Most of the weddings I play are for solo harp, but I also love to collaborate with other professional musicians! For this wedding ceremony, the couple requested a trio of harp, violin, and cello.
The ceremony and reception both took place at Venue Chisca in downtown Peoria. It’s a relatively new venue, with a feel that is both industrial and luxurious, with exposed brick and glittering chandeliers. Plus, it has great acoustics and plenty of room for an ensemble of any size!
For the prelude, we played a variety of classical selections, from composers such as Bach, Handel, Brahms, and Schubert. The family members came down the aisle to “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music.
The wedding party processional was contemporary – “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt. We played “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as the flower girls walked down the aisle, and then switched to “La Vie en Rose,” a jazz standard, for the bride’s processional.
During the ceremony, we played “Grow Old Along with Me” as a musical interlude following a scripture reading, and Mallotte’s “The Lord’s Prayer” as the bride and groom had communion. The recessional was another jazz standard, “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
When you are planning your ceremony music, be sure to hire musicians who can play a variety of styles! This allows you to create the perfect soundtrack for your day, and include all of the music that is meaningful to you and your families. Whether it’s classical or jazz or rock, hearing your favorite songs on the harp (or one of my ensembles) will make it sound fresh but still familiar.
Visit my website ~ Peoria Wedding Music ~ to listen to more audio clips, see pictures of my harps set up in various venues, and contact me to start planning your wedding music!