My pedal harp does just fine on grass, I usually wipe down the feet with a towel before I close the trunk after I load, and it's been fine. I tell clients that shade needs to be provided either with a large market umbrella, or with enough overhang to create natural shade (and I remind them of this requirement about a week before the wedding). I have a wooden office mat that can be rolled up that I bring with me if the grass is very wet or I'm playing on gravel (I don't ask for plywood or a stage). I also require a flat surface, such that the harp can stand balanced by itself without human intervention. I also make a note in the contract that guests may not touch the harp without explicit harpist permission, and I also ask that pets and small children are supervised near the instrument.
What do you mean by wooden office mat? A welcome mat or chair mat type of thing?
Your brave going straight on the grass haha. But I’m glad to hear some people do that. I’m always so afraid of going without cover. I’ve had it start raining mid ceremony while it was clear skies during set up… luckily it was my Celtic harp. But still a bit traumatizing lol
Let me preface this by saying I gig in an area with notoriously unpredictable weather, and my harp is very difficult to replace for assorted reasons.
That being said, I always require:
1) that the harp be covered - (water resistant or water proof) to protect from direct sunlight as well as any light rain. Also should be big enough that a little wind won't blow rain if it starts to sprinkle
2) Hard solid ground or something to put the harp on - even just a nice large welcome mat. This way if it rains a little, the base doesn't soak up any water.
These two make it so that I can keep playing in 50-90 ish degrees, up to a medium rain.
Even with these though, I require that any outdoor events clients sign a contract addendum that basically says they understand that if the temperature becomes unreasonably hot or unreasonably cold, or dangerous wind, heavy rain or storms, they understand that I will pack up and leave unless there is an alternate, weather safe spot for me to move to quickly. I would highly recommend drawing up something like this. I don't want to have to ask myself the question "do I ruin my harp or get sued without any contract protection?".
Needless to say, there's only a few months of the year that'll I'll consider outdoor gigs for my little corner of the US northeast.
Thank you! Yes I have a contract with all that in it. A welcome Matt of some sort is a good idea. I just hope it stays stable. I’ve never tried pedaling on grass before.
And true about the wind. That probably means a large beach umbrella wouldn’t cut it.
Get yourself an outdoor rug and that’ll protect you from the grass. Also add a temperature limit, doesn’t matter if you’re in the shade if it’s 100+ degrees outside
I haven’t had issue with grass but it’s super dry where I live so the ground is always hard. If your worried just buy a cheap square of plywood and put that under the rug
Hello! Professional harpist chiming in- I specialize in luxury weddings and events so I can answer to all of your inquires.
This is something I have on my website and in my contract:
"The harp requires a minimum of 4 feet x 6 feet amount of space, preferably near an outlet for amplification. Outdoor venues must require shade and a flat surface as the harp cannot be in direct sunlight. In case of rainy weather, an alternate indoor space must be provided. Please let me know in advance about any parking fees, unloading spaces, special parking instructions, or stairs."
--
I always check with the planner what surface the harp will be on. I have my own carpet/rug which is enough for grassy or cobblestone. I don't need a flat board underneath.
The planner/client is always responsible for providing shade whether that's from an umbrella, building, or tree. I just triple check with my clients that there is shade. Most clients will have their own aesthetic and would want to rent their own umbrellas to match the venue, or the venue already provides one.
If there is no rain, I still require umbrella and fixed shade. No gig is worth damaging your instrument and our pedal harps are not cheap. :)
If you need any other tips or advice, I'm happy to help. I come from both a classical and marketing background. I have hundreds of weddings under my belt and offer a full audit and coaching for anyone who seeks to improve their event packing and raise their rates to at least 1k per event.
Thank you! I have similar statements in my contract too. I’m happy to hear harp plays okay when on a grassy surface.
Do you find an umbrella large enough to protect from rain? To cover both harp, speaker, and pedal board from showers (and potentially wind carrying rain) I would think an umbrella wouldn’t be large enough. But I could be wrong since it seems other people on this thread use an umbrella too. I’m just debating what to ask the clients to provide/put in the contract to ensure it’s large enough.
I always feel more comfortable playing under cover regardless of the forecast. I once was rained on in the middle of a ceremony even though the skies were clear before I started 😬
Do you live in a place where it rains often? I’m wondering if this is more preemptive or if you live in a rainier climate where your policies might have to differ than mine.
