September 2022

When you spend so much time in the city, you get so used to the super tall skyscrapers and the hustle and bustle of the city–so when we get the rare opportunity to see a change of pace without even leaving? We absolutely jump on it! That was especially the case this past weekend when we celebrated with Ashley and Giuseppe as they tied the knot at The Foundry in Queens!

Though we did not play at the beautiful off-site ceremony, we did get to be a part of everyone’s favorite 2/3’s of any wedding–the cocktails and reception! So, (obviously) upon arrival, the party was expecting some cocktails! With our jazz trio, the party enjoyed some gentle jazzy tunes, and plenty of delicious drinks! Everyone engaged in small talk, the beautiful views just beyond the patio, and discussed the gorgeous ceremony! As the cocktail hour ended, the party was ready for something more serious… it was time for some food, and dancing!

The party settled in for the reception in the gorgeous courtyard, and the night was kicked off! After everyone took their seats, it was time for the main entrance of the night: Ashley and Giuseppe making their debut as husband and wife! Together, they entered to “Signed, Sealed, Delievered”, played expertly by our band! With the crowd properly warmed up, it was time to get down to business. In their first dance as husband and wife, Ashley and Giuseppe spun around the dance floor to “You and Me Together!” From there, it was time for the Father/Daughter and Mother/Son dances! Ashley and her Father danced to “Good Man” and Giuseppe and his Mother danced to “Mother!” There certainly was not a dry eye in house, so with this, it was time to dance the night away!

With blood sugars higher and pumping strong, the entire party  was ready to cut a rug! They danced the night away to beloved hits such as “Message In A Bottle”, “Light Switch”, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, “Cold Heart” and more! Another fun dance we caught was a beautiful dedication to Ashley’s best friend! It was an extra sweet moment that was the perfect chance for the party to grab a quick drink and refresh, as the Around Town Band’s female vocalist serenaded the party to “Right Back Where We Started From”.

With the burn of dancing still fresh, the party was going strong–that was, until it wasn’t, and it was time to go! Everyone’s dancing shoes had been sufficiently broken in, and the party found themselves heading home. After a night of so much fun, such a perfect day would surely not be soon forgotten–by us, any of the attendees, or the beautiful couple themselves! Congratulations!

Working in the wedding business, we see all sorts of different stories that remind us that love is always in the air–and we love to hear them! This weekend, we got to spend time with lots of lovely couples who had plenty of wonderful stories, with beautiful proposals. With Reisa and Zachary, we were reminded of something very important: timing is everything! Although they had been friends for quite some time, and joking discussed their eventual marriage, the stars did not fully align for Reisa and Zachary until 2019, when they met again at someone else’s wedding. (Foreshadowing, anyone?) From there, it was history, and two years later, they decided to spend “the rest of eternity” together–and we got to join them!

Though their story started in Long Island, Reisa and Zachary invited us to the beautiful upstate mansion, Windham Manor, to provide the tunes for their ceremony! Surrounded by trees, the Around Town Band pianist played “When A Man Loves A Woman”, “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, and more, while Reisa and Zachary tied the knot–and officially became husband and wife! From there, everyone moved just outside the barn, as Patrick joined Michael and Tim to become our jazz trio! While enjoying some drinks, the entire party warmed up for the main event just inside–the reception!

As the party took its seats, the man and woman of the hour entered to “Electricity”, sung by our very own Nascha! From there, it was straight to the races, and time for the first dance! Reisa and Zachary tugged at everyone’s heartstrings with “La Vie En Rose”. And before long, it was time for everyone to dance, with the Hora! Michael lead the entire band in an uproarious rendition, and by the time it was done, the party was happy for another break! And that meant it was the perfect time for the parent/child dances! Reisa and her father danced to “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”, and Zachary and his mother danced to “The Wonder of You!” With plenty of tears shed, the party had earned a pick-me-up, in the form of a sugar rush! To introduce the sugary treat, the A-List Band serenaded the party to “Cruisin'”, while the cake was sliced!

As the night went on, the party broke out their dancing shoes and truly cut a rug or two. There were plenty of highlights from the celebration, but few held a candle to the crowd reaction to “Valerie”, sung gorgeously by Esther, “Shout”, and “Levitating!” Even though the night had to come to an end, we had such a blast–congratulations, Reisa and Zachary!

