Central Illinois Harp & Violin ~ Civil Union in Springfield's Washington Park

Kelly & Joyce celebrated their civil union at the gazebo in Washington Park, Springfield, Illinois.  The harp & violin duet they chose for their wedding music was the perfect complement to the beautiful location!  It had rained heavily the morning of June 24th, but the afternoon was clear and dry, so the ceremony was able to go ahead outdoors as planned. 

"Canon in D" by Pachelbel was the final piece of the prelude, and signaled that the ceremony was about to begin.  The wedding party, Joyce, and Kelly all entered to "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Bach.  To give them a few minutes of reflection during the service, we played a duet version of Malotte's "The Lord's Prayer."  The ladies had seats saved for them in the front row, so they were able to spend a few moments relaxing and enjoying the music!  "Trumpet Voluntary" was the recessional.

If you are planning a civil union or wedding in Illinois, I'd love to provide the music for your ceremony!  Visit my website ~ Illinois Harpist ~ and contact me for a quote and additional information.

South Haven Harpist ~ Wedding Music at Lake Bluff Inn

This wedding at Lake Bluff Inn in South Haven, Michigan, had the perfect start time.  For a very dry summer, June 16th was sure seeing a lot of rain!  Fortunately, about thirty minutes before the start of the ceremony, the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and the sun came out.

The bride and groom's approach to their wedding music ~ and to the whole wedding ceremony ~ was that of classical, but not necessarily traditional.  They had their law school friend perform the ceremony and their families (including those who traveled to Michigan all the way from Israel) were actively involved.

The prelude music was all chosen from the classical genre.  As for the entrance of the wedding party, the couple selected "Caro Mio Ben."  For the bride's entrance, I had the chance to play one of my favorite pieces for the harp: "Romance Without Words." For the recessional, the bride and groom walked down the aisle to "Trumpet Voluntary."

If you are interested in having wedding music for your South Haven, Michigan ceremony or reception, please visit our website, South Haven Wedding Harpist.

Wedding at the Lakeside Rose Garden ~ Fort Wayne Harpist

The Lakeside Rose Garden in Fort Wayne, Indiana is a beautiful location for a wedding. With the reflecting pool and pergola, it makes a perfect backdrop for your ceremony!  By planning an early morning ceremony, they were able to avoid not only the summer heat, but also the crowds in the garden.

Melissa and Mike had taken a more traditional approach to their wedding music.  The wedding party came in to Hymne, while the bride came down the aisle to Canon in D.  The bride and groom performed a rope braiding ceremony.  While this was happening, I played Schubert's Ave Maria.  For the recessional, the bride and groom walked down the aisle together to Trumpet Tune. 

If you are planning a wedding in Fort Wayne, please visit our website, Allen County Wedding Music for more information on adding harp music to your ceremony or reception!

Michigan Wedding Harpist ~ Ceremony Music at the Ponds of Coldwater

Lauren and Marcus had their wedding at The Ponds of Coldwater, in Coldwater, Michigan.  The location was a beautiful, hidden away site, with the wedding ceremony happening at the gazebo, surrounded by the pond.  The location provides a beautiful aisle for the bride to walk down, with the guests on both sides.

The bride and groom's wedding music selections were a good mix of popular and traditional.  The bridal party entered to "Unchained Melody," while Lauren entered to the traditional "Bridal Chorus."  During the ceremony, the bride and groom performed a unity sand ceremony while I played "What a Wonderful World."  The bride and groom then ended the ceremony with Mendelssohn's "Wedding March."

If you are looking for wedding music in the Coldwater, Michigan area please visit our website, Coldwater Wedding Harpist.  Devon and I are available to provide harp music for weddings throughout Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana, and we'd love to work with you!

Photo by Ponds of Coldwater

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.

Harpist in Holland, Michigan ~ Wedding on the Beach

Debi & Jerry had the perfect day for their wedding on the beach!  Friends and family joined them from Wisconsin & Kentucky to celebrate at Holland State Park in Holland, Michigan.  Their morning ceremony was followed by a luncheon in the shelter house.

With many young grandchildren in attendance, Debi wanted to be sure they would hear music they recognized.  As everyone gathered for the ceremony, I played a variety of popular pieces, including "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie.  It's one of my favorites, and always a hit!  "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music was the signal that the wedding was about to begin.

As the attendants entered, I played "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio.  The bride's processional music was "What a Wonderful World," and "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban served as a musical interlude. 

The bride and groom had a specific song that they wanted included for their unity sand ceremony - "You've Made Me So Very Happy."  Since it wasn't a song I already had in my repertoire, I arranged it for harp specifically for them.  We were all thrilled with the results!  At the conclusion of the ceremony, everyone exited to "Thank You" by Dido. 

A slight re-adjustment of the harp to face the tables, and I continued to play through lunch.  The bride and groom requested that I play mostly popular songs and folk music, some of which included:

• Evergreen
• In My Life
• Greensleeves
• Unchained Melody
• Grow Old Along with Me
• Scarborough Fair
• Someone to Watch Over Me

Up next, the newlyweds are heading off with a couple of their friends to India!  I may be just a little bit jealous...

If you are planning a beach wedding, the harp can be the perfect musical complement to your day!  In addition to the large concert harps I offer, I also have more portable Celtic-style harps that can be placed directly on the sand (here, we had a solid concrete surface to set up the Venus Classic harp).  Visit my website ~ Holland Michigan Harpist ~ for details!

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.