Chicago Wedding Band & String Quartet Win WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards (14th & 15th Year)


WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards for 2025 + 2026

That makes 14 + 15 years receiving this award — and it never stops meaning the world to us.

To our couples — thank you for trusting us and for your incredibly kind words.

To our musicians, vocalists, and crew — you already know… this is you.

All our love to all of you ️

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We’re incredibly honored to share that both Sarlas Music — Chicago’s home for high-energy wedding bands, jazz ensembles, and live event music — and Artistrings — a modern string ensemble collective — have once again been recognized with the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards, for the 14th + 15th year.

What makes this recognition so meaningful is where it comes from.

The Couples’ Choice Awards are based entirely on reviews from the people who matter most — our clients. The couples, families, and event hosts who trusted us with their live wedding music in Chicago and took the time to share their experience afterward.

Every packed dance floor. Every ceremony moment. Every transition that felt just right.

That’s what these awards represent.

Over the past 25+ years, we’ve had the privilege of performing at more than 2,000 weddings and events across Chicago and the Midwest — from elegant ceremonies with our string quartet in Chicago to high-energy receptions with our full Chicago wedding band.

And through all of it, our focus has stayed the same:
Create something personal. Keep it real. Deliver it live.

No backing tracks. No shortcuts. No second takes.

Just musicians who care deeply about getting it right — for you, your guests, and the energy of the entire day.

To everyone who has trusted us, supported us, and shared kind words along the way — thank you. This recognition belongs to you as much as it does to us.


If you’re planning a wedding or event and looking for live wedding music in Chicago — whether a Chicago wedding band or Chicago string quartet — we’d love to be part of it.

Carol Sarlas Orchestra at Michigan Shores Club — A December Wedding to Remember


A true powerhouse — felt in every corner of the room 

Venue: @michiganshoresclub
Band: @sarlasmusic Carol Sarlas Orchestra
Planning: @bridget_mary_weddings

chicagoweddingband chicagoentertainment chicagowedding weddingreception weddinginspirationA true powerhouse — felt in every corner of the room

Venue: Michigan Shores Club
Band: Carol Sarlas Orchestra
Planning: Bridget Mary Weddings

There are moments at a wedding when everything shifts — the energy, the focus, the feeling in the room.

At this December wedding for Rose & Tyler at Michigan Shores Club, that moment belonged to our vocalist, Uneq’ka.

With wreaths lining the walls and Christmas trees glowing throughout the clubhouse, the setting was already something special. But when the Carol Sarlas Orchestra launched into Proud Mary, everything changed.

“The room was hers.”

And it truly was.

Uneq’ka delivered a powerhouse performance — commanding, electric, and impossible to look away from. The kind of vocal that doesn’t just land… it takes over. The dance floor filled instantly, and for those few minutes, every eye, every voice, every bit of energy in the room was locked in with her.

That’s the difference a great Chicago wedding band brings — not just music, but moments that define the night.

A Chicago Wedding, Fully Alive

From the first note to the final chorus, Rose & Tyler’s celebration was a perfect example of what live Chicago entertainment can do:

  • Elevate the energy at exactly the right moment
  • Spotlight the performers who can truly command a room
  • Turn a great party into something unforgettable

At Michigan Shores Club — especially during a winter wedding — the combination of holiday atmosphere and live music creates a setting that feels both intimate and electric.

Why Live Music Changes Everything

For couples planning a Chicago wedding, it comes down to this:

A playlist plays songs.
A band creates a night.

And when it all comes together — the room, the band, the moment — you get something like this.


If you’re planning a wedding at Michigan Shores Club or looking for Chicago wedding entertainment that knows how to create moments like these, we’d love to be part of it.

Chicago Wedding Band at a New Buffalo Luxury Wedding Celebration


When the groove hits, all bets are off 🕺

The team behind the moment:
Concept, Planning, & Design @birchdesignstudio
Florist @lifeinbloom
Lighting @frostchicago
Catering @limelightcatering
Tenting: @bluepeaktents
Band @sarlasmusic Carol Sarlas Orchestra
Rentals @nuagedesignsinc

chicagoweddingband chicagoentertainment luxurywedding  luxuryweddingplanner weddinginspo

There are packed dance floors… and then there are moments like this.

At a stunning New Buffalo wedding beneath a clear tent by Blue Peak Tents, the ceiling glowed with a canopy of lights, the room buzzing with anticipation. It was already the kind of night that defines a luxury wedding — layered design, incredible energy, and a guest list ready to celebrate.

Then the Carol Sarlas Orchestra dropped into “Brick House.”

When the groove hits, all bets are off 🕺

What happened next is exactly why couples searching for a Chicago wedding band and Chicago entertainment want something real.

Our vocalist Judah hit the floor — and within seconds, a group of adoring guests surrounded him, lifted him up, and turned the performance into a full-on, unforgettable moment. No staging. No planning. Just pure, live energy taking over the room.

That’s the difference.

Not just playing songs — creating moments that unfold in real time and become the story everyone tells the next day.

