March 2021

“Are you lactose intolerant?” 

“No, I just like to take it for fun”

This is how Olivia and Zachary’s story began in a NYC apartment one fine spring day.  At first, Olivia thought Zachary was pretty cute, but maybe kind of slow. Zachary, on the other hand, thought Olivia was pretty, but very sassy.  

Nonetheless, they began to chat on Facebook messenger a week later and knew that there was something special from the start. For the next three years, they traveled back and forth from NY to LA, had hours and hours of FaceTime dates, and supported each other endlessly to create a romantic love story.

Without a second thought, Zachary planned a surprise proposal when Olivia decided to go back home to California. Zachary told her it was a “girl’s day trip” to the Napa Valley vineyards. 

When she got there, she turned around and saw Zachary dressed in a classic white button-down and khaki pants down on one knee. Their family and friends were able to gather at the vineyards to witness this truly amazing moment. Now, it was time to plan their fairytale wedding!

Olivia and Zachary both agreed on a beautiful, classic, candlelit, red-themed New York wedding. On wedding day, they both climbed into their vintage car and headed to Central Park, where their wedding coordinator had arranged a horse-drawn carriage for the two to take some special pictures before the main reception at The Russian Tea Room. The Russian Tea Room has been a cultural hub in New York for over 80 years, after the members of the Russian Imperial Ballet founded the establishment in 1927.

When the newlyweds arrived at The Russian Tea Room, all of their friends and family were there to welcome and congratulate them. The Russian Tea Room was as decadent and as amazing as one could imagine!

Around Town Entertainment’s A-List Band was chosen for the musical entertainment this evening. Olivia was full of tears during her first dance with Zachary when The A-List Band performed a cover of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by  Frankie Valli. It was very touching! The wedding band then played upbeat songs while the crowd danced around for the rest of the evening. 

There were so many good vibes and many special moments throughout this magical evening.  At one point in the night, the couple decided to do a disco version of “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas, which turned out to be so much fun! Everybody stormed the dance floor to sing at the top of their lungs!

The A-List Band executed a well-designed playlist from start to finish including a mix of songs from the funk and classic dance genres. Guests didn’t want the evening to end and neither did we! “Last Dance” by Donna Summer was the bride’s selected last song of the evening, played by the NY wedding band to end an amazing night. 

Congratulations, once again, to Olivia and Zachary on their beautiful wedding! 

Thank you for allowing Around Town Entertainment to join you on your very special day! 

Lea and Greg went to the same school for music production, during which time they had both experienced a condition one would call, “the wandering eye.” It wasn’t until the class Christmas party that they realized they both liked each other. From that moment onwards, Lea and Greg found themselves lingering around after each class hoping to bump into each other.

When the class organized an NYE party, they finally had their chance.  They spent the new year holiday together and eventually shared their first kiss. They discovered their shared values and love of making electronic dance music, live music festivals, outdoors, big trees, travel, and adventures. There was no looking back. They had found each other as soul mates.

Like a scene out of The Bachelor, the proposal night was something special. It was Lea’s 30th birthday, and Greg had planned a special dinner. Lea was given a dress code that included no heels and a formal full-length dress. While Lea was not happy with the no heels criteria, she played along.

Upon arriving at the destination, Lea still had no idea what Greg was planning. She was told to take a seat on the picnic table and then Greg disappeared into the gardens. Within a few minutes, she was told to follow him down the hill.

Lea couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the beautiful tree covered in fairy lights, and with rose petals and candles covering the ground. There stood Greg smiling back at her with a single rose in hand. Their favorite song, “While You Were Sleeping” by Elvis Perkins played while Greg got down on one knee. After many happy tears they had a glass of rose and watched the sunset over the City together. 

Both Lea and Greg didn’t need to look far from their home in the Bronx for their wedding venue, The New York Botanic Garden.  Infused with nature, The New York Botanical Garden was the perfect location for the couple who so adored both the great outdoors and the city alike. 

The ceremony was held in a structure that was entirely built out of glass. Guests enjoyed the décor inside as it created a warm, inviting and intimate space for all three hundred of their guests. 

Greg donned a bespoke black suit from Indochino as he arrived to meet his bride at the altar. Lea wore a chiffon dress layered with lace and beads, a romantic silk ribbon and flutter sleeves.  Lea’s mother and father escorted her down the aisle to a rendition of “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer performed by a guitarist from Around Town Entertainment. A family friend officiated the ceremony, where the couple exchanged personalized vows. The newlyweds excitedly exited the ceremony as the guitarist played a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.”  

After the ceremony, guests strolled to the cocktail hour while Lea and Greg intimately explored the gardens with their photographer and took portraits. It was the perfect way to reset after the ceremony. 

