11/29/09 22:04
One of the many things I like about Santa Barbara is that the weather is nearly perfect most of the time making it possible to have outdoor weddings almost any time of year. A few weeks ago I played for a wedding in the Palm Court Garden at the beautiful Santa Barbara County Courthouse where the glorious mid-October sunshine brought temperatures into the 80’s.
The adorable flower girl was enchanted by the harp - how cute is she?
Tags: wedding, harp, santa barbara, courthouse
09/18/09 18:09
This afternoon I played for a wedding at the lovely Mission Santa Inés (Ynez) in Solvang. I welcome every opportunity to play here because no matter how hot it is in the valley, the thick adobe walls of the Mission keep everything inside comfortably cool. There are delightful frescos and 18th century paintings adorning the interior and best of all, the great acoustics make my harp sound crisp and golden.
Brian and Gloria on their wedding day
Tags: wedding, harp, solvang, santa ynez
09/16/09 13:41
Last week I played a lovely wedding at a beach house near Rincon. The event took place on the deck overlooking perfect surf waves on a sunny afternoon. Still recovering from foot surgery, I arrived on crutches and brought an assistant to move my harp for me. The sunset made this whole scene a photographer's dream. My harpist's-eye-view was pretty nice, too.
Tags: harp, wedding, Ventura
10/05/08 22:30
October generally brings beautiful weather to Santa Barbara. Crisp, clear air makes for a perfect view of the Channel Islands and sunny days aren’t too hot - just right for outdoor wedding celebrations. This weekend I played at three of them. On Friday I was at the Ojai Valley Inn's Herb Garden.
The harpist's-eye view
Saturday afternoon's wedding was at the Sandpiper Golf Club where the officiant was the same judge who excused me from jury duty in August. I was grateful because it was a three month trial and although it was an interesting case I couldn’t spend the time. Thanks Judge Hill!
Flower girls are always fascinated with the harp and they're usually quite photogenic, too.
Sunday afternoon's nuptial event was in the sunken garden at the lovely Santa Barbara Court House. I took the pedal harp because the bride and groom asked me to play "their song" ("Love Letters" as sung by Elvis) which is too chromatic for the lever harp. My version was a bit different from the King's but I think he might have liked it anyway.
Playing the harp all weekend is easy compared to schlepping different instruments to various venues every day. I think I need a sherpa.
Tags: wedding, santa barbara, court house, sandpiper, ojai valley inn
08/08/08 23:47
I often play for weddings at Alice Keck Park which is located in downtown Santa Barbara, just a few blocks off State Street. This afternoon's event was a small intimate gathering at the arch near the sundial and koi pond. The good thing about a Friday wedding there is that it's relatively quiet, unlike weekends when there are parties, picnics, music jams and flying frisbees. Today there were just a few dog walkers who stopped at a respectful distance to watch the proceedings and listen to the music. I had an old K & K pickup lying around that I slapped into the Wurlitzer at the last minute and was surprised to find that it makes the harp sound amazingly golden and bell-like. 
Tags: Alice Keck Park, Santa Barbara, wedding, harp
07/03/08 23:37
Last weekend I played for a big wedding at Fess Parker's Double Tree and it was definitely one of the most entertaining weddings I've been to in a while. At the reception the newly married couple, along with their numerous bridesmaids and groomsmen, burst out into a well-choreographed dance routine set to rap music. This seems to be a new trend. After that a troupe of Tahitian hula dancers provided colorful hip-shaking excitement with the sound of their traditional drummers pounding all the way down the waterfront. Meanwhile, my harp lounged in the shade on the cocktail deck...
Tags: harp, wedding, Fess Parker's Double Tree
06/10/08 11:25
St. Barbara’s Greek Orthodox Church in Santa Barbara is a place I’ve had the good fortune to play many times. Not only is it visually appealing with its sparkling golden Byzantine-style mosaics, but the acoustics are also outstanding making the harp sound gloriously crisp and clear. I was happy to be there last Sunday to play for a wedding that was standing-room only, packed to the rafters with festive Greek and Armenian friends and relatives.
Traditional Greek wedding ceremonies are long and full of ritual. Interestingly, the bride and groom don’t exchange vows - just the fact that they’ve shown up at the church together is interpreted as a sign of their commitment to marriage. My favorite part of this ceremony was when the priests sang prayers in beautiful harmonies that rolled around the interior dome and brought me to tears. Yes, I go to weddings almost every weekend but I haven’t become jaded to the emotional aspect and frequently I find myself crying at the weddings of people I don’t even know!
Tags: harp, Greek wedding, St. Barbara's Church
