8th Avenue South, Naples, FL

Diana and Cody were married on a gorgeous January day at the 8th Avenue South Park in Naples FL. The Seaside String Quartet was chosen to provide the music for the wedding ceremony and then the cocktail hour which was held at the Hilton Naples.

The guests arrived on the Hilton buses just before 4pm. We began to play classical music. I was given the freedom to choose the playlist and we played the following selections: Rondeau by Mouret; Entrance of the Queen of Sheba by Handel; Anna’s Minuet by Bach; Salut d’ amour by Elgar; Rigaudon by Campra; Flower Duet by Delibes; Bach Brandenburg Concerto#3; Passacaile by Handel;  Menuetto by Corelli; Selections from the Handel Water Music Suite.

When the wedding party arrived and were lined up by the coordinator; Caprice, we began to play the Air by Bach for the Seating of the Grandmother and Mothers; the Entrance of the Officiate, Russ Winn and the Groomsmen and Bridesmaids. The Bridal Entrance music was the Canon in D by Pachelbel.  During the ceremony, roses were presented to the Mothers and we played The Prayer during this. The Recessional music was the Wedding March by Mendelssohn followed by the Handel Hornpipe for postlude.

It was about a 20 minute drive to the Hilton. We set up in the back lobby area. For the cocktail hour, we performed popular songs. I put together a playlist that included the requests of the family and then songs we like and that are often requested.  We performed the following songs:  Tonight from West Side Story; All I Ask of You from Phantom; All You Need is Love by the Beatles; At Last by Etta James; Besame Mucho; Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis; Come Fly With Me by Sinatra; Embraceable You by Gershwin; I Say a Little Prayer by Dionne Warwick; It Had to Be You by Sinatra; the Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet; Moon River by Mancini; New York, NY by Sinatra; Sway and That’s Amore by Dean Martin; The Way You Look Tonight by Sinatra and Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton

Congratulations to the newlyweds!

 

 

Talis Park

Jennifer and Harold chose the lovely venue, Talis Park in Naples FL as the location for their destination wedding. This Kansas couple chose the Seaside String Quartet to provide the music for their wedding ceremony and cocktail reception. They also chose a perfect day – the weather on this late April afternoon was perfect! We began prelude music at 6 pm for the 6:30 ceremony. The ceremony was held on the lawn (which looked like carpet!) and then moved into the courtyard of the Vyne House for the reception. Dr. Dan Lamey was the Officiate and Brian Cardinal of KC Weddings and Events was the coordinator.

Dalia of Floral Symphony ( Libby’s Flower Shop) did a wonderful job with the florals and Maria Glassford was on hand to do the photography.

The Vyne House is now on my list of favorite venues. The bougainvillea in bloom was gorgeous. The Processional began from the door of the Vyne House out to the lawn area.

It was a warm breezy day but we placed ourselves in the shade off to the left side. I hope this picture shows off how beautiful the grass looked.We played a mix of classical and popular music for the prelude. All these selections were requested by the couple: Delibes, Flower Duet; Con te Partiro, Andrea Bocelli; At Last, Etta James; Angel Eyes, Jim Brickman; Over the Rainbow; Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring by Bach; Have I Told You Lately by Van Morrison; She’s Always a Woman by Billy Joel.

Just prior to the start of the Processional, Dr. Dan came out to make an announcement to the guests and then we began to play You Raise Me Up for the Seating of the 2 Mothers. The Groom, Best Man and Maid of Honor entered to the Bach Air. The Bride chose the Canon in D by Pachelbel as her entrance music. Within the ceremony there was a wine blessing and we played The Prayer for this. The Wedding Party exited to All You Need is Love by the Beatles.

The Bride loved Jim Brickman and I was able to arrange 2 new songs for our ensemble. She made some specific song requests but also requested some Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington and Beatles songs and she left those selections up to me. Here was our playlist for the cocktail hour: Wedding Song ( There is Love);  It Had to Be You, Sinatra; If You Believe, Jim Brickman; In My Life, Beatles; I Choose You, Sara Bareilles; Valentine, Jim Brickman; Satin Doll, Duke Ellington; Come Fly With Me, Sinatra; When I’m 64, Beatles; Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Duke Ellington; Love Me Do, Beatles; How Deep is Your Love, Bee Gees; Someone to Watch Over Me, Sinatra and Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton.

we loved being a part of this special day! We hope everyone enjoyed their time in Florida. Best wishes to Jennifer and Harold!

