Jessica Frost-Ballas
Stephens City, VA 22655
(map) Phone: 540-550-7955
Reviews for Jessica Frost-Ballas
GUEST
Jessica played the harp at my wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. She had great ideas for the music selection and she had plenty of experience at our setting. It was the perfect touch for our garden wedding. She was so easy to work with.
GUEST
Jessica was wonderful! My guests complimented on how the harp sounded like a stereo. They were amazed how it sounded. I had Jessica play for the ceremony and the reception -wonderful! Jessica was very cordial and professional. I would definitley recommend her to play at any special event you have!
GUEST
Jessica did a great job at our ceremony! We had a meeting in her home and discussed the type of feel we wanted and the music selections that would fit that feel. She completely understood us and played us a few selections. She also printed out a couple customized songs that we wanted to use and played it for us right there. It was so nice to be able to pick exactly what song we wanted to hear when the wedding party was walking out and it helped putting me at ease to hear Jessica playing her beautiful harp to the song I picked to walk out to. We absolutely loved it, thank you Jessica!!
Vendor response to review
Danielle, thank you so much for your review! I really enjoyed the music you selected for your ceremony! It was unique and VERY memorable! Best wishes to you and your husband!
GUEST
The ceremony music was beautiful. I would recommend a live harpist for every wedding.
GUEST
Jessica is an amazing musician! She was very professional and helpful in suggesting and planning our selections for the ceremony and reception.
GUEST
She and flautist Jaclyn Duncan Frost played for our August wedding - the ceremony and cocktail hour. She was very easy to work with and we communicated everything very well.
The music was beautiful and she has a large repertoire, so it wasn't an issue finding music for the ceremony and cocktail hour. I'd recommend Jessica for your live music needs.
Vendor response to review
Julie, Thanks so much for your feedback! I enjoyed performing for you and working with Jaclyn! Thanks again and congratulations on your marriage!
GUEST
Jessica was amazing! She sat with my fiancee and me and played many songs when we didn't know exactly what we wanted. My fiancee just pulled out his mp3 player and named songs off it for her to play. She was very flexible. She transposed music from piano sheet music at our request. She played some very interesting songs you do not normally hear on the harp, and we feel that it really made our wedding day special! There were traditional songs we chose, and the "Lord's Prayer" played during the vows made it so nice. The bridal entrance was "Today" by the Smashing Pumpkins, which Jessica played from piano music. She also played "Cantina Band" from Star Wars, and everyone is still talking about it!
Very flexible, and a wonderful personality. Great to work with!
Vendor response to review
Ann, thanks so much for your feedback! I had a lot of fun preparing the music for your ceremony and enjoyed getting to play non "traditional" music for your wedding! Congratulations on your marriage!
GUEST
**Jessica was an amazing musician and very professional to work with. She had a very large repertoire of music to chose from and multiple suggestions for the ceremony. Jessica offered suggestions about music selections and timing. She flawlessly transitioned between pieces and played until we were ready to transition to dinner, it was so seemless I didn't notice that she played a couple of our specially requested songs multiple times so that my husband could hear them all the way through. Jessica took Metallica selections and made them sound amazing on the harp.
-Katrina
**Jessica Frost is my oldest friend, and I was very pleased that she was able to come and play at my wedding. Given the fact that I was resonsible for very little in the planning of my wedding, all I can say is that she worked closely with my wife in planning the perfect music to correspond with our ceremony, bringing to the table her vast knowledge of and experience in such things. She was even able to take a few of my own special requests. The entire evening was made so much more special by her remarkable musical talent, and her mere presence.
Jessica, thank you so very much for being a part of a most special...
GUEST
Jessica was great! I had my heart set on a harpist and she couldn't have been better. We contacted her a little bit late and she was so easy to work with.
We had our wedding at our Catholic church which could have been difficult to work with in terms of the music allowed during mass or ceremony. Jessica's repertoire is vast and our priest had no issues with any of the music we selected (it was classical and religious - no popular pieces or anything).
