May 26, 2019
From the minute we met with Alexa and Aaron as they planned their Chicago Wedding, it was so evident that this Memorial Day Weekend Celebration was going to be EPIC! Loews Chicago O’Hare was the location of choice for their ceremony and reception, with 350 friends and family geared up for an incredible evening with our Chicago wedding band!
Mary Ann Kenmotsu from Loews is one of the most efficient and respected catering managers in the Chicagoland area. And believe us, it shows!
The stage was set with a beautiful huppah awaiting their ceremony arrival, accented by the Artistrings trio of violin, cello and keyboard performing their family’s favorite classical selections. Family members and wedding party made their entrance to the lilting waltz of Canon in F, while Alexa followed to the iconic Canon in D/Pachelbel. When the ceremony concluded with the traditional breaking of the glass, everyone clapped and cheered along with Simon Tov Mazel Tov, as the guests of honor made their way over to cocktails.
After a jubilant cocktail hour, the ballroom opened for their New York style reception, with the full Chris Sarlas Orchestra – and this party was READY TO DANCE! Guests flocked to the dance floor immediately, and it was clear that they were there to celebrate. The new Mr. and Mrs. soon made their entrance, with guests mobbing them for the next 20 minute dance set! (Want proof? Check out the video). Ending this opening set was their first dance, Perfect/Ed Sheeran + Beyonce. Perfect, it was 🙂
We love it when our couples choose songs that have special meaning for their mother/son and father/daughter dances. For example, there were two tables filled with Alexa and Aaron’s friends from summer camp. Apparently, one of the songs that campers sing together is House on Pooh Corner/Kenny Loggins. So, when they chose this song for dancing with parents, their friends stood at their tables, joined arms, swayed back and forth and sang along with us! It was an amazingly sweet moment.
Changing up the mood, our Unplugged vocal quartet with acoustic guitar and cajon added the perfect conversation-friendly texture they wanted during dinner service.
After dessert was served, it was time for an extended Hora as the families united at this incredible mitzvah! Here’s a super quick sample of the hora (and check out our Instagram if you want to see Alexa & Aaron up on chairs):
Added bonus: Alexa’s dad is a seasoned drummer in Chicago’s percussion community, and we were delighted that he and two of his band mates joined us for an impromptu jam session to further solidify the event’s epic status! We followed that up with a few more tunes with Andy singing. If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that Andy reveals a bit of his goofball side as the party approaches late night, and we couldn’t love him more. Here’s a little taste:
Alexa and Aaron produced an absolutely incredible evening from start to finish with so many extra special personal touches through music! We were so happy to celebrate with them, and were thrilled to see this terrific Wedding Wire review:
The Sarlas Rockstars
“Chris and Carol Sarlas were an absolute delight to work with! From start to finish, they were detailed, organized, and passionate about making our wedding out of this world. They truly cared about ensuring we had every song we wanted and even let one of our dads play the drums with his band. It was a packed dance floor all night, a true testament to the band for keeping the party going. We are so thankful for them and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a Chicago-area wedding band!”
