Rea & Ian

December 8, 2012

JW Marriott
Rea & Ian

Rea and Ian’s wedding was our first performance at the newly renovated and stunning JW Marriott — I never met Ian and Rea until the party; they did all their planning via e-mail and phone from the West Coast! They told us some music choices they liked, some they weren’t fond of, and trusted us to fill in the rest — Most of the people who gave toasts, all mentioned how their bridal dance, “Better Together”/Jack Johnson was so perfect for them!

Ian’s father (who initially contacted us) left us this fantastic 5-star review, summing up his experience with us. I think this is one of our all-time favorite reviews 🙂

“Just returned from our son’s wedding in Chicago and we are all still buzzing- the wedding was tremendous on all levels but The Chris Sarlas Orchestra truly made the wedding unforgettable. Guests have not stopped raving about the orchestra and the variety and quality of the music. Sarlas delivered!! What did not go unnoticed was his understated approach- he knows that HE is NOT the show for the night…it is about the bride, the groom and the guests. So, no ego, no showmanship, just performances to please the crowd. The Orchestra fed off the guests and the guests fed off the Orchestra. This made for 4 hours of pure enjoyment. No brainer if you want a wedding band for your evening.”

Thank you Dave for choosing us to celebrate Ian and Rea’s special day!

Such a busy night, but we managed to get a couple of clips late in the party….and it was such a fantastic crowd.

Our favorite new song, from Bruno Mars:

Barry sounds fantastic on this Neon Trees tune:

Artistrings Backs Up Celtic Woman Holiday Show

We just had the BEST time playing in the backing orchestra for Celtic Woman at North Central College in Naperville. The string section in the orchestra was provided by Artistrings. So much fun to perform with these talented ladies!

We got as many of us in the frame as we could! Artistrings string section for Celtic Woman show.
Following directions
Elizabeth, Carol, & Ray, with one of our celebrities 🙂
Mairead Nesbitt tearing it up in rehearsal
The two shortest violinists in the building today 😂

Frank & Paul

November 11, 2012

The Drake Hotel
Frank & Paul

Beyond the shadow of a doubt, Frank & Paul had the coolest cake topper we’ve ever seen. Let’s talk numbers here for a minute: there’s no guarantee that a party with 800 guests will have strong dancing. Compare that with Frank and Paul’s wedding at the Drake Hotel in the magnificent Gold Coast Room — just over 100 guests who danced, danced and danced together all night long!

Check out this room shot before anyone arrived. Gorgeous.
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Thank you for this wonderful 5-star review on Wedding Wire:

“Chris provided both ceremony and reception music for my wedding, both were FANTASTIC! I had several calls after my wedding asking who was that amazing band. My guests danced until 1 a.m. and would have gone longer had the venue permitted. I would not hesitate to recommend Chris’ for ceremony music, band and DJ services to any perspective wedding couple. If you don’t choose Chris, your missing out on a phenomenal musical experience!!!”

Katelyn & JJ

October 27, 2012

Chicago History Museum
Katelyn & JJ

From ceremony through last dance, we were honored to provide the music for this wonderful couple. Expert coordination from Lauren at LK Events. If you are considering a consultant, she is a MUST CALL. An absolute pleasure to work with, each & every time!
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“We don’t have enough great things to say about the Chris Sarlas Orchestra. Our wedding guests packed the dance floor all night, and we are still receiving compliments about how wonderful our band was! Chris intently listened to the songs we hoped to hear/songs we didn’t want to hear and was a pleasure to work with.”

Your guests will tell you that they're dancing to the best band in Chicago