What a magnificent space! Dubuque is fortunate to have a dedicated group of people preserving the historic St. Mary’s Church as Steeple Square, and making it available to the community for weddings and events.
Valeria and Tyson held their ceremony and reception in the church’s former sanctuary. With its beautiful architecture and harp music to fill the space, it was the perfect start to the celebration! I played as guests arrived and were seated, with the music including light classical pieces and some more contemporary love songs.
The wedding party came down the aisle to “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel. This piece works so well for processionals because it can be shortened or lengthened smoothly while always sounding stately and maintaining a good walking tempo.
The bride had a special request for her own entrance: “On the Nature of Daylight” by the contemporary classical composer Max Richter. There are no harp-specific arrangements of the piece, so I worked with the orchestral version to create one especially for this wedding.
For the recessional to conclude the ceremony, they wanted something popular and upbeat, so went with “Marry You” by Bruno Mars. It was the perfect send-off to get the guests headed to cocktail hour downstairs while the main hall was converted for dinner.
I play the harp for weddings in Dubuque as well as throughout Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. If you are interested in having a harpist for your wedding (or any other event!), you can find out more on my website: Dubuque Wedding Music.