This past weekend The Stitely Orchestra was rockin’ and rollin’ for Ryanne Szydlik & Pete DiCola’s wedding! When we first sat down and chatted with Ryanne and Pete about their wedding, they knew exactly the feeling they were going for. They are big music fans and both love the 50s and 60s style of music so we made that the theme for the entire evening.
The whole wedding felt like them since they really personalized every aspect of their evening to reflect their taste and style, starting with their venue and décor. They picked The Haight in Elgin which is very intimate and warm, not at all your standard ballroom. They kept their color scheme neutral as to make the focus on the love you saw and felt in the room. Lauren Schroeder & Bianca from The Haight deserve a big shout out since they were especially lovely to work with throughout the planning process.
We were lucky enough to share some of the entertainment spotlight with the Hurricane Reggae Band. They were soulful and groovin’ during cocktail hour so everyone was loose and ready to party!
The reception farm tables had a sprig of rosemary at each place setting, making entire room smell wonderful. A delicious Bar-B-Q dinner was catered by Chuck’s Southern Comforts Cafe. Sweets were lovingly provided by Pete’s family as they made favorite Italian cookies for the entire wedding! The toasts given by the maid of honor and best man were warm, funny, and created a great vibe in the room for dinner.
Jeff Stitley, band leader for The Stitely Orchestra, reflected:
“One of the things I love the most about being a part of weddings is the feeling that often happens when a whole room has a unified field of love towards the bride and groom.”
We carried that feeling through the rest of evening when it was time to dance! Ryanne and Pete had their first dance to “Nothing Fancy” by Alan Jackson. Pete and his mom danced to “Highway 20 Ride” by the Zach Brown Band before The Stitely Orchestra kicked it into dance mode with 50s & 60s grooves all night.
We played great hits from Buddy Holly, Elvis, and Carl Perkins. The special requests Pete and Ryanne asked us learn for their wedding were “See You Later Alligator” by Bill Haley & the Comets, “Oh Boy” by Buddy Holly and The original Drifter’s version of “Save the Last Dance for Me.” We topped the evening with the last song of the night, “December 1963” better known as “Oh What a Night” by the Four Seasons. Of course after that the crowd was screaming for us to keep playing! Congratulations to Ryanne and Pete, their wedding is certainly one to remember!
VENDORS
Venue: The Haight, Caterer: Chuck’s Southern Comforts Cafe, Event Rentals & Staffing: Cuisine America Catering Events, Photographer: Bridal Kaleidoscope, Cocktail Hour Musician: Hurricane Reggae Band, Wedding Planner: Every Flower Has A Story, Entertainment – Live Band: The Stitely Orchestra
