A Charming Catholic Wedding Ceremony at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado: Solo Flute by Christen Stephens

Solo Flute Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Photo by Jill Houser Photography

It was such a joy to play solo flute for this traditional Catholic wedding at Saint Mary’s Catholic in Breckenridge, Colorado! Last time I played at this church, I connected with one of the cantors and did some additional music projects for her, writing instrumental parts to a few songs that she wrote. So, when this bride needed a cantor, Katie was the first person that came to my mind! The bride hired her right away, and I loved working with her again on the music for this wedding.

From the Bride:

Christen is a talented musician AND extremely organized and responsive!

“Christen was a dream to work with. She was truly one of the most responsive and organized vendors we worked with for our wedding day. She helped us put together a beautiful musical line-up and even learned a few new pieces for our Catholic ceremony to accompany our cantor. She was extremely helpful through every step of the process: from an initial consultation to answer our multiple questions to providing song lists and recommendations for each key component of the ceremony to making herself available to arrive early for set-up to even preparing an outline of the musical run of show.

And I haven't even mentioned her beautiful music yet! She's such a talented musician - playing both the flute then surprising us by jumping on the piano when she realized a particular song would sound better with that instrument. If that's not a gold standard of service, I don't know what is! If you're looking for a beautiful music backdrop for your big day and someone who thinks through every little detail to ensure the event goes off without a hitch, look no further than Christen!” - Julie O., Bride

Solo Flute Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Photo by Jill Houser Photography

On my way up to the wedding, my car broke down! This is my worst fear for traveling in the mountains because there’s no alternative transportation in the mountains, if anything happen. Thankfully, I had left really early, as usual, and I was able to get a ride up, and I arrived in time for my rehearsal with Katie before the ceremony!

Solo Flute Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Photo by Jill Houser Photography

Our rehearsal went well, except that Katie was really used to singing the Schubert Ave Maria with a piano accompaniment rather than flute. I pulled up a piano version of the song on my iPad, and I played piano, and it worked perfectly! I had never played piano for a wedding before, and I was quite out of practice, so I got really nervous! In the end, it worked out beautifully, and and bride was so surprised to hear piano music come out of nowhere. Her surprise made all of my nerves worth it in the end!

Solo Flute Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Photo by Jill Houser Photography

The prelude music was approved Catholic music that I played on solo flute as the guests arrived. The elegant Baroque music and hymns filled the space as guests arrived and greeted each other. During the ceremony, I accompanied Katie on several pieces, and after the recessional, I played selections from Handel’s Water Music to send everyone their way.

Solo Flute Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Photo by Jill Houser Photography

The bride had a second more casual wedding at Ten Mile Station in Breckenridge, and though I wasn’t a part of that one, I enjoyed seeing the beautiful photos afterwards!

Solo Flute Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Photo by Jill Houser Photography

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach): Seating of the Family
Canon in D (Pachelbel): Bride
Gloria
Let All Praise the Name of the Lord: Responsorial Psalm
Gospel Acclimation
Ave Maria (Bach): Presentation of the Flowers
The Lord’s Prayer and One Bread, One Body: Communion
Wedding March (Mendelssohn): Recessional

Sample Selections from the Prelude:
Arioso from Cantata #156 (Bach), Be Thou My Vision, Laudate Dominum (Mozart), Amazing Grace, Trumpet Tune (Purcell), On Eagles Wings, Air from Overture in D (Bach), Blest Are They, If Thou Be Near (Bach)

Experience the Sacred Beauty of Solo Flute by Christen Stephens.

Solo Flute Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Photo by Jill Houser Photography

A Holy Catholic Wedding Ceremony at Saint Catherine's Chapel on the Rocks

Violin and Cello Wedding Ceremony Music at St. Catherine’s Chapel on the ROcks in Estes Park, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Christen Stephens

My violinist and I loved playing music for this early November Catholic wedding ceremony in Estes Park, Colorado. It was a nostalgic day for my violinist, who had been married at the same chapel 7 years before. We were both glad that there are now has bathrooms built at the nearby Visitor’s Center!

