Beach Wedding Music ~ Southwest Michigan Harpist

I have played at the Lakeside Inn several times before (most memorably a few weeks ago when the ceremony carried on through a downpour - fortunately the harp stayed dry in an artists' studio right behind the ceremony site), but this was my first time on their private Lake Michigan beach.  It's a beautiful setting, but a very challenging set-up.

This wedding was a harp & violin duet, so at least I had help with moving all of the equipment down to the ceremony site.  When we got down with our first load, we were thrilled to see an umbrella already set up for us - shade is a MUST for musicians playing on the beach!  We were able to leave our things there, and climb back up the 104(!) steps back to the parking lot.  Vowing to get everything else in one trip, we made it!

The BlevinSong lever harp is the most portable of my harps, and it is the only harp that it is possible to get down to this beach.  Even taking this one wasn't easy!

The bride had only one request for her ceremony music ~ she wanted to enter to "Canon in D" by Pachelbel.  Other than that, she left the rest of the music up to us. For the entrance of the mothers and bridal party, we played "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by J.S. Bach.

The unity sand ceremony almost didn't happen - someone forgot the sand!  Lucky for them, the beach has plenty, and they blended sand together with their hands.  While this was going on, the aunt of the groom sang "The Wedding Song", accompanied by the groom's brother playing the guitar.  The recessional was "Trumpet Tune" followed up by "Rondeau" by Mouret, "Trumpet Voluntary", and other joyful pieces for the postlude.

Back up the stairs...and we had help!  Most of the time, I don't have any trouble moving my harps on my own, but was glad when a couple of wedding guests offered to assist us getting everything back up all of those stairs in one trip.  Thank you!!!  Now I just need to get all of the sand out of my harp case!

From weddings on the Lake Michigan beach to a local winery, I love providing harp music for weddings and events throughout Southwest Lower Michigan.  Visit my website:

Southwest Michigan Wedding Music

for information on having harp music for your wedding ceremony or reception.  Along with solo harp, I offer many different ensembles.  Harp & violin (what this bride chose) is the most popular choice.  Other ensembles include:

• Harp & Flute
• Harp, Violin & Cello
• Harp & Trumpet
• Two-harp Duet
• Harp & String Quartet
• Harp, Flute & Cello
• Harp & Guitar
• Harp & Marimba

...or anything else you can think of!  With connections with hundreds of professional musicians, I can create the perfect ensemble for your event.

Southwest Michigan Wedding Music ~ Lakeside Inn Ceremony

No matter how well you prepare for your wedding, the weather is always unpredictable!  This is especially true on the shores of Lake Michigan, where the rain can come out of nowhere - or circle around you, or disappear all together.

Gretchen and Joel planned for an outdoor ceremony at the Lakeside Inn in Southwest Michigan.  They have a couple of options for outdoor ceremonies:  either in their garden, or on their private beach that is accessible by stairs.  This ceremony was set up in the garden, but the rain was coming!

Everyone was watching the red blob on the radar coming closer and closer, and it looked like it would arrive right around the time the wedding was to begin.  We went back and forth, trying to figure out if they could get the ceremony in before the storm began.  Other set-up options were the front porch or the dining room, but the bride decided to chance the weather.

Of course, since the harp is made of wood, it cannot get wet.  They lucked out that there is an artists' studio building right behind the ceremony site.  I was able to set the harp up inside, and put my amplifier in the door so the music would still reach the guests.  Of course, as soon as I got my harp out there, it began to rain!

The bridal party entered to "Canon in D", and the bride's processional was "Falling Slowly".  We were supposed to sing the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", but it (as well as a few other parts of the ceremony) was skipped to get everyone back inside to dry off a little sooner.  The wedding party (along with all of the guests under their umbrellas!) recessed to the first movement of "Spring" from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.  I couldn't resist throwing in "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" during the postlude! 

A good back-up location for any outdoor wedding is a must.  It will also lower your stress levels to know that, even if the weather doesn't cooperate, you will still have a beautiful ceremony!

Jeff and I are professional harpists providing wedding music for outdoor and indoor events throughout Southwest Lower Michigan.  Visit our website:

Southwest Michigan Wedding Music

or call 1-877-HARP-578 for more information.

October Weddings & Pictures

I've been very bad at getting things posted this past month, so this will be a long one! My most recent wedding was at Sergeant Means Park in Olympia Fields, IL. The room has GREAT acoustics, and the bride selected some very unique music for her ceremony. We started with "Moon River," and the bride's entrance was to Ben Folds' song "The Luckiest." The couple met at a Cubs game, and chose "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as their recessional. I love it when a bride really uses the music to reflect her personality and favorite songs! So maybe I had a little too much fun with this picture and Photoshop....


On October 14th, I was up by Lake Michigan for what was supposed to be my last outdoor wedding of the season. Unfortunately, it was a rather nasty day and the wedding was moved inside the inn. You always have to have a back up plan and consider the comfort of your guests. Your harpist will also thank you! They chose familiar classical pieces for their ceremony, including Schubert's "Ave Maria," "Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring," and Pachelbel's "Canon in D." We added the traditional fanfare (the same as "Here Comes the Bride") before beginning Canon, since that helps the guests know wheen to stand up and announces the entrance of the bride. I really beleive that you could play that fanfare anywhere and everybody would get out of their seats! I may be wrong, but I think this is the first time I've played underneath a mounted deer head.


I had two weddings on October 7th. The first was a ceremony in Michigan City. I shared music duties with the wonderful church organist. It's always a pleasure when they really welcome me, as many organists can be a bit territorial when another musician is on their turf! The bride chose Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze" for the seating of the families, "Canon" for the bridesmaids, and the organist played "Jesu, Joy" for the bride's processional. During the ceremony, they requested that I play Godefroid's "Romance without Words" as a harp solo. They had a classic car from Rag Tops Auto Museum as their get-away ride. I had no idea that they hired out cars, and it made a great alternative to the standard white limo!

My second wedding was a ceremony and reception in Schererville. The couple chose traditional pieces for the ceremony, and we mixed up classical and popular selections for the cocktail hour. What I will never understand is why wedding photographers always take my picture while I'm tuning before the ceremony begins. It actually happened at both weddings on this day. So no, I do not really play standing up with a wrench in one hand! It's no wonder that there are so many figurines and paintings of harpists and harps in strange configurations. My mom gave me one where the harpist is sitting in front of the harp rather than behind it. Don't know why, but it drives me crazy!

So that's the run down for October (so far - one more ceremony on Saturday). November usually slows down as the traditional wedding season draws to a close, but this year it doesn't look that way. Good thing I like keeping busy!