April 21, 2023

A Golden Autumn Wedding at Lynn Britt Cabin in Snowmass, Colorado: Flute and Violin Duo

April 21, 2023/ Christen Stephens

Flute and Violin Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at Lynn Britt Cabin in Snowmass, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Kelsey Cole Photography

Imagine a scene right out of a storybook, with a moody sky, vibrant autumn foliage, and an intimate mountain cabin wedding. This wedding celebration took place at Lynn Britt Cabin in Snowmass, Colorado, and my violinist and I loved being a part of a very special day for this wonderful couple.

After punching in the gate code, we wound our way up the mountainside, and the rustic setting of Lynn Britt Cabin came into view. The foliage was in its peak glory against a moody sky, and chic decor offset the wild beauty of the mountainside. It rained as we played a prelude of traditional classical and contemporary music. As we played, the sun suddenly emerged in a glorious display, illuminating the surroundings with its warm light, and the ceremony was quickly pushed up to take advantage of this moment. The bride and groom exchanged their vows bathed in golden sunlight.

Following the ceremony, we continued to play a set of romantic contemporary music as the guests enjoyed drinks and appetizers, and took advantage of the last few rays of sunshine. The weather once again turned cold and rainy after a time, and the cocktail hour was likewise cut short so that the guests could take shelter in the heated reception tent.

From the Bride:

“We were so thrilled Christen and her team were available for our wedding. She was a joy to work with, was on top of everything and made me feel like this was one major item I could check off my list and not have to worry. Extremely professional and helpful when we weren’t sure which choice of music we wanted to go with. I would choose her 100x over.” Kristen L.

Sample Music Selections from the Prelude:
Simple Gifts, Etude in E major, Op. 10 #3 (Chopin), Clair De Lune (Debussy), Intermezzo from, Cavalliera Rusticana (Mascagni), Holy, Holy, Holy, Romanza from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K 525 (Mozart)

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Bubbly (Colbie Caillat): Seating of the Family and the Wedding Party
Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis): Bride
Love Me Like You Do (Ellie Goulding): Recessional

Sample Music Selections from the Cocktail Hour:
Butterfly Waltz from Twilight, If I Never Knew You from Pocahontas, Nocturne from A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mendelssohn), Concerning Hobbits from The Fellowship of the Rings, Yellow (Coldplay), The Ludlows from Legends of the Fall, Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Wedding Vendors:
Venue: Lynn Britt Cabin
Wedding Planner: Aesthetic Event Planning
Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Flute and Violin
Photographer: Kelsey Cole Photography

Flute and Violin are the Perfect Pair.

Listen to Flute and Violin Music Samples

May 30, 2022

Solo Flute and Violin and Cello Wedding Music at the Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado

May 30, 2022/ Christen Stephens

My first wedding of the spring season was a blustery winter-like day on the top of Aspen Mountain. The sun was shining brightly, making the fresh snowfall look brilliant. The bride and groom were from Texas and I’m sure many of the guests were as well. What an experience this mountaintop wedding must have been for them! I welcomed the guests as they disembarked from the gondola with a set of traditional classical music on solo flute.

It’s hard to predict the weather in early April in the mountains, and it could be either mild, extremely cold, or even blizzard. This day turned out to be cold and sunny with a very gusty wind. There was a collective gasp from all the guests every time an icy gust of wind blew over the mountaintop, and I had to pause for a few seconds between songs to warm my hands with hand warmers. I hope that my music and the cozy blankets provided for the guests helped them feel warmer!

Solo Flute and Violin and Cello Wedding Music at the Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens

After the wedding, the guests quickly moved inside to enjoy cocktails, and they were greeted by my violinist, who was playing some beautiful solo numbers. I joined her as soon as I finished up outside, and switched to my cello for a violin and cello duo during cocktails. We played a mix of our favorite formal classical and contemporary music.

I had also made a special arrangement of “As Time Goes By” for violin and cello, to honor the groom’s parents.

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach) - Wedding Party
Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis) - Bride
Wedding March (Mendelssohn) - Recessional

Samples from the Prelude on Solo Flute:
Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke), Air from the Overture in D (Bach), Selections from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, Trumpet Tune (Purcell), Largo from Winter (Vivaldi), Prelude from Te Deum (Charpentier), Clair De Lune (Debussy)

Samples from the Cocktail Hour Music on Cello and Violin:
Autumn from the Four Seasons (Vivaldi), As Time Goes By (Herman Hupfeld), Speechless (Dan + Shay), The Book of Love (Peter Gabriel), Butterfly Waltz from Twilight, Air from Handel’s Water Music

Wedding Vendors:
Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens
Wedding Planner: Something Blue by Bluebird
Venue: The Little Nell
Photography: Joseph West
Officiant: Jill Pidcock
Flowers: Carolyn’s Flowers
Cake: Coppelia Cake

My Joyful Solo Flute Music on a Mountaintop is Reminiscent of “The Lord of the Rings”!

