The Peter Hennes Orchestra is an extraordinary band. They played at my wedding and blew everyone away. Their music is so seductively great they got everyone dancing from the very get go. And at midnight the crowd was chanting “One more hour, one more hour!” An overwhelming number of guests said it was the best wedding band they’ve ever seen. I think they’re simply one of the best BANDS I’ve ever seen. Furthermore, Peter is a class act. As much talent as he brings to the table, he knows exactly how to put the focus on you and your guests during speeches and other such wedding traditions. He provides a most graceful segue for these moments, and then effortlessly brings the party back to a high octane celebration. Hire the Peter Hennes Orchestra and do not look back!

Here’s a video of our last song of the evening, which was Don’t Stop Believin’. I love how the crowd starts chanting “one more hour, one more hour” at the end!

Walk This Way. Is it hip hop? Is it rock? It’s Walk This Way! I was very pleased that one of my favorite guitar pedal makers liked this so much that he posted a link to it on his website to demo his overdrive pedal.

Just the Way You Are. It’s Bruno Mars, not Billy Joel!

“WOW!!!!!! You weren’t kidding when you said you could make our wedding perfect. We haven’t stopped hearing about the great band. The interaction with the guests, the magnificent voices of the singers, the added horn (great suggestion), the music selection……you have the whole package. Thank you again for everything. I can’t wait for our other daughter to get married!” LAURIE LINDER

“Peter, You and your band were…fantastic! My daughter’s wish for her wedding was that people would get up and dance and have a great time. They certainly did that! Your choice of music was perfect for the entire
group – from 14 year olds to 82 year olds. You kept everyone up and dancing and certainly set the mood for the entire reception.Your vocalists and musicians were outstanding! We can’t thank you enough. It was very difficult planning a wedding long distance but everything worked out beautifully. I know Emily and Jeff are going to write to you when they get back from their honeymoon. They had a great wedding. Thank you!” – Susan Swan

“I can’t thank you enough for an amazing wedding! Your band kept our guests dancing for three hours straight! Many of our friends commented that they had never heard such an amazing band at a wedding! From our favorites to our grandparents favorites, you had all generations cutting a rug! Many thanks!” – Susie Callahan-Dunn (Wedding at Racquet Club of Chicago)

“Amazing! Outstanding! We were completely impressed with your band. You truly made our wedding an unforgettable experience. One month later our friends and family are still raving about “our band.” Thank you for incorporating as many of our favorite songs as possible and for continuing to play well into the night! The guests wouldn’t stop dancing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” – Kim and Hans Montgomery (Wedding at Drake Hotel)

“The orchestra was absolutely amazing – above and beyond our greatest expectations. Most people thought it was the best part of the wedding celebration. We received many, many compliments. I would not hesitate to give our highest recommendations to anyone who is looking for superior entertainment for their event. Thank you, Peter!!” – Nancy Radis (Wedding at Palmer House Hilton)

Brides and grooms are most involved in choosing music for the ceremony itself. The best way to approach this is to first have a final order for the procession, so that we can see where the logical places to change music would be. Typically, we need to choose one to three pieces for everyone until the bride. The bride needs a piece of her own, and we need some music for the recessional. Let’s look at a simple procession example:

1. Officiant
2. Parents of the Bride
3. Parents of the Groom
4. Four Groomsmen
5. Four Bridesmaids
6. Groom
7. Parents of the Bride walk back half way and stand on either side of the aisle
8. Bride enters, her parents meet her half way down the aisle and escort her to the Groom

This typically requires four pieces of music:

1. Officiant through the Parents of the Groom
2. Groomsmen and Bridesmaids
3. Groom and Parents of the Bride walking back half way
4. Bride

We would need a fifth piece for the recessional at the end of the ceremony, and maybe another for something during the ceremony itself.

What music to choose? It’s your wedding, so it’s up to you! It can be all classical, all pop, all Jewish, or any mix you like. In general, though, slow, stately pieces are best for the procession, and something more upbeat is best for the recessional. We have links to recordings of us playing many of the most popular choices on our wedding ceremony music page. If you prefer classical music for your ceremony, here are some recommendations from our list you can listen to for the scenario above:

1. Officiant, Parents of the Bride, and Parents of the Groom – Air from Water Music – Handel
2. Groomsmen and Bridesmaids – Four Seasons Winter – Vivaldi
3. Groom and Parents of the Bride walking back half way – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – Mozart
4. Bride – Canon in D – Pachelbel
5. Recessional – Four Seasons Spring – Vivaldi

Every wedding ceremony varies, but this should give you a good idea about how to go about organizing and choosing your music.