (which takes no time at all!), so I found a good spot to bring it gracefully to a close.  Much better than standing there awkwardly, with all of the guests staring at you, waiting for a five-minute song to end!

"Trumpet Voluntary" was the recessional, which sent the guests upstairs for the cocktail hour.  They later returned to the main floor, which had been transformed for dinner service.

Looking for a harpist in Fort Wayne?  Visit our website or call 1-877-HARP-578 for more information!

Northwest Indiana Wedding Harpist

While I was off playing for a wedding in Michigan, Jeff had two weddings on September 18th.  The first was in the gardens of the Oliver Mansion (Copshaholm) at the Northern Indiana Center for History in South Bend.  The rain threatened to put a damper on the outdoor ceremony, but held off until the very moment the couple was pronounced "husband and wife".  The guests ran for cover - and so did the harpist!

Their wedding music was mostly traditional:

• Seating of Families:  Ave Maria by Schubert
• Bridal Party Processional:  Trumpet Tune by Purcell
• Bride's Processional:  Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride) by Wagner
• Recessional:  Wedding March by Mendelssohn

Before the ceremony, the bride opted for more popular selections (The Prayer, My Heart Will Go On, and anything by The Beatles).

Once this wedding was complete, Jeff was off to Hobart, Indiana to play harp for a wedding at Deep River County Park.  When we lived in Valparaiso, we played there frequently, but less so since we moved to South Bend.  It's always enjoyable to get back to the area!  Jeff didn't get any pictures at this one (the rain is hard on the harp and harpist!), but here is one from a couple of years ago:

It's a beautiful venue, and they usually have several weddings there every weekend.  One of the best features of the location is a large gazebo, which is a good back-up for the drizzly weather.  For the bridal party processional, the bride chose "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera, and her own entrance was the popular "Canon in D".  "Trumpet Tune" made for an upbeat recessional.

If you are looking for a musician for your Northwest Indiana wedding, please contact us! 

http://www.theclassicharpist.com/
1-877-HARP-578

Willow Harbor Vineyard Wedding Music - Three Oaks, MI

One of the hardest things about being self-employed is that you don't get sick days.  The day before this wedding, I came down with a terrible cold.  But no matter what, I was going to be there (even if I had to tuck tissues into the back of the harp)! 

We've played for weddings at Willow Harbor Vineyard before, but somehow never got pictures taken.  This time, I finally did.  The weather was questionable all day, but fortunately the rain held off during the set-up and ceremony!

The other weddings we've done there have been at their original site, but this one was in the Chardonnay vineyard further back on the property. The reception took place in the tent across the lawn.

During the prelude, the bride wanted to surprise her guests with music that isn't what you typically envision when you think of the harp.  She chose "Let it Be" by The Beatles, "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera, "Collide" by Howie Day, and "Come Sail Away" by Styx.  Once the ceremony began, she went a more traditional route:

• Seating of Families:  Arioso by J.S. Bach
• Bridal Party Processional:  Canon in D by J. Pachelbel
• Bride's Processional:  Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J.S. Bach

For the recessional, it was back to contemporary pop songs, with "Love Me Do" and "Eight Days a Week" by The Beatles.

Client Thanks | Hudson, Wisconsin Wedding Music

Devon and Jeff returned my phone calls in a timely fashion. Jeff was our harpist. He gave me guidance on music selection when asked. On the wedding day he arrived early to check the venue out and set up. His music was beautiful. He was very professional, polite, and nice. I would highly recommend him to anyone needing a harpist.

~Margery, Mother of the Bride

September 25th, 2010
Prospect Park, Hudson, WI

South Bend Wedding Harpist | Hilton Garden Inn

Notre Dame football home games usually mean a Saturday off for me, but the Friday and Sunday on either side are typically  booked.  On Sunday, September 5th, everyone was in good spirits after an Irish win!  It was also a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding in the courtyard of the Hiton Garden Inn / Gillespie Conference Center in South Bend, IN.

I met with Jaclyn & Tony in early August to plan their wedding music.  They chose to have me play our Venus Penti pedal harp, since its modern silhouette and ebony finish fit in perfectly with their olive green and black color theme!  For the ceremony, they wanted to have mostly classical selections, but not the most traditional pieces. 

• Seating of Families & Bridal Party Processional:  Arioso by J.S. Bach
• Bride's Processional:  Canon in D by J. Pachelbel
• Recessional:  Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J.S. Bach

The bride had some special requests for the prelude and postlude, so I split them between the pre-service music and the music played after the ceremony as guests departed for the cocktail hour.  These included:

• Aria from Rinaldo
• Irish folk song "O Danny Boy"
• Welsh folk songs (By Kell's Waters & Serch Hudol)
• Czech/Bohemian Folk Song "I See You My Beloved"
• All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera
• By the Light of the Silvery Moon
• Fields of Gold
• My Heart Will Go on from Titanic