Listen to Solo Flute Music Samples

March 27, 2021

Solo Flute Wedding Ceremony Music on the Aspen Mountain Wedding Overlook

March 27, 2021/ Christen Stephens

Solo Flute Wedding Ceremony Music in Aspen, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens

The calendar may have confidently declared that it was spring, but it’s not unusual for the Colorado mountains to enjoy some of their biggest snowstorms in the month of March. This out of state couple was debating on having their wedding anywhere from a tropical retreat to a snow covered mountain, and an Aspen mountain wedding ceremony won the day! They got the true Aspen mountain wedding experience with heavy snow, freezing cold, and whiteout conditions, but they stayed positive and enjoyed their wedding day adventure.

I accompanied the arrival of guests with my romantic and joyful solo flute music, a perfect fit for the mountain setting. My music greeted guests as soon as they reached the top of the gondola. They enjoyed the music as I played through the songs that the couple chose. As they mingled, they enjoyed hot drinks, snacks, and fluffy blankets. Soon, everyone was guided to the seats at the ceremony site and the ceremony took place in a surreal winter wonderland. What is normally a sweeping mountain view, was a dramatic backdrop of pure white.

I continued to accompany various parts of the ceremony with my music, and then played a lively recessional after the couple was pronounced husband and wife. Everyone quickly went inside to warm up after that!

From the Groom:

“Christen was a delight to work with! “

“Christen was a delight to work with! She did a few video calls with us during Covid as we were destination wedding to Aspen. Her website gave some good samples and she picked up a song we requested to learn to help make the moment special. We picked up a song list and she delivered! Her music created a special backdrop to our wedding, and I can't wait to rehear her during our wedding video. :)”

Ceremony Music:
Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton) - Parents and Ringbearer
Canon in D (Pachelbel) - Bride
Butterfly Waltz from Twilight and River Flows in You (Yiruma) - Readings
Secrets (One Republic) - Sand Ceremony
Wedding March (Mendelssohn) - Recessional

Prelude Music (sample selections):
Musetta’s Waltz (Puccini), Gigue from Suite #3 in D Major (Bach), A Day Without Rain (Enya), Beautiful in White (Westlife), Spring from Vivaldi’s Seasons

Wedding Vendors:
Venue: Aspen Mountain Wedding Overlook
Wedding Planner: Aspen Event Solutions
Photography: KiKi Creates
Ceremony Music: Solo Flute by Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens

Enjoy the romance and flexibility of my Solo Flute Signature Package for your Colorado wedding ceremony.

Listen to Music Samples

November 21, 2019

Flute and Harp Wedding Ceremony Music in Aspen, Colorado

November 21, 2019/ Christen Stephens

From the Mother of the Bride:

“Christen played along with a harp at my daughters destination wedding. They were just amazing. Due to some circumstances beyond our control we had to do a last minute change of venue. She didn't bobble at all. She made it so easy and was so accommodating. I received so many compliments and her professionalism was outstanding. She loves what she does and you can tell in every song she/they played. She made sure everything was perfect and it was. I highly recommend her for any and all occasions. She made my daughters wedding very memorable. Thank you again Christen!” - Brenda S.

Wedding Vendors:
Wedding Musicians: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Flute and Harp Duo
Wedding Planner: Blue Sky Elopements

It’s hard to surpass the elegance of the flute and harp, and with the flute playing the melody like vocals and the harp providing a romantic background, we can play just about any style of music. Listen to our flute and harp music samples.

It was almost the last day of summer when my harpist and I traveled up to Aspen, Colorado to play elegant flute and harp music for a wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. We expected it to be cool in Aspen, but it turned out to be a beautiful warm day with a hot sun. The wedding ceremony was held at an elegant mountain home that had a backyard with stunning mountain views and hints of autumn foliage.

The bride loved our large song list, and she selected her entire wedding music program by herself, from the ceremony through the cocktails. Her music choices were varied and included sacred, classical, pop, country, rap, Disney, and jazz music. The guests loved the variety of music that we played, and they particularly enjoyed hearing some of the rap and pop pieces played on flute and harp.

Samples from Wedding Prelude and Postlude Music:
In the Garden (hymn), Jesu of Man's Desiring (Bach), A Thousand Years (Christina Perri), Crazy (Willie Nelson), A Whole New World from Aladdin, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, You Raise Me Up (Josh Groban), Fairest Lord Jesus, When You Wish Upon a Star, The Ludlows,Someday My Prince Will Come

Wedding Processional and Recessional Music:
The Lord’s Prayer - Seating of the Parents
Beauty and the Beast - Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, Flower Girl, Ringbearer
Shallow (Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga) - Bride
Ave Maria (Schubert) - Sand Pouring Ceremony
Hey Ya (OutKast) - Recessional

Samples from Cocktail Hour Music:
Isn’t It Romantic (Ella Fitzgerald), Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars), Dream a Little Dream of Me (Louis Armstrong), Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Try to Remember (Jerry Orbach), Amazed (Lonestar), From This Moment, (Shania Twain), Love Me Tender (Elvis), The Wedding from Legends of the Fall, Hey Ya (OutKast)

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