My second Allerton wedding of the year! Sarah and Mike had a perfect spring day for their outdoor ceremony in the Sunken Garden. As guests assembled, I played a variety of classical music. For the wedding party processional, they chose the theme from “Jupiter” from Holst’s The Planets. Sarah’s entrance music was the Scottish folk song “Loch Lomond.”
They both love Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” so even though it isn’t a traditional, fanfare-like recessional, it was a beautiful send-off after their personal ceremony. Guests gathered for a group photo, and I loaded up the harp to head back to the mansion!
With only a short time between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception, I did a partial set-up in the mansion before taking the harp to the gardens. As that was ready to go, I just needed to drop off the harp, park my van, and start playing! Harp bench, music stand, and my sound system were already waiting for me.
The bride and groom didn’t have any specific requests for the cocktail and dinner hours, just a mix of classical and popular songs. This ranged from Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” to “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles! The harp is versatile enough to provide music for your wedding covering genres that will appeal to all of your guests – classical, jazz, Celtic, rock, popular, and more.
I’ve played for dozens of weddings at Allerton Park, in the mansion and throughout their many gardens. If you are planning a wedding there (or anywhere in Central Illinois), please contact me about providing music for your ceremony and reception. Check my website – Central Illinois Harpist – for details!