|
Michael and Ashley chose the prettiest pink details and a little shimmer to highlight their wedding celebration in April!! We were thrilled to be a part of their big day as they said "we do!" at Magnolia Woods Events in Huntersville, NC! Our string trio was the perfect fit for their ceremony, and we treated their guests to several timeless classical selections that are mainstays in wedding ceremonies such as Canon in D, Air On a G String, Trumpet Voluntary, and more! We love playing these selections because they are traditional wedding standards. Honestly our musicians have most of these memorized, so it makes it easier to look up and to be aware of who is walking down the aisle, and to make eye contact with the planner for the cue for our next song. Check out a few of the pretty images below from Timothy Montais Photography. Congrats to the new couple! Be sure to check out our vendor friends who were a part of the wedding team:
Venue: Magnolia Woods Event Catering: LKN Weddings Wedding Planner: Beyond the Veil Weddings DJ: Brandon Hyde Photography: Timothy Montais Photography Videography: Premier Shooters Cake: Sweet It Is Florist: White Rose Florals Ceremony Musicians: Dean's Duets Bridal Make Up: Johnatha Camp MUA Bridal Hair: I Am Natural Love 2 Bridal Gown: Classic Bride Alterations: John Emily Studio
0 Comments
From time to time we are asked to take part in inspiration photoshoots as a way to partner with some of our vendor friends and collect beautiful professional photographs of our team members doing what they do best! We were thrilled to take part in this stunning photoshoot at Separk Mansion, one of the loveliest Charlotte venues! Three of our Charlotte violinists represented us well to add elegance and of course, beautiful music, to this fun day!  The beauty was in the details at this gorgeous shoot! From custom stationery to lush florals, these vendors provided designs befitting this historic mansion in Gastonia. There was even a wedding pup, and he was so adorable!! Be sure to check out our vendor friends who put together this amazing shoot!
Photography: Kevyn Dixon Photo Planning and Design: 13 Cedar Events, Abby Henderson Musicians: Dean's Duets Catering: Roots Catering Florals: Willow Floral Boutique Linens/Chairs/Dinnerware: CE Rentals Charlotte Stationery: Viri Lovely Designs Hair and Makeup: Beauty Asylum Charlotte Bride's Attire: Bluebird Bridal Groom's Attire: The Tuxedo Lady Vintage Rentals: Evermore Event Company Choosing the right vendors for your wedding day can make or break your entire event. While you may see several options out there, not all vendors are created equal.
So we want you to know what sets Deans' Duets apart from other music vendors! Professionalism. We take our events seriously. Like, really seriously. We are professional musicians, not hobbyists. Our musicians wear all black to keep the focus on the event and the music, they keep their materials organized and out of the way, and they go above and beyond to ensure that the event runs smoothly by working with all other vendors involved. You will always find our team members to be courteous, reliable, and accommodating. Customization. We realize that each client and each event we play is unique, so we provide endless options for you to customize the details to fit your vision. Our clients are able to choose from a variety of ensemble possibilities and can choose each song played. We’ll even learn new songs if you have a special tune in mind! We are also experienced at performing at all different types of venues and varying weather situations, so we can adapt to pretty much any set up. Reliability. We will be there for you on your big day. Our musicians work with us only after we have determined that they are committed to great performance AND to our clients. We will communicate with you throughout the planning process in a friendly and timely manner. We will arrive at your event on time, and we will be ready to play as planned. In the event of an emergency, we’ve got your covered. If for any reason our scheduled musician is unavailable, then we are able to provide an alternate musician to cover your day due to our large team. Talent. We have over 40 professional musicians in our roster who are dedicated to their craft. Our musicians go through an interview and try-out process with us before even becoming part of our team. They are experts in their genres, and they boast music performance degrees, play in orchestras and symphonies, teach music, and enjoy playing in various ensembles across the Southeast. Be sure to check several of our awesome team members on our website to see their credentials! High expectations. From ending processionals at just the right time, to double checking every detail so you have a cohesive sound, we have high expectations for ourselves, and we hope to exceed yours! We don’t just perform music - we want to ensure that our services extend beyond that, so that you feel completely at ease and so everything is perfect for your event. It is an honor for us to take part in our client’s special day and we would love to talk to you about what we can provide! The Sutherland in Wake Forest, NC provided a stunning backdrop for this October affair! Morgan and David had a vision for their wedding ceremony that included a solo harp, so Heather, our Charlotte and Raleigh harpist, was up to the task of creating a beautiful experience for this couple and their guests. The harp is such a unique instrument with the ability to make any genre of music sound charming and ethereal!  As you can see below, the couple had the prettiest details for their day! From blush and white florals, to custom monogrammed cookie favors, these two celebrated in style with planning and design by Premier Party Planners. After the ceremony, guests were treated to a fabulous dinner, cake and mini pies, and dancing! You can see all the pretty below in these images from Magnolia Photography. Congrats to the Whalens on their new adventure as a married couple! Be sure to check out the amazing vendor team that made this one flawless:
Photographer: Magnolia Photography Planner: Premier Party Planners Venue: The Sutherland Rentals: CE Rentals DJ: Bunn DJ Co Florist: Embellished Blooms Hair/Makeup: Silverceiling Ceremony Music: Dean’s Duets Catering: Shuckers Catering Video: Jon Warlick Media Bartending: The Happiest Hostess Photobooth: Spark Photo Booth We were so excited to work with Colleen and Michael for their October wedding! This was our first time at historic Boxwood Estate, and it was simply gorgeous! The bride and groom chose solo guitar for this intimate affair, so our Charlotte guitarist, Drew, was on hand to perform several classic melodies for their guests during the ceremony.  The couple opted for a small gathering of just their closest friends and family, so as you can see below, they were able to create the most lovely dinner set up featuring a twinkling light drape. Enjoy the beautiful images below from Charlotte photographer Amy Kolo Photo. Check out our vendor friends below that made this lovely day come to life!
Photography: Amy Kolo Photo Planner: A Touch of Southern Venue: Boxwood Estate Florals: Taylored Blooms Beauty: Mae's Makeovers Musicians: Dean's Duets Stationery: Art by Addie McElwee Catering: Family Catering Service Bridal Boutique: Ladies of Lineage Gown Designer: Amsale Menswear: The Black Tux Bridesmaids: Brideside Shoes: Vince Camuto Rings: Diamonds Direct Officiant: Gorden Fleming Hiring a violinist for your wedding sets the stage for elegant and timeless music to accompany you down the aisle and wow your guests! It also offers your guests an opportunity to experience a style of music they may not have heard and that they will remember for a long time to come. A wedding violinist isn’t your only option for strings on your wedding day. You could hire a cello, viola, guitar, harp, piano… there are many beautiful options! If you would like to have more than one musician, the violin pairs perfectly with any of these instruments.
1. Google “wedding violinist” in your area. Several options are sure to pop up. If you are in North or South Carolina, or you want us to travel to you, we would love to be your wedding violinist! But, if you are in another location, Google is a good place to start. 2. If you are working with a wedding coordinator or a wedding planner, they can likely recommend a violinist they enjoy working with and who they already know will do a great job. 3. Does the violinist have a website or are they willing to send you videos or audio samples of their playing? This one is important. You want a seasoned performer… Not just someone who has performed for a couple weddings. Here’s why: Many things happen at weddings. There are distractions, delays, changes at the last minute, and you need a violinist who can look up from their music and be aware of what is going on around them. If your violinist is less seasoned, they may be glued to their music and not aware of what is going on around them, which makes for awkward entrances and less than impressive melodies for your guests to enjoy. It can actually turn into a stressful situation for everyone if they see that the violinist is struggling. When performing, it’s important to communicate a sense of “I’ve got this” which becomes evident to guests. This allows guests to sit back, relax, and enjoy the music instead of feeling like they are sitting through a painful student violin recital where they are not sure the performer is comfortable.  4. Does the wedding violinist have reviews? The reviews don’t have to be on Wedding Wire, The Knot, or another popular website, but you need to be able to see that they have positive reviews and that the reviews seem genuine from actual clients. We have gotten many last-minute phone calls from brides two days before their wedding wanting to hire us instead because their hired violinist is not returning calls and may not show up on their wedding day. There is also the added stress of having already paid that violinist a deposit that they may or may not get back. Working with a violinist with a good reputation is so important just because of the peace of mind it will give you leading up to your wedding day. We actually know several performers who are not allowed to advertise on certain websites anymore because they did not show for events. It does happen, and you really don’t want it to happen to you on one of the most important days of your life. Always hire a professional! 5. Does the violinist have a song list? It’s important that your violinist has some ideas to offer you about what they can play. It doesn’t have to be a comprehensive list, but at least some suggestions of tunes they have played in the past and enjoy performing. Be sure to ask them if they are willing to learn any new music as well, as you may have a specific song in mind that you want to make sure is played. If this song is already in their repertoire then great, but if not they may need to learn it for your wedding.
