Brittany and Connor’s wedding at Proffitt Farm in Gray, Tennessee was filled with personality, from a ceremony overlooking the East Tennessee countryside to a wonderfully unexpected soundtrack of Lady Gaga, The Legend of Zelda, ABBA, Green Day, and more.
I played harp for the outdoor ceremony, beginning with prelude music as guests arrived and continuing through the family seating, wedding party, grand entrance, and recessional. After the ceremony, guests moved into the barn for the reception.
It was a beautiful fall day for a wedding at the farm, but what made this ceremony especially memorable was how thoroughly the couple made the music and traditions their own.
Harp Prelude Music for Guest Arrival
I began playing as guests arrived and were seated for the outdoor ceremony. Prelude music creates the first musical atmosphere of the wedding and gives couples another opportunity to include songs they love before the formal entrances begin.
One of the couple’s special requests for the prelude was “Stitches” by Shawn Mendes. Contemporary pop takes on a completely different character when arranged for harp, making a familiar song an unexpected addition to the ceremony while blending naturally with the rest of the live music.
Lady Gaga, Zelda, & a Memorable Processional
The formal procession began with “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga for the seating of the family. It immediately established that this would be a wedding music program filled with personality!
Next came “Great Fairy Fountain” from The Legend of Zelda for the wedding party. The groomsmen also had another important role for the occasion: they were the flower girls, scattering petals as they came down the aisle! Their entrance brought plenty of fun to the procession and fit perfectly with a celebration that embraced wedding traditions in its own way.
For the grand entrance, I continued the Legend of Zelda theme with “Zelda’s Lullaby.” Video game music can be particularly beautiful on the harp, and music from the Zelda series is especially well suited to the instrument. The recognizable melody created a distinctive and personal soundtrack for the walk down the aisle.
Throughout the procession, I timed the music to the entrances and transitions as they happened, allowing each selection to reach its musical conclusion naturally with the ceremony.
From ABBA to Green Day for the Recessional
Once the couple was married, “Dancing Queen” by ABBA launched the recessional with exactly the celebratory energy its title suggests.
I continued with “Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day as the recessional music carried on. Moving from ABBA into Green Day was another unexpected combination and a fitting conclusion to a ceremony that had already moved effortlessly among pop, rock, and video game music.
That variety is one of the possibilities the harp offers for a wedding ceremony. Classical and traditional wedding selections can mix with pop, rock, film and television music, Broadway, jazz, Celtic and folk music, video game themes, and special requests. The result can still sound cohesive on a single instrument while giving couples enormous freedom in choosing the songs that represent them.
Outdoor Wedding & Barn Reception at Proffitt Farm
The ceremony site at Proffitt Farm overlooks the surrounding countryside, giving guests an expansive East Tennessee backdrop as they gathered for the wedding. The barn provided the setting for the reception afterward, allowing the celebration to continue on the property in a completely different space.
For couples planning weddings in Gray, Johnson City, or elsewhere in Northeast Tennessee, live harp music can be shaped around both the setting and the personality of the celebration. I provide music throughout the region as a Johnson City wedding harpist, from ceremony preludes and processionals to cocktail hours, dinners, and receptions.
Wedding Music That Sounds Like You
There was nothing traditional about the music for this wedding! “Paparazzi,” “Great Fairy Fountain,” and “Dancing Queen” each brought something different to the ceremony, yet all of them became part of one musical program on the harp.
Special requests are always welcome, including songs that might not immediately come to mind when you think of wedding harp music. I can arrange selections for the harp and help build a program that moves naturally from the first prelude as guests arrive through the final notes of the recessional.
If you are planning a wedding at Proffitt Farm or elsewhere in Johnson City, the Tri-Cities, East Tennessee, or Western North Carolina, contact me to begin planning your live harp music. Your wedding music can be as individual as the rest of your celebration, and I would love to bring your favorite songs to life on the harp!