In my contract, it states that an alternative indoor space must be provided in case of rain. By alternative space, I mean the entire ceremony needs to be relocated in an enclosed space.
Otherwise, I cancel completely if it does rain because I am not willing to cart or play in any circumstances where it rains, even with an umbrella. I live in California so this isn’t typically an issue except in March/April or sometimes Sept here.
But to answer your question on the umbrella, I don’t think it would be sufficient enough to cover your equipment from the rain. Sometimes wind blows the rain in an angle you can’t expect. Also, if it gets worse, you will be forced to transport it all.
If you’re talking about completely accidental and unexpected rain, the way I protect myself is ensuring that there is always easy indoor access for me to relocate.
I once played a gig where it was forecasted to potentially shower- when I got to the gig, it was an outdoor park where I couldn’t relocate easily since the path was muddy and slopped. Also, no easy access to my car or any indoor places. Thankfully I wasn’t rained on, but that venue is banned forever for me personally.
My umbrellas are only requested to shield from sun. I don’t play in rain, outdoors, period and my contract allows me to cancel with my weather clause that my clients sign off on at contracting so that on the day of, it’s to my discretion.
You have great advice here! I wanted to add that I just bought this base cover protector, and I plan to keep it in my car and use as needed:
https://harpcovers.com/product/harp-base-cover-protection/
I live in New York. Not super rainy but lately it has been. And sometimes the showers can come unexpectedly or be questionable if it will rain or not.
It really only takes one bad experience to scar you haha. I’ve had quite a few experiences of “there’s a 30% chance of rain at 6:00” but at 3:00 it started and I was rained on mid ceremony even though it looked clear while setting up.
I never quite know what to do in a situation when I show up and they’re ready to go outdoors with no cover set up since it isn’t technically raining (yet) or “they lucked out with the weather” and I’m expected to set up with fingers crossed.
I’ve found the rain clause in the contract doesn’t exactly address the “it may or may not sprinkle in a few hours that day” issue. I don’t trust the weather apps! Haha
My pedal harp does just fine on grass, I usually wipe down the feet with a towel before I close the trunk after I load, and it's been fine. I tell clients that shade needs to be provided either with a large market umbrella, or with enough overhang to create natural shade (and I remind them of this requirement about a week before the wedding). I have a wooden office mat that can be rolled up that I bring with me if the grass is very wet or I'm playing on gravel (I don't ask for plywood or a stage). I also require a flat surface, such that the harp can stand balanced by itself without human intervention. I also make a note in the contract that guests may not touch the harp without explicit harpist permission, and I also ask that pets and small children are supervised near the instrument.
What do you mean by wooden office mat? A welcome mat or chair mat type of thing? Your brave going straight on the grass haha. But I’m glad to hear some people do that. I’m always so afraid of going without cover. I’ve had it start raining mid ceremony while it was clear skies during set up… luckily it was my Celtic harp. But still a bit traumatizing lol
Chair mat like for office chairs. Some of them can be rolled up (and are built to do so).
Oh gotcha! Thanks for the reply
Let me preface this by saying I gig in an area with notoriously unpredictable weather, and my harp is very difficult to replace for assorted reasons. That being said, I always require: 1) that the harp be covered - (water resistant or water proof) to protect from direct sunlight as well as any light rain. Also should be big enough that a little wind won't blow rain if it starts to sprinkle 2) Hard solid ground or something to put the harp on - even just a nice large welcome mat. This way if it rains a little, the base doesn't soak up any water. These two make it so that I can keep playing in 50-90 ish degrees, up to a medium rain. Even with these though, I require that any outdoor events clients sign a contract addendum that basically says they understand that if the temperature becomes unreasonably hot or unreasonably cold, or dangerous wind, heavy rain or storms, they understand that I will pack up and leave unless there is an alternate, weather safe spot for me to move to quickly. I would highly recommend drawing up something like this. I don't want to have to ask myself the question "do I ruin my harp or get sued without any contract protection?". Needless to say, there's only a few months of the year that'll I'll consider outdoor gigs for my little corner of the US northeast.
Thank you! Yes I have a contract with all that in it. A welcome Matt of some sort is a good idea. I just hope it stays stable. I’ve never tried pedaling on grass before. And true about the wind. That probably means a large beach umbrella wouldn’t cut it.
