This was to be my last outdoor wedding of 2025, but the weather had other ideas! When planning an outdoor wedding, you need to have an indoor back-up location that you love just as much as your original site, so relocating isn’t such a difficult decision if it comes to that. Fortunately, Fallasburg Park has a beautiful covered pavilion that brought the outdoors in with picnic tables, wood ceiling beams, a stone fireplace, and a wrap-around patio.
Although the ceremony was originally intended to be by the river in the park, having an on-site backup plan meant that guests didn’t have to figure out where to go, too! With the ground muddy and rain forecast to continue off-and-on the rest of the day, the couple made the call the night before to have the ceremony in the pavilion where they were also hosting their reception.
The bride and groom opted for a harp and violin duet to provide their ceremony music. This is by far my most-requested chamber ensemble, and there’s good reason! This duo sounds lovely together, and is a nice compromise if you want the visual impact of the harp and the soaring melody of strings!
For the prelude, we played harp and violin duet arrangements of some light classical pieces, including “Air” from Handel’s Water Music and the “Flower Duet” from the opera Lakme.
The family processed to “Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay and the wedding party to Sting’s “Fields of Gold.” The bride walked down the aisle, accompanied by her parents, to “Stand by Me.”
They were planning to do a stone blessing by the river after the ceremony, but that was moved to be during the indoor ceremony itself. We’re flexible! We just moved the piece of music that was to accompany that (“Lovesong” by The Cure) to play lightly under the officiant’s explanation of the ritual. To conclude the ceremony, the recessional was “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Yes, Bon Jovi on the harp! Even though we play classical instruments, we love incorporating rock, pop, and jazz music into something unexpected and memorable!
Postlude music continued as guests began the reception and the wedding party ducked outside during a break in the weather for some pictures. As well as performing as a solo harpist, I work with professional musicians who play other strings, woodwinds, and brass instruments. I can provide any ensemble you would like, from the elegant harp & violin to a calypso harp & steel pans! To find out more, contact me via my website – Grand Rapids Wedding Harpist – to put together the perfect music and musicians for your wedding day!