A Luxury Wedding, Fully Alive

This New Buffalo celebration was the definition of wedding inspo — where every element and a dream team worked together:

The Team Behind the Moment

Concept, Planning, & Design: Birch Design Studio
Florist: Life in Bloom
Lighting: Frost Chicago
Catering: Limelight Catering
Tenting: Blue Peak Tents
Band: Sarlas Music — Carol Sarlas Orchestra
Rentals: Nuage Designs

And at the center of it all: live music that didn’t sit in the background — it drove the night.

For couples working with a luxury wedding planner or building a high-end event from the ground up, this is what transforms a beautiful design into an unforgettable experience.


If you’re planning a Chicago wedding or luxury wedding celebration and want a band that creates moments like this — not just music — we’d love to be part of it.

Chicago Wedding Band at The American Club in Kohler | Luxury Wedding Entrance


Every detail built for this moment 🧨 T&T️

Grateful to be part of a team like this:

Event Planner: @_eleganteweddingsandevents
Florist: @yannidesignstudio
Beauty: @glamatelierchicago
Music: @sarlasmusic Chris Sarlas Orchestra
Venue: @kohlerwi The American Club

chicagoweddingband luxurywedding  luxuryweddingplanner kohlerwedding weddingreception

Some wedding entrances feel big.
Others feel unforgettable.

Tess & Tommy’s entrance at The American Club was built for a moment — and delivered on every level.

Every detail built for this moment 🧨

As guests turned toward the dance floor, the scene was already set: a pristine white floor, layers of white florals, and candles stretching as far as the eye could see. Then the cold sparklers hit.

Right on cue, the Chris Sarlas Orchestra launched into “TNT” — live, loud, and perfectly timed.

And just like that, the room exploded.

A Chicago Wedding Band, Live in Kohler

For couples planning a Kohler wedding or destination celebration, this is the difference a top-tier Chicago wedding band brings.

This wasn’t just an entrance song playing in the background.
This was a live performance driving the moment — building anticipation, hitting every accent, and pushing the energy exactly where it needed to go.

From the first note, Tess & Tommy owned the room.

Luxury Wedding Energy, From the First Step

This reception was the definition of a luxury wedding — where design and music work together to create something immersive:

  • Cold sparklers timed to the music for maximum impact
  • A white-on-white design that felt elevated and cinematic
  • Candlelight layered throughout the space for warmth and depth

And at the center of it all: a live band that understands how to shape a moment, not just play through it.

For any luxury wedding planner or couple designing a high-end experience, this is what transforms a beautiful room into a fully realized celebration.

Why Live Music Changes the Entrance

An entrance like this only works when everything is in sync.

Timing. Energy. Awareness of the room.

That’s what you’re seeing here — a moment crafted in real time, and the results were second to none.


The Team Behind the Moment

Event Planner: Elegante Weddings & Events
Florist: Yanni Design Studio
Beauty: Glam Atelier Chicago
Music: Sarlas Music — Chris Sarlas Orchestra
Venue: The American Club


If you’re planning a Kohler American Club wedding or looking for Chicago wedding entertainment that creates moments like this from the very first entrance, we’d love to be part of it.

Chicago Wedding Band at Medinah Country Club Wedding | Live Dinner Music & Wedding Reception


How wonderful life is…
A favorite Elton John tune during dinner at Clair & Daniel’s reception

Venue: @medinahcountryclub 

chicagoentertainment chicagoweddingband chicagowedding medinahcountryclubwedding weddingreception

Some of the most memorable moments at a Chicago wedding don’t happen on the dance floor.

At Clair & Daniel’s Medinah Country Club wedding, it happened during dinner.

As guests settled in, the Carol Sarlas Orchestra shifted the energy of the room — not by turning it up, but by leaning into something more intimate.

A Moment Inside the Wedding Reception

Our vocalist Ryan stepped forward and delivered a stunning live performance of Elton John’s Your Song.

The room softened. Conversations paused. And for a few minutes, the entire wedding reception felt completely centered.

This is what elevated Chicago entertainment looks like — knowing when to bring energy, and when to create space for a moment that guests will actually feel.

Live Music That Shapes the Night

At a venue like Medinah Country Club, every detail matters. And for couples planning a Medinah Country Club wedding, live music during dinner can completely transform the flow of the evening.

Not just background music — but a live performance that adds depth, emotion, and intention to the experience.

That’s the difference a top-tier Chicago wedding band brings to a wedding reception:

  • Seamless transitions from cocktails to dinner to dancing
  • Live performances that enhance — not interrupt — the room
  • A level of musicianship that keeps guests engaged at every stage

Why Dinner Music Matters

The dance floor gets the attention.
But dinner is where the tone of the night is set.

And when it’s done right, it becomes one of the most unforgettable parts of the entire wedding.


If you’re planning a Chicago wedding or a Medinah Country Club wedding and want Chicago entertainment that shapes every moment — from dinner through the dance floor — we’d love to be part of it.

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