Customize Wedding Music for Gamble Garden, Palo Alto

by Robbie Schlosser · 7 comments

Thanks in advance for reading this article. I appreciate your interest and hope you get a few good ideas. I'd love to hear what you liked. Please write me a little COMMENT below. Start a conversation. Tell me what you think, and I'll reply. Promise.
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No one wants a “cookie-cutter” wedding — same as everyone else’s.

At least no one I’ve ever spoken with.  How about you? 

Perhaps you’re dreaming of a “one-of-a-kind” celebration with family and friends.  Memorable and personalized, reflecting your own special interests and passions. 

In my experience, one of the best ways to personalize your wedding is to customize your wedding music.

Many brides and grooms I speak with understand this, so the question I often hear is “HOW do I customize wedding music?” 

I frequently write here about helpful methods for customizing wedding music.

And I find that asking “Why” often leads to the most effective method.  Here’s a story to show what I mean:

Gamble Garden, in Palo Alto, is one of my all-time favorite locations for a San Francisco Bay Area wedding.  We play there often, entertaining wedding and party guests at several beautiful spots in their lovely garden. 

It’s an estate in an old residential neighborhood where amplified music outdoors is forbidden, so we always play “acoustically” there.  My favorite! 

Thanks to my friend, top photographer Vinh Nguyen, for these wonderful photos:

Magnolia Jazz Band in Palo Alto, 2015

Here we are at a recent wedding reception.  We set up next to Gamble Garden’s Carriage House patio, where the guests were enjoying their dinner and dancing.

MJB15:04:11b

Dancing!  That’s where Sarah and Akin, the bride and groom, customized their music.  Not exactly famous for their dancing (they told me they’d never danced before), they decided to surprise their guests with “Fly Me to the Moon” as their first dance.  They created a lovely dance routine and practiced at home to Frank Sinatra’s famous 1964 recording with Count Basie’s band.

Here’s “Why?” we customized their music:

The recording lasts about 2 ½ minutes, so we carefully practiced playing the song for exactly 150 seconds.  Then Sara and Akin caught us playing at a wedding show 2 weeks before their wedding and used their iPhone to record our version. 

A bit more dance practicing at home followed, adding a dramatic “dip” at the end of their routine, and at the reception their first dance was a tremendous hit!  The next morning, Sarah thanked us in a glowing recommendation on Yelp.

Congratulations Sarah and Akin!  And thanks to their fabulous wedding coordinator, Denise Rice, who created a gorgeous celebration and kept all the loose ends tied up perfectly!

At another wedding reception several months earlier, also at Gamble Garden, the bride and groom — a bit more on the shy side — selected soft music for their small, sedate reception.  Again their choice of music was perfect, suiting their personal style. 

MJB15:01:?

Thanks to my friend, veteran photographer Harry Who, for this nice photo.  This time we set up next to Gamble Garden’s Carriage House so our soft music would reflect off the wall and carry well, staying low enough to encourage everyone’s comfortable conversations.

Over the years, we’ve helped other brides and grooms customize their wedding music with their favorite tunes, popularized by Fred Astaire, Dean Martin, Elvis, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Sergio Mendes, Cold Play, Andrea Bocelli, Christina Perri, and many more.  It’s a long list, including compositions by Bach, Pachelbel, Wagner, and Mendelssohn.

Give us a little time, and we can learn to play practically anything.  What’s YOUR favorite wedding song?

So here’s a tip.  You can customize wedding music with your own personal touch.  Select music for your wedding’s significant moments — or for the entire festive mood — to reflect your own personal style.

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Thanks for reading this article. I appreciate your interest and hope you get a few good ideas here. Got one or two? I'd love to hear what you liked. Please write me a little COMMENT below. Start a conversation -- I'll reply. Promise.

By the way, does a friend need help selecting wedding or party music? Do them a favor: EMAIL this article, or SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.

And if you find my blog useful, please LIKE it, TWEET it, and SUBSCRIBE for more ideas. Use those cute little icons below.

Meanwhile, the Magnolia Jazz Band entertains at weddings and parties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are ever nearby, you’ll love catching us in action, seeing and hearing us create a great mood.

How can I help you? Call 408-245-9120 or use Robbie@MagnoliaJazz.com. Planning a celebration? Ask about our availability.

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Fredy

Hello, Robbie! I enjoyed your article. And it is true that no one wants to make their wedding boring. Everyone is trying to make it unforgettable and to make it, and music plays an important role. It is the best source of entertainment, and we can customize our wedding with music.

Robbie Schlosser

Hi Fredy,
Thanks for your comment. I agree 100% that music plays an important role. Sometimes the most important ingredient in making the festivities memorable, but always a significant part of the entire celebration.

How are you planning to include music in your next special event?

Robbie
Robbie Schlosser recently posted..Customize Wedding Music for Gamble Garden, Palo AltoMy Profile

Sherie Lyn

Hello Robbie, thanks for sharing this post! i completely agree that everyone’s wedding should be unique! 🙂

Robbie Schlosser

Hi Sherie,
Thanks for commenting. Glad you agree! What’s your unique plan for the ideal wedding?

Robbie
Robbie Schlosser recently posted..8 Ways to Use Testimonials for Wedding and Party MusicMy Profile

Matt Damien

Saw you guys in my cousin’s wedding. You guys were so good. Thinking about getting you guys for my wedding.

Brandon Fennmore

Do you guys ever go down to Southern California for weddings? By the way, I like the photographs that Vinh takes, really professional looking.
Brandon Fennmore recently posted..Affordable Electronic Drum Sets – Your Neighbors Will Love TheseMy Profile

Prince

I am feeling great during to reading it, I did not get married yet but after reading your article tips……..

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