Flute and Violin Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music in Edwards, Colorado

Flute and Violin Wedding Ceremony Music in Edwards, Colorado - Music by Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens

This vibrant couple didn’t let the pandemic get in the way of their 2020 wedding plans, but their plans did change many times leading up to their wedding, with the safety of their family and friends in mind. They finally ended up with an intimate wedding ceremony at a privater rental home on the top of a mountain, and the end result was stunning!

Our flute and violin duo set the mood with elegant music that the bride chose, including “Ave Maria” (Schubert), “What a Wonderful World” (Louis Armstrong), and “River Flows in You” (Yiruma). The ceremony was held outside with a panoramic mountain view as the backdrop.

The bride walked down the aisle to a very special rendition of “A Thousand Years”, which my violinist sung while I accompanied her on flute. From our perch above the ceremony, we could see elk leaping and playing on the mountains as the ceremony was taking place.

From the Bride:

“We Could Not Recommend Someone More”

“Christen is a pleasure to work with. She is organized, timely, and professional. She helped us put together a lovely timeline, and chose music that was perfectly suited to our tastes. She is outstandingly talented and wonderful to work with! We could not recommend someone more.”

Ceremony Music:
Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis) - Wedding Party
A Thousand Years (Christina Perri) - Bride
Butterfly Waltz from Twilight- After First Reading
Romanza from Eine Kline Nachtmusik (Mozart) - After Second Reading
Amazing Grace - Knot Tying Ceremony
Here Comes the Sun (Beatles) - Recessional

Samples from Cocktail Hour Music:
Canon in D (Pachelbel), You’ll Be in My Heart (Tarzan), Moon River

Wedding Vendors:
Ceremony Music - Flute and Violin Duo - Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens
Photographer - Shebli Huston Photography
Videographer - Chris Rasmussen Films

Flute and Violin Make the Perfect Pair!

String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Beano's Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colorado

CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY STRING QUARTET WEDDING CEREMONY MUSIC AT BEANO’S CABIN IN BEAVER CREEK, COLORADO. PHOTO BY MELISSA BRIELLE PHOTOGRAPHY

This July, I played cello with my string quartet for a beautiful wedding ceremony full of rustic charm and elegance. The wedding ceremony took place at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colorado. The mountains in Beaver Creek were still lush and green after copious summer rain and cool weather. The wedding was to take place outside on the lawn, but shortly before were were to begin playing the prelude music, we heard a rumble of thunder. We hoped that the storm would quickly pass by, but it became very severe with torrential rain, bright lightning, and lots of hail. We joined the guests in the shelter of the cabin, and played a mix of classical and contemporary music as they enjoyed cocktails.

Classical and Contemporary String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Photo by Melissa Brielle Photography.

Classical and Contemporary String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Photo by Melissa Brielle Photography.

After the worst of the storm passed, we moved back outside to the covered porch, and the wedding ceremony was accompanied by our elegant music and the sound of gentle rain. There was standing room only, and it actually made for a very intimate and sweet ceremony with family and friends surrounding the bride and groom and showing their love and support.

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Reign of Love (Coldplay) - Seating of the Parents
A Thousand Years (Christina Perri) - Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, Junior Groomsman, Flower Girls, Ringbearer
Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis) - Bride
All You Need is Love (Beatles) - Recessional

Sampling from Wedding Prelude Music:
Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach), Bourree (Bach), Salut d’Amour (Elgar), Minuet (Bach), Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Flower Duet (Delibes), Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach)

We ended the ceremony with a celebratory finish by playing “All You Need is Love” and the guests scattered with smiles on their faces. The rain stopped, allowing for more lovely photos in the outside mountain setting.

Classical and Contemporary String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Photo by Melissa Brielle Photography.

Classical and Contemporary String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Photo by Melissa Brielle Photography.