When Danny and Grace first met in college, they became fast friends–they bonded over their mutual love of dogs, (shout out to their own, Skylar!) traveling, and wine. But it wasn’t until they went to Boca’s Best Pizza for Valentine’s Day that they were officially inseparable forever–and that meant that they had plenty of pieces of pizza in their future–including one on their wedding day! And we got to tag along to celebrate!

With the beautiful waves just beyond the lawn, the Around Town Entertainment pianist got to serenade the attendants of the gorgeous ceremony. As Danny and Grace made it official, the pianist played some of the favorites, including “What a Wonderful World”, “Tiny Dancer“, and “Bittersweet Symphony”! By the time that they shared their first kiss as husband and wife, the final note was played–and that meant it was time to get the party started!

After a brief pivot to the Grand Ballroom Terrace, the jazz trio warmed up the party with some gentle tunes. While the attending celebrators mingled and drank, the night was just beginning–and it was a perfect transition into the beginning of the reception! Once the attendants took their seats, our band started the night off with a BANG–and the Around Town Band’s lead vocalist sang “Bang Bang” for the entrance of the bridal party! Shortly thereafter, it was time for the debut of the newlyweds, and the band blessed their entrance with her rendition of “As Long As You Love Me”!

As the cheers settled, Danny and Grace took the floor for their first dance, and were treated to one of their favorite song selections: “Dancing In the Moonlight”! The upbeat jam was a perfect jumping off point into the deep end of heartstring tugs, because it was then time for the parent/child dances! Grace and her father danced to “You Are The Sunshine of My Life” and Danny and his mother danced to “Landslide”! After shedding so many tears, the wedding party was due for a treat–so how about some cake? As the slices were dealt out, the Around Town Band made sure that everyone experienced an auditory feast as well, with “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)”!

After everyone refueled their energy with some cake, they made their way to the dance floor to party! There was tons of favorites that night, but the band’s lead female vocalist definitely held the crown for most cheers with “…Baby One More Time” and “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (even if it was a bit early for the Christmas season)! With so many great songs, the night quickly slipped away, and before we knew it, it was done!

The best kind of relationships are the ones that make you feel as if you are always on vacation–and the best engagements do, too! The grandiose of a beautiful, tropical background can set the perfect tone for a fairytale proposal. And that was certainly the case for Rhoda and Kyle! After dating for almost ten years, Kyle proposed to Rhoda after they embarked on a journey that was a bit far away from their usual humble abode in the Big Apple… Aruba! When the waves hit just right, and the sun was beginning to set, Kyle proposed on the sand, and the rest was history! And we couldn’t be more excited to be part of the celebration!

The special day in question took place at the beautiful Black Yacht Club, and the whole party was treated to beautiful weather! The ceremony had all the moving tunes, (played expertly by our Artist’s Band pianist) including “Here Comes The Sun” and “Can’t Help Falling In Love” and “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)”. Finally, officially wed, Rhoda and Kyle led everyone to the cocktail hour! Our cocktail trio had a great time enjoying the bright blue skies (and cocktail conversation) with gentle, jazzy tunes. By the end of the cocktail hour, the party was ready for dinner– and dancing, of course!

As the entire wedding group took their seats, the Bridal party entered to “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”, which kicked the night off with a bang! From there, it was time for the main event: Rhoda and Kyle’s debut as husband and wife! Together, they entered to “For Once In My Life”! After soaking in the cheers from the party, the newlyweds took to the floor for their first dance, “Head Over Boots.” It was so gorgeous that the party was hardly done drying their eyes before the next round of dances started: the family dance! Rhoda, her mother, and her siblings all danced to “Showboat”, in another stellar performance by the Artist’s Band!

From there, everyone was treated to something special: a sweet treat, by the way of cake, and a performance of “Only Wanna Be With You” by Alicia! Later, as the party was done with their plates, it was time to live up to the title… and party! There were obvious highlights of the night, but particular crowd favorites included “Let It Bleed”, “Only The Good Die Young”, and “How Long”, which brought down the house (and Rhoda and Kyle liked them, too!)

By the time that the reception drew to a close, everyone had spent the night enjoying the picturesque views of the ocean and the music, as Rhoda and Kyle looked forward to the rest of their lives together; and what a beautiful future it is! Thank you for having us, Rhoda and Kyle!

