Client Thanks | South Bend, Indiana, Wedding

From an October 2009 Mother of the Bride:

Mr. Haupt, Thank you so much for the lovely harp music, it added such a wonderful touch to Kristen's wedding day.  Sorry it was so chilly!  Everyone enjoyed hearing your lovely music; made sitting in the cold a bit more tolerable.  Best wishes for a successful year.  Thank you again!

Wedding Harpist | Angola, Indiana

While I was in Rolling Prairie, Jeff was playing for a wedding ceremony on the other side of the state in Angola, Indiana.  The ceremony was held outside the VFW Hall.

The bride chose mostly traditional music for the beginning her ceremony with Pachelbel's "Canon in D" for the bridesmaids' entrance and the traditional "Bridal Chorus" by Wagner for her processional.  The final part of her ceremony was filled with more contemporary music selections.  During the unity sand ceremony, she chose "Unchained Melody", and the recessional was "All My Loving" by the Beatles.

If you are planning a wedding anywhere in Indiana, please contact us to book harp music for your ceremony!  Visit our website (http://www.theclassicharpist.com/) for rates and more information.

Harp & Cello Duet for a Northern Indiana Wedding

On another hot and muggy Saturday in July, I was joined by a fabulous cellist (Earle Perez) to play for a wedding on a farm in Rolling Prairie, Indiana.  We always have so much fun working together, and the combination of harp and cello is both uncommon and uncommonly beautiful.  After we unloaded, we parked behind the barn, and tried to keep our instruments in tune!

As the families were seated, we played "Arioso" by Bach, followed by "Hymne" by Vangelis for the bridal party.  The bride requested the theme from "Cider House Rules" for her processional.  This was a modified Catholic wedding (since it wasn't in a church they couldn't have a Mass), so we included elements of liturgical music throughout the ceremony.  We played the "Celtic Alleluia" before the gospel reading, and between the vows and the blessing, there was a musical interlude of the Bach/Gounod "Ave Maria".

It has been a tradition in the bride's musically talented family to have her father accompany her sister playing "Ode to Joy" on the trumpet as the recessional.  What a wonderful way to include family musicians in the ceremony, without placing the burden on them of providing all of the music!  They get to enjoy the service, and then just play the exit piece.

I stayed at the ceremony location to play as guests filed out, and Earle moved up to the barn where the cocktail hour was taking place.  One of the best perks of having two musicians is that we can split up and cover two areas with music as soloists, then come back together as a duet once all of the guests have arrived at the second location.

For the cocktail hour, the bride requested mostly contemporary music, including:

• Ashokan Farewell from "The Civil War"
• You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban
• All You Need is Love, Let it Be, In My Life & With a Little Help from My Friends by the Beatles
• What a Wonderful World
• Moon River from "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
• Speak Softly Love from "The Godfather"
• Till There Was You from "The Music Man"
• The Wedding Song by Paul Stookey
• Down by the Salley Gardens (Irish folk song)
• Suogan (Welsh folk song lullaby)
• Carolan's Welcome (Irish traditional)

Northwest Indiana Wedding Harpist

This picture was shared on our Facebook page by Mark Amelse of Amelse Photography.  The wedding ceremony took place in May at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Hobart, Indiana. 

We've played for other weddings where he has been the photographer, and we highly recommend him.

Visit http://www.theclassicharpist.com/ for more information about music for your wedding!  We are available throughout northwest Indiana for ceremonies and receptions.

Michigan Wedding Harpist: Kalamazoo & Niles

On the last Saturday in June, Jeff had two wedding ceremonies for which he played the harp.  The first was an outdoor wedding in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the Kalamazoo Nature Center.

For the prelude, the bride requested the traditional Welsh folk songs "By Kell's Waters" and "Suogan", along with "Sheep May Safely Graze" by Bach and "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera.  For the entrance of the bridal party, she chose "Canon in D" by Pachelbel.

Her own entrance was less traditional.  She selected the "Bridal March from Skjevik" by the Norwegian composer Trond Ottar Maalen.  The ceremony concluded with "Trumpet Voluntary" as the recessional followed by the first movement of "Spring" from Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Air from Handel's Water Music. 

The second ceremony of the day was at the Centre Meeting House outside of Niles, Michigan (formerly the Morris Chapel).  Jeff & I get to play for weddings there often!  The bride requested non-classical music for the prelude as guests arrived, and to include "Mayonnaise" by Smashing Pumpkins before the service.

For the seating of families, she chose "What a Wonderful World", followed by "Fields of Gold" by Sting for the bridal party entrance.  "Blue Sky" by the Allman Brothers was both the bride's processional and the recessional, using the slow beginning for the bride, and the upbeat middle section as the couple left the ceremony.

Fundraiser Concert in Angola, Indiana

On Friday, August 27th, I will be giving a recital at the Carnegie Public Library in Angola, Indiana.  Tickets are $10, and are available at the door.

Music will include traditional folk and contemporary popular songs, along with pieces by Handel, Salzedo, Andres, Renie, and Godefroid.

