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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!

Here at Around Town Entertainment, we have a particular soft spot for true loves that came to be far, far before they even realized it themselves–and that was surely the case for Gerard and Allison! Their story begins a long, long time ago in the Pre-K class of St. Gabriel’s School – where they saw each other in the hallway often! It wasn’t until they began performing in school plays and served as altar servers in sixth grade that our spark might have started to flame… until they officially started dating in November of 2015. Cut to a short few years later… and they’re engaged!

The weekend started off without a hitch, with rosy warm weather, and clear skies. The View at the Battery was a perfect spot! With the ceremony off site, the party arrived to the restaurant ready for some drinks! Our cocktail quartet, featuring piano, bass, guitar, and a cello had a wonderful time underscoring the post-ceremony conversation with smooth, jazzy tunes. By the end of the cocktail hour, the entire party was ready for some dancing and dining!

With cocktail hour at an end, the party took their seats. The classic NYC architecture was gorgeous overhead, as the bridal party entered the room to “Forever!”!  Before everyone else got the chance to cut a rug, it was time for the first dance. It was a lovely choice, “You Are The Reason”, as Allison and Gerard took their first turn as husband and wife! Of course, there wasn’t a single dry eye in the house!

With tears sufficiently shed, the party needed a boost–perhaps best served in the form of a sugar rush? As everyone made their way to the cake, Tim treated them to “I Can’t Help Myself“. And boy, was the cake worth it! With a delicious break over, everyone else was ready to cut a rug. And a rug was indeed cut! There were so many highlights of the night, but the party particularly loved Amanda’s stellar performance of “Single Ladies”, as the bouquet was tossed! With the wedding tradition over and done, the night took off, and there was plenty more dancing!

By the time that the clock struck just before midnight, the party still had plenty of dancing to do… and the good news was, the party was not done! With our DJ ready for his turn, the party continued the ball rolling into a final set of dancing that was nonstop–and certainly not to be forgotten! As their guests enjoyed the rest of the dance set, Gerard and Allison enjoyed their first night as an officially wed couple. Congratulations!

Obviously, everyone deserves to feel like royalty the day of their wedding. But sometimes, you have a wedding in a castle, like Meredith and Diogo… and we got to tag along for the ride!

For starters, we passed the gorgeous scenery: big tall trees, a vast lake, and lots of classic architecture. As we made our way inside to set up, we couldn’t believe how breathtaking it all was! When the time finally came and Meredith walked down the aisle, our ATE pianist, serenaded the party to several different tunes, including “If I Ain’t Got You”, “Make You Feel My Love”, and “This Will Be”! By the time that it was official, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, and the party was ready for some cocktails!

As the party mingled and mixed, our jazz cocktail trio treated the group to some jazzy tunes! Together the Around Town Band’s jazz trio had a blast entertaining the group as they warmed up for the main event… the reception, of course! After the entire attending party settled in, the bridal party made their grand entrance to “Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)!” Once they had taken their seats, the Around Town Band’s lead female vocalist sang “Love On Top” to mark the arrival of the newlyweds! Shortly thereafter, it was time for Meredith and Diogo’s first dance, the perfectly fitting “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You!” From there, the sentimental punches kept rolling, as the party pivoted to the parent/child dances!

From “My Girl” for Meredith and her father to “Rock Around the Clock” for Diogo and his mother, the party was ready to get their turn at cutting a rug. But first, they had to do some refueling… and that meant that it was time for some cake! As they made their way over, the Around Town Band treated us to another sweet, “Sugar”! The perfect dessert anthem, of course!

Once the course was finished, the dance floor was officially open, and that meant that it was time to dance! There were tons of hits that night, but the crowd was especially a fan of “Honey, I’m Good” and “Shout”, as well as tons of Brunos Mars, Rhianna, Adele, and more! By the time that the night drew to a close, no one wanted to go home! Diogo and Meredith are husband and wife at last–and we had so much fun celebrating with them!

It all started in 8th grade history class… well, for Chris.

It may have taken Jane another 5 years to notice him, but it all fell into place one fateful day. Alongside Jane’s best friend- and now bridesmaid- Gracie, Chris made his way through DHHS with his fresh Justin Bieber-esque haircut. As Gracie took off to greet Jane on their first day of Senior year, Chris followed quickly behind, knowing this was his chance to finally catch her eye. So after Jane and Gracie embraced, he turned to Jane and awkwardly asked,

“So where’s my hug?!”

It is still to be determined if Jane hugged him out of pity or love at first sight, but Chris is convinced its the latter 🙂 Fast-forward through a year of free periods spent comparing their favorite country music songs, being each other’s biggest cheerleaders during football/ volleyball/ lacrosse games, tutoring each other in math and Spanish, and prom, Chris and Jane found themselves smitten…and Elon bound!

