Kayleigh and Joseph chose a ceremony setting that already felt like its own little world: Abloom Farm’s Cathedral of Trees in Saukville, Wisconsin. Guests gathered beneath the tall pines for an outdoor ceremony surrounded by forest, with live harp music beginning before the processional and continuing until the last guests made their way to the barn for the reception.
Abloom Farm is an 18-acre flower farm and wedding venue north of Milwaukee, with its ceremony space tucked into a grove of mature pines. In addition to the forest, the property includes flower fields, trails, a courtyard, a renovated farmhouse, and a vintage barn used for receptions. The different spaces allow the wedding day to move naturally from an outdoor ceremony into photographs, cocktails, dinner, and dancing while staying on the property.
For this wedding, the harp was part of that experience from the moment guests began arriving.
Harp Prelude in the Cathedral of Trees
I began playing as guests arrived and were seated for the ceremony. The prelude was primarily pop and contemporary music mixed with classical selections, along with several songs the couple specifically requested: La Vie en Rose, Dream a Little Dream of Me, and Fly Me to the Moon.
The jazz standards were especially lovely in this setting. Their familiar melodies sounded warm and romantic on the harp, with the music carrying through the pines as everyone gathered for the ceremony.
I perform throughout southeastern Wisconsin as a Milwaukee harpist, and outdoor weddings are one of my favorite settings for live harp. In a forest like Abloom’s Cathedral of Trees, the music becomes part of what guests experience as they enter the ceremony space and settle in beneath the pines.
The Wedding Processional
The wedding party entered to Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles. It was a cheerful way to begin the processional and a perfect fit for an outdoor wedding. On solo harp, the song keeps its familiar melody while taking on a more lyrical quality for the walk through the trees.
For Kayleigh’s entrance, the music changed completely. She chose A Moment Apart by ODESZA, a wonderfully atmospheric piece that made a striking bridal processional.
I love arranging unexpected choices like this for the harp! Couples certainly don’t have to limit their ceremony to traditional wedding music, and a song from a completely different genre can become something surprisingly beautiful when arranged instrumentally. It also gave the bride’s entrance a musical identity of its own, clearly marking the moment when everyone turned to see her coming down the aisle.
Music During the Ceremony
During the ceremony, I played A Thousand Years by Christina Perri for the unity ritual.
Live music works especially well for moments like this because I can follow what is actually happening. If the ritual takes a little longer, I can extend the arrangement. If it finishes sooner, I can bring the piece naturally to a close.
The same is true for processionals. I watch the wedding party and adjust the music as they walk, so entrances, transitions, and endings happen at the right moments. There is no need for anyone to hurry down the aisle because a recording is reaching the end of a song.
Recessional and Postlude
Once they were married, Kayleigh and Joseph walked back through the forest to Can’t Help Falling in Love. It was a romantic choice for the recessional and a lovely continuation of the music they had selected throughout the ceremony.
The recessional wasn’t the end of the harp music. After the newlyweds and wedding party had exited, I continued playing postlude music as their guests left the Cathedral of Trees.
I played until everyone had exited the ceremony area and made their way to the barn for the reception, carrying the celebration beyond the formal end of the ceremony. Guests can visit and begin moving toward the reception while the live music continues.
At Abloom, it also created a natural bookend to the ceremony. Guests arrived in the forest to harp music, and the harp was still playing as the last of them left the trees and headed toward the barn to celebrate.
Planning a Wedding at Abloom Farm
Abloom Farm gives couples a beautiful opportunity to make their ceremony music personal. Traditional wedding selections can be wonderful beneath the pines, but so can jazz standards, The Beatles, electronic music, movie themes, current pop songs, or a piece that simply has special meaning to you.
This ceremony moved from La Vie en Rose and Fly Me to the Moon during the prelude to The Beatles for the wedding party, ODESZA for the bride, Christina Perri during the ceremony, and Elvis Presley for the newlyweds’ first walk back up the aisle. It was an eclectic program, but on the harp it all came together into music that suited both the couple and the woodland setting.
If you are planning a wedding at Abloom Farm in Saukville, Port Washington, Milwaukee, or elsewhere in southeastern Wisconsin, I’d love to hear what you’re envisioning for your ceremony! You can contact me to check availability and start planning your wedding music.
