Michigan City Harpist ~ Wedding at the International Friendship Gardens

Amy and William were married on a June evening at the International Friendship Gardens in Michigan City, Indiana.  It looks as if there have been some improvements at the gardens this year, from better parking to nicer chairs for the wedding guests.  You can even have your reception here now!

The pastor officiating the ceremony arrived shortly after I did, so we were able to go over all of the music cues with plenty of time to spare before guests began to arrive. It's nice not to have to try to do that when I'm already playing prelude music!  Amy chose "Fanny Power" ~ a piece by the Irish harpist O'Carolan ~ for her bridesmaids' processional, and the traditional "Bridal Chorus" for her entrance music.  With the Irish music Amy chose, the Celtic style of my BlevinSong harp was a perfect match!

After a scripture reading, I played a verse of the hymn "O Perfect Love."  As the couple and their pastor moved toward the table for the unity sand ceremony, I began the song "When Irish Eyes are Smiling."  We had worked it out so that the music would fade to a quieter volume while the pastor was speaking, and then crescendo as the couple finished the service and moved back to the front of the aisle.  Once they were pronounced husband & wife, everyone exited the Symphony Garden to "Trumpet Tune."

If you are planning a wedding in the Michigan City or LaPorte areas, contact me about having harp music at your ceremony!  You'll find more information on my website ~ Michigan City Harpist.

Indiana Wedding Harpist ~ International Friendship Gardens

I first met Rachel and Thomas at a bridal show a year ago in Schererville, Indiana.  They were planning a fall wedding at the International Friendship Gardens in Michigan City, IN, and booked within a week of the show!  They chose to have a harp & violin duet provide their ceremony music.  This is definitely one of my favorite ensembles ~ the violin provides the soaring melodic line over the lush harmonies of the harp.

After a week of non-stop rain, the first of October was cool but dry.  The gardens have a permanent tent for weddings, so you can still have an outdoor wedding, even if rain is falling!  Fortunately, although the grounds were muddy (an extra challenge when you have to push a harp across the grass!), the area under the tent was dry.

The harp & violin music started about half and hour before the ceremony was scheduled to begin.  We played a mix of recognizable classical pieces ("Air on the G String," Handel's "Largo," "Air" from Water Music, "Jupiter" from The Planets) and popular songs ("All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera, "Only Time," "Autumn Leaves").

The ceremony music was a nice mix of the traditional and the unexpected.  The families entered to "Hymne" by Vangelis, and the bridal party processional was "Fields of Gold" by Sting.  The bride's entrance music was "Canon in D."  During the rose ceremony, we played the Welsh folk song "Suogan," and the recessional was "Pavane Style Renaissance" by Wachs.

The postlude music continued through the receiving line in the garden, including "Trumpet Tune," "Trumpet Voluntary," "Rondeau" by Mouret, and "March in D" by Bach.

Planning a wedding in the Michigan City area?  Whether you are looking for a solo harpist or a larger musical ensemble, we can supply the perfect group for your ceremony and reception.  Visit Indiana Wedding Harpist or call 1-877-HARP-578 for details!

Michigan City Harpist ~ Blue Chip Casino Wedding Ceremony

I first met Debbie at a Bridal Expo last October in Merrillville, Indiana, and was excited to play for her  Memorial Day weekend ceremony in Michigan City.  Both the ceremony and reception were held at the Blue Chip Casino.  Yes, you can have a traditional wedding there without blackjack tables or slot machines in the background!  They have several ballrooms, so the ceremony was held in one, and the reception was just down the hall.

The modern design of our Venus Penti pedal harp fit in perfectly with the black, white & purple color theme, as well as the contemporary feel of the venue.

The bride requested primarily popular songs while guests were arriving, including "Through the Eyes of Love", "Only Time", and "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic.  Her maid of honor entered to Bach's "Prelude in C" ~ played that piece often over the weekend! ~ and the bride's processional was the traditional Wagner "Bridal Chorus". 

During the lighting of the unity candle, the bride requested "The Wedding Song", also known as "There is Love", and as the couple presented roses to their parents, I played Schubert's "Ave Maria".  The recessional was the traditional "Wedding March" by Mendelssohn.

As guests exited for the receiving line, it was back to more popular selections, including "When You Say Nothing at All", "What a Wonderful World", and "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera. 

Whether you are planning a traditional or non-traditional wedding, the music of the harp can fit in perfectly!  Please visit my website, http://www.theclassicharpist.com/, for more information on having a harpist for your wedding ceremony and reception.

Michigan City Wedding Music

Jeff provided the music for this wedding ceremony at the Barker Mansion in Michigan City, Indiana.  Outdoor ceremonies take place in the enclosed courtyard of the historic house, and the inside of the mansion is available as a back-up for bad weather.

This couple was planning their Indiana wedding from New York City, and we were able to do all of their music selections and logistical work via email.  The music they chose was:

• Bridal party processional:  Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J.S. Bach
• Bride's processional:  Canon in D by J. Pachelbel
• Unity Sand Ceremony:  Hymne by Vangelis
• Recessional:  Trumpet Tune by H. Purcell

A few weeks after the wedding, Jeff received this thank you note from the couple:

"Jeff, Thank you so much for celebrating our wedding day with us on June 19, 2010, at Barker Mansion.  We really enjoyed having you play for the ceremony and your help with picking the songs and coordinating with us before the big day.  I have included a couple of pictures of you from that day, hope you enjoy these.  If we ever need a harpist again, I will definitely call you.  Thank you so much!"

They also enclosed a couple of pictures of him playing the harp for their wedding.

We love to see your pictures, so please send us the link to your proofs when you get it from your photographer!

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!

Cains/Hardin Wedding

This afternoon I had the pleasure of playing for another beautiful wedding at the International Friendship Gardens in Michigan City, Indiana. The thunderstorms held off - just a few raindrops, and everyone (including the harp) stayed dry underneath the canopy over the ceremony gardens. It's not the easiest location to access while schlepping a 90-pound, 6-foot tall piece of musical furniture! But my husband, and harp roadie extraordinaire, does all of the heavy lifting so I can still look pretty when it's time to play. Today's music included:

Aria from "Rinaldo" by G. F. Handel
Ave Maria by F. Schubert
Canon in D by J. Pachelbel
Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts
Wedding March from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by F. Mendelssohn

Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Hardin!