Naples Botanical Garden

The Naples Botanical Garden offers so many lovely areas  to choose from to have your wedding ceremony. Betsy and Brent chose the Main Lawn which offered a beautiful water garden view.  It  still all looked very lush to me.Whatever damage Irma left behind was not too apparent. The Seaside String Quartet was here on this beautiful January evening to provide the wedding ceremony and cocktail reception music. We had cool weather lately but the temperature was just perfect for this event.  We were joined by these wedding professionals: Kathie and Jacqui of Side By Side Weddings; Barbara of Focus Floral; Karl from Luminaire Foto and Dr. Dan Lamey, Officiate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We began prelude music at 5 pm for the 5:30 ceremony. Betsy requested classical music and left the selections up to me. I chose a mix of lively baroque and romantic selections.  Betsy chose Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring for the Entrance of the Wedding Party; Pachelbel’s Canon in D for her Bridal Processional and I’m Yours by Jason Mraz for the Recessional.

After the ceremony, we moved to the covered patio outside Kapnick Hall.  We played a mix of music for the cocktail hour. Betsy left the classical selections up to me and the couple chose their favorite popular songs from our list. Here was our playlist:

You Are the Best Thing Ray LaMontagne; Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Beach Boys; Liebesfreud, Kreisler; Let It Be, Beatles; Cake By the Ocean, DNCE; Corrente, Corelli; Wonderwall, Oasis; Don’t Stop Believin’, Journey; Danube Waves, Ivanovici; Happy, Pharrell Williams; Home, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros; Sleeping Beauty Waltz, Tchaikovsky; Married Life from “Up”; Mozart Quartet in C; and La Vie En Rose.

The reception hall looked gorgeous and Clint Wiley’s None Other Band provided the rest of the evening’s entertainment.

Congratulations to the newlyweds, Betsy and Brent!

Naples Beach Hotel

It was another beautiful day on this first Saturday in December! I think our couple picked a perfect day! There was a gorgeous sunset and a night with a full moon for Lily and Justin’s wedding. They chose the Naples Beach Hotel as their venue and the Seaside String Quartet to provide music for their wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. The ceremony was scheduled at 5pm on the Gulf Lawn so we began music at 4:30pm. The music choices made this a very unique event. The couple chose all popular music for us: On the playlist for the prelude music was: Beautiful Day, U2; I’m Yours, Jason Mraz; Walking on Sunshine , Katrina & the Waves; All You Need is Love, Beatles; Make You Feel My Love, Adele; The Way You Look Tonight, Sinatra; This Year’s Love, David Gray; Lucky, Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.

For the Seating of the Grandparents and the Seating of the Mothers, we played the song Perfect by Pink. The Officiate ( a family friend named Michael), Groom and Groomsmen entered to Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton. For the Entrance of the Bridesmaids, we played Kiss the Girl from the “Little Mermaid”. Lily chose At Last by Etta James for her Bridal Entrance. Many thanks to coordinator, Mary Beth, for making the timing work great with all these music changes!

During the ceremony, we played Over the Rainbow ( Israel K version) as the couple performed the sand ceremony. For the Recessional, the Wedding Party exited to Ants Marching by Dave Matthews.

The cocktail hour was also held on the Gulf Lawn. On our playlist was Marry You, Bruno Mars; Stand By Me, Ben E. King; Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder; Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars; Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd; Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison; Home by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros; Lose Yourself by Eminem; Love Shack by the B52’s; Another One Bites the Dust by Queen; When a Man Loves a Woman, Percy Sledge; One Love, Bob Marley; Can’t Stop the Feeling, Justin Timberlake; Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen; This Will Be An Everlasting Love, Natalie Cole and Just the Way You Are, Bruno Mars. Several these were our newest additions to our repertoire. We had fun performing these songs and are glad people enjoyed them. We appreciate the compliments!

Our Best wishes to Lily and Justin!

 

 

Ritz- Carlton Naples

Center Court at the Ritz- Carlton Naples hosted the wedding celebration of Christina and Nick on this first Friday in December. The weather was ideal, the flowers by Botanicals on the Gulf were gorgeous and the live music of the Seaside String Quartet filled the air. The 4:30 ceremony was officiated by Dr. Dan Lamey and Kathie and Jacqui of Side By Side Weddings helped put it all together.

We began prelude music at 4:00, performing classical music by Bach, Delibes, Handel and Corelli.  It was all classical music for the 4:30 ceremony as well. The Family was seated to the music of Bach,  Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring   The Wedding Party entered to the Canon in D by Pachelbel. The Bride entered to the traditional Bridal Chorus by Wagner and  the Recessional music was the Wedding March by Mendelssohn. The highlight was listening to Dr. Dan sing The Prayer to the couple. It was a very passionate performance and so romantic to see the couple holding hands throughout. Well done, Dr. Dan!

For the cocktail hour, we performed popular songs requested by the couple: Under the Sea; I Want to Hold Your Hand; She from “Notting Hill”; Oh, Pretty Woman; Linus and Lucy; Strangers in the Night; Can’t Help Falling in Love; You’re My Best Friend; Harry Potter Medley; All of Me (version by John Legend); When I Fall in Love; Girl from Ipanema; Over the Rainbow( Israel K version) ; Somewhere Only We Know; Moon River. We ended our evening with Georgia on My Mind for this family from Georgia.

