Washington Celebrations - Live Musicians, Professional DJs, Elegant Lighting
Woodbridge, VA 22195
(map) Phone: 855-323-8368
Reviews for Washington Celebrations - Live Musicians, Professional DJs, Elegant Lighting
GUEST
We used Washington Celebrations to provide a cellist for our ceremony, as well as some lighting for our small reception. They did an amazing job lighting our jazz trio and our cake, and we had them do a nice GOBO for us that we used outside during the ceremony, but was then brought and projected onto the dance floor for the reception.
Mike (the owner) carries his phone around with him all the time, and would respond to my e-mails almost immediately in the weeks leading up to the wedding -- I can't tell you how nice that is. The two members of his staff that came to set up were awesome -- so interested in making sure everything was just the way we wanted, and genuinely friendly and wonderful.
We never had a spare moment to chat with the cellist the day of, which was sad because he did perfectly. Fortunately, we had discussed all of the important points well beforehand. Gerald did beautifully with all of our special requests, and sounded superb.
So, basically, I can't say enough wonderful things about them. In retrospect, I would have used them for more of our details -- the package deal thing is awfully convenient.
GUEST
Mike and Shawna were both great. Coordination up to our big day and the services day of were as promised. The musicians they set up for our ceremony, were fabulous. We were very pleased with their services and overall experience. Thank you both! :) We would definitely recommend their company and certainly use them again. :)
GUEST
I can't say enough great things about Mike at Washington Celebrations! I used Washington Celebrations for both my ceremony/cocktail hour music- which was a violin and guitar duo and a band for the reception. Mike was very easy to work with and very professional. If you are looking for a company that is easy to work with and will help recommend the perfect music for your wedding this is the way to go!
GUEST
The violinist that was hired was incredible. Mike from Washington Celebrations composed a special Jason Mraz song for the violin for our recession and it was incredible. Loved everything about this company. Extremely helpful and very well priced.
GUEST
We used a cello soloist for our wedding to save cost from getting a whole string quartet, but it was just enough. Gerald arrived early and played music on the front lawn as the guests arrived, then moved to the garden for the music. He was great, and he even got the JMU Fight Song to play for the recessional as a fun exit from our ceremony. Everyone loved it!
GUEST
Highly recommend Mike and the rest of the team at Washington Celebrations!
From the minute we contacted them for the quote, Mike was incredibly responsive and easy to work with. He even threw in a second hour of quartet music for a FRACTION of their normal cost! The most important thing for us was to make sure they could play some modern stuff for our ceremony (White Stripes, Edelweiss, and Coldplay). Mike was so enthusiastic about doing this and only charged us for the cost of sheet music!
While I didn't hear much of the quartet since I made my entrance last, from what I saw and have heard from guests they were awesome. They were extremely professional and very skilled. We had zero issues with them. The music they arranged specially for our ceremony sounded flawless.
Usually when you get handed off from the initial contact at a vendor to the day-of contact, communication lapses. Not so here. Mike put me in touch with Gerald, our day-of contact, and he was just as easy to work with. Shawna (in charge of billing) is also WONDERFUL to work with too!
Brides: be sure to book Washington Celebrations before they realize how much of a steal their rates are! Absolutely no regrets here.
GUEST
I have to say, there hasn?t been one day that has gone by in 1 month since my wedding that someone hasn?t mentioned the phenomenal band. While I was truly pleased with how every aspect of the wedding turned out, I can?t tell you enough how amazing BackBeat was. It without a doubt, made the wedding a success. BackBeat far surpassed all expectations I ever had for a band for our wedding. My mom and I have literally said it daily since?.it was a full on show, not just a band. The female singers were not only singers, but pure entertainment with their choreographed dancing. They were so personable and just a joy to be around. While it was the first show for the band as a whole group, the chemistry displayed just the opposite. Enough rambling, all this to say, this band single-handedly made our wedding reception the best party I?ve ever been to! Thank you.
GUEST
I loved working witih Washington Celebrations. They played during our pre-ceremony happy hour and during the ceremony, and they were great. They were very flexible about what music we wanted -- we wanted some 80s songs for the ceremony and they played them beautifully and classically. And they were very friendly and professional. I would hire them again in an instant.
GUEST
Kate Rodgers was my harpist for my wedding ceremony. She was great! Everyone said she played the songs beautifully!
GUEST
We hired a solo violinist to play during our ceremony and cocktail hour. She was extremely professional and sounded great. Her music was beautiful and the cost was reasonable - highly recommended.
