A warm afternoon, a garden ceremony, live harp music drifting across the grounds, and an elegant black-and-white palette made this wedding at 1890 Event Space in Platte City, Missouri feel timeless from the moment guests began to arrive!
For Teagen and Dawson’s wedding, I played harp for the prelude from the porch of the Victorian house overlooking the property. More than 200 guests arrived to a mixture of popular and classical selections before gathering for the outdoor ceremony in the garden.
Located just north of Kansas City, 1890 combines the character of its Victorian house and surrounding countryside with dedicated spaces for an entire wedding celebration. The garden provided a beautiful setting for the ceremony, while the Grand Ballroom offered an indoor reception space for the celebration that followed.
Popular & Classical Harp Music for the Prelude
Prelude music is one of my favorite opportunities to set the atmosphere for a wedding. As guests arrived, I played a varied program of popular and classical music on the harp, giving everyone time to settle in and enjoy the surroundings before the ceremony began.
Playing from the Victorian house placed the harp within view of arriving guests and allowed the music to carry across the grounds toward the garden. It was a lovely way to connect the architecture and outdoor setting through music as family members and friends gathered for the ceremony.
Rather than using harp throughout the entire ceremony, the couple chose live harp for the prelude and their DJ for the processional and recessional music. Combining live and recorded music gave them the flexibility to use the harp for guest arrival while keeping the original recordings they had selected for the ceremony itself.
A Soulful Soundtrack for the Garden Ceremony
The processional music leaned into classic soul and love songs. Family entered to Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind,” followed by the wedding party to Sam Cooke’s “Nothing Can Change This Love.”
The grand entrance was set to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” The bride’s brother officiated, bringing an especially personal connection to the ceremony.
After the vows and pronouncement, Otis Redding’s “That’s How Strong My Love Is” accompanied the recessional and began the transition from the ceremony into the evening’s celebration.
Black & White Wedding Style at 1890
Black and white was an especially striking choice against the greenery of the garden and the Victorian architecture of the property. The simplicity of the palette gave the wedding a polished, classic look while allowing the natural surroundings and architectural details of 1890 to remain part of the visual backdrop.
Following the outdoor ceremony, guests continued the celebration on the property, with the reception held in 1890’s Grand Ballroom. Moving from the garden into the ballroom allowed the entire wedding day to take place on the estate while giving the ceremony and reception distinctly different settings.
Live Harp Music for Platte City & Kansas City Weddings
As a Kansas City wedding harpist, I work with couples to incorporate live music in the portions of the wedding where it best fits their plans. Harp can provide music for guest arrival alone, as it did for this celebration, or continue through the family seating, wedding party, grand entrance, recessional, cocktail hour, dinner, and reception.
My repertoire includes classical and traditional wedding music, pop, jazz standards, Broadway and film selections, Celtic music, hymns and sacred music, and many other styles. Special requests can also be arranged for harp, allowing couples to include music that has a particular meaning to them.
I provide live harp music for weddings at 1890 Event Space and throughout Platte City, Kansas City, and surrounding communities in Missouri and Kansas. Solo harp can also be joined by violin and other instruments for couples who would like an ensemble for part or all of their celebration.
Weddings at 1890 Event Space in Platte City
With its Victorian house, landscaped grounds, outdoor ceremony settings, Grand Ballroom, and additional Cocktail Barn, 1890 offers several distinctive spaces within one property. Its Platte City location also makes it a convenient wedding destination for couples and guests coming from throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The combination of live harp for the prelude, classic soul and love songs for the ceremony, and a black-and-white wedding design made this celebration beautifully suited to its surroundings.
For couples planning a wedding at 1890 or elsewhere in Platte City and the Kansas City area, contact me to discuss live harp music for your ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, or reception. I would love to help create music that becomes part of how your wedding day is remembered.
