Toronto Wedding Harpist shares her thoughts about whether or not you should hire a harpist for your wedding
“Should I hire a harpist for my wedding?”
When hiring any musicians for your wedding there are a few things you may want to consider. First, how you would describe the overall feeling you want to create for your wedding ceremony. If you are looking for something different, unique, intimate, romantic and elegant than the harp may be the perfect choice for you. Before you get too excited there are other things to think about too. Harps are very big. Someone once told me it’s like a GIANT guitar, well it is nothing like a guitar but it is big. They are also heavy, expensive and fragile to outdoor weather conditions such as direct sunlight and rain. Most of the wedding ceremonies I play at are outdoors in pretty little gardens or on lovely terraces. I have no issue with being outside if it’s between the months of May-October. However I always find a spot in the shade and preferably under a roof in case it starts to rain. If shade is no where in close proximity to where you want your musician to set up you may think about providing shade. The sun is not good for the harp and you don’t want your harpist sweating and playing poorly due to the bright sun shining in their eyes. You also have to consider accessibility. This is HUGE. I personally can manage stairs but some harpists cannot do stairs. Some harps are heavier than others and of course everyone’s strength varies as well. There are some places that I won’t play at because even though I can do stairs there are just way too many stairs. It’s best that you are honest about accessibility at your venue when booking any musician but especially when booking a harpist. When hiring a harpist you don’t really have to worry about the sound. The harp’s sound waves are the most amazing the strings resonate (vibrate) for a long time and the sound travels well. That’s what I love most about the harp because it’s not LOUD or intrusive but you can definitely hear it. My parents never minded listening to me practise harp but piano…well that was a different story and I was sent outside to practice my trombone in high school!
When guests start to arrive and see the harp I’d say they are just in total awe of the beauty of the instrument and than when they hear the sound…well…they are smitten as was I and that’s why I enjoy playing the harp at weddings. I love seeing the reaction of people who have never seen a harp up close or in person. Considering most people have never seen a harp up close most of your guests will feel totally blessed by the experience. Harp is ancient and timeless instrument that has never gone out of style and I don’t believe it will. The last reason why I think harps are going to be a popular choice for weddings this year is because Prince William and Kate had a harpist at their wedding reception. Prince Charles had his Royal Harpist perform at the wedding reception as the guests arrived. That’s right harps are a great choice for the cocktail receptions too. I personally enjoy the opportunity to be a part of the party and add music that is not NOISE but background music. One thing that really annoys me is when I am at a wedding trying to enjoy conversation with old friends and family members I may not have seen in years but I can’t hear them because either the DJ is too loud or they have chosen loud instruments to be played. I also enjoy playing harp at cocktail hours because it allows your guests more of an opportunity to get up close and personal to the harp than at a ceremony where they are more of an audience. If you are having your ceremony and reception all at one location than the harp is also a perfect choice to keep the feeling of the romantic ceremony going through the cocktail reception during your picture taking time. Than you don’t have to pay your DJ to start early. Having your DJ start early will END the romantic intimate ceremony ambiance that you worked so hard to create for your guests. You could even have pictures of your own with the harp. I allow couples to pose on their own with harp all the time. So if you don’t want to have too many instruments our loud screeching instruments or sad sounding instruments that will over power your intimate ambiance at your wedding than choose the harp. It’s happy sounding very soothing and offers the perfect sound level. If you are having a huge Church wedding the harp is also a good choice because it’s so heavenly and does it ever sound amazing in a big Church! So other than stairs and the need for shade outdoors hiring a harpist for your wedding is a great choice. Your guests will not only love it but be in total awe because of the beauty of the harp itself. Since the harp is such a focal point I always make it a point to dress in a gorgeous gown that compliments the wedding theme and colors and my hair and make up is done nicely. I know that it’s about the music but lets be honest you don’t want to have to photo shop the harpist out of your wedding pictures and since everyone else has spent hours getting ready than it’s only fair I do too! Over all look as well as sound matters.
