The music selections were traditional and flowed together beautifully: Ave Maria by Schubert for the mothers’ processional, Prelude No. 1 by Bach for the bridesmaids, Pachelbel’s Canon in D for the bride, and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March for the recessional.

I enjoyed visiting the town and exploring the church grounds. Here are some pictures from the special day:

A serene fountain at the back of the church

A view of the dramatic aisle out to the street

A fun photo opportunity in an outside gazebo!

The cute church matching the Cape Cod style

All plugged in, ready to go

The happy couple on a trolley on their way to a beachside reception

I played Pachelbel’s Canon in D as Daryl walked with her father down the aisle. During the ceremony, I played Come Away With Me by Norah Jones as a solo interlude. The couple walked back to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.

Hope you enjoy these scenic pictures!

A pond with a fun fountain

Beautiful chandelier inside

Impressive view of the landscape

All set up in a gazebo overlooking the valley

The bride and bridal party taking pictures

Beautiful dining area in the tent

Playing prelude music with the amazing backdrop

We had a particularly bad storm outside so I played extra prelude music while the wind-blown guests arrived. I played Pachelbel’s Canon in D for the bridesmaids, Wagner’s Wedding March for Allison’s processional, and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March for the recessional.

Allison had this to say in her review on my profile on The Knot:

“Lauren is a very talented harpist, and was the perfect choice for our wedding in Boston. She was very professional throughout the entire wedding planning process, was very accommodating and open to our requests, and was there early on the big day. She even played a few extra (lovely!) songs when inclement weather delayed the start of our ceremony. Walking down the aisle to Lauren’s beautiful notes was a dream come true! Neither we, nor our guests, could say enough about her. We would strongly recommend Lauren to anyone looking for a harpist for their wedding!”

Enjoy these moments!

An elegant flower on the mantle

Aly and Alan taking photos above the altar

A view between the strings

A view from above, among the pews

The regal clock keeps time

The awe-inspiring altar

The bride Aly and I

Next to a flowing brook, I performed Bach’s Prelude in C and La Vie En Rose. The couple also released a box of butterflies just before they walked back down the grassy aisle.

Here’s what Joseph had to say:

“Thank you for such a tremendous experience. Your music is awe inspiring with a gentle disposition and we were fortunate you played at our wedding. Your music set the mood and made our day magical. Not only do you play incredible music but you were so accommodating when we asked you to play near the pond during the ceremony.

You catered to our every request perfectly and made our day so incredible. We recommend Lauren as the right addition for anyone who enjoys the harp or wants to make their event unforgettable.”

Enjoy my pictures!

The dining hall

A guest house

One of the coolest doorways!

The secluded fairy tale cabin

A lush pond on the grounds

Inside the dining hall, all set for dinner

My picturesque position during the ceremony

With the wonderful couple!

Jaye invited me to be a part of her garden brunch ceremony. We encountered a little bit of rain, but everything turned out great. I played Prelude No. 1 for the bridal party and Pachelbel’s Canon for the bride. We ended the whimsical program with Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.

Jaye was also nice enough to write this review on WeddingWire:

“Lauren was great! She was incredibly friendly and flexible. I was a bride on a budget and she was such a fantastic value for the price – unbelievable. I got so many comments about her (great ones!) from people who were amazed at what a real, live harpist could add to a ceremony. She made my very simple ceremony into something romantic and genteel. She was fast at responding to emails and easy to reach by phone. She has a lot of experience with weddings so she was able to answer questions and really…help me out, since I had no idea what I was doing! She has a huge repertoire and is happy to learn more if you have something specific in mind. Lauren was awesome!”

Ceremony seating against a lush green backdrop

A fairy-tale entrance…

A quick picture while the couple prepares with their officiant

A vine-covered canopy on the patio

A discreet fountain in the garden

An adorable cake! Complete with lovebirds on top

Root beer floats being prepared for the brunch, yum!

The intimate and open dining room

The happy couple and I

I was so excited to meet Thuy and Quoc for their luxurious ceremony and cocktail hour. I worked together with Blue Ivy Events to make sure everything went off without a hitch. We started with Air on a G String by Bach for the bridal party and Pachelbel’s Canon for the bride. It was a pleasure to listen to such heartfelt yet lighthearted vows from the couple. We ended with Trumpet Voluntary before I headed to the top floor of the hotel for the cocktail hour.