The reception was held in The Garden Terrace Room. Guests found their seat assignments amid buckets of fresh blooms such as roses, carnations, lilies and spider mums.  Tables were topped with bud vases, candles and neutral linens. For a modern twist, Lea and Greg added black details like matte black flatware at each of the place settings.

The bride and groom made an incredible entrance into the reception, which led into their first dance.  Around Town Entertainment’s the Authority Band performed a cover of George Ezra’s “ All My Love” as the crowd cheered the newlyweds on.

Once the sun set, the mother had a dance with her son to “I’m Happy Just to Dance With You” by The Beatles. The father and daughter had their slow dance to “My Girl” by The Temptations. The night continued with The Authority Band playing various upbeat Pop and classic Hip Hop music from Icona Pop to Kanye West.

It didn’t end there as the bride and groom hosted a pizza party with traditional Italian wedding desserts that guests could take home. It was no surprise that everyone was blown away by the wonderful food and music. This venue is truly one of a kind and Around Town Entertainment was so honored to be part of such an Around Town Entertainment was so honored to be part of such an exquisite evening! 

Emily and Remy met through a blind date of sorts. Mutual friends had set them up. About a month before the event, they both friended each other on Facebook and started messaging. They wanted to get to know each other before potentially meeting. After all, they were living in different cities, thousands of miles apart.

They ended up really hitting it off and exchanged phone numbers. Their conversations would last all day and all night. By the time they finally went on the “date,” they already knew it was going to turn into something special.

A few months later, what started out as a long-distance relationship separated by different states, turned into opposite ends of the world! Fortunately, they both had the time and opportunity to visit each other. 

On one particular trip, they decided to visit an ancient fort in Berlin, Germany for a date.  Remy was in a rush to go inside as Emily thought he was super excited to explore the old military fort. When they entered, there were beautiful arches all surrounding them. Before they started taking pictures, Remy got down on one knee and asked Emily to be his partner for life! She was so surprised she said “YES” 1,000,000 times!!

A few years later, the couple decided to get married at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, just steps away from their new apartment. They held an organic and intimate ceremony that celebrated the things they love: Brooklyn, the water, and the community. The two called on Around Town Entertainment to create an intimate, musical setting that embodied a balance of soft melodies and peaceful ambiance echoing the East River shoreline. 

On the wedding day, Emily’s sister carried ninebark, burgundy hydrangeas, plum astrantia, and tea roses as she walked down the aisle and while her nephew tossed rose petals.  A pianist from Around Town Entertainment played an emotional cover of “Love on Top” by Beyonce. Both the bride and the groom stood beneath a large, enchanting chuppah full of greenery and white flowers as they read their own separate vows and officially became husband and wife. 

After that, guests entered the ballroom for a stunning reception. Emily and Remy transformed the space to emulate the feeling of being under the stars. Twinkling string lights hung above two types of tables: farm tables and round tables. The venue looked gorgeous!

Once everyone arrived, it was time for the traditional first dance between the newlyweds! The two embraced as they headed to the dance floor as The Around Town Band performed the bride’s requested song, Donna Summer’s ”Last Dance.” In a beautiful moment, Remy spun Emily under his arm, while the crowd cheered them both on. 

When they finished, guests made their way to the dance floor, and the celebrations continued throughout the night. Along the way, the wedding band played a number of classic favorites, including “Sugar” by Maroon 5, “Chandelier” by Sia, and many more. The rest of the evening included more high-energy excitement, and even a slice of the gorgeous wedding cake for all the guests to devour!

Congratulations, once again, to Emily and Remy on their beautiful wedding! Thank you for allowing Around Town Entertainment to partake in your very special day!  We wish nothing but the best for your future!

Follow our stories at aroundtownent.com/new-york-city-wedding-bands

Maggie and Scott first met at their church’s guitar group. They started out as really good friends but Magge was already in another relationship. Once she ended that relationship, Scott and Maggie got really close so they decided to date about a year after. 

The proposal occurred on Maggie’s family’s vacation trip to the Outer Banks in Rodanthe, NC. She had always dreamed of a proposal on the beach and at sunset, but she never knew “when” this would be. 

Scott told her that he had to finish up his semester at school the week they went down, so he had to show up a day later than everyone else. On the Saturday Maggie arrived, the family and extended family had plans for dinner that night. While at dinner, Maggie’s brother Matt mentioned to her that she should get dressed for a girl’s photoshoot after dinner. Maggie had no suspicions because this was a regular thing to do in her family with the cousins. 

Sure enough, she was outside taking some candids with her brother when she saw Scott walk up to the beach from behind the Black pearl, which is an iconic house in Rodanthe. Scott showed up a day earlier than expected, much to the surprise of Maggie! She couldn’t stop screaming!  He then got down on one knee and proposed at sunset, and of course, she said “Yes!” It couldn’t have been a more perfect day!