We were honored to be a part of this special day! Congratulations Christina and Nick!

 

St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church

Our wedding on Saturday was one I will remember as one of my favorites.  It was a destination wedding for our couple, Malini and Justin. They chose the St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church as their wedding site and the Seaside String Quartet to provide the music for their wedding ceremony.  Lisa Radlovacki of Lisa London Weddings and Events was the wedding planner. We also saw our friends Nanette from Luminaire Foto and Steven from iheART Films.

It was my first time playing for a wedding of this denomination and my first time at this church. It was so beautiful inside! The ceremony was full of traditions and symbolism. And there was a lot of music! There was a choir to handle the sacred sections of the ceremony and a guitarist played a song for the Lighting of the Unity Candle. The Priest was amazing as he chanted throughout the 90 minute ceremony.

In the planning process, the couple had requested a song called Arms of Love by Kutless for the Bridal Procession. Unfortunately, I was unable to find the sheet music for it. Justin asked a friend to help and she was able to arrange the music for our string quartet. Justin asked that this be kept a secret from Malini. Thank you so much to the arranger, Anissa! It was a pleasure to meet you! Here is an excerpt:

We arrived at 2 pm and began playing prelude music at 2:30. The wedding was due to begin at 3 pm but the couple did warn me it would probably be delayed. The couple chose popular music to entertain the guests as they arrived at the church. Here was our prelude playlist chosen by the couple:

You’re Beautiful, James Blunt; A Thousand Years, Christina Perri; Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison; Baby I Love Your Way, Peter Frampton; I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables; Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley; Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, Frankie Valli; Come Away With Me, Norah Jones; I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, Aerosmith; Amazed, Lonestar; I’ll Stand By You, The Pretenders; You and Me, Lifehouse; For the Longest Time, Billy Joel; Rhythm of Love, Plain White T’s; Every Breath You Take, Sting; All of Me, John Legend; Just the Way You Are Amazing, Bruno Mars.

We began to play Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring as the Entrance of the Groom’s Parents  began the Processional. They were followed by the Mother of the Bride and her escort. We continued to play this selection as the mothers went up to light the Unity Candle.

We changed to the Pachelbel Canon in D as Justin entered followed by his 10 Groomsmen, 8 Bridesmaids, 2 Ring Bearers and 3 Flower Girls. Malini entered to her song, Arms of Love. I wish I could have seen her face when she realized what we were playing. Anissa served in the choir and I saw a big smile on her face! I got goosebumps!

When the ceremony concluded with the presentation of the newly married couple, we played the traditional Wedding March. For postlude, we played Marry You by Bruno Mars and One Love by Bob Marley.

Congratulations, Malini and Justin! Best wishes always!

 

Naples Bay Resort

 

We had such fun being a part of Natalie and James’ wedding celebration! They decided on a beach themed wedding and I enjoyed working with them to find the perfect music.  The couple chose the Seaside Strings Quartet to provide the wedding ceremony music. We were surrounded by awesome vendors: No Worries Weddings, Eric Tharp All Request Entertainment( DJ), Darren Miles Photography and the staff at the Naples Bay Resort. Family friends , Barb and Ken, Officiated.

I met with the couple last October and we came up with a great playlist from our repertoire. For prelude we performed: All You Need is Love, Beach Boys Medley, Girl from Ipanema, Happy Together, In My Life, California Girls, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, Kokomo and Margaritaville. We had some Bob Marley on the list too but unfortunately did not get to it. With a signal from Paige of No Worries Weddings, we played ‘Here Comes the Sun’ for the Seating of the Groom’s Parents and the Entrance of the Wedding Party. Natalie made her Bridal Entrance with her Parents to the song’ God Only Knows’. Within the ceremony, the cousin of the groom, Johnathon, sang I’m Yours as we accompanied him. Wouldn’t It Be Nice was the Recessional.

We are so glad the threatening clouds did not bring rain. It was a lovely ceremony with the couple speaking their own vows. I enjoyed hearing the story of their meeting. With their strong love binding them, they will have a long happy life together. Congratulations Natalie and James!

Edison and Ford Winter Estates

It is October and wedding season is gearing up after a slow summer. Our first wedding this month was for the son of a good friend. Cathy is a violinist and music teacher who has played with us many times as a substitute. Her family is full of musicians so we knew we would be playing for music lovers. Our couple, Melissa and Christopher, chose the Edison Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers, FL as the venue for their wedding ceremony and Cathy arranged for the Seaside Strings Quartet to provide the wedding ceremony music.

Although we are still in rainy season, it was a beautiful evening with no threat of rain. We appreciated being in the shade, under the famous Mysore Fig.

