As a traveling band of merry musicians, we do love getting the chance to see the beauty of the Northeastern United States. But, of course, that said, we love the beauty and magic of the city–so when we get the chance to celebrate someone’s wedding in the Big Apple, we are super excited. And this past weekend, we got to celebrate Joanna and Alan in Queens! A great, glittering view of the water set the tone, and the skyline sat just heartbeats away, and we were finished setting up inside! So what else was there to do but get ready to party?

With a ceremony off-site, Joanna and Alan had tied the knot just moments before–and we were already prepped to get started! The cocktail hour began, featuring the skills of our jazz trio. The party mingled and drank… and warmed up for the dancing that awaited them just beyond the next room! Finally, when the time came, the party set down their drinks and hustled over to their tables, ready for the main event!

And the main event had truly arrived! To kick off the evening, the After Party Band announced the entrance of the bridal party with her pitch-perfect take on “Crazy In Love“! From there, Joanna and Alan officially debuted as husband and wife, and announced it with “Bring Em Out”! Once the cheers finally died down, Joanna and Alan got in position for their first dance, which the After Party Band swiftly delivered! After his beautiful take on “Beyond”, there was hardly a dry eye in the house–so why not rip the bandaid off, and head right into the parent/child dance? Rather than splitting into multiple songs, Joanna, Alan, and their respective parental figures all danced to “Because You Loved Me“, sung beautifully by the lead vocalist.

It was time for a sweet treat, and what better treat than some cake? While the cake was being dealt out, Anthony dealt out “Everything”, a perfect fit for everyone’s sweet tooth! Shortly thereafter, it was time for the bouquet toss, underscored with “Lady Marmalade”! With so many traditional festivities done and passed, it was time for some good old-fashioned dancing! From the Jackson 5, to Madonna, to Nikki Minaj, and everything in between, the party broke out their dancing shoes and truly cut a rug! As the night finally came to a close, the city lights paved the way for everyone to return home. And what a gorgeous sight it was!

Beautiful plumes of leaves on trees. Pristine, calm waters. Romantically classic architecture. We’re never at a loss for gorgeous locations on our travels around the Northeastern corner of the United States. But there is something special about the magic and scenery of Candlewood Inn. With the gazebo alone, whose view of the lake only requires a casual glance to full take in the entire sight, we’re sure that it’s always been an amazing spot! It’s easy to already feel as if you’ve hit the lottery when you’re here, but to know that you’re about to marry the love of your life truly makes it one of a kind! This past weekend, we got the chance to pay Candlewood a visit, as we Kayla and Zach got married–and celebrated, of course!

Once it was made official at their off-site ceremony, the day called for some partying. So, upon arrival, the whole party was immediately ready for some cocktails! With our jazz trio, the party enjoyed some gentle jazzy tunes, and plenty of delicious drinks! Everyone engaged in small talk, enjoyed the visual feast just outside of the gorgeous windows, and discussed the stunning ceremony! As the cocktail hour ended, the party was ready for something more serious… both in the way of food, and dancing!

Even if the weather took a turn for the colder, it was time to heat things up inside the Candlewood! The party settled in for the reception, and the night was kicked off! After everyone took their seats, the bridal party entered to the very fitting “I’m So Excited”, sung skillfully by the Around Town Band’s female vocalsit! With the surge of excitement just beginning, it was time for the main entrance of the night: the newlyweds! Kayla and Zach entered their reception as the stars of the show, and the Around Town Band’s rendition of “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher”, no less! In their debut dance as husband and wife, the two spun around the dance floor to “Feels Like Home!”

The party briefly donned their dancing shoes to cut a rug to the Hora, expertly lead by Adam, and from there, it was time for the parent/child dances! Kayla and her father danced to “The Way You Look Tonight.” Shortly thereafter, the band out a double mother/child song special, and Kayla and her Mother danced to “Simply the Best”, while Zach and his mother danced to “Because You Loved Me”! With plenty of dancing on the horizon, the party was ready for a treat–and it was perfect timing for the cake cutting! GTO serenaded the crowd with “How Sweet It Is”, and the slice was made…

… and the dance floor was waiting! Once everyone had a sufficient sugar rush, the entire party cut a rug to beloved hits! There were plenty of highlights, but the party especially loved “All Night Long”, and “Let’s Stay Together,” “Higher Love,” and even the beast of a song, “Proud Mary!” After such a blast of a reception, everyone was ready to tuck themselves in, and as they dreamt of the memories they’d just made, Kayla and Zach dreamt of the rest of their lives together. Congratulations!

