Meyer's Castle Wedding ~ Harp Music for a Reception

To kick off what has been our busiest weekend of the year (so far!), I played for Judy & Jon's wedding reception at Meyer's Castle in Dyer, Indiana.  Their ceremony was held on the porch of the castle (a string quartet provided the music for this), followed by their reception under the tent. 

Judy was actually my very first 2012 wedding to book - all the way back in October of 2010!  It's always a good idea to book as many of your vendors as you can far in advance, as that gives you the best selection of available professionals.  Once you have your date and venue set, you can get locked in on my calendar! 

The tent was decorated in red and black, and the resident peacocks made their presence known!  Judy chose the Laurel Leaf harp, as its gold and ebony finish matched the reception decor.  The music I played for the cocktail and dinner hours included:

• Caribbean Blue ~ Enya
• Stairway to Heaven ~ Led Zeppelin
• Bella's Lullaby ~ Twilight
• Ave Maria ~ Schubert
• Lothorion ~ Enya (a special favorite of the groom, played as the first song after the introductions)
• My Favorite Things ~ The Sound of Music
• Greensleeves ~ Traditional English
• Fields of Gold ~ Sting
• Sheep May Safely Graze ~ Bach

along with a wide variety of other classical, popular, Broadway, and Celtic pieces.  A little something for everyone!  

With a song list that ranges from the traditional to the contemporary, a versatile harpist can provide music for your entire wedding ~ from the ceremony all the way through dinner!  To find more information about having me play for your event, visit my website ~ Northwest Indiana Harpist.

 

Harp + Harpist = Tourist attraction?

Last weekend was another two-wedding Saturday. Follow that up with a former classmate's homecoming recital, and you have a busy day!

My first wedding was a harp & violin duet gig with my friend Amanda. Although traffic was bad and her car almost got hit on the way, we made it with a couple of minutes to spare. Welcome Home wedding planners were coordinating the ceremony, and they always do a super job of making sure everything runs smoothly. We actually got the right cue to begin the music for the seating of the families! That's the only part of playing for weddings that still makes me nervous. Once things get started, it's no problem - I just worry that grandma will start down the aisle before anybody warns me that she's ready! We played Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Canon in D, and Trumpet Voluntary.

As we left the ceremony, the storm clouds started rolling in - lightening and everything. Of course, my second ceremony was to be outside! I had time to stop for some much-needed coffee and pulled up to Meyer's Castle. It was still raining, but they said there were no plans to move the ceremony - yet. So I unloaded everything but the harp and put all of the equipment under an awning to keep it dry. Fortunately, the storm didn't last more than half and hour, and the wedding was able to go ahead outside as planned.


I was set up behind the guests, close to the staircase the bride and her attendants descended. She had chosen this location so the photographer could get shots of her and her wedding party through the harp strings.


Because of the iffy weather, guests were slow to take their places for the ceremony to begin. No problem - I have HOURS of prelude music if I need it! During this time, guests lined up to stand right next to the harp, and have people take their picture with me. It was a lot of fun, and I just kept smiling (I hope - we'll see if anyone sends me copies)! I do this so often that times like that help remind me how unique my job is. I have harps in my living room and look at them every day - most people don't! It's a great feeling to bring such joy to people through my music, and introduce the harp and its music to people who have never seen or heard one before.

At the end of the ceremony, the had a dove release. I've seen a couple use two doves, but this was a whole flock! It was an amazing sight, and I'm sure the pictures will be spectacular. The music for this wedding included Canon in D, Bridal Chorus, and the Wedding March. The couple liked "harpy" music, so I was sure to put in lots of glissandos, especially during the bride's entrance.

So I dodged the weather bullet yet again - this has been a lucky summer! Just one more outdoor wedding to go....