Miller & Kidd Wedding Ceremony

From burning up to freezing in the span of two weeks! This outdoor ceremony was held in the gardens of Henderson Castle in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The wind was blowing and rain was threatening, but the ceremony was able to continue as planned outdoors.



They had set up a tent with a dance floor for the DJ (dancing was back outside in the garden after dinner indoors), and it was the perfect place to place the harp - if the rain came, the music could continue! While you and your guests might be able to survive a slight drizzle, the harp is extremely sensitive, and would need to be covered and taken inside at the first drops. For outdoor weddings, a covered gazebo or tent is a great back-up!

The bride chose traditional music:

• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (bridal party processional)
• Bridal Chorus (bride's processional)
• Trumpet Tune (recessional)

This was one where I had to sit on my hands during the service so my fingers wouldn't be stiff by the time I needed to play again!

Katz & Potash Wedding Ceremony

I knew this wedding would be beautiful when Nicole told me her plans! It was in the Conrad Hotel ballroom in downtown Indianapolis, and she had put together a stellar list of vendors to make it all come together. It was a traditional Jewish ceremony, but the music they chose had a definite modern twist:

• Prelude concluded with Erev shel shoshanim
• Hymne by Vangelis (entrance of families & bridal party processional)
• Storybook Love from The Princess Bride (bride's processional)
• Fields of Gold (recessional)

Sometimes the best place to set up the harp is behind your guests. It is also much easier and unobtrusive for me to get cues from your officiant or planner. The set-up in the Conrad ballroom works perfectly this way! It enabled me to keep a close eye on the door the bridal party was using for their entrance, and the planner could speak to me about cues and timing without the guests even noticing.

Foshee & Crawford Wedding

A hot day for an outdoor wedding! It was held on the patio at the Orchard Ridge Country Club in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I found a spot in the shade for the harp, and it went well.

If you are having an outdoor wedding in the summer, make sure that you provide a place in the shade for your musicians (and elderly guests!). The wood of the harp absorbs the heat from the sun, and the wood glue that holds the instrument together can actually soften if it gets hot enough. You don't want to add instrument repair bills to your wedding budget! The fluctuations in temperature also affect the tuning of the instrument. The more stable the environment, the better your wedding music will sound!

This couple only had one request for music: Canon in D by Pachelbel as the bride walks down the aisle. I was able to select some favorite pieces from my repertoire that would complement it well:

• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (bridal party processional)
• Canon in D (bride's processional)
• Spring, Movement Three, from The Four Seasons (unity sand ceremony)
• Pavane Style Renaissance (recessional)

I played popular pieces for the postlude, and for the beginning of the cocktail hour.

Jeff's August Weddings

My husband, Jeff, is also a harpist, and had a busy month of August, too. He started off with a Catholic wedding at St. Gaspar Church in Rome City, Indiana, where he played:

• Canon in D (seating of the families)
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (bridal party processional)
• Trumpet Tune (bride's processional

On August 8th, it was a double wedding day. His first ceremony was at Centennial Park in Munster, Indiana. The bride chose:

• Romance without Words (seating of the families)
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (bridal party processional)
• Canon in D (bride's processional)
• Trumpet Tune (recessional)

Once that one was complete, it was back in the car and off to the Center Meeting House (formerly known as the Morris Chapel) in Niles, Michigan. They chose the traditional wedding music, including:

• Canon in D (seating of familes & bridal party processional)
• Bridal Chorus (bride's processional)
• Trumpet Tune (recessional)

Amy Straka was their photographer, and you can see some beautiful images on her Facebook page. Be sure to become a fan - she's fabulous! Jeff then had to drive to Bristol, Indiana, and rescue me from the flat tire I got at the wedding I played!

The next weekend was at the Lane Place Pattison Pavilion in Crawfordsville, Indiana. His favorite request from that ceremony was "Stairway to Heaven"!

Want the best wedding music?

Let your professional musicians pick it for you! If you don't have strong feelings about your wedding music, leave it up to their judgment. I have been playing weddings for years (over 300 of them!), and definitely have my favorite pieces. They sound perfect on the harp, and my love of this music shows in the way I perform it.

While the traditional music is beautiful, there are so many lesser-known selections that will make your wedding unique. If you have hired professionals, they will also be able to choose music that works well on their instruments, and fits your wedding theme, venue, and level of formality. I love it when a bride gives me the artistic freedom to create her wedding soundtrack!

If you have one or two selections that you must have played, your musicians should be able to recommend other pieces that work well with your choices.

When booking your musicians, ask them, "If I left it completely up to you, what music would you play for my ceremony?" At the very least, it will give you an idea of the music that your group likes to play, and they may just recommend the perfect piece of music to complete your wedding vision!

The Bride Wore Purple

When Renee contacted me about her wedding music, I new this would be a completely non-traditional ceremony! There was to be no processional, no "giving away" of the bride, no matching bridesmaid dresses, and she would be, yes - wearing purple! It took place at Bonneyville Mill County Park in Bristol, Indiana on a hot and very windy August afternoon. Lots of clips were needed to keep my music from blowing into the river!

She selected popular pieces to play during the prelude, including "Fields of Gold" by Sting and "Embraceable You" by Gershwin. When the officiant (Congressman Joe Donnelly) arrived, I played Unchained Melody, and that was the cue for the wedding party, bride, and groom to make their way to the front. "What a Wonderful World" was the recessional, followed by "All You Need is Love" and "If I Had a Million Dollars" as the guests mingled and congratulated the newlyweds.

Wedding at Krape Park, Freeport, Illinois

August began with a trip to Freeport, IL, for the wedding of Nicole & Mark. The Duck Pond at Krape Park was a new venue for me, so I arrived WAY too early to scope out the location. Even though it rained the whole drive there, the skies cleared for the 3:00pm ceremony. The ducks and geese kept their distance, but you had to watch where you stepped - and where I could set up the harp!

Their wedding colors were light pink and black, and they had a Cinderella theme. The music selections included:

• Storybook Love from "The Princess Bride" as the prelude
• Canon in D by Pachelbel for the bridal party processional
• Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride) by Wagner for the bride's processional
• A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes from "Cinderella" as a harp solo/interlude
• Wedding March by Mendelssohn as the recessional