88 Keys on the Road - Blog

by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

My first experience at Carlos Creek Winery was on a cold winter night in January of 2012 when members of the Central Minnesota Wedding Association visited the winery in Alexandria, Minnesota, to find out if all the rave reviews we were hearing about it as a wedding venue were true. 

 When we arrived, the Wine Tasting Room was cozy and inviting and the staff were gracious and happy to serve us some tasty hot food and delicious wines. We got a tour of the wine making process and a peek into the Wine Cellar accompanied by some intriguing true cellar stories. The Stables Hall was totally outfitted for hosting fancy events and receptions.  It was a very cold night.  Peering out the windows, it was hard to imagine what the vineyards would look like for a summer wedding.  I really wanted to see their outdoor ceremony locations but there was too much snow and darkness!

Fast forward to March 2013 and the Carlos Creek Winery Open House where I participated with other vendors.

The guests were invited to view the grounds and enjoy the delicious catering and wine sampling. They had a chance to meet the vendors and find out how we could enhance their experience at the winery if they chose to hold an event there in the future. I had the privilege of playing live piano music during the event. One of the attendees was a bride who had already booked her August 2013 wedding at the winery.

When the bride and her parents heard my piano music, they hired me to play for the wedding reception in The Grande Stables Reception Hall as well as the outdoor ceremony in the Natural Cathedral. I was delighted!  

Since the bride and groom lived in the Twin Cities, it was convenient for them to meet with me in Minneapolis to plan and select their wedding music. Throughout the planning process for the wedding, Michelle and Katie at the winery were so helpful and responsive to my questions regarding the set up of my portable pianos and details about my music performance.

The Wedding Day! This was the day the bride and groom had waited and planned for.

The beauty of nature provided a relaxed yet elegant setting for their outdoor wedding ceremony.

Since the winery only allows one wedding per day, I had ample time to set up my music equipment for the ceremony and reception ahead of time...one portable piano outdoors in the Natural Cathedral and my other portable piano in the Grande Stables Reception Hall.

The Natural Cathedral was a beautiful setting under a canopy of trees. Even though temps were in the high 80's, the ceremony site was completely shaded by the trees and a slight breeze made it very comfortable. My next stop was The Grand Stables Reception Hall where I set up my other portable piano and amplification.  

As the guests arrived to the Natural Cathedral they were greeted by my elegant piano music. The bride and groom shared their intimate vows in the midst of this beautiful woodland.

  Following the wedding ceremony, the guests enjoyed some outdoor games as well as wandering through the stables and the lovely grounds.

There was amply opportunity to sample the delicious wines that are made at Carlos Creek Winery.

Their 'Minnesota Nice' brands live up to their names;

  Hotdish Red!  

Wobegon White!

You Betcha Blush!

As the door to The Grande Stables opened for the start of the wedding dinner, I greeted the guests with upbeat piano jazz standards.

When it was time for the bridal party and bride and groom to enter for dinner, DJ Kevin set the mood and got the guests clapping and cheering. As the guests began to dine I created an elegant atmosphere with songs of romance.   The bride and groom seemed ever so happy with guests speaking kind words about them and sharing in their joyous occasion!  I loved sharing my music for their wonderful celebration.  After I was done playing and heading out, I could hear DJ Kevin from St. Cloud DJ's, rockin' the place.  I am sure there was a whole lot of celebration going on well into the night!

by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

When I received a phone call from a gentleman who needed a pianist to provide piano accompaniment for an opera singer from Albuquerque, I was immediately intrigued! 

The event was a memorial service for the gentleman's mother.  He lived in Albuquerque and his mother had spent the last several years of her life there as well. She had lived most of her adult life in a lovely home deep in the woods on the shores of one of Minnesota's beautiful lakes and the family wished to host her service in this beautiful setting!

A particular opera singer, Denise Wernly, had become a favorite performer of the mother and family while in Albuquerque. Denise was invited to come to Minnesota to perform for the memorial service....and to the family's delight, she agreed!  She sent me her music ahead of time and arrived a day before the event giving us a chance to practice together. 

The family put a lot of thought into the music choices. The service began with Bach/Gounod's 'Ave Maria' followed by 'Pie Jesu' from Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Requiem Mass'.

Denise's voice soared and the guests were touched with the emotion and beauty of the music.

The beautiful setting of the home reflected a place where many of the guests had spent time and had wonderful memories. Some of the guests shared their personal memories during the service.

