Saturday, May 16, 2009

Historic Riverside

Friday evening The String Group played for a wedding ceremony and cocktail hour in Jacksonville's historic riverside. The ceremony took place at Riverside Baptist Church. The church was built in the 1920s and its' sanctuary boasts a Gothic style vaulted ceiling, triple Romanesque windows and many Italian Renaissance-style paintings. The bride was truly a princess is this unforgettable European-inspired sanctuary.

The String Group's Quartet played under a gorgeous carved stone archway while guests made their way into the sanctuary. The Grandparents and Parents entered the ceremony to Bach's Air on G. Canon in D was played for the Wedding Party Processional, and the Bride made her dramatic entrance to the traditional Bridal Chorus. The quartet softly played Twilight and Mist as the bride and groom symbolized their marriage with a unity candle. The Ceremony ended with a recessional of Mendelssohn's traditional Wedding March. After a guest postlude, the Quartet made their way to The Garden Club to play for the cocktail hour. It was a lovely evening and The String Group wishes the new Mr. and Mrs. a beautiful life together!


Quartet: Breana, Ashlee, Jody and Liz
Music Coordintor: Ashlee
On-site Music Coordinator: David

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Natural Elegance

The Ribault Club is located just off Florida A1A, but as you drive down the winding side road past Kingsley Plantation, you are taken to a place where the traffic of the highway and the river are silenced. Weddings often take place beneath an ancient oak, where you can just glimpse the sparkle of the open water through the trees.

The String Group's trio set up on the back porch of the Ribault Club and serenaded guests as they were seated. After playing all the processionals, we softly played Handel's Aria as the bride and groom enacted a salt ceremony. The minister explained that, in ancient times, two people entering into a covenant would each sprinkle salt from their own bags into the other's bag. As the salt mingled, it meant that the covenant could only be broken if each grain of salt could be separated and returned to its rightful owner! At the conclusion of the ceremony, we played Handel's Hornpipe for the wedding party's recessional, and continued with Andrew Lloyd Webber's All I Ask of You as the guests went inside for the reception.

Seating of the Parents: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring; Bach
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen: Canon in D; Pachelbel
Bride: Trumpet Voluntary; Clarke
Salt Ceremony: Aria; Handel
Recessional: Hornpipe; Handel
Postlude: All I Ask of You; Webber

String Trio: Breana, Hannah, Ethel
Music Coordinator: Jody

Monday, May 4, 2009

surf side ceremony

Saturday afternoon a duet from The String Group played for a wedding ceremony at the Serenata Beach Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The Serenata Beach Club's ceremony site is a gorgeous patio that continues to the dunes of the Atlantic Ocean and provides a breathtaking view of one of Florida's most beautiful beaches.

Our Duet played a prelude of classical music and played Over The Rainbow for the grandparents and parents of the bride and groom. The Wedding Party and Bride came down to Canon in D by Pachelbel. After a recessional of Trumpet Voluntary, guests made their way to the reception to a postlude of Trumpet Tune and Rondeau.

Duet: Ashlee and Anna

On-Site Music Coordinator: Doris

Music Coordinator: Ashlee thestringgroup@aol.com