Let’s take a quick trip back to February 2020. While much of the world was grappling with COVID-19, unaware of how serious it would become, two lovely souls were meeting up for their second date. And, as they say–the rest was history! Margo and Nitzan dated all throughout 2020, falling more and more in love. With such extreme circumstances around them, the feelings they were experiencing grew all the stronger. So when, in November, Nitzan proposed, it was a no brainer! Finally, nearly two years later, they tied the knot–and we joined them!

The Roundhouse in Beacon, NY made the perfect one-stop-spot for the ceremony, the cocktail, and the reception! With the gorgeous falls not too far away, our ATE ceremony musicians, Lauren and Justin, set the tone for every step of the way, from the processional to the recessional, and everything in between! With “Can I Be Him”, “You Are The Reason”, and “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)”, the entire ceremony flew by! And before everyone knew it–Margo and Nitzan were officially married!

While our A-List Band set up just inside, the party was getting themselves warmed up for the dance floor! Drinks in hand, they spent their cocktail hour being serenaded by our jazz trio! The hour went by quick–and with the mingling done, it was time for the main event: the reception!

After the attending party took their seats, the bridal party kicked off the night! Pepper gave them a pitch perfect welcome with “Happy”! But next up was the big entrance: Margo and Nitzan! As they made their way through the room, the A-List Band’s male vocalist crooned out “Share Your Address”… and then served up their first dance! With his beautiful rendition of “Falling All In You” done, the party was ready for their turn to dance. And that meant… the Hora! The lively spot was the perfect break before the emotional kicker of the night–the parent/child dances! Margo and her father danced to “I’ll Be There”, sung beautifully by one of the female vocalists of the A-List Band. The band’s gorgeous rendition of “Landslide”  was for Nitzan and his mother! With not a dry eye in the house, emotions were running high, and that was the perfect fuel for a good, old-fashioned hour of dancing!

From Taylor Swift to Lil Nas X, and everything in between, there were plenty of roof-raising songs over the night! But the crowd had two distinct favorites: “About Damn Time” and “Last Dance“, which finished out the night! What a great day!

We know that summer has long passed, but this past weekend really made it clear: autumn has arrived! Here at ATE, we are more than happy to see it; there are few things quite as romantic as the beautiful orange and yellow leaves, the extra toasty toasts (badum-tss), and the inclination to snuggle up with your loved ones. As we further progress into fall, those things only get more common. However, this weekend, when we celebrated the nuptials of Rebecca and Carlo, we did so at a very autumn-appropriate locale: a barn! With the crisp air nice and chilled, and the After Party Band prepped and ready to go, we were excited to start playing!

With the view of gorgeous greenery just behind them, our party settled in for the ceremony, with our ATE pianist, welcoming them in! By the time that Rebecca and Carlo made it to the altar, there was hardly a dry eye in the house! Between “I Can’t Help Falling In Love”, “Perfect”, and “Marry You”, the pop-fueled nuptials were so beautiful, and flew by! Before they new it, it was official: Rebecca and Carlo were married! From there, it was time to get the party warmed up for the main event (the reception, of course!), and that required some drinks and mingling… so cocktail hour was the perfect next chapter of the evening!

Our jazz trio, had a blast lending their talents to the perfect blend of energizing tunes, and chill jazz. Before everyone even realized it, the hour was up! With the pillowy embrace of a few drinks in their system, the party made their way inside the tent, where the rest of the band was waiting inside! Everyone took their seats… and adjusted their gaze to the door, where the entrances were beginning! First up were Rebecca and Carlo’s parents, who Joshua perfectly introduced with “Signed, Sealed, Delivered!”. Shortly thereafter, the bridal party and groomsmen made their way to their seats: the bridesmaids were welcomed by “Man, I Feel Like A Woman”, and welcomed the groomsmen to “Bring Em Out”! By the time that the newlyweds made it to the floor, and the After Party Band’s rendition of “Can’t Stop The Feeling” brought down the house, the entire wedding party was ready to get the night’s celebrations started!