Wedding Vendors:
Venue - Beano’s Cabin
Planner - The Soiree Studio
Ceremony Music - Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - String Quartet
Photographer: Melissa Brielle Photography
Videographer: When it Clicks
Florals: Petals and Pours

Classical and Contemporary String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Photo by Melissa Brielle Photography.

Classical and Contemporary String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Photo by Melissa Brielle Photography.

Quick Tip: Bright and colorful flower bouquets like these provide a vibrant pop of color, even on a rainy day.

Our string quartet is the perfect touch to give the feel of traditional elegance to your wedding ceremony. Celebrate one of the most important days of your life with the beauty of live music!

Classical and Contemporary String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Photo by Melissa Brielle Photography.

Classical and Contemporary String Quartet Wedding Ceremony Music at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Photo by Melissa Brielle Photography.

Solo Flute Wedding Ceremony Music on the Vail Wedding Deck in Colorado

Vow Renewal Wedding Ceremony on the Vail Wedding Deck, Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens

Towards the end of July, I played for a wedding vow renewal ceremony on the Vail Wedding Deck. There was a pretty good chance of thunderstorms in Vail that afternoon, but the rain held off, allowing for the ceremony to take place under the sunshine and occasional clouds. The wind was extremely gusty, and it brought in smoke from the southern Colorado wildfires, but that just added a mysterious and magical quality to the setting.

I played a mix of classical and contemporary prelude music on my flute, and I used my amplification so that I could be heard over the wind. Everyone gasped in surprise and delight when the couple's spunky and adorable daughter joined me on her flute to play "Can't Help Falling in Love" as the bride walked down the aisle.

The couple had been married for ten years, and their vows were as tender as first time couples, but also so refreshingly real as they had faced many years of life together. They had gone through many joys and challenges in their ten years of married life, and through them they grew closer to each other and were more in love than ever. I don't think that there was a dry eye by the time the ceremony was over. Then the bride gave everyone yet another surprise by announcing that a second child was on the way! Everyone cheered.

It was quite wonderful when the officiant announced "And now I pronounce you....are still husband and wife!" at the end. I was so inspired that I thought how nice it would be to do a 15 year vow renewal with my husband in a few years. I continued to play my flute after the ceremony to add ambiance as photos were taken.

From the Bride:
"Christen played beautifully at my ten year wedding renewal! She even worked with my daughter to perform a surprise duet together as I walked down the aisle which was such a hit. Thank you so much for everything!"

Enjoy the elegance and beauty of my solo flute music for your wedding ceremony! Here are solo flute music samples.

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Here Comes the Sun (Beatles) - Groomsmen
The Way You Look Tonight (Sinatra)- Bridesmaids
Can't Help Falling in Love (Elvis) - Duet with Bride's Daughter for Bride's Walk

Prelude and Postlude Music Included:
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach), Hornpipe (Purcell), Moon River, Prelude from Te Deum (Charpentier), When I Fall in Love (Nat King Cole),  Cheek to Cheek (Sinatra), All My Loving (Beatles)

Wedding Ceremony Vendors:
Venue: Vail Wedding Deck
Wedding Planner: White Birch
Wedding Ceremony Music: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Solo Flute
Photographer: Ashley Waldron Photography
Videographer: Roots and Wings Productions
Reception Location: Arrabelle Ballroom

Flute and Harp Duo at Mount Princeton Hot Springs in Colorado

Photos courtesy of Adore Photography

It was a chilly late summer morning when I left my house to play my flute for a wedding at Mount Princeton Hot Springs. The drive took me quickly into the mountains and even though it was a long drive, the scenery was so beautiful that the time flew by. The changes in the location and elevation continually brought new vistas. Sometimes I drove thorough deep pine forests and at other times I was surrounded by airy aspen trees, their brilliant yellow leaves sparkling in the bright autumn sunshine. At other times, there were low scrub lands or open grassy areas that stretched for miles, reminding me of the Colorado plains.

