Even thunderstorms couldn’t stop Angie and Don from having their outdoor wedding! Fortunately, the gazebo at Deep River County Park provides enough shelter to keep the guests (and the harp!) dry.
Watching the radar, I set up the harp inside the gazebo when I arrived, even though it hadn’t started raining yet. With an 85% chance of rain and a wood harp, it’s best to be proactive! The storm started about half an hour before the wedding was scheduled to begin. Guests arrived carrying umbrellas, and the officiant directed them to come inside the gazebo.
The wedding party, including the couple’s dog, made a very wet walk down the brick aisle to “Canon in D” by Pachelbel, and Angie entered to the traditional “Here Comes the Bride.” The officiant asked that I play some light music during the ring exchange and blessing, followed by the traditional recessional, Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.”
The reception was also taking place at Deep River, in the picnic shelter just north of the gazebo and historic mill. Everyone made their way there after taking a few pictures at the ceremony site. They had also booked harp music for the pig roast luncheon, and requested a variety of popular songs, including:
- Hello by Adele
- Fix You by Coldplay
- Say You Won’t Let go by James Arthur
- You Belong with Me by Taylor Swift
- American Pie by Don McLean
- Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve
- Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
- If I Had a Million Dollars by Barenaked Ladies
- Amazed by Lonestar
- Can You Feel the Love Tonight from “The Lion King”
- No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley
- Sweet Child O’ Mine by Axl Rose
And very appropriately for the day, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head”! There was some jazz, some pop, some rock, some country, and even a little bit of reggae. My playlist encompasses songs – and whole genres – you might not expect to hear on the harp!
I play for wedding ceremonies and receptions throughout Northwest Indiana and the greater Chicago area. You can find out more on my website: Northwest Indiana Wedding Harpist.
