Category Archives: Chicago Wedding Ceremony

Lindsay & Will

August 11, 2012

Palmer House Hilton
Lindsay & Will

Linsday and Will chose the absolutely wonderful Empire Room at the Palmer House for their ceremony and reception — There’s something about that room…maybe it’s coming from the stunning lobby with anticipation as you ascend the staircase and open the doors to a room that has so much Chicago music history! If you’re thinking about where to have your party – definitely call Jane Himmel at the Palmer House. And to coordinate all aspects of your day, do what Lindsay and Will did — get Claudia Antony Zompa from As You Wish Events — her events are always flawless. What a pleasure to work with both Jane & Claudia together!!

Here is Lindsay & Will fantastic 5-star review:

“We hired Chris Sarlas and his band for our August 2012 wedding and couldn’t have been happier. They were spectacular from beginning to end. We had the string quartet for our seating music and processional, and the main band for the entire reception. They were perfect! Chris’ introductions and announcements were totally seamless, the band and vocalists were amazing, and all of our guests were dancing until the very end. I cannot count how many people complimented us on the band choice, and people continue to ask me for their info. Everyone was blown away by the variety of songs and the talent of these vocalists.

Go to their website to hear audio and see video of this talented group. That is how we first decided to sit down and talk with Chris. Professional, pleasant, experienced, wonderful! Thanks, Chris and crew for an amazing night!”

Some great moments:

Here’s a new tune that we love:

Jessica & Chad

June 23, 2012

Whittaker Woods Golf Club
Jessica & Chad

Another repeat client, and we love that so much! Many thanks to the bride & groom for this fantastic review:

“Chris Sarlas Orchestra just performed at our wedding on June 23rd.  I am so impressed with their work.  Chris was so professional when working with us prior to the wedding.  He was easy to reach by phone and very detailed in his preparation.  He really put our minds at ease.  We had complete faith in him and HE DELIVERED!!!  The band sounded amazing.  

I am not exaggerating when I say they are one of the best live bands I have ever heard.  All the guests at our wedding were so impressed with how good they sounded.  They play a vast array of music including new releases, 80’s music, classic rock, country, traditional, and more.  The Chris Sarlas Orchestra really enhanced our wedding day.  

Also, be sure to check out their sister company Artistrings.  They played our ceremony music.  There was a full string quartet that played classical music.  It was fantastic!!!

We really have nothing but good things to say about the Chris Sarlas Orchestra!!!”

Samantha & Brian

November 12, 2011

Architectural Artifacts
Samantha & Brian

Yes, that is a garage door in the background, and no, you cannot see all of the uniqueness that is Architectural Artifacts in Chicago on Ravenswood in these video clips! Very cool space, and we had a ball playing for Samantha, Brian, and all of their guests!

Thank you Samantha, for this wonderful 5 star review on yelp!

“We hired the Chris Sarlas Orchestra for our wedding in November and were blown away by their amazing talent! From the very beginning, Chris was so helpful and attentive to all of the details and logistics. He really listened to our ideas and kept track of everything. I didn’t have a wedding planner so I was a little nervous about the timing and coordinating of the entire night but it worked out perfect because Chris is a total pro and the timing was seamless.

We weren’t sure what music to pick for the ceremony and he had wonderful suggestions on how to make the music personal and memorable. So many of our guests complimented the band and their song selection and everyone was dancing all night. I know I’ll be dancing to the Chris Sarlas Orchestra at one of my friend’s weddings in the near future and I cant wait!”

Jerusha & Robb

November 5, 2011

Ravenswood Event Center
Jerusha & Robb

With the Artistrings String Quartet beginning the celebration with contemporary pop ceremony music, Jerusha & Robb’s wedding started rockin’ early in the day! Untraditional string quartet ceremony selections included I Just Called To Say I Love You, Just The Two of Us, Here Comes the Sun, Hallelujah, and Bittersweet Symphony. An old fashioned soda bar in the ceremony space is just one of the unique details Katie and her team from Glam Rock Events presented to Jerusha & Robb’s guests! For a unique loft space venue, check out the Ravenswood Event Center.

Thank you Jerusha, for this fantastic review!

“I don’t even know where to begin with how unbelievably thrilled we were with The Chris Sarlas Orchestra. From the moment we first met with Chris to discuss our ideas, we knew that we’d hit the jackpot. Not only did he understand our “vision” (more motown and less electric slide), but he also gave us the incredible idea of incorporating a very modern twist to our ceremony music (working with his lovely wife’s Aristrings string quartet and playing more contemporary and unexpected songs).

As a self-proclaimed low maintenance person but high maintenance bride (mostly just a type-A bride), I could always rely on Chris. Chris is always on the ball and exactly as organized as you could only hope most wedding planners would be. He was also incredibly flexible when at the last minute we decided to remove one of the band breaks, and needed a new estimate within a few hours.

I could honestly go on and on about how lucky we were to work with Chris, but then I would be forgetting to mention such a key element to why the Chris Sarlas Orchestra was so phenomenal – the band itself! Guests are still talking about how incredible they were. Opal and Barry were especially fan favorites, with their amaaaaazing voices. They really set the tone for the entire evening, and really brought boundless talent, energy, and enthusiasm throughout the entire evening.

We consider ourselves so lucky to have had the Chris Sarlas Orchestra play for our wedding, and would give them 6 stars if we could!

Thanks again Chris!”

This tune was tailor made for Barry!

Faithfully from Sarlas Music on Vimeo.

Kate & John

October 22, 2011

The University Club of Chicago
Kate & John

From ceremony through the last dance, we were honored to provide all of the music for Kate & John’s spectacular celebration at the University Club of Chicago in Cathedral Hall. Always a pleasure to work with Lauren Knuepfer and her team from LK Events too!

So many thanks to the bride & groom for this wonderful 5 star review on yelp:

“My wife and I discovered Chris and his orchestra for our wedding last fall, as a recommendation by our planner. And all we can say is that if you are planning yours, book Chris NOW. First off, working with Chris was the best you can hope for. Song selection, planning, special requests/details, coordinating the night itself, Chris could not have been easier to work with. And as far as the band itself, the talent is incredible. Absolutely huge repertoire of music, every genre you could want, all sounding great and performed with tons of great energy. And the vocalists were absolutely amazing. Chris had literally our entire reception of 200+ people on the dance floor having a blast the whole night. These guys were awesome.”

We live for spontaneous moments like these!

Don’t Stop Believin’ from Sarlas Music on Vimeo.