The ceremony was formal, and we greeted guests as they arrived with approved classical and sacred music on violin and cello. Once everyone was seated, a hush fell over the congregation, and you could hear a pin drop between our musical pieces. It was so quiet as we played the prelude music, that I felt nervous that the guests would hear my feet shuffle or my chair creak from the choir loft above.

Our music gave the prelude to the ceremony such a worshipful and beautiful feel, and it carried beautifully within the chapel’s stone interior. After the ceremony, we continued to play as guests mingled and left the chapel. I found a moment to talk to the bride afterwards, and she said that she wanted to just sit and listen to our music all day long. Her kind words warmed my heart!

Violin and Cello Wedding Ceremony Music at St. Catherine’s Chapel on the ROcks in Estes Park, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Christen Stephens

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Morning Prayer from Album for the Young, Op. 39 (Tchaikovsky): Seating of the Family
Air from Suite #3 in D Major (Bach): Wedding Party
Romaza from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart): Bride
Minuet #115 (Bach): Recessional

Sample Selections from the Prelude:
Chorale from Cantata #140 (Bach), Ode to Joy (Beethoven), Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618 (Mozart), Arioso from Cantata #156 (Bach), Be Thou my Vision, Winter from the Four Seasons (Vivaldi)

Wedding Vendors:
Wedding Venue: St. Catherine’s Chapel on the Rocks
Wedding Planner: Kaitlin Shea Weddings
Ceremony Musicians: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Violin and Cello Duo
Photographer: Tyler Jacob and Co.

Violin and Cello is the Perfect Pairing for an Intimate Chapel Wedding.

A Sacred Catholic Wedding Ceremony at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado: String Quartet

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

In early autumn, our string quartet played for a peaceful and traditional wedding ceremony at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado. It was a full Catholic Mass, and our music perfectly complimented the sacred feel of the service.

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

As befitting the serene church setting, our string quartet played hymns, sacred classical music, and selections from Handel’s Water Music as guests arrived. Anticipation for the ceremony peaked as two cantors (singers) and the pianist performed The Summons to signal tat the ceremony was about to begin.

Throughout the ceremony, the cantors and pianist performed the liturgical music in beautiful harmony. Our quartet joined them for the communion song, which was “One Bread, One Body”, and also for “Kyrie, Gloria”. When all seven of us performed, it sounded a little like heaven, as our music carried throughout the church.

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

Confronted with limited space within the church, I created a novel approach to cello bowing, adapting my technique to accommodate the flow of people. As congregants made their way back to their pews after receiving communion, I greeted them with a warm smile to let them know that they could come by. Then I did an upward bow motion to let them them to glide by without interruption.

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

Sample Music from the Prelude:
Simple Gifts, O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, Blessed Assurance, Handel’s Water Music (La Rejouissance, Bourree, Hornpipe in F, Coro, Air in F, and Hornpipe Finale)

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach): Seating of the Family and Wedding Party
Bridal Chorus: Bride
Kyrie, Gloria: During Ceremony
One Bread, One Body (Talbot): Communion
Wedding March (Mendelssohn): Recessional

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

After the ceremony, we all drove to Ski Tip Lodge in Keystone to play music for the cocktail hour. Here, we changed the mood completely, and played pop and country music as guests mingled on the lawn and enjoyed cocktails and refreshments. They particularly requested Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and the Beatles. Even though it was late September in the Colorado mountains, the day was beautiful and sunny with a brilliant blue sky.

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

Sample Music from the Cocktail Hour:
Accidentally in Love (Counting Crows), Butterflies (Kacey Musgraves), Lover (Taylor Swift), Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars), Ten Minutes Ago from Cinderella, How High the Moon (Ella Fitzgerald, Tennessee Whiskey (Chris Stapleton), What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

Wedding Vendors:
Ceremony Venue: Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge
Reception Venue: Ski Tip Lodge
Wedding Planner: Pink Champagne Events
Photographer: Laura Foote Photography

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

Elegant Music in Any Style.

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Breckenridge, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Laura Foote

An Irish Wedding Celebration in Estes Park, Colorado: Flute, Viola, Cello Trio

Flute and String Trio Wedding Ceremony Music at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Estes Park, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Christen Stephens

I love playing Irish music on my flute, and it’s one of my specialties, so I was so excited when this couple asked me to help celebrate their Irish heritage at their wedding with our music! The family had immigrated from Ireland through Ellis Island, which reminded me of my own grandmother who also immigrated through Ellis Island. What a wonderful and fun family history!