We played a mix of classical and contemporary music for the event. The selections for prelude were Entrance of the Queen of Sheba by Handel; Endless Love by Lionel Richie, Brandenburg Concerto #3 by Bach and I Have Dreamed from the King and I.

Before we knew it, everyone was ready to start the Processional. As we played the Canon in D by Pachelbel, the Grandmothers and Mothers were seated and the Wedding Party entered. Melissa entered to the Main Theme from the Forest Gump movie. The ceremony was officiated by Lori Meyer and after Christopher and Melissa kissed for the first time as husband and wife, we played Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon as the Recessional. What a fun song! ( I got to play the melody! ) Just the Way You Are Amazing by Bruno Mars was the postlude.

Several family members came to talk to us afterwards including the newlyweds. We concluded with Fly Moon to the Moon as everyone headed to the Paragon Flight Training Center at Page Field for the reception. We hope everyone enjoyed their evening!

 

Naples Beach Hotel

It was a breezy but beautiful March evening at the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club for the wedding of Sarah and Brent. The Groom’s family had been staying at this hotel in Naples, FL during season for years so it was the perfect place for the couple to have chosen for their wedding day! The Seaside String Quartet performed the music for their destination wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. Susan was our contact at the resort and a family friend, Greg, served as Officiant.

The Mother of the Groom, Susan, had made the arrangements with me. I was given freedom to choose most of the music. The couple chose the Bridal Procession music and the Recessional music.

We kept it classical for the prelude which began at 5 pm; Bach, Handel and selections from our baroque album. Guests were in place and the family was ready to be seated. We began to play Pachelbel Canon in D as the Parents were seated; the Officiate entered, the Groom, Best Man and the Maid of Honor took their places. Sarah made her entrance to Over the Rainbow. What a beautiful choice and we were able to time it perfectly! For the Sand Ceremony, we played The Prayer and the ceremony concluded with All You Need is Love.

We remained on the Ocean Lawn for the cocktail hour, 6- 7 pm. We played a mix of popular songs and classical. Here was the Playlist:

                 At Last, Etta James

                 Quartet in C, Allegro and Presto, by Mozart

                 Come Fly With Me, Sinatra

                Here Comes the Sun, Beatles

                 Por Una Cabeza Tango

                 Someone to Watch Over Me, Gershwin

                 Liebesfreud Waltz, Kreisler

                 Sway/ Cherry Pink Medley

                 Sleeping Beauty Waltz, Tchaikovsky

                That’s Amore

                 Tales from the Vienna Woods Waltz, Strauss

                 When I’m 64, Beatles

                 A Wink and a Smile, Harry Connick, Jr.

We received so many nice compliments and Susan came up and said how pleased she was. So glad to know they enjoyed our music! We were honored to be there! Congratulations Sarah and Brent!

                                   

Bonita Bay Club

On the fourth weekend in October, the Seaside String Quartet traveled to the Bonita Bay Club for the wedding of  Kerri and Scott. We provided the wedding ceremony and cocktail reception entertainment. The ceremony was held at the outside pergola. Everything look gorgeous!

We shared the day with these vendors: Kehrin Hassan, of Jet Set Wed, Wedding Planner; Libby’s Flowers; IheART films; Binary Flips Photo; Niche  Event Rentals for the ceremony chairs; Kakes by Karen; Salon Tease; Darcy at the Country Club; and Michael DeArruda, Officiant.

We arrived at 4:30 to set up and began playing prelude music at 5pm. The couple chose mostly classical music for us to play: Ave Maria, Schubert; Meditation, Massenet; Con te Partiro, Bocelli; Invention in F, Bach; Allegro, Handel; Rondeau, Mouret; Brandenburg Concerto #3, Bach.

For the ceremony: Somewhere in Time:

                                                     Groom and his Parents

                                                     Mother of the Bride

                                                     Officiant 

                                                    6 Groomsmen enter from side

                                         Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Bach: 6 Bridesmaids

                                        Canon in D, Pachelbel: Entrance of the Bride

                                        I’m Yours, Jason Mraz: Recessional

                                        All You Need is Love, Beatles: Postlude

We moved to the terrace for the cocktail hour and enjoyed playing these selections, chosen by the couple,  for the guests:

                            Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Queen

                             One Love, Bob Marley

                             Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, Frankie Valli

                             I’ll Stand By You, Pretenders

                             Lean on Me, Bill Withers

                             Love Story, Taylor Swift

                             Love Me Tender, Elvis

                             Strangers in the Night, Sinatra

                             For the Longest Time, Billy Joel

                            Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison

                            Marry You, Bruno Mars

                            Happy, Pharrell Williams

                            Every Little Thing She Does, Police

                            That’s Amore, Dean Martin ( such a fun arrangement!)

We got so many nice compliments and we are grateful! Thank you Kerri and Scott for having us! May you have many years of happiness together!