Just north of Lake Geneva, outside of Elkhorn, you’ll find Camp Wandawega. With a varied history going back to 1925, this venue is a unique, rustic, and all-around beautiful place for a wedding! It’s like a trip back in time, complete with Prohibition-era furnishings, antique cars, and a camp canteen.
Colleen & Danny held their Wednesday ceremony at the chapel and reception on the lawn at the camp. I’m loving these non-Saturday weddings! Planning for a weekday, you will have much less competition from other couples for booking your preferred venue and vendors, and will often receive off-peak discounts.
As guests were seated on the benches, I played the couple’s requests “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Always on My Mind,” and the hymn “Be Thou My Vision.” After everyone was seated, I transitioned to “Video Games” by Lana del Rey. As there was no wedding party, this served as the cue for the bride to enter. She came down the aisle to “Your Song” by Elton John.
Although there was no specific song they wanted, I played light background music during the readings done by the siblings of the couple. It’s times such as these that it’s nice to have something unobtrusive, and not necessarily recognizable, to create the ambiance. I just always make sure there are some glissandos in there, because what is harp music without glissandos!
For the recessional, they chose “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles. It was followed by a few up-tempo Irish folk songs and dances to celebrate their heritage.
If you are looking for a wedding musician in Southern Wisconsin or Northern Illinois (including Chicago and Milwaukee), please get in touch! I play for weddings and events in Lake Geneva and throughout both states, and you can contact me via my website: Wisconsin Wedding Musician.
