Alice & Billy’s Walden Chicago Wedding: A Real Wedding Harp Music Story
Alice and Billy spring wedding at Walden Chicago
One of my favorite things about being a Chicago wedding harpist is seeing how couples use music to make their ceremony completely their own.
Alice and Billy did exactly that for their beautiful spring wedding at Walden Chicago.
Rather than choosing traditional wedding ceremony music, they selected songs that reflected their personalities and musical tastes—from anime and K-pop to contemporary love songs. They also asked me to create a prelude and postlude filled with pop, Disney and Pixar favorites, along with upbeat classical pieces.
The result was a ceremony that felt personal, joyful, and unmistakably theirs.
And one particular song created a moment I'll always remember.
Pastel and white floral wedding ceremony at Walden Chicago
A Spring Wedding at Walden Chicago
Alice and Billy were married in May, and their ceremony had a beautiful spring feel.
White and pastel flowers complemented Walden's light-filled ceremony space and created a soft, romantic setting for the wedding.
I even happened to choose a floral dress for the performance with a similar color palette, so my dress and harp blended beautifully with the ceremony décor.
It was one of those little coincidences that made everything look especially cohesive in the photographs.
White and pastel spring flowers surrounded the ceremony space, while my floral performance dress happened to coordinate beautifully with the wedding décor.
Guests With Live Harp Music
As guests arrived, Alice and Billy wanted the music to feel upbeat, romantic, and fun.
For their prelude, they asked for a mixture of pop, Disney and Pixar songs, and upbeat classical music.
I loved this combination because it immediately gave guests a sense of the couple's personality while still creating the elegant atmosphere of live harp music.
It is also a great example of something I tell couples frequently: harp music does not have to mean traditional wedding music.
Your prelude can include music you genuinely enjoy.
Disney, Pixar, pop, movie music, classical selections, K-pop, The Beatles, and other contemporary favorites can all work beautifully on harp.
Live harp music welcomed guests to Alice and Billy’s Walden Chicago wedding ceremony.
Alice & Billy’s Wedding Ceremony Music
Their processional selections were especially personal.
Groom & Parents: “Isabella’s Lullaby” from The Promised Neverland
Billy and the parents entered to “Isabella’s Lullaby” from The Promised Neverland.
This was such a distinctive way to begin the processional.
Choosing music from a favorite show, movie, game, or other part of your life can make a wedding ceremony feel far more personal than selecting a song simply because it is traditionally associated with weddings.
On harp, “Isabella’s Lullaby” created a gentle and expressive beginning to the ceremony.
Wedding Party Processional: “River Flows in You”
The wedding party entered to “River Flows in You” by Yiruma.
Its flowing melody translates naturally to the harp and created a romantic transition from the entrance of the family into the wedding-party processional.
Because I perform the music live, I can also adjust the piece to the procession itself rather than expecting the wedding party to match the timing of a recording.
At Walden, I have a particularly good view of the wedding party as they begin their procession, which allows me to time these transitions very precisely.
The wedding party processed to “River Flows in You” performed live on harp.
Alice’s Bridal Processional: “Still Life” by BIGBANG
Then came my favorite musical moment of the ceremony.
Alice chose “Still Life” by BIGBANG for her walk down the aisle.
This wasn't simply a beautiful song she thought would work for a wedding.
It was her favorite song.
Alice had been so excited to hear it performed on harp for her bridal processional. Afterward, she told me that hearing the opening chords of “Still Life” as she prepared to walk down the aisle was what brought her to tears.
As a wedding musician, moments like this are incredibly special.
I may be concentrating on the processional, watching the coordinator, following the bride's entrance, and making sure the music unfolds at exactly the right pace—but I also know that the music I'm playing can become permanently connected to that moment for the couple.
Alice knew exactly what song she wanted to hear when she walked down the aisle.
And when those first notes began, it was her song welcoming her into one of the biggest moments of her life.
That's what personalized wedding ceremony music can do.
Alice walked down the aisle to her favorite song, “Still Life” by BIGBANG, performed live on harp.
Why Your Bridal Processional Doesn't Have to Be Traditional
Alice's entrance is a perfect example of why I encourage couples to choose music that means something to them.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with traditional wedding music if you love it.
But you don't have to walk down the aisle to a piece simply because generations of couples have used it before you.
Your entrance could be:
Your favorite song
A song from the first concert you attended together
Music from a favorite movie or show
A Disney song you've loved since childhood
A K-pop song
A classical piece
A song that reminds you of your partner
Something completely unexpected
One of the wonderful things about the harp is hearing a familiar piece transformed.
A song guests may know in its original version can take on an entirely different character when its melody is played acoustically on harp.
If you're trying to choose your own ceremony selections, my curated wedding ceremony programs and repertoire can be helpful starting points.
The Recessional: “Love Me Like You Do”
After the emotional processional and ceremony, Alice and Billy chose something fun and celebratory for their recessional:
“Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding.
I love when couples make this kind of shift in energy.
Your processional can be emotional and romantic, while your recessional can simply be joyful.
The moment you're pronounced married is a celebration, and an upbeat recessional helps signal that change immediately.
Alice and Billy walked back down the aisle as newlyweds with “Love Me Like You Do” playing on harp, bringing their ceremony playlist full circle—from delicate and emotional to happy and celebratory.
The newlyweds celebrated with “Love Me Like You Do” as their live harp recessional.
Alice & Billy’s Walden Chicago Wedding Playlist
Their ceremony music at a glance:
Prelude:
Pop + Disney/Pixar + upbeat classical selections
Groom & Parents:
“Isabella’s Lullaby” — The Promised Neverland
Wedding Party:
“River Flows in You” — Yiruma
Bride:
“Still Life” — BIGBANG
Recessional:
“Love Me Like You Do” — Ellie Goulding
Postlude:
Pop + Disney/Pixar + upbeat classical selections
What I love about this playlist is that there isn't one single genre tying everything together.
Alice and Billy are what ties it together.
And that's exactly how personalized wedding music should feel.
Why Live Harp Worked So Well for Their Walden Wedding
I've written more extensively about performing wedding ceremony music at Walden Chicago, including the room's acoustics, harp placement, processional sightlines, and why I enjoy playing at this venue.
For Alice and Billy's wedding, those practical advantages allowed me to focus on bringing their very personal musical choices to life.
The ceremony wasn't designed around what people thought wedding music was supposed to be.
It was designed around them.
From an anime soundtrack to Yiruma, BIGBANG, Ellie Goulding, Disney, Pixar, pop, and classical music, their selections demonstrated just how creative you can be with a live harp wedding ceremony.
And I'll always remember Alice's reaction to hearing those first chords of “Still Life.”
Alice and Billy at their spring wedding at Walden Chicago. Photography by Eljay Cabrera Photography.
Planning Your Own Personalized Chicago Wedding Ceremony Music?
If you're planning a wedding at Walden—or anywhere in Chicago—and want your ceremony music to feel like you, I'd love to help.
As a professional Chicago wedding harpist, I work with couples to create ceremony music ranging from traditional classical selections to pop, rock, Disney, movie themes, Broadway, The Beatles, K-pop, and other personal favorites.
You can select music from my existing repertoire, use one of my curated wedding programs as a starting point, or ask about a special song that has particular meaning to you.
Because sometimes the song that brings you to tears as you walk down the aisle isn't a traditional wedding song.
It's simply your song.
Wedding photography by Eljay Cabrera Photography.