The couple chose our flute and strings trio (flute, viola, cello), to play music for their wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. They loved the full sound of our trio, but that it has a lighter sound than a quartet.

Flute and String Trio Wedding Ceremony Music at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Estes Park, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Christen Stephens

The ceremony took place at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Estes Park, Colorado. It was a charming hilltop church in a majestic mountain setting. Originally, the couple wanted a prelude of Irish music and other non-traditional music to greet their guests as they arrived. Unfortunately, it turned out that this Catholic Church required us to play approved traditional music. I picked out a new set list and had it approved, and I sadly couldn’t incorporate any of the music that the bride originally wanted. But we were able to fit in all of the bride’s song requests later for cocktails!

We played a beautiful and holy prelude, befitting of the setting, and our music filled the church with glorious sounds from our overhead perch in the choir loft. For her communion, the bride chose for us to play “Blest Are They”, and I arranged a lush setting of the song for our trio to perform.

Afterwards, we moved to Della Terra Mountain Chateau to play cocktail hour music. This is where we let loose and had some fun! We played 100% traditional Irish music and Riverdance music. From jigs and reels to slow and haunting airs, we created a lovely vibrant atmosphere with our music as guests mingled for cocktails. To accomplish this, we added 11 new traditional Irish pieces to our repertoire, and I specially arranged 5 new Riverdance songs for our trio. Leading up the wedding, it was not uncommon for my husband to hear me playing “Reel Around the Sun” and other lively Irish tunes over and over again so that I could perfect this difficult music. It was thrilling when it all came together into one celebration!

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music in Georgetown, Colorado

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Georgetown, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Alyssa Carpenter

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Georgetown, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Alyssa Carpenter

I loved playing my flute along with my cellist for this intimate and traditional wedding ceremony at Our Lady of Lourds Catholic Church. This charming mountain chapel is nestled in the idyllic town of Georgetown, Colorado, the kind of small town that you read of in novels. As we waited for the church to be unlocked, the curious locals asked who was getting married today as they drove by, and they cheered their congratulations when we responded.

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Georgetown, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Alyssa Carpenter

The bride wanted a mountain chique vibe for her wedding, and she asked that we include some traditional Irish selections as well. The church stayed locked until shortly before the ceremony, so we were quick to begin playing prelude music as soon as we could, as the guests were being seated.

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Georgetown, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Alyssa Carpenter

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Georgetown, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Alyssa Carpenter

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Georgetown, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Alyssa Carpenter

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Georgetown, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Alyssa Carpenter

From the Bride:

“Christen was absolutely incredible; as a planner, musician, and person. She helped us select the perfect "playlist," plan the logistics of the music so that everything would go seamlessly, and was a pleasure just to talk to, much less hear her play! Her musical ability is unmatched, and her range is amazing. She made everything about the planning so easy, and my only regret is that we didn't have her play longer! I would recommend her and her team to anyone 1000%! Amazing person and musician!”

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Georgetown, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Alyssa Carpenter

The processionals were the traditional Canon in D (Pachelbel) for the wedding party and Wagner’s Bridal Chorus for the bride. During the ceremony, I played “Amazing Grace” as a reflection song, and there was such a feel of serenity that filled the chapel! We played the less traditional “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles as the recessional, to send guests off to the cocktail hour.

For cocktails, we all moved to Chief Hosa Lodge in Golden. The bride wanted fun, light, and happy music to celebrate a love-filled day. At the bride’s request, we played upbeat contemporary selections by the Beatles, John Denver, and acoustic style music from the 80’s. We enhanced our music with our amplification and fun beats on our drum machine! People loved the fun music selections!

Wedding Vendors:
Ceremony Venue: Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Georgetown
Reception Venue: Chief Hosa Lodge
Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Flute and Cello Duo
Photographer: Alyssa Carpenter

Flute and Cello Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Georgetown, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Alyssa Carpenter

Experience the Light Joyfulness of our Flute and Cello Duo