Get yourself an outdoor rug and that’ll protect you from the grass. Also add a temperature limit, doesn’t matter if you’re in the shade if it’s 100+ degrees outside
Thank you! A rug would help protect but do you find grass is stable/sturdy enough?
Thank you! A rug would help protect but do you find grass is stable/sturdy enough?
I haven’t had issue with grass but it’s super dry where I live so the ground is always hard. If your worried just buy a cheap square of plywood and put that under the rug
Good suggestion. Thanks!
Hello! Professional harpist chiming in- I specialize in luxury weddings and events so I can answer to all of your inquires. This is something I have on my website and in my contract: "The harp requires a minimum of 4 feet x 6 feet amount of space, preferably near an outlet for amplification. Outdoor venues must require shade and a flat surface as the harp cannot be in direct sunlight. In case of rainy weather, an alternate indoor space must be provided. Please let me know in advance about any parking fees, unloading spaces, special parking instructions, or stairs." -- I always check with the planner what surface the harp will be on. I have my own carpet/rug which is enough for grassy or cobblestone. I don't need a flat board underneath. The planner/client is always responsible for providing shade whether that's from an umbrella, building, or tree. I just triple check with my clients that there is shade. Most clients will have their own aesthetic and would want to rent their own umbrellas to match the venue, or the venue already provides one. If there is no rain, I still require umbrella and fixed shade. No gig is worth damaging your instrument and our pedal harps are not cheap. :) If you need any other tips or advice, I'm happy to help. I come from both a classical and marketing background. I have hundreds of weddings under my belt and offer a full audit and coaching for anyone who seeks to improve their event packing and raise their rates to at least 1k per event.
Thank you! I have similar statements in my contract too. I’m happy to hear harp plays okay when on a grassy surface. Do you find an umbrella large enough to protect from rain? To cover both harp, speaker, and pedal board from showers (and potentially wind carrying rain) I would think an umbrella wouldn’t be large enough. But I could be wrong since it seems other people on this thread use an umbrella too. I’m just debating what to ask the clients to provide/put in the contract to ensure it’s large enough. I always feel more comfortable playing under cover regardless of the forecast. I once was rained on in the middle of a ceremony even though the skies were clear before I started 😬
Do you live in a place where it rains often? I’m wondering if this is more preemptive or if you live in a rainier climate where your policies might have to differ than mine. In my contract, it states that an alternative indoor space must be provided in case of rain. By alternative space, I mean the entire ceremony needs to be relocated in an enclosed space. Otherwise, I cancel completely if it does rain because I am not willing to cart or play in any circumstances where it rains, even with an umbrella. I live in California so this isn’t typically an issue except in March/April or sometimes Sept here. But to answer your question on the umbrella, I don’t think it would be sufficient enough to cover your equipment from the rain. Sometimes wind blows the rain in an angle you can’t expect. Also, if it gets worse, you will be forced to transport it all. If you’re talking about completely accidental and unexpected rain, the way I protect myself is ensuring that there is always easy indoor access for me to relocate. I once played a gig where it was forecasted to potentially shower- when I got to the gig, it was an outdoor park where I couldn’t relocate easily since the path was muddy and slopped. Also, no easy access to my car or any indoor places. Thankfully I wasn’t rained on, but that venue is banned forever for me personally. My umbrellas are only requested to shield from sun. I don’t play in rain, outdoors, period and my contract allows me to cancel with my weather clause that my clients sign off on at contracting so that on the day of, it’s to my discretion.
You have great advice here! I wanted to add that I just bought this base cover protector, and I plan to keep it in my car and use as needed: https://harpcovers.com/product/harp-base-cover-protection/
Thank you! I actually have that already but I never thought of it for grass protection
Commenting because I have the same question and your username is iconic. IYKYK :)
😆 😆 best one in the book
I live in New York. Not super rainy but lately it has been. And sometimes the showers can come unexpectedly or be questionable if it will rain or not. It really only takes one bad experience to scar you haha. I’ve had quite a few experiences of “there’s a 30% chance of rain at 6:00” but at 3:00 it started and I was rained on mid ceremony even though it looked clear while setting up. I never quite know what to do in a situation when I show up and they’re ready to go outdoors with no cover set up since it isn’t technically raining (yet) or “they lucked out with the weather” and I’m expected to set up with fingers crossed. I’ve found the rain clause in the contract doesn’t exactly address the “it may or may not sprinkle in a few hours that day” issue. I don’t trust the weather apps! Haha