The moment was so perfect, it was as if it had been written in the stars! Together, Rebecca and Carlo spun around the floor to “If You Love Her” (sung expertly by Joshua), and their first dance wow‘ed the entire tent! And as if that weren’t moving enough, it was time shortly thereafter for the parent/child dances! Rebecca and her father danced to “I Hope You Dance”, and Carlo and his mother danced to “Mama Loves You!”

With plenty of amazing songs down, there was only one thing left to do: sing and dance some more! The dance floor was officially open for business, and hosted everything from Neil Diamond to Miley Cyrus! There were plenty of crowd favorites, especially the band’s rendition of “American Girl”. But the final ATE song of the night, “Love Story” perfectly encompassed the entire evening. And watching Rebecca and Carlo celebrate together, made it absolutely undeniable–it is a love story!

Gorgeous views. Waterfront venue space. Plenty of sun. These are only a handful of the boasting points whenever a client chooses Indian Trail as their dream reception location. When Indian Trail hosts visitors, they always treat the entire party, and accompanying stellar band (*wink, wink, nudge, nudge*), like royalty. And this past weekend was no different–when we were there to celebrate Tess and Michael! With the entire Lake House to ourselves (as is customary with any reception that is booked at Indian Trail!), we truly got the chance to let loose and cut some rugs!

With absolutely pleasant weather gently guiding the day, our party arrived fresh off of the wagon from a beautiful ceremony. And that meant that the cocktail hour was ready to begin! With our A-List Band jazz trio already prepped to go, the party immediately entered to the gentle welcome of jazz! As the cocktail hour drew on, everyone got a chance to discuss the lovely ceremony, and of course, build up their excitement for the reception! The hour came to an end, and the mingling and drinking had them warmed up–and encouraged them to put on their dancing shoes!

The entire attending party made their way to their seats, and with that, the reception had officially begun! With everyone in place, we got started with the order of events–kicking it off by introducing the wedding party! The A-List band blew us all away with her rendition of “Can’t Stop The Feeling”, and the bridal party was officially present! With their bridal party paving the way, Tess and Michael were close behind! Shannon rolled out the red carpet for them with “Forever” belted out perfectly! Shortly thereafter, the newlyweds took their place in the spotlight for their first dance! “Yours,” was a perfect selection made by the couple!

The party was quick to dry their tears, but they weren’t through the thick of it–the parent/child dances were only a breath away! Between Tess and her father dancing to “Butterfly Kisses” and Michael and his mother dancing to “My Wish,” the room hardly had a chance to recover! But as the final note was sung, it was time to pivot to more exciting things–like the flower toss, of course! “Single Ladies” ringing through the air, the bouquet made their arch through the air… and into the hands of the next bride-to-be!

With a brief break for dinner (and Luna Mezzo Mare, too!) there was only one thing left to do.. cut a rug! There were plenty of great moments throughout the night, from Frank Sinatra to Taylor Swift, and everything in between! Tess and Michael especially loved “Heads Will Roll”, “Shout”, and “Boogie Wonderland”! Fittingly, the night came to a close as the A-List Band’s male vocalist belted out a definite classic, “Save The Last Dance For Me”, and the clock struck just before midnight. Congratulations to the happy couple, Tess and Michael!

There are simply some venues where you can only pinch yourself to believe you were truly there. Over the gorgeous greenery, impressive stretch of fountains, and incredible architecture of Oheka Castle, there were plenty of sights and sounds to be distracted by. But the most beautiful sight of all was easily where we got to spend our afternoon–with Pamela and Brian, as they got married!

With fair weather and a gentle dose of sun that kept the vibe light and breezy, the Groom’s song, “I See The Light”, truly encompassed the vibe of the beautiful day! It was a gorgeous ceremony, with plenty of lovely music (including “Thinking Out Loud” and “1000 Years” and many more!) beautiful vows, and incredible flowers, and before long, it was official! Pamela and Brian were newlyweds! And that could only mean one thing–for the party to move on to the cocktail hour! There, they were serenaded by the Around Town jazz trio, on the second floor of the clubhouse. With lots of drinks and mingling done, the party was ready to move on to the next step: the reception!

The reception started off with a bang, as the Bridal party entered to “We Are Family”, before the Around Town Band welcomed Pamela and Brian with her stellar rendition of “I Just Want To Feel This Moment”! By the time that the room rippled from the burst of excitement, it was time to steel themselves; the tearjerkers waited, just over the horizon! And they didn’t start gently; the first dance, “I Get To Love You”, guaranteed that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house! The party got a brief moment of reprieve when the time came for the Hora! But by the time it was over, it was ready for another beautiful choice: “You Raise Me Up”, for Pamela and her father. The Father/Daughter dance, was the heart-warmer needed to prepare the party for another tug at the heartstrings, as “Because You Loved Me”, for Brian and his mother’s heartfelt Mother/Son dance.

