Spike Unplugged!

Big shout out to my pal, Garreth, who made the following video of me. Yes, in under two minutes I describe what I do. Given my animated nature it's a bit of a surprise I managed to stay in the chair. I give all credit to G's directorial skills. Thanks, Garreth!

Unsolicited Advice-- Book Now!

When I meet with prospective clients, I like to emphasize that I try hard not to issue unsolicited advice. I then usually wind up offering at least a few bits of unsolicited advice over the course of the conversation. Okay then, I guess I still need to practice.

The reason I try to bite my tongue unless asked is that I think a lot of couples get hit with tons of advice from well-meaning but overzealous friends and family members. It can feel like too much, and in some cases it can feel like downright pressure is being exerted. You know, it's YOUR wedding, so you should, as the old BK commercial went, Have it Your Way.

That said, since I'm in this business, I've amassed an awful lot of helpful information over the course of performing 300+ weddings and commitment ceremonies. I know some really great vendors and musicians. I know the inside scoop on PA systems and what you'll need. I know shortcuts. I know how to run interference in tricky family situations. So I offer, as an added extra (which I do not charge for) to field questions that come up, make references, and show up a little early to just be an extra pair of hands the day of. Sometimes, I go crazy and really get involved-- like driving dogs home after the ceremony so they don't get overwhelmed at the reception.

Today, I have a few bits of unsolicited advice-- yours to take or leave. If you are getting married in April or October 2013, HIRE YOUR PROFESSIONALS NOW. This is not a ploy for me to get business. My April is nearly booked full (though I have a few openings) and October is getting there. Also, with global warming wreaking havoc on the weather, I find that these days more couples are looking at March and November (used to be that April and October were the "June of Texas," since June can be pretty warm). I think I've had about 15 requests for October 6th. I perform up to four weddings per day (though most often three is my max) and even still, that means I had to turn away nearly a dozen couples.

Another thing-- consider the heat. Seriously. I am totally down with doing outdoor weddings in summer, I do them all the time. And I'm pretty sure you can save a bit of money booking venues in the dead of summer. But if you're going to ask your guests to endure the heat, especially if they are from out of town, it's a very good idea to have water set up beforehand, water they can take to their seats. Fans aren't a bad idea either. I did a wedding the night it hit 109 degrees-- honestly, it was pretty nuts. You might also consider keeping the ceremony short so you can all get into the A/C quicker.

Okay, enough with the advice. For now. But if you do have a question you'd like me to answer here, just shoot me an email.

ATX: Live Wedding Music Capital of the World

Alison Lumley and Chrissie Natoli

Just another one of my many job perks (beautiful scenery! happy people! cake!) is getting to hear fantastic musicians on a regular basis. I've listed some of my favorites in previous posts and I'll be sure to list more in the future. Today I want to tell you about a few musicians I really, really love, who play and sing beautifully and who are available for weddings and commitment ceremonies. 


A few weeks ago I had the honor of performing a wonderful commitment ceremony and Alison Lumley opened with a cover of Bright Eyes' First Day of my Life, truly one of my all time favorite songs. I got to talking with Alison after the ceremony, and it turns out that in addition to her solo work, she is also in a duo with Chrissie Natoli, whom I first heard sing years ago, along with her (then brand new) husband, Jimmy Joe, at a wedding I performed at the French Legation Museum. Chrissie and Jimmy Joe play so sweetly together. 

Alison Lumley

Meeting Alison was a chance for me to reconnect with Chrissie, and I asked her to tell me more about her music, so I could share it with y'all. Here's what she had to say:


Jimmy Joe and I have a wedding music website, Beautiful Music 4 You.  We specialize in instrumentals on 2 guitars or guitar and mandolin, and we've added ukelele to the mix.  Jimmy Joe play sitar as well and we've done some prelude music on the sitar before.  We do the "classics"..Canon in D and Bridal March, Jesu, etc......But we also love to take popular songs and make instrumental arrangements.  So we have some beautiful versions of "All You Need Is Love," "Moon River", "Edelweiss", "Pussywillow Cattails", etc.....We do all we can to make the ceremony music exactly what the couple wants to reflect them and their tastes.  We sing, too, and often will stay to do the cocktail hour and play some Johnny and June, Jones and Wynette,  and other "romantic" upbeat songs--some originals, too.  (Which you can hear at www.thebetterhalvesmusic.com)   (We are learning how to use our home studio, so soon we should have more samples of the instrumentals up on our wedding site, but there are a few there for now.  )

Chrissie and Jimmy Joe Natoli

I haven't done wedding music with Alison, but have been wanting to learn some more jazzy songs with her--like "Blue Moon," "Love Me Tender," etc, to offer for ceremonies or cocktail hour entertainment.   We call our duo Avenue Elle and we also have a lot of beautiful original love songs, which, with Alison's voice especially, I am sure folks would love to have as part of their wedding.  Our website is Avenue Elle.   


We are so lucky to have so many amazing musicians here. If you're looking for someone to play, I highly recommend Chrissie, Jimmy Joe, and Alison. If they're booked, you can email me and I'm glad to suggest others.