The two love birds celebrated their wedding at the Fox Hollow in Woodbury, NY. The Fox Hollow, hands down, is one of the most unique places to have a wedding.  The Fox Hollow is Long Island’s Gold Coast destination for couples throughout New York.

Surrounded by picturesque gardens, it was the perfect day for Maggie and Scott to get married. They enlisted Around Town Entertainment for their wedding music and entertainment.  Intimate, beautiful, and romantic. It was perfect!

As guests poured into the building, a pianist from Around Town Entertainment played cover ballads from The Little Mermaid and Sixpence None the Richer.  The bride and groom met at the altar and later walked off together as a piano cover of “Never Gonna Give You Up” Rick Astley ending the ceremony beautifully. 

Guests could not stop raving about the music from the ceremony and couldn’t wait for the main act to hit the stage- Around Town Entertainment’s Around Town Band.  From the outside gardens, the celebrations moved onto the Garden Terrace Room for cocktails and reception. 

The cocktail hour began inside the main reception ballroom. Around Town Entertainment provided a classic jazz trio to complement the custom mahogany bar, fireplace, and wood dance floor, making it the perfect space to relax and mingle before the main reception. Great and convenient!

The reception itself was over the top amazing situated inside The Garden Terrace Ballroom.  The Around Town Band started their set with Justin Timberlake’s “Take Back the Night” as the bride and groom made their grand entrance. Then, the wedding band played a unique cover of “Yeah 3x” by Chris Brown for the first dance. It was more amazing than words can describe. Everyone was super friendly and vibing during the whole performance from the wedding band. The crowd was energetic and engaged with the wedding band the whole time. The rest of the night was filled with guests dancing to a mix of popular songs from “Everybody” Backstreet Boys to “Livin La Vida Loca” Ricky Martin.  

We can’t wait to play at Fox Hollow again! A special thank you to Maggie and Scott for inviting Around Town Entertainment out for their very special day. We now have a great memory thanks to you!

Christina had flown into San Francisco from New York for a weekend visit. She was headed to a friends house to get ready for a music festival that evening at Fort Mason. It was at that point that James walked into the room and upon seeing her for the first time, he pulled out a smooth pick-up line which didn’t work quite like he had expected. 

Christina eventually warmed up to him after James found her a last-minute ticket for the music festival, which was really sweet. Later on in the evening, they established a “buddy system” as their larger group of friends started to disperse. James and Christina were left alone so they spent the whole night laughing, talking and goofing around. And, well, the rest is history.

A few years later on the evening of Christina’s birthday, James convinced her that they should drive into San Francisco for dinner to celebrate, but insisted that she wear a blindfold once they got closer to the city so that it didn’t spoil where he was taking her. As they arrived at the secret location, James helped her get out of the car. Meanwhile, Christina was convinced upon hearing the seagulls overhead that they must be near the beach. As he removed the blindfold, she immediately realized that they were at Fort Mason, in the exact spot where we had taken a photo the night the two met! 

Before she knew it, he was on one knee, and moments later she noticed a photographer hidden out of view nearby, triggering even more tears. They went for a lovely, quiet dinner and closed the night sharing champagne with their parents to celebrate the engagement. The whole thing was so magical!

Christina and James held their marriage reception at the NY Athletic Club in New York, NY. As one of the oldest and most popular private clubs in NYC, the New York Athletic Club is the perfect place for a wedding reception along with its fine and rich history. 

Around Town Entertainment was invited to perform during the cocktails and wedding dinner. By the time the big day rolled around, the bride, groom, and all the family members were eagerly anticipating the music for the wedding night.  

The formal black-tie wedding reception took place on the 9th floor of the New York Athletic Club, beautifully overlooking Central Park below. The space was accented with gorgeous green centerpieces, shimmering linens and gold chiavari ballroom chairs. 

The terrace off of the main dining room was also a gem, creating an unique way for guests to get a private outdoor setting while drinking cocktails in the middle of Manhattan. From there, there was a jaw-dropping view of Central Park and Upper Manhattan—a fantastic setting for unique photos of the bride and groom- while they listened to lively music from Around Town Entertainment’s jazz trio. Christina and James wanted their special day to reflect the glamour of old Hollywood and they did so in the most unique way!

Guests ate, drank, danced, and toasted to the health and happiness of the newlyweds with music from Around Town Entertainment’s Altitude Band playing high energy music throughout the night. What made this reception especially memorable was the personal connection of the wedding band and the crowd. The wedding band fulfilled all song requests made by the bride and groom much to the excitement of every guest in the room. From Motown to 80s to Dance music, the crowd did not stop dancing at any point in the evening!

Around Town Entertainment was so thankful to be a part of this beautiful event, and to get the chance to celebrate the happy couple. Thank you to Christina and James for letting us be a part of your journey!