Leaving small town Madison as two 18-year-olds, they knew they had something special. But over four years, it grew into something they never could have imagined. Chris and Jane experienced the typical trials and tribulations during that transition to adulthood, but they always came back to and leaned on each other, falling in love through that process. In May 2017, they graduated Elon side-by-side and the countdown began…

Jane and Chris knew they were meant to last forever. As they both embarked on their post-graduate lives, they waited to cement that “forever,” excited to watch each other flourish in their career paths first.

After supporting each other through horrible first jobs and countless hours of studying, Chris found himself mid-pandemic, mid-Sip of Sunshine beer, mid-1976 Miami Dolphin’s reruns on TV, and somehow decided this was the perfect time to ask Mr. Concannon for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Having received the most important blessing, on June 6th, 2020, Jane lived the moment she had always dreamed about…a proposal in her hometown, at the beach, with a picture-perfect sunset as the backdrop… and Chris down on one knee.

From the very start, the one value Jane and Chris always shared most is their love for their family and friends. That is why they couldn’t wait to finally celebrate and tie the knot with Around Town Entertainment’s Altitude Band at the BEAUTIFUL Pine Orchard Yacht and Country Club.

Everything was meticulously planned by Sarah Parlos of “One Fine Day Planning” and went off without a hitch! The couple hosted a cocktail hour with MANY yummy and delicious treats, where the guests were serenaded by the Around Town Band’s jazz trio featuring a bass, guitar, and piano! The trio perfectly underscored all the delicious hors d’oeuvre and bubbly drinks as the celebration kicked off. All the guests started to tap their toes along with many of the jazz classics the group played, getting excited to dance it out for the reception! 

As everyone entered the reception room, the Altitude Band played the most perfect song to get the party started: “Timber” by Kesha & Pitbull. The bridal party skipped into the room jamming it out to the most requested wedding band in Connecticut, the Altitude Band. Chris and Chris had their first dance as husband and wife to “Lifetime” by Justin Bieber and the dance party kicked off!

The Altitude Band played many of Chris and Jane’s favorite songs throughout the night such as, “Always and Forever” by Heatwave, “Speechless” by Dan & Shay, “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.

 It was truly a night to remember and we’re so happy to have been part of Chris and Jane’s special day extra memorable!

Here at ATE, we have been absolutely floored by such a lovely summer of events! Even if the weather was particularly intense at times, (I mean, a heat index of over 100 degrees?! Wild times!) we had several memories made that will last us a lifetime. As we near the end of the summer, we’d love to review a handful of our favorite moments.

1.) Positively Greek

When Andrew and Allie wed on July 24th, not only did we get to tag along–but we also got to bring some of our friends, the Greek band! While they tagged along, we worked together as a team to combine the sound of the Mediterranean with some good old fashioned Pop, Rock, and everything in between! The Greek band played tons of Greek favorites, including “Orea Pou Ine I Nifi Mas” (Boundaries Where Our Bride Is), “Ta Rialia” (The Money), “H Vraka” (Wreckage), and more! By the time that they left for the evening, we could still hear their beautiful music on the wind! Certainly an exciting moment that we would be remiss not to include!

2.) Shaking Things Up a Bit! 

Listen, we’re wedding people–it’s what we do! But when we get the rare opportunity to shake things up a little bit, we do enjoy the occasional different event! This summer, we’ve gotten the super exciting chance to do a couple of different celebrations! From anniversaries to birthday parties, we certainly had a blast trying new things. (Plus, there’s usually still a super delicious type of desert involved, so who are we to complain?) One of those super fun parties was Julia’s 60th birthday! Our After Party band had so much fun playing plenty of R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop, and more!

3.) Sweet Serenades

Of course, as musicians, we love performing and entertaining at plenty of events. (Obviously… we aren’t just being hired for our sparkling personalities!)  But there’s nothing we love more than the joy on the parties’ faces when there’s a surprise performance… especially when they know the performer so well! Sneaky performances planned by a member of the family (or even newly wed couple) always add an extra level of pizazz! This summer, we had quite a few of these! One of our favorites definitely had to be Andrew’s performance of “It’s Growing” during his reception this summer! Not only was it a beautiful moment, but his bride, Lauren, had absolutely no idea!

4.) Christmas In… August? 

All summer long, we’ve been absolutely wow’ed by some incredible creative choices during events. From requesting songs from the early 2000’s (Every time we are asked to play “This Is What Dreams Are Made Of”, we are so excited to oblige.) to an evening almost entirely comprised of dance anthems, there’s never a dull moment when newlyweds listen to their hearts for their receptions! To make their post-nuptial party feel even more homey, Jacqueline and Craig requested a little used summer hit–Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas”! Not only did it bring down the house, but it was a nice reminder that while summer may nearly be over, we have some exciting seasons just around the corner!

Of course, while they may not be mentioned here, every event this summer has been a blast–and we are super thankful that you continue to choose ATE! We are looking forward to a jam packed autumn and winter, which is just around the corner!