Music is such an important part of a wedding! It sets the mood and tone for the day subtly. We had a wonderful harpist for our Indiana ceremony and a violinist on Mackinac Island! Jim Cerone created the most wonderful playlist for us as we were in a space without room for a dancefloor or DJ but we still wanted the feeling of the day to be perfect! As a wedding planner I stress the importance of professional musicians and DJs to help craft the perfect atmosphere for your ceremony and reception. They help create flawless transitions from one event to the next and help your guests float through the day without ever noticing one event ending and the next beginning. We were lucky that the music came easy for us as we knew what we wanted. If you're unsure it can be helpful to watch wedding videos online and see what you like best for type or style of music.
I LOVE live music, especially when we're outside! I know many harpists as a wedding planner but since we got married on a Thursday in Indiana it was a bit of a challenge to find someone who is free. I was referred to Jill Pitz by some other great harpists I know. She did a fantastic job! She was kind and easy to work with as well as very responsive. We were so fortunate to have met her through some other professionals! I look forward to working with her again for future clients! Photo below from our Indiana ceremony courtesy of Conforti Photography! See full vendor list at the bottom of this post!
In Mackinac we had our dear friend and very talented musician Brook Xiao play the violin for our ceremony at Windermere Point! He is one of the most naturally gifted musicians I have ever met and we were so fortunate for him to be able to play some beautiful classic music for our ceremony! Again, live music outside is just heavenly! The picture below is from Conforti Photography of our dear friend Brook enjoying our reception, the man is truly masterful and can play any instrument you hand him! Before he moved to Nashville he used to help clients of mine regularly!
As a wedding planner there becomes things you like and things that you realize aren't a good fit for what you want for your own wedding. We wanted a view in Mackinac for our reception which we definitely had at the Chippewa on a covered patio that sits right on Lake Huron! This space was a perfect fit for our guests and we wanted a small reception with time to just chat with our guests so we decided to forgo the traditional dance floor space and DJ so we could invite the number of people we wanted. We didn't want formal introductions or any other formalities during our reception that you need an emcee for. As a planner I can't tell you how valuable having someone to orchestrate all these events is! Since we weren't having them but I know how much a DJ who knows your personal taste can help keep the atmosphere and mood the way you want it we reached out to Jim Cerone to have him help us craft the perfect playlist for our evening! Jim is an incredible DJ and so much more than that! He truly is a master of ceremonies for your reception! He subtly controls the mood and atmosphere through the perfect song choices! His services are invaluable and we saw the success of his strategic song choices at our reception. He kept everyone in high spirits and our evening ended with our nieces and nephews dancing until the reception ended! It was perfect for us and then became the soundtrack to our honeymoon as we traveled around Hawaii! The picture below is not from our wedding but is so you can see Jim Cerone in action (image stolen from his website and taken by the wonderful Jennifer Driscoll).
Vendor List:
IN Ceremony Location: Lincoln Park
IN Dinner: Indy Fresh
IN Ceremony Music: Jill Pitz (Harp)
MI Ceremony Location: Windermere Point
MI Reception Location: Chippewa Hotel
Wedding Dress: Marie Gabriel Couture (Designer: Amsale)
Reception Dress: Bella Bridesmaid (Designer: Aidan Maddox) Florist: Accent Floral Design
Photography: Conforti Photography
Videography: Unique Heart Productions
Invitation Designer: Just Invite Me
Invitation Printer: Jupiter & Juno
Custom Calligraphy Signage: Katie Lynn Emerson
Planing & Design: Plum & Poppy (Beth McHugh – Coordinator/live saver)
Caterer: Chippewa Hotel
Hair & Makeup: Something Blue Stylists
MI Ceremony Musician: Brook Xiao
Linens: LGI Linens
Chair Rental: A Classic Party Rental
Flatware & Candlesticks: Violet Vintage Rental
Groom’s clothes: Ike Behar
Hair Accessories: Hair Comes The Bride
Jewelry: Moyer Jewelry
Bridal Robe: Plum Pretty Sugar
Laser Cut Table #s & Escort Names: Just Invite Me