'Silent Night' is not a typical song to be performed for a funeral or memorial service, but this song had particular importance and was the concluding piece.  

The guests were then treated to some lighter musical fare with the beautiful melody of 'La Vie en Rose'. The atmosphere really came alive with some opera favorites . . . 'Voi che Sapete' from Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro' followed by 'Habanera' and 'Seguidilla' from Bizet's 'Carmen'.  

It was a pleasure to provide piano accompaniment for Denise. I enjoyed her music and talent immensely!  Her music and the thoughtful comments of the guests memories made this service a unique and beautiful celebration of a life of a special woman who will live on in the hearts of many. 

by Sharon Planer, Pianist for Parties

An outdoor wedding ceremony at Grand View Lodge was beautiful! It couldn't have been more perfect.

What makes for a perfect wedding? I can suggest a few tips from the lovely wedding where I just performed my piano music.

THE LOCATION.  Grand View Lodge is an award winning beautifully restored historic lodge set in the north woods.  They specialize in weddings.

 Saying wedding vows under the lush canopy of trees on the cobblestone pathway leading down to the lake was this couple's ideal location.  The guests were seated on either side of the path. The bride and bridesmaids emerged from the historic lodge and began their procession down the staircase and along the path. It was a nice long walk which allowed the guests ample opportunity to observe the processionals.

This gave me enough time to play my piano wedding processional music in its entirety. 

The bride and groom stood under a beautiful arbor. They and the guests had a lovely view of the lake in the background. 

Their site was dramatic and beautiful! 

THE STAFF.  The quality of the staff is critical to the success of a wedding.  The staff at Grand View Lodge are exceptional and always friendly and helpful!  

I have always been impressed with the staff at Grand View Lodge, and this event was no exception. 

The wedding coordinator communicated with me ahead of time, covering every detail pertaining to the set up of my portable piano and my wedding music performance and reconfirmed everything as the wedding neared.

Besides performing solo piano ceremony music, I was also going to be accompanying a vocalist and guitarist. The staff made sure to include arrangements regarding microphone and PA for this. The coordinator was very organized and efficient in communicating the details I needed to know. This made my set up on the day of the wedding go ever so smoothly. The coordinator guided the rehearsal as well as on the day of the ceremony. At the start of the ceremony she stayed with the family and bridal party at the top of the stairs and sent each group down at the proper time. This allowed me to play the proper music as the grandparents entered and the groom escorted his parents to their seats followed by the bridesmaids and then the bride.. 

 The audio guys were set up ahead of time and eager to make sure my piano, the vocalist and guitar inputs were balanced and connected properly into their PA. It was especially valuable having them monitoring the sound throughout the ceremony. The PA guys were real pros! There were no sound glitches and the micing and music were amplified perfectly.

THE OUTSIDE SERVICES.  The outside service providers should be professional and knowledgeable in the services they are providing. It is helpful if they are familiar with the venue and consider themselves part of the 'team' working on behalf of the bride and groom.  

The reverend at this particular wedding was very experienced and easy to work with. The bride and groom included communion in their program. At the rehearsal the pastor helped all involved understand how to make everything go smoothly. He provided me with a final outline of the ceremony and we discussed what cues I needed. On the day of the wedding we both knew what each other was doing.

I was delighted that the bride and groom hired me to perform live piano music for their ceremony and also accompany their singer!

I had played for prior weddings at Grand View Lodge and was also experienced with the precise location this couple had selected.  I had a prior working relationship with the staff and the PA guys. So I most certainly enjoyed working with them again! I knew what it would take to make my music at this particular location sound wonderful. I also knew how to be prepared in the event of inclement weather. If rain were to force the event indoors, I was familiar with the indoor set up. If rain were to happen midway during the ceremony, I had everything I needed to make it through the ceremony without a disaster on my part. Luckily, the afternoon turned out to be beautiful and I never needed to use my backup plan.  

The vocalist accompanied herself on guitar and I on the piano. We met each other months before the wedding to practice and also at the rehearsal. She gave an outstanding performance of Patty Griffin's, 'Heavenly Day'.  Guests were so wowed, they even clapped! 

Every bride and groom want their wedding to be special and perfect! You can get a lot closer to making this happen by selecting a venue with a quality reputation and whose staff is experienced in handling weddings.  It will help if your outside vendors are experienced with the venue and have a good working relationship with the staff at the venue. Once you select your venue, why not ask them for their recommendation of the other services that you need? You want everyone to be on the same 'team', YOUR TEAM for your dream!