Congratulations on your engagement!
Jessica Frost-Ballas is the Valley’s most requested harpist for weddings and her extensive experience and diverse repertoire means that your ceremony music will be in the hands of a trusted professional. Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and the elegant addition of the harp is the perfect complement to your special day. Jessica is available for wedding ceremonies, civil unions, commitment ceremonies, vow renewals, rehearsal dinners, cocktail hours, dinner music, and receptions.
Jessica offers two levels of lever and pedal harp packages for wedding ceremonies and an all-inclusive platinum wedding package. Reception music (rehearsal dinner, cocktails, dinner, farewell brunch, etc.) may be added to any package for an additional fee. Pricing for each package can be found here.
Sapphire Lever • Diamond Lever
Sapphire Pedal • Diamond Pedal • Platinum
Ensembles • Ceremony Music
This budget-friendly package is intended to give couples with a limited budget the opportunity to include the harp in their wedding ceremony. All music will be selected by Jessica Frost-Ballas. This package includes:
- 15 minute prelude
- Ceremony music including up to 2 processionals and 1 recessional
- 10 minute postlude
- Set-up and tuning at your venue
- 2 consultations by phone or email
- Choice of the Merlin R lever harp or Dusty Strings Ravenna lever harp
This package includes the options from the Sapphire Lever package but allows for basic customization of the ceremony music. As the lever harp is limited in some technical ways music may be selected from the following Lever Harp Repertoire List. This package includes:
- 15 minute prelude
- Ceremony music including up to 2 processionals, 1 recessional, and 1 selection during the ceremony
- 10 minute postlude
- Set-up and tuning at your venue
- 1 30 minute in-person consultation and 2 consultations by phone or email
- Choice of the Merlin R lever harp or Dusty Strings Ravenna lever harp (amplification available)
This package includes the options from the Sapphire Lever package but allows for use of the larger pedal harps. This package also allows for the addition of other musicians (flute, violin, harp, clarinet, bagpipe, and other instrumentalists are available). All music will be selected by Jessica Frost-Ballas. This package includes:
- 15 minutes of prelude music
- Ceremony music including up to 2 processionals and 1 recessional
- 10 minutes of postlude music
- Set-up and tuning at your venue
- 2 consultations by phone or email
- Choice of the two lever harps above or the Lyon and Healy 23 pedal harp
- Option to add other instruments or vocalists ($200-300 per musician)
The package is intended for the couple who would like the most freedom of choice in regards to instruments and music. It is also the most popular package available. This package includes all the options of the Diamond Lever package but allows for use of the larger pedal harps and therefore a larger repertoire list. This package also allows for the addition of other musicians (flute, violin, harp, clarinet, bagpipe, and other instrumentalists are available). This package also allows for music selections not found on the Repertoire List and more performance time. This package includes:
- 15-30 minute prelude
- Ceremony music including up to 3 processionals, 1 recessional, and 2 selections during the ceremony
- 10-15 minute postlude
- Set-up and tuning at your venue
- 1 30 minute in-person consultation and 2 consultations by phone or email
- Choice of the two lever harps above or the Lyon and Healy 23 pedal harp
- Customized music (up to three selections not on the Repertoire List)
- Option to add other instrumentalists or vocalists ($200-300 per musician)
This all-inclusive wedding day package is intended for the couple who would to utilize the magic of the harp throughout their wedding. The music for this package is fully customizable. The package includes all the options from the Diamond Pedal package but provides unlimited consultations, unlimited ceremony music, additional ceremony performance time, and additional music for the reception. Reception music can include the cocktail hour, dinner, or reception. Additional discounts are provided for other wedding-related events. This package includes:
- 30 minute prelude
- Unlimited music during the ceremony
- 15 minute postlude
- Set-up and tuning at your venue
- Unlimited consultations in-person or by email or phone
- Choice of the two lever harps above or the Lyon and Healy 23 pedal harp
- Customized music (up to five selections not on the Repertoire List)
- Option to add other instrumentalists or vocalists ($200-300 per musician)
- 120 minutes of additional music at the same venue as the ceremony (additional fee for change in venue)
- 20% discount for other wedding-related bookings (engagements party, bridal shower, bridesmaids luncheon, rehearsal dinner, or farewell brunch)
Duo Arioso, featuring Charlene Romano on flute and Jessica Frost-Ballas on harp is available for bookings.
Additional duets, trios, and small chamber groups are also available with violin, viola, harp, flute, clarinet, trumpet, piano, bagpipe, hammered dulcimer and voice. Please contact Jessica for more information on ensembles.
Wedding ceremony music includes the following:
Prelude Music
A variety of soft background pieces performed as the guests are being seated, usually 30 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. Music can be chosen from a mix of classical, contemporary, jazz, Celtic, religious, folk, show tunes, and meditative selections and can be found on the Repertoire page. Clients with the Diamond Lever package can find their selection options on the Lever Harp Repertoire List.
Processionals
These pieces signal the beginning of the wedding ceremony. Processionals include the entrance of the grandparents and mothers, the entrance of the officiant and the groom, and the entrance of the bridesmaids, ringbearers, and flowergirls. Processionals are usually stately pieces at a tempo appropriate for walking. Examples of some of the most traditional processionals include Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” and J.S. Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring;” however, there are countless other classical and contemporary songs that can be selected.
Bridal Entrance
The entrance of the bride is usually accompanied by a piece that is stately and majestic in nature. “Here Comes the Bride” (also known as Richard Wagner’s Bridal Chorus) is a traditional choice, but many brides also prefer to personalize their ceremony with a song that is meaningful to them.
Unity Candle
Although optional, many couples choose to include a unity sand or unity candle ceremony in their program. This gesture, which symbolizes the unity between the bride and groom and the merging of two families, can be accompanied by a short piece. The song will be timed perfectly to match the end of the ceremony.
Recessional
Recessionals are joyous and celebratory in nature. After the newly married couple is introduced the recessional is played as they walk down the aisle.
Postlude
A variety of songs performed as the guests are exiting, usually lasting 10-15 minutes. As with the Prelude, selections are usually chosen from the Repertoire page or Lever Harp Repertoire List depending on the package the couple has chosen.