From there, it was time to feed everyone’s appetites–and that could only mean cake! For the ceremonious cutting, Adam and Amanda treated us to something sweet with “I Got You Babe“! With the final morsel nibbled, the party had recovered enough energy to get ready for the main event… dancing, of course! The slow dances were a thing of the past, as the band geared up some of its greatest hits–and some of the Bride and Groom’s requests! From Chicago to P!nk, the band played the night away, but the biggest winners were very clear. The Around Town Band’s rendition of “Call On Me” brought the house down, but not before the band could kill it with “Dynamite”. The best and brightest, however, had to be the moment when both for “You Are The Reason”. By the time that the final song was played, “I Lived” the party had certainly earned a good night’s sleep!

When Cassidy and Justin first met, it was 2011. They were in Spanish class, and Cassidy’s bright and sunny personality knocked Justin off his feet. It was then that he knew, he had to get to know this girl better! Before “sliding into your dms” was a thing, people had Facebook Messages–and that is where Cassidy and Justin’s romance blossomed. After officially getting together, they were inseparable through all sorts of different life events, including college and the pandemic–and now, they’ve tied the knot!

After a gorgeous ceremony off site, Cassidy and Justin made their way, party in tow, to the gorgeous Madison Hotel–where we were waiting to get the celebrations started! When the party arrived, thirsty and ready for some fun, we were already set up with our jazz trio and playing some cocktail hour tunes! As everyone mixed and mingled, our After Party Band was just a few rooms away, in the Ballroom, preparing for the reception! By the time that everyone had sufficiently wet their palettes, we were all ready to go–and that meant that the main event was about to begin!

As everyone took their seats, the After Party Band was ready to wow the crowd with the entrance songs for both the bridal party and the newlyweds themselves! For the maids of honor and the groomsmen, she performed an amplifying rendition of “Levitating”, and for man and woman of the hour… “Crazy In Love“! (A fitting song for two lovely people who had just been wed!) As everyone settled, Cassidy and Justin positioned themselves for the first dance–and Elsa delivered! After spinning around the floor to “Still the One”, the crowd could barely contain their emotions! But they’d have to hold on a little while longer, while our After Party band tugged at the heartstrings once more, with a one, two, punch… the parent/child dances! Cassidy and her father danced to “Sweet Child O’Mine”, and Justin and his mother danced to “Let It Be“, both gorgeous performances by the band!

From there, it was time to dance! The night had plenty of roof-raising moments, but there were definitely a few that stood out starkly among the rest–where the party tore up the dance floor! Between the band’s incredible take on “American Girl” and “Born to Run”, and “My Own Worst Enemy”, the party could not get enough! By the time that the night was over, everyone was so danced-out, that they were happy to tuck themselves into bed. Congratulations to Cassidy and Justin!

No matter what life throws at some of us, there are some things that are a constant. Death and taxes are two of the more grim examples of this–but true love is another! Such is so clearly the case with Kimberly and Jake! After meeting in college, Kimberly and Jake went through the ringer in terms of relationship hurdles: long distance, lots of moves, and of course… a pandemic! But after all of that, they were engaged–and we were invited to come along!

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, our guitarist Dave started the ceremony off right! Outside of the gorgeous Senate Garage, with the right weather, Kimberly and Jake tied the knot! With tunes like “Can’t Help Falling in Love“, “XO”, and “The Black and White”, the crowd was truly moved–and by the time they wiped their tears, it was time for the cocktail hour! While everyone drank and mingled, our jazz trio, set the mood with some light, jazzy tunes! Before anyone knew it, the main event had arrived… the reception!

Inside the beautiful event space, the entire party settled into their seats, and turned their attention to the door, where the newlyweds emerged! Tim welcomed them into the room with a gorgeous rendition of “The Black and White”, and with that, the lovely couple positioned themselves for their first dance. As Kimberly and Jake spun around the floor, the Altitude Band readied the next double whammy of emotional gut punches–the parent/child dances! For Kimberly and her father, he sang “In My Life”, and for Jake and his mother, “My Wish”! With all that said and done, the party was ready to cut a rug… and it was definitely their turn! (After dinner and dessert, of course!)

