Flute and Harp Wedding Music at the Vue in Dillon, Colorado, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Photo by Ian Zinner Photography

On a snowy day in early March, I played flute along with my harpist for a classic wedding ceremony and cocktail hour in Dillon, Colorado. Snow was the backdrop for every significant moment in this couple’s love story, and the huge snowstorm earlier that day unexpectedly continued the tradition. The ceremony and reception were held at the Vue, which is an enclosed rooftop restaurant at the Dillon Hilton.

2024 has been all about pre-ceremony cocktails, followed by additional post ceremony cocktails. This helps guests to relax before the ceremony, and makes the event less formal and more like a relaxed celebration. Having the guests seated at the reception tables during the ceremony also added to the casual feel.

The bride chose every one of her prelude and postlude songs, and added a few new favorites. For pre-ceremony cocktails, we played a mix of classical and laid back contemporary music. For her processional, she chose Fairy Fountain from the Legend of Zelda and the traditional Canon in D by Pachelbel for her walk down the aisle. The two pieces flowed really nicely together.

The recessional music was a new song that we learned - “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli. We started at a specific place in the middle, as requested by the bride, and then we looped back to the beginning so that everyone could hear the entire piece.

For the post-ceremony cocktail hour, we played a mix of classic jazz and nostalgic contemporary music that the bride chose. The bride requested three new songs for the cocktail portion of the event, and they were “Blackbird” by the Beatles, “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, and “Lovely” by Billie Eilish and Khalid). These pieces, along with her other selections, added a nostalgic and jazzy feel to the reception.

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Fairy Fountain from the Legend of Zelda: Wedding Party
Canon in D (Pachelbel): Bride
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (Frankie Valli): Recessional

Sample Selections from the Prelude Music:
Ave Maria (Schubert), Over the Rainbow (Judy Garland), Clair De Lune (Debussy, Claude), Musetta's Waltz (La Boheme), The Swan (Carnival of the Animals), Clocks (Coldplay)

Sample Selections from the Cocktail Hour Music:
At Last (Etta James), Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis), You Are the Sunshine of my Life (Stevie Wonder), Imagine (Beatles), L-O-V-E (Kaempfert and Gabler), Stand by Me (Ben King), I’m Yours (Jason Mraz), Bad Romance (Lady Gaga), Lovely (Billie Eilish and Khalid), Hey Ya (Outkast)