South Bend Wedding Reception Music ~ Harpist at the Hilton Garden Inn

After a morning reception on the campus of Notre Dame, I played for the evening reception of another bride and groom who also got married at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart that day!  Jennifer & Patrick held their reception at the Gillespie Conference Center at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Michelangelo's did an amazing job with the florals and decor, transforming the ballroom with purple linens, flowers, and uplighting.  The bride and groom even had a loveseat at their sweetheart table instead of banquet chairs!

I played for the cocktail hour, which was held in the lobby.  Along with displayed appetizers, there were passed hors d'oeuvers as well.  With the beautiful day, guests were even able to enjoy some time on the patio.  The lobby also featured a photo booth, bar, and a customized picture of the Notre Dame Basilica.

Jennifer requested that I play popular, Irish, Disney, and Broadway songs for her cocktail hour.  When I started "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from Spamalot, I even got some people whistling along! 

Other pieces I played included:

• Edelweiss from The Sound of Music
• All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera
• Allurement of Love
• Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King
• Memory from Cats
• When You Wish Upon a Star from Pinocchio
• Sheebeg and Sheemore
• Rainbow Connection from The Muppet Movie
• Hallelujah from Shrek
• Seasons of Love from Rent
• Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz

With the harp, you aren't just limited to classical music!  If you are looking for something unique and elegant to add to your wedding, visit my website ~ South Bend Wedding Harpist ~ for information on having harp music for your wedding ceremony or reception.  

South Bend Wedding Music ~ Hilton Garden Inn Ceremony

Outdoor weddings can always be a bit unpredictable, especially when it comes to dealing with the weather.  In most cases, I am sure no one imagines scenes such as these when thinking about their outdoor ceremony:

The bride and groom waited for a bit, hoping that the rain would pass, but unfortunately that never came to be.  Luckily, or maybe "preparedly" the venue was able to convert the outdoor garden wedding into a beautiful indoor ceremony.  After about 20 minutes of setup time, the wedding was moved indoors and the ceremony was ready to begin!

For the family, bridesmaids, and flower girls, I played "Your Song" by Elton John.  The bride entered to Sade's "By Your Side".  The recessional was especially fun, as I got to play Guns and Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine."

Want to know how we can customize your wedding music to include non-traditional music?  Visit our website, Indiana Wedding Harpist.

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