Weekends can get crazy for a performing harpist! Two weddings in one day can make for a grand adventure, especially when desert islands are involved.
-
- 7:45am: The sun was coming up as I loaded the harp, stand, gig bag, lunch, directions and chair into the harpmobile for wedding #1.
-
- 8:15am: Unloaded my gear while the nice Conservatory employee held the door for me, and parked the car.
-
- 8:45am: The bride requested “Canon in D” for the processional and “Prelude in C” for the Unity Candle. Half-way through the ceremony I realized that the ceiling fan was spraying the most delicate mist on my harp!
-
- 9:15am: Reloaded the harp (using my sweater to remove the water droplets), stand, bag and chair and headed into the heart of Wisconsin for wedding #2.
-
- 11:30am: Still driving.
-
- 1:00pm: My harp and I entered uncharted territory as we walked off the dock together and into a not-very-big boat.
-
- 1:15pm: The wind was (kind of) blowing and the waves were (sort of) crashing…
-
- These two amazing men carried my harp up three flights of stairs (slippery, steep, mossy stairs) to the lodge at the top of the island.
-
- 3:00pm: And then they carried it down the other side of the island to the back lawn where the ceremony was being held. The wedding was lovely, but two minutes after the ceremony ended, the rain arrived. We hurried to move harp, chair, bag and stand back up the lawn to the lodge.
-
- 4:30pm: And down the dripping steps to the boathouse, and into the not-very-big boat, over the (sort-of) crashing waves to the mainland. I snapped one last picture of the bride and groom as we sped away.
-
- 5:30pm: It rained steadily all the way home.
-
- 7:45pm: Having successfully avoided entering any of the three dozen McDonalds’ along Hwy 8, I pulled into my driveway and unloaded my harp, my stand, my gig bag, my directions, my chair and myself onto the driveway, and then into the house. Mission Accomplished.
Photos and sketches by Stephanie Claussen from a two-wedding day in September of 2013.