Doors open at 6:00pm, and I will be playing from 7:00-8:00.  There will be refreshments, a raffle, silent auction, and a quilt drawing.  All proceeds go to purchase books for the library.  Hope to see you there!

A Backyard Wedding in Cassopolis, Michigan

Jeff was supposed to be the solo harpist for this ceremony, but my schedule opened up, and with nothing else to do on a Saturday afternoon in July, I joined him for a harp duet.  We had so much fun that we hope to do this again soon!

The ceremony was held in Cassopolis, Michigan, in the beautiful backyard of the grandmother of the groom.  We played while guests arrived, including the special requests of "Arioso" by Bach and the "Jupiter" theme from Holst's "The Planets".  Other music choices:

• Seating of the Families:  "Ave Maria" by Schubert
• Bridesmaids' Processional:  "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Bach
• Bride's Processional:  "Canon in D" by Pachelbel
• Recessional:  Trumpet Voluntary

Between the readings, as one reading was returning to her seat and the other reader was walking to the front, we played "Hymne" by Vangelis.

This is Jeff warming up.  I snagged this picture of him on my way back from the car to get my shoes.  Harp moving shoes and harp playing shoes are two VERY different things!

Unexpected Ways to Add Music to Your Wedding

1. Think Beyond Just Your Wedding Day. Get your guests excited to attend your wedding by having music for your pre-wedding festivities. Background music is perfect for engagement parties, showers, rehearsal dinners, and luncheons.

2. Music for Guest Arrival - Not just at the ceremony. Have music playing outside of your venue, so guests hear it the moment they get out of their cars. If you are providing transportation, have a strolling violinist or guitarist in the vehicle to take requests. You can also have music at the guests' hotel(s) during check-in time or for breakfast the day of and after your wedding.

3. Ceremony Elements. Extend the music for your unity ceremony by going as a couple to greet each set of parents. This is a great way to hear more of the piece you have chosen for your unity candle or sand (which usually takes about ten seconds). You can also incorporate vocal or instrumental solos to give you some time during the ceremony to just relax and enjoy. Some officiants allow you to play soft music under a reading or the vows. "Moving music" is an effective way to keep the ceremony cohesive as readers walk to and from their seats, or as the bride & groom move up to take their vows.

4. Formal Pictures. While your families and bridal party are having pictures taken, it is customary to have music playing while guests are enjoying the cocktail hour. Why leave yourself out of the fun! Have music where you are doing pictures, too. It's also a great stress reducer when you are trying to herd people and work on a tight schedule.

5. Unexpected Places. Gives a new meaning to "elevator music"! You can have musicians set up in bathroom entrances, by the coat check, or in the elevator. Guests will return to their dinner tables, and tell everyone that they need to go check out the harpist in the bathroom!

6. Kids' Room. You can make your wedding reception enjoyable for children, too, by having a separate kids' area. They can make simple instruments (egg shakers, tambourines, etc.), or you could have an early childhood music teacher come in to teach a music and movement class.

7. Thank You Notes & Favors. Send your guests home with a musical tribute to your day. You can offer CD's of your wedding musicians playing the songs you selected either as favors or enclosed with your thank you notes.

If you are looking for a harpist for your upcoming wedding, we'd love to work with you!  Please visit our website (http://www.theclassicharpist.com/) and contact us for more information.

Wedding Music in Bremen, Indiana

My last wedding in June was at Agape Fellowship Church (also known as The Gathering Place) in Bremen, Indiana.  It's a beautiful and simple chapel in a small town just a few minutes south of South Bend.  It was a little warm (no air conditioning), but everything turned out nicely!

The colors were orange and fuchsia (they coordinated nicely with the furnishings in place in the church), and the bride chose the traditional wedding processionals (Canon in D, Bridal Chorus, and the Wedding March).  Where she really let her personality and musical tastes come through was the prelude and postlude, which included:

• Air from The Water Music by Handel
• Unchained Melody
• Love Story by Taylor Swift
• Love Me Tender
• Only Time by Enya
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach
• I'm Yours by Jason Mraz
• What a Wonderful World
• Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King

Munster, Indiana Wedding Music

We've had beautiful weather for our outdoor wedding ceremonies this year!  A little hotter than last year, but not a single one has had to move inside.  On June 25th, I played for a ceremony on the terrace at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana.  I was set up behind and a level higher than the guests, so the sound from the harp could travel toward them, and I could see the wedding party and bride make their entrances.  It made it much easier to time the music appropriately!

For the bridal party processional, I played "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic, followed by Wagner's traditional "Bridal Chorus" for the bride's entrance.  During the sand ceremony, I played Schubert's "Ave Maria", and sent the guests off to the party with an upbeat "All My Loving" by the Beatles.

Just before the recessional, the couple and their bridal party released butterflies.  Beautiful!