7. Here are some other questions you may want to ask, depending on your specific situation… Do they need power nearby? Do they play with a PA or amplification system? Do they ever play with backing tracks? Do they play different styles of music or only classical music? Will there be any additional fees added, such as travel fees, fees for new music, overtime fees, taxes? Does the violinist require a vendor meal? At what time do they typically arrive? Do they need to talk with your officiant or planner before the wedding day? Of course, every violinist will do things a little bit differently, and you want to make sure that whoever you hire is someone who fits you and your vision for your wedding music. For example, here at Deans' Duets, if you are getting married in Asheville, and you want mainly classical music, we will prioritize a classical violinist who is also an Asheville violinist. But if you are getting married in Charlotte and want a classical violinist we would probably use one of our Charlotte violinists so that you did not have to pay travel fees from Asheville. That’s just the way that we do things… You want to ask these questions to make sure that the person or group you are hiring works for you. As another example of how we work, if our Asheville violinist were to get sick on your wedding day, and we would need to bring in a Charlotte violinist, we would not charge that travel fee since it was an emergency situation. We would be able to bring in a violinist from out of town in order to still play your wedding with a fantastic classical violinist, even if an emergency situation were to arise.
These are just a few examples of the culture of Dean's Duets, and how it’s important to ask many questions of the professional you are hiring, so that you feel comfortable and confident that they will do a great job with your wedding music. We are happy to answer any questions for you and point you in the right direction when searching for your wedding violinist in North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond! Feel free to reach out to us at any time. Happy planning!  Wedding coordinators and planners have been asking us to blog about this for a while. Coordinators are literal super heroes. They save the day MANY times throughout the day, on wedding day! They’re amazing, and we love them! They make our jobs easier, and they make the jobs of all of the other vendors easier! Coordinators hold vendors accountable. They fix their mistakes. They keep them on time and on task. They tie up loose ends. And they do about a million other things. You'll find that we often make shameless plugs for coordinators and beg our clients to hire them, because... it's worth it! Some wedding coordinators have a musical background and some don't. Some coordinators have planned 10 weddings, and others have planned hundreds. Many coordinators have asked us, "What can we do to make the ceremony processionals run even more smoothly?" We hope to answer that in this blog! We often have "after action reviews" at the conclusion of our weddings. We talk about what went well and how we can improve. This blog focuses on understanding when music is important, and how wedding planners can help it all work perfectly. WHEN DO I NEED MUSIC PLAYED? There are several different parts of a wedding where music is important.  The ceremony music This is the typical lay-out of wedding ceremony music: Prelude (sometimes called pre-ceremony) music: 30 minutes of background music as your guests arrive and find their seats Seating family (mothers, grandmothers, etc... whomever you decided to seat) 1 song Bridal party (officiant, groom, groomsmen, bridesmaids, flower girls, ring bearers, etc.) 1 song Bride 1 song Recessional (music at the conclusion of the ceremony) 1-2 songs Cocktail Hour Music Background music as guests mingle and bridal party takes photos. Dinner Music More background music Reception Music More music, usually for dancing  We at Deans’ Duets focus on the ceremony music, but we often provide cocktail hour and dinner music. And we sometimes play for the reception too. But in this blog, we focus on ceremony music, because it’s the most tedious, and it’s also the music that can get messed up if musicians are inexperienced or nervous. Some coordinators are musicians or at least know music, and they love the music part of the ceremony! Others - not so much - and they often ask how they can help this part to go more smoothly. It’s sometimes intimidating to cue music or to work so closely with the music when your background isn’t in music! So have no fear…. we have some tried and true tips to help this go really well. Not just ok… but to make sure all of your guests have chills as the bride walks down the aisle! HERE ARE THE THINGS YOUR MUSICIANS + PLANNER SHOULD DISCUSS:  NUMBER ONE List every single person that is walking for each song, and make sure musicians & coordinator agree :) For example….. Simple Gifts - family - grandma #1 - grandma #2 - grandma #3 - mother #1 - mother #2 Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring - bridal party - officiant - groom - 5 groomsmen - 5 bridesmaids - 1 ring bearer - 2 flower girls Canon in D - bride - bride + her father This ensures that everything is clear and that no one is forgotten! NUMBER TWO Where will these entrances be starting? For example, sometimes groomsmen will enter from a side entrance while bridesmaids enter from another door. And then sometimes the bride appears in a horse-drawn carriage! These things are important for musicians to know during ceremony