Kind of tired and short on inspiration this week, then I stumbled across this in my itunes. It’s a really sweet and lovely emo modern rock kinda song. It’s also over 7 minutes long, so um, I’m not quite sure where this would fit in your wedding. Our guests would mutiny if it was our first dance song. Maybe during dinner? 
I have an exciting guest post to share today. I was recently introduced to NEPA Harpist Giselle Pedraza, who was kind enough to sit down and answer some of the most common questions brides and grooms to be have about wedding music choices. So read on my darlings, and let Giselle give you some wonderful advice about choosing a harpist and music in general on your big day. She’s got an impressive resume, so check it out:
What are some things couples planning their weddings need to think about in terms of music?
There are a lot of options out there for your special day from DJs to full blown ensembles. What you need to think about in planning music for your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception are the following:
What makes you a better harpist to choose than other local harpists and musicians?
In addition to pricing my services more competitively than other local harpists (of which there are very few), I have a good deal of experience and education that set me apart. I am a professional musician with international performing and teaching experience. I have a Master of Arts degree in music education and harp.
I have also previously recorded with Grammy winning producer Danny Blume as part of a trio I formerly played in. I am a certified (k-12) music teacher in the state of Pennsylvania and served as professor of aural skills, teaching popular guitar at the National Center of Artistic Learning (an arts college) in Havana City, Cuba. I am familiar with many of the local wedding venues and catering facilities and work hard to make your harp performance a special one. I am also fluently bilingual in English and Spanish and am comfortable working with diverse groups of clients.
Who are some of your previous clients? And what do they have to say about your harp performances?
I have performed for many couples and many corporate and institutional clients as well. One of the most recent weddings I performed at was for a client in South Sterling, PA. She was very pleased with her harp performance and sent me the following thank you note:
“I just wanted to write you a short note to thank you for the excellent job you did! The music was beautiful and it really added to our ceremony and cocktail hour. Thank you very much!”
Some of the corporate/institutional clients who have hired me include The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, Misericordia University, Wilkes University, Marywood University and the Cultural Council of Luzerne County.
“Giselle is a beautifully accomplished musician, and a lovely person. She has played for several of our arts events, and I recommend her highly.” -Shelley Pearce, Director of Cultural Programs, Wilkes University
“Giselle is an excellent harpist. We have hired her for several events and look forward to working with her again.” -Mike Burnside, Executive Director, Cultural Council of Luzerne County.
How can people interested in more information get in touch with you?
I can be reached by visiting my website, gisellepedraza.com, by email at info@gisellepedraza.com or by phone at +570.575.8509.
Hoo boy. This one is a tear jerker. Never mind that I first heard it and fell in love with it on Roswell. It’s still an amazing song. NEPA Groom won’t mind it if our reception sounds like a Lilith Fair reunion, right?
This isn’t your typical fare for us, but I think it’s a pretty awesome party song, and a good upbeat song for a wedding. I want to try and expand our tastes, and I also want to highlight songs that might fit other NEPA weddings.
Whatcha think?
Originally, I had some very different ideas about the type of cake topper I wanted. I was enamored with a lot of the really cute toppers I saw online, particularly on sites like Etsy.I love all the little custom people who look just like you, complete with matching pooch! And I love the little hand made animals – NEPA Bride & Groom as little beagles?? *squee*
I know what I want my cake to look like, so whatever we ended up with, I wanted it to look good on top of something like this:
NEPA Mom actually found the cake topper we got online shortly after we got engaged. I made her hold off on buying it a few times until we got our act together. Since I couldn’t really decide what style I wanted, I sat NEPA Groom down and showed him 4 or 5 cake topper styles, and he hands down picked this one. You win this round mom, LOL:
Today’s song choice has been one of my favorites for a long time. First dance song much?? 
This song almost seems ‘too’ popular right now. It’s on all of the wedding websites and everyone’s talking about using it as a first dance song. Aaaaand I think there’s a good reason. This live version is a little less polished than the studio version, but it captures the sweetness that’s making this song such a popular choice.
The first thing this song brings to my mind is… Shrek.
It’s a cute remake of the song first made popular by the Monkees, and it’s written by Neil Diamond. How can you go wrong with that??
We were at Groomsman M’s house tonight playing Rock Band 2 when this song reminded me I needed to blog today.
I have this (possibly unrealistic) vision of when this song should be played at the reception. It’s later in the evening, maybe at the start of the last hour of music. Everyone’s got some liquid courage in them and when this song starts, it pulls everyone back on to the dance floor (try and tell me it hasn’t at all the other NEPA weddings you’ve been to!). We all dance and sing along with Bon Jovi…. cause if I’m out there singing and tipsy by myself, it’s going to be a sad, sad sight my friends.
Ok, this isn’t the most romantic song by any stretch of the imagination. But it’s sweet sounding, and it’s fun, and it’s Steve Miller Band.
This could be a nice introduction song, or even a cake cutting song perhaps? The perfect number for a rock & roll wedding, or anyone who’s looking for some family friendly upbeat songs.