The music at the ceremony was beautiful. I just wish I could have heard more of it!
Jessica was very kind throughout the planning process. I had several questions for her and she addressed each one without hesitation and made ME feel more comfortable! When she arrived at the venue on the wedding day, she jumped right in and took her place...never missing a beat. She has a great attitude and is a team player! And speaking as a musician myself, she is one talented lady! Her music is beautiful - a true professional at what she does. I highly recommend Jessica for your event.
It was such a pleasure to work with Jessica and on top of it knowing she had provided beautiful music at many of our events. Jessica is a talented and well rounded musician and has a fluid sound that will make walking down the isle or enjoying cocktails in a lovely garden an extra special experience.
About Jessica Frost-Ballas
Congratulations on your engagement!
Jessica Frost-Ballas is the Shenandoah 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.
Package Options
FAQ for Jessica Frost-Ballas
Please contact me for specifics but I am pretty flexible. I have traveled regionally across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania for weddings; however, I've also traveled across the country to perform for a wedding in Seattle, Washington!
Can I hear you play before I decide to use harp at my wedding or event? Yes! There are listening samples posted on my Sound Clips page. You are also more than welcome to attend any public performances listed on my Performances page. However, weddings are private events, and out of respect for the families, I will not invite potential clients to see me perform at private functions. How far in advance can I book you? I generally accept bookings up to 12 months in advance. Most weddings are booked 4 to 6 months in advance. Will you play outdoors? I will play outdoor events but there is an additional charge of $50.00 for any outdoor performances. I require a dry and level surface for my harp. If it begins to rain during any event I will immediately cover my instrument and move to a covered area. The harp is delicate and very costly. Please understand that my first priority is protecting my harp. I also require a back-up plan for outdoor events. If there is no plan for inclement weather and weather conditions make playing outdoors impossible, I will not perform. The full balance of the contract is still due. Will you play outdoors year-round? Due to unpredictable weather, temperature, and humidity, no outdoor bookings are accepted for pedal harp during the months of November through February. Can you play my favorite song for my wedding ceremony? Most of the time, yes! If the song has been printed as sheet music I can usually transcribe it for harp. I do require at least 30 days notice for music selections. Please select the Deluxe package for your ceremony to utilize this option. Do you perform with other musicians? Yes. I can perform as a duet or trio with a flutist, violinist, harpist, trumpeter, clarinetist, and other musicians. Contact me for additional ensembles. My wedding ceremony is very short. Do you still charge the same amount? Even with a short ceremony, there is a significant amount of time that goes into musical preparation, your consultation, transporting the harp, set-up, and strike. A fifteen minute ceremony is usually at least a two-hour commitment for me, not including your consultation or music preparation time. My wedding is a week away! Can you still play for me? If I am available for the date, yes. I may not be able to accommodate musical selections that are not already in my repertoire. My niece (sister, aunt, etc.) took a few harp lessons years ago. Can she use your harp to play a piece during the ceremony? It will depend on the situation but I usually do not like to let others use my harp during events. Can my children “try out” your harp at an event? I am more than willing to introduce the harp to children (and adults) at appropriate times during events, however I do ask that anyone interested have freshly washed hands and wait until I invite them to touch the harp. I will not let anyone stand on the baseplate or lean against the column. Do you take requests? If the selection is appropriate for the event and in my repertoire, than I’d love to play it for you. What do you wear for events? I usually wear formal black unless otherwise requested. Do you take breaks during events? Usually for any event that lasts more than an hour I take a five minute break every 25 minutes. I can usually coordinate my breaks to coincide with a toast, speech, or other event that requires no background music. I do not take breaks during a wedding ceremony. Can you play “Stairway to Heaven”? Yes! I can also play music from Star Wars, selections by Metallica, ballads by Shania Twain, classics from the Beatles, and more! Just ask!
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