music. NUMBER THREE Agree on cues! We recommend that the coordinator hold up a ONE for family seating, a TWO for bridal party, and a THREE for bride. Thumbs up works too, but numbers are just another double check for us to all be on the same page. Another alternative is for coordinator to text musicians. But this requires reliable cell service (which isn't always the case), so we usually just go with hand signals. Hold those numbers high to make sure there’s no doubt we see them! NUMBER FOUR Once we see your ONE, we’ll bring our prelude song to a close. We’ll pause for about 3 seconds of silence. And then we’ll start the family seating song. Make sure you wait for the silence before you start sending family down the aisle! We’ll make it really obvious. Sometimes it takes 5 seconds or so for us to end a song beautifully, so give us time to end it, and THEN people start walking. Wait for the silence again before sending the other groups. NUMBER FIVE Pace people slowly. We love for clients to really get to hear 1-2 minutes of the songs they chose. Sometimes, if walking is paced too quickly, people only get to hear 20-30 seconds of the songs. NUMBER SIX When it’s time for the grand walk down the aisle, give the musicians a clear cue to start while the bride is still hidden. This gives time for the song to crescendo and for the guests to recognize which song it is before they see the bride. You want this sequence: 1. cue the musicians 2. previous song stops. bride’s song begins 3. guests are overcome with the beauty of the song and recognize it 4. doors open & bride appears 5. bride walks toward the aisle as music continues to build 6. bride stops before the aisle to have dress fluffed & to take a moment to enjoy 7. music crescendos into a climax as bride nears the aisle 8. music concludes in an epic final chord as bride arrives at the front When this sequence happens perfectly, almost everyone is overcome with emotion, and many guests describe this entrance as the most powerful moment of the entire day. When the coordinator and musicians are in sync, this happens flawlessly! We love making this happen! It’s our favorite part of the entire wedding day. NUMBER SEVEN Talk about any music which will be played during the ceremony. - When will it happen? - What will be the musicians’ cue to begin and end the music? NUMBER EIGHT What is the cue for the recessional? Sometimes it’s “You may kiss the bride.” Sometimes it’s “I present to you for the first time…..” Sometimes it’s "Mazel Tov!” Sometimes it’s jumping the broom! It’s very important that the wedding coordinator, the officiant, and wedding musicians know the cue for the recessional. When the recessional music begins at exactly the right time, it’s another magical moment! When it’s even a second or two off, it can be awkward and lacking excitement. So there you have it….. seven important details to help your ceremony music flow perfectly! Are there tips we missed? Comment with them below! Can we help answer any questions about your ceremony music? If so, send us an email! DeansDuets@yahoo.com Coordinators…. are there things WE can do to make your jobs easier on wedding day? We’d love to know! Happy planning! P.S. Read a couple stories below to understand what can happen when these steps don't happen!
Check out a few of our favorite bridal processional songs below.... Lately, with all of the changes of shifting to smaller weddings, there are more do- it-yourself weddings (aka DIY weddings) where there is not a designated planner. If there is a planner, he or she is often faced with increased responsibilities due to the small size of the wedding and all the complications that have come with COVID weddings. One would think that a small wedding would make it easier on the coordinator and all involved, but often the opposite is the case. The coordinator is faced with last-minute decorating, pushing play on a playlist, floral arranging, giving instructions to more people….lots of responsibilities that would typically be the responsibility of a different vendor at a larger wedding. We have also seen weddings with no coordinator at all in this COVID-era wedding climate. The question we get from brides and coordinators alike is… How can I avoid potential hiccups with my music and ensure that everything goes according to plan? Even in earlier years when Covid was not an issue, there were a few key things that we always recommend to help your ceremony music to go smoothly on wedding day. Here are our suggestions...........  Venue: Sweet Magnolia Estate ONE. If you don’t have a day of coordinator, book one! We have never heard a bride regret booking a planner. As long as the planner is a professional and well-vetted one, DO IT! It's pretty much always a good decision. A full service or month-of planner is even better, but at least having a day-of planner is a good idea. If you do not want to hire a planner, designate someone who is not immediate family to at least line people up and send them down the aisle at the appropriate time. This is important because, without someone designated, time gets away from you on wedding day! There are boutonnieres to pin, bouquets to organize, grandparents to locate, petals to find for flower girls, pillows to remember for ring bearers..... all the things!! Most weddings start very late without someone in charge. This person should ideally have a printed day-of schedule and a to-do list at certain times of day. They should also plan time to chat with the musicians and with your officiant sometime before pre-ceremony music begins.
