This article contains paid-for content created in collaboration with Last Minute Musicians
By Jon Fellowes of Last Minute Musicians
Chances are, you have a pretty good picture of what you want your wedding to be like. Whether it’s a picture in your head, or on your Pinterest board, you’ll draw upon all sorts of things to build it: weddings you’ve been to in the past, advice from your friends, and more.
However, while you might have a clear vision of what you want the aesthetic of your wedding to be, you might not know exactly how to achieve it. We’ll explain why, if you’re planning an intimate and romantic wedding, a harpist could be the perfect musician to book for your big day.
Here are our top five reasons to hire a harpist…
1. The harp is a classic symbol of romance
The harp has always been closely identified with the concept of romance. You won’t have to go far on Valentine’s Day to find a card with a harp adorning it somewhere! It’s unclear quite where that association first began, but angels with harps have made up parts of religious iconography for a long, long time, and the instrument itself is admired for its grandeur and beauty.
2. Harpists can be traditional, modern… or both!
When you first think of a harpist, you would probably assume that they have a strictly classical repertoire, ranging from Mozart to Handel, and everything in between. This is actually a big misconception.
There’s lots of choice if you’re looking for a classical harpist that performs traditional music – and they are very likely to be a star attraction at your wedding – it is not your only option.
Some harpists will also offer a selection of modern pop tunes, arranged specifically for the harp, as well as taking requests in advance. So, whether you’re looking to walk down the aisle to the bridal chorus or a harpist’s rendition of Snow Patrol, you’re covered.
3. They can perform outside
It’s a simple point, but an obvious one. There are many reasons why you might want to have your wedding ceremony outdoors, and it’s important to realise that not every act will be able to accommodate this (particularly acts that require power to run amplification).
Harpists can require amplification for large crowds but will usually be able to perform unamplified for most smaller events, like wedding ceremonies. Just make sure you have contingency plans for the rain.
4. Harpists are more affordable than you might think
Many happy couples will consider the wedding band or DJ for the evening reception a mandatory expense, but could be put off hiring another musician for other parts of the day because of the perceived added cost.
While you cannot avoid the fact that employing another musician will add to the cost to some degree, it might not be quite as expensive as you’d think.
Harpists are solo musicians, and so will not be anywhere near as costly to book as a large wedding band.
They will also factor the time of their performance into their quote, with an afternoon performance at a wedding ceremony probably being cheaper than an evening recital.
The harpists on the Last Minute Musicians directory begin at just £70, and it’s important to look into booking a local musician if you are trying to cut down on cost.
5. They are a flexible option for performances throughout the day
It will come as no great surprise to find out that harpists are commonly hired to perform at wedding ceremonies, perhaps more so than other events.
That atmosphere of intimacy and romance that they can help provide is arguably hard to match at this point of the day. That said, there is nothing stopping you from hiring them for a different occasion, or for more than one performance during the day!
For instance, harpists are a wonderful addition to your wedding breakfast or during a drinks reception. A musician will always prove to be a great talking point and encourage conversation between guests who might not have met before.
If you’re hiring a harpist to perform at the ceremony then getting a quote from them to perform at an additional time of the day can prove much more cost-effective than hiring additional musicians.
Whatever your choice of wedding entertainment, Last Minute Musicians wish you all the best in the planning of your big day. If you’re still looking for an act, then consider browsing through the 3500+ acts currently listed on www.lastminutemusicians.com