The final chapter of the night included tons of dancing, which had some obvious highlights: Amanda’s stellar renditions of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, “You Go Down Smooth”, and “Still the One”, and Carla’s impeccable takes on “American Pie” and “Valerie” for sure! But by far, the highlight of the night didn’t include any of our ATE vocalists, but certainly included our incredible band! After an amazing stretch of dancing, our vocalists got to take a little break while Jake’s Dad took the mic for a roof raising version of “Jailhouse Rock“! By the time we packed up and went home, we were definitely still talking about the take on an Elvis classic–and we’d be talking about it for quite some time after!

Alex and Amanda first met their Sophomore year of College at Ithaca. Their first memory together is being assigned to the same table for Physics lab, getting a box of a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, and distributing the donuts to the rest of the group together. From there, Alex said it was love at first sight, and as they became closer friends, Amanda started to fall in love, too! When it became official in 2018, they both knew–they were a perfect match! Even more exciting is the fact that we were invited to come along–and play some great music, of course!

With Autumn’s fresh cold snap temporarily avoided, we were happily settled on the lawn for the ceremony! Our After Party Band pianist, set the tone for the afternoon with “A Thousand Years”, “Canon in D”, and “Marry You”–and before long, it was official! With the knot newly tied, the party headed to the cocktail hour, where our jazz trio treated the entire party to some cocktail hour tunes! With everyone sufficiently warmed up for the main event, the reception, it was time to get a move on–the dance floor was waiting!

After everyone took their seats, Esther kicked off the night! With her renditions of “Don’t Start Now” and “Love On Top”, the remainder of the party not only made it to the floor, but made it in style! With Alex and Amanda at the centerstage, the After Party Band got the ball rolling with “Better Together”, the first dance! From there, it was a quick turn around to the next step–the parent/child dances! Amanda and her Dad shook things up with a back to back dance of “Cinderella” and “Jump Around,” and Alex and his Mom spun beautifully around the floor to “My Wish!”

For the rest of the night, the party drank, ate, and partied (of course)! There were plenty of great songs that were a hit with the crowd, but everyone particularly loved “About Damn Time” and “Shout”, both of which got plenty of party participation! By the time that the final song played, and everyone grabbed their bags, no one wanted to leave (especially not us)! Congratulations, Alex and Amanda!

Before Autumn officially takes hold and exposes us to tempestuous winds, and eventually Winter’s harsh grasp, it was nice to have a final spin around the summery block to warm the bones. And for the lucky few, that warmth came from the beautiful wedding of Joanna and Michael! At every step of the way, the wedding party enjoyed sights of beauty, with everything from the rolling hills of the green, to the classic, romantic structure building, to the giant ballroom on site. It truly was a perfect setting for a perfect day!

After a beautiful off site ceremony, the newlyweds and the party were ready for some drinks… and you know what that meant… cocktails! With our jazz trio, the cocktail hour was a success! Our Altitude Band, set the tone as the party mingled and drank. With everyone sufficiently warmed up, it was definitely time for something to eat… and perhaps some dancing! And that could only mean one thing… it was time to party!

While their time on the patio and the foyer was wonderful, the grumbling stomachs and dancing feet were calling for the reception, so the party made their way inside! After entering and jamming to songs such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, the parents and the bridal party had taken their seats. And that meant that it was time for the couple of the hour to arrive, and to “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen no less! Nascha and Elsa had a blast singing such fun songs. But now it was time to slow things down a bit… and get ready for the first dance! By the time that Joanna and Michael took the floor as the band’s male vocalist sang “In Your Arms”, there wasn’t a single tear unshed. But they weren’t out of the woods yet: it was time for everyone to get prepared for the next tearjerkers: the father/daughter and mother/son dances! Between “My Wish,” and “That’s What Mamas Do” sweetly sung by the Altitude Band’s lead vocalist, the party had earned another round of dances. So it was time for the party to take to the floor once again, and cut a rug!

While there were tons of highlights of the night, there was a particularly good round of dancing for “I Go Blind”, “Mr. Brightside”, and “Don’t Stop Me Now!” For their special day, Joanna and Michael wanted nothing more than to spend a happy night with their loved ones, and they certainly got exactly what they asked for.