Obviously, your wedding day is the best day ever. And while it will go by in a flash for you and your partner, believe it or not, it also happens to be a long day, especially for your guests. This makes it extra important to ensure that those same beloved guests are entertained from start to finish, guaranteeing that every memory of the day is a great one for everyone, even during the times where you and your partner were having a private moment away from your guests!
Now, before we go any further, we know that sounds a little daunting. Deep breath, it’s ok. We’ve got you. It should come as no surprise at this point that Around Town Entertainment is New York’s premiere wedding entertainment and live music company; it’s for good reason! We know exactly what to do and what to suggest for each moment of your big day, from the moment your guests arrive, to the moment they leave – we’ve turned live wedding entertainment into an art form all its own.
Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? We’ll walk through your whole day from start to finish from an entertainment angle and give you our recommendations for the best ways to keep your guests entertained and engaged all night long (and it should go without saying that we can provide everything we recommend – so there’s no need to start yet another internet-rabbit-hole-wild-goose-chase to find any of this – we’ve got you covered)!
The obvious place to start would be your ceremony, of course. Except, surprise! There’s an element of the ceremony most couples don’t even think of – and for good reason! You aren’t even there for it! Oh yes, the big day actually begins for your guests with a little thing we like to call the “Pre-Ceremony,” which is that half hour your guests are filtering into your venue, finding their seats, and saying their “hello”s to the other friends and family members they know. Sure, this moment could happen in an awkward, semi-silence where everyone can kind of hear each other’s conversations OR the space could be filled with lovely, ambient music appropriate to the moment, setting the scene and getting everyone in the mood. Whether it’s a pianist, guitarist, a string quartet, harpist, or a combination of any of those, our ceremony musicians don’t just play the perfect music for your ceremony itself, they set the mood from the moment your guests arrive.
Of course, the ceremony is only the beginning of the day – there’s so much fun left to be had! Up next? The cocktail hour of course! An essential part of any wedding day, the cocktail hour is when your guests start to whet their palates for the main event. Drinks start flowing, hors d’oeuvres start circling, and your guests start to get… antsy. The cocktail hour runs the risk of making or breaking the event, believe it or not. Picture it: your guests just witnessed the most beautiful ceremony, they saw you and your spouse and your wedding party in all your finery, they cried, they laughed, they are ready to congratulate and celebrate you.
Except there’s one tiny problem: you aren’t at the cocktail hour. Perhaps you and your new spouse eventually make it there, but at minimum, there’s a lull of at least half an hour while you and your spouse take the necessary photos, sign the necessary paperwork, and maybe even take a quiet moment for yourselves after one of the biggest moments of your entire lives (we recommend you do). So what do you do with all these guests left milling about just waiting for you both to reappear? You give them a jazz trio, of course!
By adding music that’s ambient, appropriate, and chosen in the moment based on the vibes of your specific crowd, suddenly the cocktail hour feels like an event all its own, rather than a holding room while they wait for the reception to start and the stars of the day to reappear. A cocktail jazz trio of a pianist, guitarist, and bass guitarist suddenly elevates the experience and keeps the momentum of the day in motion.
Then, of course, there’s the reception. The longest portion of the day, and the part that likely brought you to us in the first place. Our award-winning live bands absolutely take the cake (not your literal wedding cake, don’t worry) when it comes to making your reception one of the most polished, high-energy, fun, and utterly unforgettable nights of not just your lives, but your guests’ as well. Picture a packed dance floor, special moment songs tailored to just the way you want them, intelligent moving lights pulsing in time with the music, and even a photo booth where your guests can snap hilarious shots for you and them to keep forever. Sounds like fun doesn’t it? From experience, we can promise you it is.
You didn’t think we were done, did you? Everyone knows the party doesn’t stop til you say it does, and we’ll be the first ones to tell you that an After Party DJ is the absolute best way to close out the night. The second wind that comes from hearing your favorite high school or college hits come on over the speakers is unparalleled – and if you and your gang are night owls, we highly recommend it.
And there you have it! From the moment your guests arrive with their high heels on, to the moment they leave with them in their hands, we know just how to pack every single moment with entertainment that will keep them swaying, grooving, and in the mood all night long!