Weddings in Mishawaka

It's nice when my schedule works out to have two weddings directly across the street from one another on the same day!  The first ceremony was at Albright United Methodist Church in Mishawaka.  This is my beautiful Webster Laurel Leaf harp set up in the sanctuary:

The only member of the bridal party was the flower girl, and she entered to Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze", with the bride processing to the traditional "Bridal Chorus" - also known as "Here Comes the Bride" by Wagner.  The recessional was the Czech-Bohemian folk song "I See You My Beloved".

After that wedding concluded, I hurried the harp over the river to Beutter Park.  For prelude and postlude, the bride requested popular and upbeat songs, including:

• Somewhere Over the Rainbow from "The Wizard of Oz"
• What a Wonderful World
• Love Story by Taylor Swift
• All I Ask of You from "Phantom of the Opera"

She chose traditional music for the processionals (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring for the families, Canon in D for the bridal party, and Bridal Chorus for the bride) and recessional (Wedding March by Mendelssohn).  For the unity candle, they went for a popular contemporary song (I'm Yours by Jason Mraz).  It was a beautiful afternoon for an outdoor wedding!

Castle in the Country & Mill Race Village Weddings

I can think of no better way to spend a Thursday evening than at a wedding!  It's even better if the ceremony is at the Castle in the Country Bed & Breakfast in Allegan, Michigan.  It's a peaceful setting, far away from crowds and busy roads.  Ceremonies are held on a deck overlooking a lake.  The sounds of birds and bullfrogs goes well with the harp!

This may have taken the top spot as my favorite wedding venue, because of the welcoming committee who "helped" me set up the harp.

That's Dickens' "David Copperfield" sitting on my bench.  I've got to get some lighter reading material for when I get to the venue too early!

The next day, I was off to Northville, MI, for a wedding at the Mill Race Village.  They had me set up the harp on the porch of a Victorian home, and the guests were seated on the lawn.  Instead of flowers, the bridesmaids carried floral-print purses that matched their dresses.  Beautiful and practical! 

They chose traditional music for the processionals (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring for the bridal party; Canon in D for the bride), and then went with contemporary for the recessional (Hymne by Vangelis). 

Blue Dress Barn & Heston Hills Wedding Music

The Blue Dress Barn in Millburg, Michigan is a beautiful venue!  You can have your ceremony outdoors, and then move inside the barn for the reception.  I played for a wedding ceremony in the garden on June 12th, and the rain held off - but barely!  The harp cover stayed within reach, just in case we needed to run for shelter.

The bride chose traditional music for the processionals and recessional, with a popular song for the unity sand ceremony.

• Seating of Families:  Canon in D by Pachelbel
• Bridal Party Processional:  Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach
• Bride's Processional:  Bridal Chorus by Wagner
• Unity Sand Ceremony:  Fields of Gold by Sting
• Recessional:  Wedding March by Mendelssohn 

After packing up, I drove to Heston Hills Banquet Center outside of LaPorte, Indiana.  The mother of the groom had hired me to provide background music for the cocktail hour.  This is a great task to delegate to family and friends!  Let them do research for your vendors, and then you can make your selections.

Blue Heron at Blackthorn Wedding Ceremony

My first June wedding was at the Blue Heron at Blackthorn in South Bend, Indiana.  Unfortunately, there are no pictures because the wind was so strong I couldn't let go of the harp to take any!  The colors were dark chocolate and red, and the ceremony was performed by Kerri Hoffman.  Music selections included:

• Bridal party processional:  Only Time by Enya
• Bride's processional:  Canon in D by Pachelbel
• Recessional:  Fields of Gold by Sting

It was a perfect combination of traditional music and contemporary songs!   There is no rule that you have to be consistent with your music genres throughout your ceremony.  It's fine to mix popular and classical songs, as long as your musicians are comfortable with the pieces you have selected.  Visit my Repertoire List to see some of the possibilities!

Bloomington Wedding Music

At the end of May, I played for a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony on the grounds of the Deer Park Manor in Bloomington, Indiana.  The weather was warm but the skies were clear - a perfect day!

The bride selected "Arioso" by J.S. Bach for the processional of the families and bridal party.  After making a grand entrance in a horse-drawn carriage, the bride came down the aisle to Pachelbel's "Canon in D".  The couple exited after the ceremony to "A Whole New World" from Disney's "Aladdin".  Other music chosen for the prelude and postlude:

• Largo from "New World Symphony" (Dvorak)
• Hymne (Vangelis)
• All I Ask of You from "Phantom of the Opera" (Webber)
• My Heart Will Go On from "Titanic" (Horner)
• Prelude in C (Bach)
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach)
• My Own True Love from "Gone with the Wind" (Steiner)
• When I Fall in Love (Young)
• Your Song (Elton John)

A wonderful way to make sure that your early-arriving guests get the best seats is to have your ushers lead them down the side aisles, with the instruction to move all the way in and sit along the center aisle.  The center aisle is reserved for the bridal party processional, and the guests who get there soonest get the closest seats.  No one has to move further away as additional guests arrive.  This bride did this and used tulle to line the aisle.  It makes a nice frame for pictures down the aisle, too!