Vendor response to review
Thanks for the great review guys! Laura had a wonderful time performing for you. :)
GUEST
Mike (the DJ) was extremely helpful in preparing for our wedding. He was very professional and responsive. At the last minute, he had to find a sub to be our DJ (due to military orders) and the replacement did a great job. Mike made sure he had all of the right music and names, and followed up with us after the wedding to make sure we were satisfied.
The only thing we were not 100% happy with, was the pianist for the cocktail hour (Jorge). When we went to Jorge's house for an initial appointment to hear him play, he did not have any of the music prepared. We were not at the cocktail hour, but our guests told us he did a fine job playing. However, when we got our pictures back, there was one of Jorge, cell phone on top of the piano, and a bluetooth in his ear. (this was a formal cocktail hour, with everyone in tuxes) He couldn't be bothered apparently to miss a call for an hour. We were very disappointed with Jorge, and he is the only reason Washington Celebrations did not get 5 stars across the board.
GUEST
We used Washington Celebrations for ceremony music and cocktail and they were very easy to work with. The musician played the songs we requested and there were no issues. Reasonably priced also.
GUEST
Mike was great to work with..very flexible and knowledgeable, having done so many weddings! We were very impressed with the members of Backbeat - everyone loved them and the dance floor was always packed. We also did our ceremony music through Washington Celebrations - Chad and Emily were very talented and sounded amazing..they even stayed late to accommodate our lateness!
About Washington Celebrations - Live Musicians, Professional DJs, Elegant Lighting
That sums it up!
Washington Celebrations is more that just a talent agency. We are a dedicated music planning service.
We offer ceremony and cocktail hour musicians, musicians for dinner, as well as DJ and MC services. Services include both traditional and contemporary live music. From a simple soloist to our “Bride’s Choice” Package, we cater to all types of religions and backgrounds.
Some of our more popular ensembles include:
• String Quartets, Trios, and Duos
• Brass Ensembles
• Violin/Guitar Duo
• Harp and Harp Ensembles
• Woodwind Quintet
Our musicians are independent. They are professionals, not weekend warriors. The musicians we use are members of the National, Baltimore, and Richmond Symphony Orchestras, all four Premier bands of the Armed Forces, and professional freelancers. They have an incredible pedigree and have studied music at some of the finest institutions in the world. We offer resumes and biographies of our musicians by request.
For a list of Wedding Music Packages, visit www.washingtoncelebrations.com. Dance Floor & Ballroom Lighting and Photo/Video services are also available.
Please inquire about a quote today!
FAQ for Washington Celebrations - Live Musicians, Professional DJs, Elegant Lighting
The Dos and Don'ts of Outdoor Wedding Music
Do: Provide a shady area for your musicians. String instruments are held together by hyde glue that is designed to release at 145 F degrees, so they can be disassembled for service and repair. Instruments in direct sunlight can easily reach this temperature in a matter of minutes. If a tree or building awning isn't available, a simple 10'X10' canopy will do just fine.
Don't: Place the musicians where they won't be heard. Ideally, the best place to have your musicians is up front. There are times when that just isn't possible. Brass instruments are better if you are having a large outdoor ceremony. For string instruments, you will either want them close or you will want them to be miked. For ceremonies with guests ranging from 50-100, amplification is usually unnecessary. Obviously, the further away your guests will be seated, the more you will have to consider amplification.
Do: Have a back-up plan for inclement weather. Most musicians will not perform in the rain. In many cases, musicians will not take their instruments out of their cases when there is eminent threat of wet weather conditions. Always have a clear back-up plan for bad weather. In some cases, the ceremony can be held where the reception is planned.
Don't: Forget to have power available nearby, if instruments are to be miked or amplified. Musicians will bring more than enough extension cord and cable. However, make sure that there is reasonable access to power close by. Furthermore, musicians will want to hide their cords and cable to ensure the safety of your guests and to maintain the venue aesthetics. Having power nearby helps your musicians make this possible.
Do: Provide one armless chair for each musician. This is most important for string instrumentalists and brass musicians with bigger instruments (tuba, french horn). Make sure each chair is stable and can hold more than enough weight.
Don't: Require musicians to load-in or perform on wet and/or muddy grounds. Let's say it finishes raining about two hours before your ceremony is set to begin. Is the original area you have for your musicians still safe? Will there be electricity involved? Could a musician slip and fall? This is especially important if you are hiring a Harpist for your ceremony. A harp is very heavy and cumbersome, and can be difficult to move in the most ideal situations. Ensuring that the musicians' performance area is safe is key to having the best performance by your musicians.
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