Here’s a wonderful review written by the bride on my WeddingWire profile:

“Lauren made our wedding ceremony and cocktail reception truly memorable! Not only is her music amazingly beautiful, she is such a pleasure to work with! She came to our consultation prepared and made great music suggestions.

I totally recommend Lauren for your wedding. As many of you know, when you decide to get marry, the cost of the wedding keeps adding up and up and vendors like Lauren makes it possible to have an excellent wedding because her cost is very reasonable. Try her for yourself, you’ll be so glad that you did!!!”

A view of the altar in the ballroom

Sparkly decorations and place cards!

The statement chandelier that hangs in the lobby

My cocktail hour location, on the fifth floor overlooking the rest of the hotel

The beautiful programs, I love the design!

Aromatic and tasteful floral arrangements

For the bridal party and bridal processional I played Pachelbel’s Canon in D, and I serenaded the couple with La Vie En Rose as they walked back down the aisle. I moved to another ballroom for cocktail hour where I played selections such as Funny Valentine and All I Ask of You.

Kathryn had this to write afterwards, “I’m so happy I chose Lauren to play during my ceremony/cocktail hour at my June 2012 wedding at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. Lauren was very professional and easy to work with – she always responded to my questions right away, and gave me several wonderful piece suggestions for both the ceremony and cocktail hour. I would recommend Lauren to any bride who is looking to add a touch of elegance to their special day!”

I was also pleasantly surprised to receive a handwritten thank you note from Kathryn’s mother Maureen, “Thank you for making Kate and Aaron’s wedding even more special. Your music during the ceremony was perfectly lovely. And during the cocktail hour it was so beautiful to enjoy your playing while our guests began celebrating.”

Take a look at a few of my pictures:

The aisle, freshly rose-petaled

Stationed in my corner halfway down the aisle

The bold flower arrangement

View of the Boston Waterfront through the panoramic windows

All ready to begin!

I performed selections such as Pachelbel’s Canon in D and La Vie En Rose. I’ve attended a great deal of weddings, but this one was especially touching. Jennifer’s 16 year-old daughter spoke during the ceremony to give her blessing to the happy couple. I had to focus on my music to stop myself from crying!

Afterwards, Jennifer told me, “My only regret is that we didn’t have you stay longer!”

Here are some moments we captured:

An artistic view through the strings

The indoor ceremony setup

The officiant and I discussing details beforehand

The photographers in action outside the Andover Inn

A picturesque path

Jennifer and I

For most outdoor weddings, I like to use the help of amplification to make sure the sound of the harp carries over the ambient noise. Just a little boost drowned out the traffic and set a peaceful tone for the ceremony.

For prelude music, I included Nikki’s requests of The Beatles (All You Need is Love, I Will, and In My Life) and Memory from the musical Cats. We went right into the bridal party processional of La Vie En Rose and then the bridal processional of Pachelbel’s Canon in D.

Their ceremony included touching readings for which I added light background music – Bach’s Prelude No. 1 and Chopin’s Opus 10, No. 3. We ended with Mendelssohn’s Wedding March as a recessional and The Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun as the guests filed out.

“It was incredible having Lauren as part of our wedding day, she was amazing. She was a joy to work with leading up to the day, very flexible and open to suggestions. All of her preparation paid off as she captured the energy, atmosphere and setting of ourselves and our guests, and reflected it in her beautiful melodies at our ceremony. I whole-heartedly recommend Lauren for any private event or function, you won’t be disappointed!” – Nikki, the Bride.

I couldn’t have asked for better weather or a nicer couple, take a look!

Getting tuned up and ready to start

The empty ceremony seating

The beautiful archways that served as the aisle

The Moffatt-Ladd Mansion

Me with my Beatles Collection book

The couple and I with the sun in our eyes!

A waterfont view while exploring the city afterwards

Jessica walked down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon in D and I was touched by the love in their ceremony. I then accompanied their rabbi with “Simon Tov” for their recessional. I also stuck around for cocktail hour before DJ Raffi took over, and thoroughly loved the festive spirit of all the guests.

Here are pictures that try to do justice to the beautiful grounds.

A grand view to take in

My setup inside for the ceremony

I couldn’t believe the details on these doors!

The pristine tables ready for dinner

I have a slight obsession with chandeliers…this one was stunning

All tuned and ready to go

Shot from behind the manor

The happy couple and I