From the classroom to the altar, Danielle and Steven have truly been lifelong partners–even when they didn’t know it yet! After meeting in first grade, Danielle and Steven crossed paths several different times over the years–but it wasn’t until the stars aligned, and they began weekly commutes back and forth from NYC to Boston to see each other, that it became clear… they were truly meant to be! (It would seem that their wedding officiated by Courtney and Michelle, when they were kids, was foreshadowing in the making!)

For their celebration, Danielle and Steven invited us to join them at the Liberty Warehouse in Brooklyn! The Around Town Entertainment’s ceremony pianist played several heart-warming tunes, including “Make You Feel My Love”,  “Patience”, and “Praise You”. By the time that the final note was played, it was official–Danielle and Steven were married (for real this time)! From there, the group migrated to the Promenade, where it was time for cocktails! The trio all set the mood for the cocktail hour, where everyone got warmed up for the main event… the reception of course! With plenty of spirits consumed, and excitement sufficiently high, it was time to move on to the party!

When everyone had settled, Danielle and Steven were ready to make their mark–and entered to “Some Kind of Wonderful” and to uproarious applause! By the time that the sound finally died down, everyone was ready for the first dance, “In My Life.” It was their first official turn as husband and wife, and it was beautiful! After this, the party was ready for a bit of liveliness, and the entire band lead them in the Tarantella! Shortly thereafter, while everyone caught their breaths, it was time for the parent/child dances! Danielle and her father danced to “Wildflowers”, and Steven and his mother danced to “Simple Man!”

From there, the night spun into a celebration full of even more dancing and enjoyment! There were plenty of highlights, specifically those songs performed by our ATE singers! The fan favorites included “Everlong”, “Peg”, “Don’t Start Now”, and plenty more! As the night drew on, there was plenty more dancing to be had, and plenty more celebrations, too! Congratulations again to the happy couple–we were so honored to join! Cheers!

In the middle of the decline of the summer heat, we here at ATE often like to look ahead to the wintery weather waiting for us. (And we really mean look ahead–it has been a hot one this year!) And this past weekend, we got to spend some time with a couple whose engagement story is certainly a Christmas miracle! After a homey, family gathering, Dante proposed to Samantha in the midst of the pandemic–and they looked forward to a snow-free wedding! Ever since then, they’ve been counting down the days–and we got to come along to celebrate with them!

Mere hours outside of the Big Apple, Samantha and Dante chose The Roundhouse as the site of their big day! Nestled into a beautiful cradle of rolling hills and big leafy trees, the party enjoyed the beautiful weather on the lawn, where the ceremony took place! The Around Town Entertainment’s pianist played the couples special song selections from “Georgia On My Mind”, to “La Vie En Rose” to underscore such a special and momentous occasion! Before they even knew it, Samantha and Dante were officially husband and wife–and that meant it was time to party!

While our After Party Band loaded into the dance room, our cocktail trio, entertained the guests as they pregamed! Enjoying the beautiful fresh air, the party mingled and chatted, while our trio serenaded them with some gentle tunes. By the time that their party shoes were put on, and the reception was about to begin, the entire party was ready to roll!

After most of the wedding party took their seats, the parents, bridesmaids, and and groomsmen all entered to a timeless classic: “Take a Chance On Me.” Then, the main event: the debut of Samantha and Dante as husband and wife! The party cheered, and the After Party Band and helped the crowd greet them with a stunning rendition of “Together Forever”! With that, it was time for the first dance, and Samantha and Dante danced to “Just The Two of Us!” Shortly thereafter, it was time for the parent/child dances–Samantha and her Father danced to “Vienna”, and Dante and his Mother danced to “Change the World”, both performed beautifully! From there, it was time to turn up the party a bit, and that meant the Hora! Everyone danced, sang, and clapped their way through, and took a quick break for some cake (with “Buona Sera” underneath to set the mood)!

From there on, for the rest of the night, it was nonstop dancing. There were plenty of favorites, but the crowd particularly loved “Macho Man”, “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!“, “That’s the Way (I Like It)”, and of course, the end of night finale: “NY State of Mind”, sung by Brian V! With such a beautiful venue, and such amazing music, the party hardly wanted to head to bed! Congratulations, Samantha and Dante, and thank you for having us along for the ride!