THREE. Have a rehearsal. Even if it’s a small wedding of 20 people, just walking through the motions helps a lot. Who walks down first? Who is on which side? Do groomsmen put their hands in their pockets or in front of them? What do you do with your bouquet when it’s time to exchange rings? All these things will flow better on wedding day if you have a quick walk-through. *Actually, a coordinator has a list of these things, and they'll take care of all of them, but again, if you don’t have a coordinator, a rehearsal will help!*  Venue: Champagne Manor FOUR. Communicate. What time should everyone arrive? What are your expectations of people on wedding day? Who brings all the things? A well-crafted email to everyone, or a schedule - or both - goes a long way. (Also copy your venue on this if they’re involved!)
 SIX. Read our more detailed blog to coordinators next week to see what we recommend to make music go PERFECTLY. We are pretty good at making things work well and flow, even if things are late.... even if we don’t get the cues we need... even if people walk out of order, etc. But… there is something about a perfectly timed entrance that is MAGICAL. So, read next week to get more specific tips about the music portion and how it can go as planned. Venue: Vesuvius Vineyards
Deans’ Duets is a full-service music planning team who provides ceremony music, cocktail hour music, dinner music, and reception music for clients throughout the southeastern United States and beyond. We currently provide music for many luxury weddings, but we started out many years ago playing mostly small church weddings and DIY low-budget weddings, so we’ve seen it all! Let us know if we can help.
DeansDuets@yahoo.com 828-308-1477 Carrie-Grace and Hunter reached out to us last year about providing a solo violinist for their wedding in Dothan, Alabama. We loved getting to know them and hearing about their vision for their wedding. With all of the uncertainty that came with weddings last year and this year, they decided to go ahead with a plan to have their wedding ceremony and reception in the bride's parents' backyard in Dothan Alabama. It was the perfect location for their elegant outdoor ceremony in southern Alabama. The violin music was just perfect for the ceremony. It was very simple, elegant, and sweet. Madilyn is our violinist from Pensacola, Florida, and she was in the perfect location to play this wedding. Madilyn played for us for several years in North Carolina and has since moved to Pensacola, so we love when we can book weddings for her in Florida and Alabama! Madilyn and her husband traveled from Pensacola to southern Alabama and enjoyed their time exploring a new place and playing for such a lovely day.
Shea Wilson was the wedding planner, and she was fantastic! She reached out to us a week before the wedding to talk through song selections, logistics, and itinerary. We love when we get to talk to the planner the week before the wedding to make sure we are all on the same page. She was so helpful at the wedding as well and cued us perfectly for everyone’s walk down the aisle. The photographer, Sarah Blaze, was amazing as well! If you are ever in need of a photographer in southern Alabama or the panhandle, she is so great!
Thanks to the bride and groom for a lovely day! Explore these vendors for your wedding in southern Alabama and Pensacola...
Photographer: Sarah Blaze Photography Catering: KBC Catering Wedding Planner: The Gray House Events
Myers Park Country Club is incredibly elegant. This entrance was just stunning
Our violinist was waiting in an adjoining ballroom to begin playing as soon as guests begin to make their way into cocktail hour, and Casey started playing solo violin while Amanda moved over from the ceremony and joined him to play violin and cello duets for the cocktail hour. The cocktail hour was filled with beautiful classic selections like Arioso and excerpts from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Libby with Details Wedding Planning coordinated this wedding flawlessly, and the Blossom Shop Florist provided these gorgeous florals. Also - in the age of COVID, we’re always interested to see how the sanitizer and masks are displayed, and we really loved how even the “safety” table looked beautiful!  Congratulations to the bride and groom! This was another fantastic wedding that we are so grateful to be a part of!
|
AuthorApril is a professional violinist and the music coordinator for Dean's Duets. Archives
January 2022
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
