The music for your wedding is just as important as any other part of the ceremony. I can’t imagine a wedding ceremony without music! String Attached, Houston, is a family business of talented musicians! I have heard them play myself and wow, their music is magnificent! Learn more about Deanna, founder of Strings Attached, and to learn more about her business!
How did your business get started?
Strings Attached, Houston was actually my son’s idea. James had played music for weddings and events for the past two years as he worked through his performance degree at The University of Houston. He often played for others, but eventually began organizing his own ensembles for various events. In the fall of 2013, I had a major career shift, so we decided to make music together. With my Master’s in mid-management and his Music performance degree, we were sure to succeed. We have always dreamed of having a family business and this proved to be the best opportunity for us. We already have ideas to expand our business and look forward to coming year.
How did your passion for music arise?
Music is truly in our blood! My father, James’ grandfather, comes from a very musical family. My father had eleven siblings and EVERY one of them played some type of instrument! During family gatherings, it was common for a music session to break out at any time. It is what we did with our family time. My aunts and uncles played piano, guitar, harmonica, Dobro, and banjo. My uncles could even make good sound by hitting two spoons together and slapping their hands across their legs. My aunts would sing Christian music to the instruments being played. Amazingly enough, none of them could read sheet music. This talent skipped my generation, but it became evident early on, that James, my son, had a wonderful talent of creating music. Today, it is a very special time when he and his grandfather can get together and play the Dobro and Cello. With a short practice session, they never fail to come up with some hip tune. My father, at 76 years old, just started playing the Bass at his small country church. He has never played the bass, but was able to just START! James and I make it a point to visit the church each year to play for the small congregation of 30, really nice “country” folk. They LOVE it! Of course, his grandfather just beams when he is playing and takes full bragging rights each time.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get my inspiration from the people that I meet on a daily basis, the brides, the vendors, and random people that see us play. It is always a nice boost when they compliment on the musician’s wonderful talents.
The bride from a recent wedding gave us a review, “Deanna and James were wonderful! They went above and beyond to make my dreams happen for our wedding. I wish we could renew our vows every year and have them play every time.”
It is an honor to be a part of such an important day for our clients! This is what inspires James and me. We know the importance of the service we are providing, and we strive to make it perfect for the client.
What is the most popular music you play for weddings?
We have seen a trend of very modern/pop music. We have begun putting “The Bride’s Program” on our Twitter and Facebook pages because I want our new and potential clients to see the variety that our string musicians can offer. It also helps the bride feel comfortable with a less traditional ceremony. Our most recent requests have been, “Sweet Child of Mine” – Guns and Roses. “Yellow” – Coldplay. “Don’t Stop Believing” – Journey, “Halo” – Beyonce… and many more! We LOVE getting these requests and often arrange the music for our trio and quartets. Whatever the bride wants, we WILL provide it.
How do you make the music experience unique for each bride?
Customization! I do not tell the brides what we will play. I let them tell me what they want, and then we fill in the gaps. If they want modern music with a duo or a trio, we will arrange it! If they want to choose all of their prelude and postlude songs, we let them! We always give our expert advice when needed, but I want them to feel freedom with the music they dream of for their wedding.
I like to provide the brides with a lot of resources to help them get started with their music selection. We assign a “Concert Master” to each of our weddings (In most cases, it will be James). This musician will talk to the bride as many times as she needs in preparing the music for her ceremony. The musician and the bride will go through a final checklist two weeks prior to the ceremony to review the music and the final details related to the music. This instills a high level of confidence in our brides and gives them one less thing to worry about.
What is your favorite part about playing at weddings?
I attend many of the weddings with James and will travel with the musicians when necessary. I have to say that when the bridal march begins, I still tear-up! The magnitude of the event hits me. The musicians create this mood and feeling, and it is ALWAYS moving! We provide such a special service, and I try to relay that to our brides. They often get caught up in the dinner, the flowers, or the decorations. While all of that is very important to the overall day, we are the “I Do” portion of the event, and the ceremony music should be very special.
What does your package consist of?
We have two very popular packages:
“The Bridal Package” – This includes free consultations (as many as the bride needs) and music from prelude through the postlude. We allow the bride to make as many selections as she likes, and we guide her through this process. This consists of about 1 hour of performance for the ceremony.
“The Crown Package” – This is a 2 hour package. The musicians will play for the ceremony (as described above); we will then transition into a more upbeat, fun repertoire to entertain the guests, while the bride and her bridal party are taking pictures. This is a nice gesture for the guests and a lot of fun for us!
What is the best tip for brides as far as music goes?
I want the brides to take the time they need to carefully select the music they want. We do encounter brides that are very distant from the whole process and allow their wedding planners or parents to make many of the decisions for them. I understand why. They are SO busy! Nonetheless, this is the “I DO” portion of the ceremony. MAKE IT SPECIAL to you and your fiancé and make it yours!
What sets you apart from other musicians?
The amount of time we take with our brides to customize their experience and the composing service we provide makes the bride’s experience with us a very positive one. This is my full-time commitment. I answer the phone when it rings! I meet personally with all of the brides that book with us, unless they are unable to do so. I visit new venues if I am unfamiliar with the setting; I attend professional meetings with other vendors on a regular basis to build relationships with those that are also working with our clients. These relationships are crucial to making it all happen without a hitch. I know that the brides we work with appreciate the multiple efforts that take place behind the scenes to make sure their event is perfect. That is the ultimate goal of all of the amazing professionals that I work with.
Anything else you would like to add?
We are committed to providing the best experience possible for our brides. This includes: professional, customer service and a performance that is beyond comparison.