The wedding venue and lawn at Mount Princeton Hot Springs had the feeling of grandeur. During the day, the reception hall was lit with golden sunlight coming through the many high windows, and at night the indoor lights shone out, illuminating the entire building. The hall opened out to a large sloping lawn with perfectly manicured emerald green grass. A river ran behind the ceremony site making a beautiful musical song that added to the ambiance of the location. The backdrop for this scene were the strangely white Chalk Cliffs that glowed in the sunshine. There was also a great view of Mount Princeton and Mt. Antero, dark with pines.

The sun shone in the bright blue sky and it was a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding ceremony. It was extremely windy, so I used my Bose amplification system to make sure that our flute and harp duo would be easily heard above the wind. We serenaded the guests with elegant classical music as they arrived and then we played for the processional. The bride came riding up in a fairy tale-like Cinderella carriage that was pulled by a white horse while we played "Beauty and the Beast". The ceremony was incredibly romantic and there were many happy tears.

After the ceremony, we played for the cocktail hour indoors. We played a selection of contemporary and jazz style romantic songs that worked beautifully for flute and harp and complemented the theme of the wedding. The decorations inside were stunning and flowers were everywhere. The tall windows at the back of the building boasted a grand view of the chalk cliffs. I won't forget this fairy tale wedding!

Colorado flute and harp wedding ceremony music

Colorado flute and harp wedding ceremony music

Prelude Music Sample:

Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach), Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (Beethoven), Meditation from Thais (Massenet)

Wedding Processional Music:

A Thousand Years (Christina Perri) - Bridesmaids and Groomsmen, Flower Girl
Beauty and the Beast - Bride
What a Wonderful World - Tree Planting Ceremony
I'm Yours (Jason Mraz) -  Recessional

Cocktail Hour Music Samples:

Moon River, Someone to Watch Over Me (Gershwin), Over the Rainbow, The Ludlows from Legends of the Fall, The Swan (Saint Saens), Simple Gifts, Love is Here to Stay (Gershwin), Unforgettable (Sinatra), It Had to Be You (Sinatra)

Wedding Ceremony Vendors:

Venue: Mount Princeton Hot Springs
Musicians: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Flute and Harp Duo
Photographer: Adore Photography
DJ: Elite Entertainment
Singer: John Redmon

Colorado flute and harp wedding ceremony music

Colorado flute and harp wedding ceremony music

Colorado flute and harp wedding ceremony music

Colorado flute and harp wedding ceremony music

Colorado flute and harp wedding ceremony music

Flute and Guitar Wedding Ceremony Music at Black Canyon Inn in Estes Park, Colorado

Colorado Wedding Ceremony Music by Christen Stephens, Photos with watermark courtesy of Joe Pyle Photography

It was forecast to be a cool and rainy day when our flute and guitar duo headed up to Estes Park to play for this Minnesota couple's wedding ceremony. Everyone's prayers were answered and the sun shone brightly warming the crisp mountain breezes. The wedding was held under the Pavilion at Black Canyon Inn, and the backdrop of mountains and blue skies and clouds was epic. The bride and groom requested that we play a mix of classical and popular music for the prelude and they selected their processional and recessional songs.

From the bride: "Beautiful Music! We chose the flute and guitar. She (Christen) was very easy and fun to work with! Very professional and we are so so so happy we chose her and her team."

Colorado Wedding Ceremony Music by Christen Stephens

Colorado Wedding Ceremony Music by Christen Stephens

Sample Prelude Music:
Andante from Sonata in C Major (Mozart), Annie's Song (John Denver), To Make You Feel My Love (Adele), The Girl (Dallas Green)

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Wedding Party ~ Canon in D (Pachelbel)
Flower Girl ~ Reign of Love (Coldplay)
Bride ~ Can't Help Falling in Love (Elvis)
Recessional ~ Could You Be Loved (Bob Marley)

Wedding Ceremony Vendors:
Venue - Black Canyon Inn
Photographer - Joe Pyle
Ceremony Musicians - Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Flute and Guitar Duo