Post-ceremony

We had a wonderful time at Jonathan and Kirsten’s wedding on Saturday. It was at the lovely Willows Lodgein Woodinville, one of the must beautiful venues around. The staff at Willows are all real pros and they take care of the couples and the vendors alike. It was a late-afternoon ceremony and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect…70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky! Jonathan and Kirsten hired a bagpiper for the ceremony music, which lent it a real cool and personal vibe. After he finished up we played for cocktails, dinner and the special dances. They picked “The Nearness of You” for their first dance, which is always one of my favorite tunes to play. For the mother/groom dance they asked for “What A Wonderful World”, and for the father/daughter dance they picked “Till There Was You”, which was actually the first dance at the very first wedding I ever played back in 2002 for my friends Denise and Bret! I don’t think we’ve been asked to play it since, so it was a real treat.

Borage!

The food was wonderful as usual, with a huge buffet spread and a raspberry lemon cake for dessert. Again, I can’t overstate how great a venue Willows Lodge is. Not only do they do everything right, but on their grounds is the garden for the Herb Farm, one of the country’s most famous restaurants, which is right across the street. As you sip your cocktail you can walk between rows of chard, thyme, rhubarb, rosemary and more, and even check out their truffling pig, Borage! If you’re in the market, give Jenn a call and tell her I sent you!

We had the pleasure of working with photographer Kristi Lloyd for the first time. I’ve heard Kristi’s name for years as one of the top photogs in Seattle and it was great to get to know her and her husband a little bit. I hope to have some of their pictures to share in this post soon.

All-in-all it was a beautiful night, and a great way to kick off the 2013 wedding season! Here’s a couple more shots I took, one of bassist extraordinaire Nate Omdal, and one as I was leaving the grounds.

Nate doing his thing!

Night falls on Woodinville

In addition to meeting all the most amazing wedding professionals in the area, you’ll be able to bid on some truly fabulous auction items throughout the night, and 100% of the proceeds benefit The Dream Foundation, the first national wish granting organization for adults suffering life-threatening illness. The mission of the Dream Foundation is to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their families who are battling life-threatening illness. The Dream Foundation helps adults find peace and closure with the realization of a final wish.

We’re proud to support this worthwhile cause and can’t wait to see everyone decked out in their finery. If you make it, be sure to stop by and say hi!

It was bar far the nicest day of the year, sunny and around 75 degrees. We starting playing the cocktail reception out on the lawn. There is a little gazebo where they had us play, which was a really nice backdrop for the music. We kept things upbeat and fun while people talked, took photos of the stunning views and played croquet. When it was time for dinner we moved inside the main hall, which is a huge barn-like structure that is at once rustic and elegant. We played on the stage while everyone enjoyed their meal.

This was my first time playing at Lord Hill Farms and I hope to be back there again soon. The venue is stunning! It’s only 35 minutes outside of Seattle, but it’s in the middle of Snohomish County farm country. They have a 180 degree view of the valley below them and huge grounds with ample room for celebration, and even croquet! While we were there we saw both parachuters and bald eagles in the sky!

I hope to have some pictures of the event to post soon.

Feb. 21st, 3-4pm

We’ll be playing at the Experience Music Project in the gorgeous Sky Church. If you haven’t been there before, this is one of the most stunning venues in the Seattle area. You can even book it for your wedding if you are looking for a place that will blow your guests away!

We’ll play from 3-4pm and it’s free and all-ages. In honor of Black History Month we’ll be paying tribute to some of the great African-American composers in jazz history.

If you make it out, be sure to stop and say hello after the show!

In addition to meeting all the most amazing wedding professionals in the area, you’ll be able to bid on some amazing auction items throughout the night, and 100% of the proceeds benefit The Making Memories Foundation, a wonderful organization that grants breast cancer patients’ wishes.

Here is a very cool preview of the auction catalog:

And here is a spiffy video preview of the event, complete with music from the JPQ!

We’ll be playing live from 6:30-8:00pm, so stop by and say hi! We’re also auctioning off a free hour of music for someone’s wedding reception…it could be yours!

Here’s the details:

What: Get Hitched, Give Hope
Where: Four Seasons, Seattle
When: Thursday, October 28th, 6:00pm sharp!
Why: To grant wishes to stage 4 breast cancer patients for whom the cure can’t come soon enough.
Tickets: Purchase tickets here

Hope to see you there!

Lisa & David and a traditional but not stuffy Jewish wedding ceremony, which gave us an opportunity to play our arrangements of “Hevenu Shalom Aleichem” and “Etz Chaim”, always a treat. And once the reception was in full swing and we busted out a rousing version of “Hava Nagila” the dance floor was packed and jubilant!

We also had the honor of being joined by our dear friend Isabella DuGraf. Bella is a vocalist extraordinaire who has been studying at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and has flown back to Seattle for the summer to join us for a few weddings. Everytime I get to play with her she gets better and better, and she fits in with the band beautifully.

Lisa was the center of attention in her gorgeous gown and huge smile all night long! However, her father’s toast was hilarious and he almost wouldn’t give up the microphone! Once he did, he hit the dance floor with reckless abandon! So nice to see a family truly enjoying the moment. We are privileged to spend these precious moments with people like Lisa, Dave and their family and friends.

Monday David sent me this nice note: “We both enjoyed you and the band very much on our big day. It couldn’t have been better.”

It was a picture-perfect night to be on the water, with clear skies, warm temperatures and a nice cool breeze once we got sailing. The ceremony itself was planned for the moment the sun set, with beautiful views of Mt. Rainier to one side and downtown Seattle to the other. I can’t remember a more magical setting for a wedding!

We had a wonderful time playing for Pam & Jon and their family and friends. We also took advantage of the beautiful setting to truly remind us what a spectacular part of the country we live in!

Yesterday I got a lovely email from Pam, who remarked, “You were fantastic at our wedding! Your quartet was perfect, just like the weather.” Now that’s what I like to hear!

View from the bandstand - not too shabby!

We had the pleasure of playing at Sarah & Gabe’s wedding in Port Gamble this past weekend. I’ve driven through Port Gamble many times on my way to Port Townsend and always loved this cute little waterfront town on the Hood Canal, but this is the first time I ever stopped there. I’m so glad I did! It’s a quaint town that has a very relaxed feel to it. And gorgeous views from just about anywhere!

Sarah & Gabe were married in the Hood Canal Vista Pavilion, which definitely lives up to its name! Josh and I played the ceremony and then Evan and Adam joined us for the reception and dinner. This was a fairly intimate wedding and all of their family and friends were very good to us. A couple guests even asked for CD’s, which is always a good sign!

Josh, Evan & Adam hard at work

We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world and I love to find new and undiscovered places to play and enjoy the scenery. Thanks to Sarah & Gabe for the excuse to finally stop in Port Gamble…I’ll definitely be back! If you’re looking for a gorgeous waterfront option for your wedding, definitely check them out!