I’ve been very bad at getting things posted this past month, so this will be a long one! My most recent wedding was at Sergeant Means Park in Olympia Fields, IL. The room has GREAT acoustics, and the bride selected some very unique music for her ceremony. We started with “Moon River,” and the bride’s entrance was to Ben Folds’ song “The Luckiest.”
The couple met at a Cubs game, and chose “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” as their recessional. I love it when a bride really uses the music to reflect her personality and favorite songs!
On October 14th, I was up by Lake Michigan for what was supposed to be my last outdoor wedding of the season. Unfortunately, it was a rather nasty day and the wedding was moved inside the Inn. You always have to have a back up plan and consider the comfort of your guests. Your harpist will also thank you!
They chose familiar classical pieces for their ceremony, including Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” Bach’s “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.” I added the traditional fanfare (the same as “Here Comes the Bride”) before beginning “Canon,” since that helps the guests know when to stand up and announces the entrance of the bride. I really believe that you could play that fanfare anywhere and everybody would get out of their seats! I may be wrong, but I think this is the first time I’ve played underneath a mounted deer head.
I had two weddings on October 7th. The first was a ceremony in Michigan City. I shared music duties with the wonderful church organist. The bride chose Bach’s “Sheep May Safely Graze” for the seating of the families, “Canon in D” for the bridesmaids, and the organist played “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” for the bride’s processional.
During the ceremony, they requested that I play Godefroid’s “Romance without Words” as a harp solo. They had a classic car from Rag Tops Auto Museum as their get-away ride. I had no idea that they hired out cars, and it made a great alternative to the standard white limo!
My second wedding was a ceremony and reception in Schererville. The couple chose traditional pieces for the ceremony, and we mixed up classical and popular selections for the cocktail hour.
So that’s the run down for October (so far – one more ceremony on Saturday). November usually slows down as the traditional wedding season draws to a close, but this year it doesn’t look that way. Good thing I like keeping busy!