Peter Hennes Orchestra Blog » Chicago weddings

Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago Wedding 10/3/09

Peter — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:47:08 +0000

A fun party in a great room! Here’s a video clip from the wedding…

Hotel Intercontinental Chicago Wedding 5/24/09

Peter — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:49:55 +0000

From the parents of the bride:

“We just wanted to thank you for the unbelievable music at Jodi and Kevin’s wedding. You had the dance floor crowded the whole night. We know we added an extra half an hour, but if you stayed longer the people would have danced all night. We have had so many people ask “Who was that Orchestra?” They have never heard anything like it in their lives! Your band definitely made the evening perfect. Thank you so much.” – David and Barbara Menn

University Club of Chicago Wedding 3/14/09

Peter — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:50:41 +0000

We played another fantastic wedding at the University Club of Chicago on 3/14/09. Here’s what the bride and groom had to say:

Peter,
Rich and I wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the Talented Peter Hennes Orchestra. Wow, you guys knocked everyone’s socks off ( you definitely knocked our feet off )! We had such a great time dancing. The energy provided by you and the band was amazing! Rich and I said when we were planning this that if everyone was on the dance floor then it would be a perfect “party”. Well, you couldn’t get one more person on that floor. Everyone we talked to after the evening commented on the great music. The selection of the band was our hardest choice when planning our wedding and we are so happy we chose you and your talented group. Many thanks for a memorable reception!
Patty and Rich

Westin Chicago River North Wedding 11/15/08

Peter — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:01:17 +0000

We were at the Westin River North for another fabulous wedding on 11/15/08. If you’re looking for a large downtown Chicago ballroom for your wedding or corporate event with a beautiful, modern architectural flair, you can do no better than the Westin Chicago River North Grand Ballroom. We absolutely love playing there, and the Catering Manager, Jessica Jordan (312-744-1900), is a pleasure to work with. From the bride:

“The Peter Hennes Orchestra really helped make our wedding truly special and unbelievably FUN!! The eleven piece orchestra, led by master of ceremonies Peter Hennes, had everyone on the dance floor the entire night and left people wanting more! I had numerous guests remarking how great the band was, and we all loved when the singers came onto the dance floor and let everyone get involved! The band and night were unforgettable! Thank you for making our wedding so special!” – Maureen and Bryan Burk

University Club of Chicago Wedding 9/6/08

Peter — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:40:20 +0000

We never have a less than extraordinary wedding at the University Club of Chicago, but last Saturday’s was truly phenomenal! We were in Cathedral Hall, which looks like the interior of a medieval cathedral. After playing three short dance sets during dinner, the band rocked the house for four hours straight without a break, and there wasn’t one song without a completely packed dance floor. The bride’s comment at the end of the night was “You guys were incredible! I just don’t know why anybody would consider hiring any other band!” which, of course, was great for us to hear!

Galleria Marchetti Wedding 6/28/08

Peter — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:36:03 +0000

From the bride:

Peter,

All I can say is “Wow.” Seriously … “wow.” Jim and I were floored with your performance last night. Your execution, delivery, professionalism, and talent made for a truly seamless night. We were honored to have you and your EXTREMELY talented group of individuals share in our celebration. If it wasn’t for you and your group, our celebration would have been incomplete. Aside from comments from our guests along the lines of “Best Wedding Band Ever,” “Where did you find them?”, “They are incredible!”, etc., etc., my mother said to me today, “Do you know who I really liked meeting yesterday?” And I said, “No, who?” And she said, “Peter Hennes. He was so nice!”

You and your group were everything I dreamed of and more.

Thank you for everything, and we hope that you and your group are as proud of yourselves as we are to have had you with us last night.

Sincerely,
Mindy Kedvesh

Fairmont Hotel Chicago Wedding 6/14/08

Peter — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:48:05 +0000

We played an exceptionally elegant wedding last Saturday in the International Ballroom at the Fairmont with one of our favorite wedding consultants Linda Alpert. The client added our violin section to the band for everything from the ceremony through the dancing. I have to say that the sound of the eleven piece band with a violin section is absolutely stunning! From Sinatra to the current hits, there are strings on the original recordings of most of the music we play, so having the ability to make the band sound so close to the originals is really a treat! If it’s in your wedding budget, the violin section is really a great addition and is highly recommended!

Michael Delott Photography

Peter — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:41:27 +0000

Pretty cool photo, eh! This picture of me playing at the Peninsula Hotel last Sunday was shot by our pal and ace wedding photographer Michael Delott. If you’re looking for a great photographer with a wonderful fine art sensibility for your wedding, check out Michael’s website. Highly recommended!

Peninsula Hotel Wedding 5/25/08

Peter — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:49:54 +0000

We played another exceptional wedding at the Chicago Peninsula Hotel on 5/25/08! It’s always a pleasure working with wedding consultant Reva Nathan. Her events always look beautiful, are meticulously planned and flawlessly executed.

Highlights of the evening included our pianist Paul Mutzabaugh’s note perfect coordination of six Jewish songs with the cantor from across the ballroom during the ceremony, the band’s surprisingly rockin’ version of Savage Garden’s “Truly, Madly, Deeply” for the bridal dance, and our rendition of the Allman Brothers song “Sweet Melissa” as a special request from the groom for the bride (yes, her name was Melissa). This was a wedding with dancing between courses, and the Peter Hennes Orchestra had the dance floor packed from the moment the doors opened!

Here’s what the parents of the bride had to say:

“Oh What a Night!”
Dear Peter,
Thank you for helping to make Melissa and Jason’s wedding a dream come true. We can only tell you we had nothing but rave reviews on your band! Thanks for a job well done!” – Joy and Ron Mayer

Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Dances

Peter — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:21:14 +0000

Most brides and grooms want to schedule a special father/daughter and mother/son dance. Both need to be started from a clear dance floor. Because they don’t involve all of your guests, these dances can present logistical issues that need to be solved.

The best time for the father/daughter and mother/son dance depends on whether the band is scheduled with breaks, playing between courses during dinner, or playing continuous music without breaks.

Because of the need for a clear dance floor, if the band is only playing after dinner and has no breaks, there really is no other choice than to put the father/daughter and mother/son dances immediately after the bridal dance. Because three dances in a row that don’t involve your guests can take ten to fifteen minutes, many couples want to get the party going a little more quickly! The easiest way to do this is to combine the father/daughter and mother/son dances into one song. The bride and her father can start it out, and the band leader can invite the groom and his mother to join them half way through the song, or they can all start together.

If the dancing isn’t continuous, there’s another solution. The bridal dance can start off the first set, and the father/daughter and mother/son dances can start off the second set. Either way, your guests will be more entertained and you’ll add momentum to your wedding!