A heartwarming wedding at the OceanCliff in Newport, RI where East Coast Soul's Stax ensemble found it nearly impossible to say goodbye to this particular group of guests!
Testimonial
"If I could give a million stars, I would! East Coast Soul played at our wedding in summer of 2015 at OceanCliff in Newport, RI and despite the gorgeous setting, wonderful food, beautiful flowers, etc, all anyone can talk about was how great the band was. They kept everyone on the dance floor (including my 90 year old grandmother) and they didn't take a single break in our entire 4 hour reception! There was something for everyone- I don't think there was a genre or song they couldn't play and they had an expert instinct for what balance of songs would keep the party going. Typically at weddings, the younger crowd dances while everyone over 30 sits looking miserable. With ECS, almost everyone wanted to dance and those who didn't were having too much fun watching the show to be bored. They were extremely professional and made the process of selecting songs and hiring them incredibly easy. They were clearly invested in making sure they delivered the experience we wanted, rather than what they thought we should do. They were flexible with our requests and were so much fun it felt like they were just more friends at our wedding. The venue literally had to kick us out because even my grandmother and great uncle were still dancing at 1130pm. They had such a full, authentic sound with so much energy that you could have believed that they were playing an arena show. They were also excellent MCs and made the announcements about first dances and cake etc very special. We can't recommend them enough. They are worth every penny- if you have to cut money in your budget somewhere else to hire them, do so- everyone will be too busy having a good time to notice any cuts you made to other aspects of the wedding!"
Emma (Bride)
Newport, RI
August 17, 2015
Gallery
Check out some images from this OceanCliff wedding!
East Coast Soul was fortunate to be invited to join Emma & David for their stunning OceanCliff Wedding in Newport, RI.
Preprations for Emma & David's Big Day
Our preparations for the big day began months in advance, with Emma & David expressing a variety of musical and logistical preferences with us for the big day (we always leave an excess of time for preparation). Emma & David were incredibly helpful during this advanced planning and super helpful throughout.
Once the big day arrived, East Coast Soul traveled to Newport, RI and began our standard load-in and sound check for OceanCliff weddings. Our process for loading in and setting up at any given venue is a big part of our preparation process. This is a part of the day that we take seriously, spending extra time to avoid rushing, and ensuring our gear is properly tuned for the room.
Ceremony
In this case, East Coast Soul was not involved with couple's ceremony, with those arrangements having already been taken care of.
Cocktail Hour
As is often the case, East Coast Soul was asked to provide cocktail hour music. Cocktail hour is a great opportunity for the bride and groom to unwind after the heightened emotions of the ceremony. We do our part by providing a blend of relaxed music for guests to listend to. In this case, and featured music by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and more.
Reception
In a bulk of wedding celebrations, the band is asked to provide MC services for the formal portions of the receptions. This OceanCliff Wedding was no different.
The bride and groom’s First Dance
The groom and bride's first dance is consistently one of the most emotional parts of the big day. It's a chance for the bride and groom to take a moment for themselves. With this portion of the evening finished, the guests and vendors took a break for dinner. After a super brief break, East Coast Soul's Stax ensemble circled back to the stage.
Dance Party
our shows often start with older material. We've discovered this is an excellent approach to get folks relaxed and dancing with songs they're familiar with. Artists like Marvin Gaye, Sam and Dave, The Temptations, and more dominated the beginning of our set list. We then transitioned into playing tunes by artists like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince and more. Finally, we ended the night performing contemporary material that everyone could sing along with.
Guests danced non-stop from beginning to end, and we limited our breaks to ensure people had as much time to dance as possible.
Thanks so much to Emma & David for having us at their beautiful August wedding at OceanCliff!
Ready to Learn More?
Planning a Wedding? Maybe at OceanCliff, perhaps in Newport, RI? Either way, feel free to learn more, and let's connect!