Wedding harpist in London
Live harp for the ceremony, the drinks reception and the wedding breakfast, played by a concert harpist rather than a background track.
Why a harp works at a wedding
The harp carries in a room without needing to be loud. It fills a church or a high-ceilinged hall from a single instrument, and during a reception it sits underneath conversation rather than competing with it, which is the thing recorded music and louder ensembles rarely manage.
It also looks like an occasion. A concert pedal harp is a striking object, and it photographs well, which is worth something on a day that is comprehensively photographed.
And it is flexible in a way that matters on a day that never quite runs to time. A harpist alone can stretch a piece while the registrar finishes the paperwork, or fill an unplanned twenty minutes, without anybody noticing that the plan changed.
The three moments music is usually needed
The ceremony. Music as guests arrive and are seated, a processional for the entrance, something during the signing of the register, and a recessional to leave to. These are the set pieces, and they are chosen with you in advance.
The drinks reception. Usually the longest continuous stretch of playing, typically an hour to an hour and a half, running while photographs are taken and guests move around. This is chosen to be beautiful but unobtrusive.
The wedding breakfast. Music during the meal, or during the arrival and seating, again pitched to sit under conversation.
Many couples book all three; plenty book only the ceremony, or only the reception. The music can be arranged in whatever combination suits the day.
Choosing the music
Most couples have firm ideas about the processional and the recessional and are happy to leave the rest to Huw. Some arrive with a full list. Both are entirely welcome.
The classical wedding repertoire for harp is deep, and includes the pieces most people already have in mind for a ceremony, alongside the French repertoire that suits the instrument particularly well. Welsh traditional music is part of Huw's background and is often requested for Welsh families.
If there is a piece that matters to you that is not standard harp repertoire, raise it early. Arranging a song for harp is often possible, but it takes time to do well.
How the booking works
Get in touch with your date, your venue and a rough idea of which parts of the day need music. You will hear back with availability and a fee.
Once the date is agreed, the music is planned between you and Huw over the following weeks and months, and confirmed well before the day. On the day itself he arrives in good time to bring the harp in, tune it and be ready before guests appear.
Tuning is worth a word, because it explains the early arrival. A harp has 47 strings and they move with temperature and humidity, so the instrument is tuned on site after it has settled in the room, not before it leaves.
What the venue needs to know
A space of about two metres by two metres, ideally out of direct sunlight and away from radiators or heaters. A level floor, and step-free access if it can be arranged, since the harp is around 40 kilograms and does not go up spiral staircases easily.
No power is needed for a room of ordinary size. For a large marquee, an outdoor ceremony, or a venue with a lot of background noise, amplification is worth discussing.
Outdoor ceremonies are possible in settled weather, provided there is cover overhead in case the weather turns. Most venues are used to this question and will have a wet-weather plan already.
Questions
- How much does a wedding harpist cost in London?
- The fee depends on the date, the venue, how much of the day needs music and whether travel or amplification is involved. Send those details and you will receive a clear quote with no obligation.
- How long do you play for?
- A ceremony is usually around thirty to forty minutes including arrival music, and a drinks reception typically an hour to an hour and a half. Longer bookings covering the ceremony, reception and wedding breakfast are common and are agreed in advance.
- Can we choose our own processional and recessional?
- Yes, and most couples do. The rest of the programme can be left to Huw or planned with you in as much detail as you would like.
- Do you play at churches as well as licensed venues?
- Yes, both. Churches occasionally have their own rules about visiting musicians, so it is worth checking with them early, and Huw is happy to liaise with the venue directly.
- What happens if the ceremony runs late?
- Nothing. A solo harpist simply keeps playing until you are ready, which is one of the practical advantages of a single instrument over a larger ensemble.
- Do you need a sound check or a rehearsal?
- No rehearsal is needed. Huw arrives in good time to bring the instrument in, let it settle and tune it, so that everything is quiet and ready before guests arrive.
- Do you travel outside London for weddings?
- Yes. Huw is based in London and regularly travels across the surrounding counties, with engagements further afield in the United Kingdom and abroad by arrangement.
Check your wedding date
Send your date, your venue and which parts of the day you would like music for, and you will have a reply with availability and a fee.
Also
- Hire a harpist Huw Boucher is a prize-winning harpist based in London, available for private and corporate engagements across the city and beyond. Read more →
- Corporate & events Live harp for receptions, dinners, launches and private parties, where the music is meant to lift a room rather than fill a silence. Read more →