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Ask the expert - A guide for brides // Catherine Hamilton, Soprano & Harpist
Next in our ‘ask the expert - a guide for brides’ series is Catherine Hamilton, from Larne.
When it comes to music, I couldn’t recommend anyone else but Catherine. If you’ve heard her sing along with the harp, you’ll know what I mean. She’s just amazing.
Catherine was brought up in a musical family and studied at Garron Tower before going on to study a degree in Music, at Queen’s University, Belfast. She started off playing the violin, followed by piano, and then she branched into the harp. Although, she focused mainly on her voice at University. Catherine started singing at events and was asked to do so at weddings as well. This is now a full time career for her, as well as being a singing teacher. Catherine would say she “found a gap in the market with the harp and soprano.”
When deciding on your wedding music Catherine would say to think outside the box. It can be nice to go for an old song which everybody will know and traditional is timeless - people will always love Pachelbel’s Canon in D. You should walk down the aisle to your favourite song as that’s the most important one. If a song isn’t that appropriate for a wedding, I can always change a few words!
A lot of people assume that musicians charge at lot for what they do but you get what you pay for. Catherine and her parents have paid a lot of money over the years to train and her instruments are also expensive. She is constantly investing in new equipment and puts a lot of time into learning new songs. It’s not also a case of just ‘turning up,’ there’s the set up time beforehand, soundcheck and then packing everything away again once it’s over.
Although Catherine has been singing at weddings for quite a few years now, she still doesn’t know what she would walk down the aisle too. These would be some of her favourite wedding songs;
Feel’s like home (her favourite to sing)
Tale as old as time (favourite instrumental)
Anything - James Horner
Your song - Elton John (her favourite song)
Catherine really enjoys quirky songs at the minute for walking out. Some of her favourites would be You’re the one that I want (Grease) and I wanna grow old with you (The Wedding Singer).
Click here to get in touch with Catherine if you’d like some fabulous music for your special day!
Louise & Michael // Breckenhill Wedding Photographer
August 2018 - Breckenhill
When Louise and Michael asked me to capture their special day, I knew it was going to be a cool one. They had so many quirky and personal aspects to their day. They decorated their venue themselves and they even brewed their own cider! The sun was stunning throughout the day which was great for archery and outdoor gatherings. They had a scrumptious hog roast buffet for their evening meal, finished by playing their first song with their friends. Breckenhill was just the perfect venue for Louise & Michael, and all they had planned.
Louise’s most memorable parts from their special day were seeing the peacocks out of the balcony at the hotel. She was aware of saying “awfully” wedded husband and ended up in fits of laughter when she overcompensated at that part. She really enjoyed learning archery after the ceremony and that the guests had something more quirky to do. The whole day was a whirlwind for her but she loved playing their first song instead of having a first dance and of course being so happy that her face ached.
Some pieces of advice from the bride herself -
If any brides and grooms are decorating the venue themselves, plan more time than you will think you will need.
Get as much sleep as possible, leading up to the day
Have a cold shower in the morning before getting ready (I swoll up with the heat and the girls had to wrestle me into the dress!)
Bring a spare pair of shoes - they were life savers!
The day goes in so fast so take in as much as you can
Have a look below to see some of their photographs and which wedding vendors they used -
Bridal Gown - Wed2B
Suits - The Bank Menswear, Randalstown
Hair & Makeup - Laurel Hair & Beauty, Parkway
Cake & Appetisers - Cindy Shields, Belfast
Hog Roast Buffet - Andrew Mulholland Butchers, Lisburn
Evening Buffet - Flipping Crepes, Carrickfergus
Photographer - Caroline Smyth Photography
Venue - Breckenhill
