Kimberly & Kenneth

Tonight we played the longest gig we've ever played: 4 hours. I expected to be sore and exhausted when we finished, but we were having too much fun to notice the time!

At Eldredge Manor in Bountiful, we first played for Kimberly and Kenneth's beautiful, festive wedding ceremony. The bridesmaids were dressed in holiday red, and the bride looked like a fairytale princess. It seemed as if the happy couple were in their own private world as they exchanged their vows.

We then played some of our favorite selections while the guests enjoyed their dinner. After the elegant meal, it was time to dance! Usually when a couple schedules time for dancing, that's when the string quartet is dismissed and much louder and faster music is played from the loudspeakers. However, it was our pleasure to continue playing on the dance floor, and we had a wonderful time! The wedding guests actually danced, but no one spent more time on the dance floor than Kimberly and Kenneth.

Congratulations you two!

We would like to thank Jeff Haslam of Jeff Haslam Photography for the beautiful photos! You may find more of his work at jhaslamphotography.com.

Ana Paula & Brooks

Tonight we traveled up a narrow, winding, snowy canyon road to play for Ana Paula and Brooks' wedding celebration in Park City. It was held for a small group of family and friends in an elegant, yet cozy, residence at the top of White Pine Canyon Road. As we entered the gated community, called The Colony, the man at the gate instructed us to take a left at the fork. So up the steep road we went, taking a left at the prominent fork. As we climbed the mountain, the road became snowier and the white fog became thicker. It was at this point that we thanked our lucky stars that Meili was driving her Escape with 4-wheel drive. We climbed higher and higher, without seeing any numbers; we were looking for #97. Finally, we saw an address, #160. Hmmm... We continued our climb, passing higher numbers on our way up. When we reached the 200s, we decided to turn around. We must have taken the wrong fork.

So we began the icy descent. After a few white-knuckled miles, we made it back to the fork, where the directions were clearly marked... under a thick coat of snow, of course. We turned right, did some more slow and careful climbing, and made it to #97 just in time.

Thank you Ana Paula and Brooks, for a beautiful winter adventure. And best wishes to you both!

Becca & Sam

Tonight, we played for a scenic ceremony at The Pointe in Salt Lake City. The Pointe is a beautiful penthouse on the top floor of the Huntsman Cancer Institute by the University of Utah. The ceremony began at sunset and the view was spectacular. The guests enjoyed the warm glow of the November sun that shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides. The Wasatch Mountains stood majestically on our left, and the entire Salt Lake Valley was laid out on our right.

The wedding ceremony was officiated by the bride's brother. What a wonderful personal touch!

Lisa & Chris

Tonight, we played for Lisa and Chris' wedding reception at Arbor Manor in Taylorsville. It is often the case that the children in attendance show much more interest in our music than the adults, but it was especially apparent tonight. It may be because it is more socially acceptable for children to stare, or perhaps that children are more observant than their parents. Whatever the case, we had many little admirers tonight.

There was this handsome boy in his argyle vest.

And this dancing girl. (Notice the piece we were playing. Appropriate, no?)

She came over to visit after her waltz.

This little lady in red, who did not want to leave us.

And this future violinist, who already knows his way around a bow.

We had a wonderful time with our short friends tonight. Best wishes to the happy couple!

RIP Quartet Bag

We carry our stands and music in a heavy, large, red bag with wheels. Because I have space in my garage and my trunk, I have lately been the designated bag handler. I always thought it was an awkward thing to haul around because it is difficult to lift into the car, and stairs are always an issue. Despite this, it was a loyal and helpful bag, and it had a beautiful life... until Meili's husband ran over it.

For the last few gigs, one wheel has been barely hanging on, but today, while we were dragging it up some stone steps, it gave up the ghost. We quickly passed through the five stages of grief.

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

Posted by Meili.

Allison & Nicholas

Our second wedding today was at beautiful Memory Grove. I love playing at this historic and stately location. The wedding guests sat facing this grand structure.

The minister was eloquent and the bride and groom were glowing. But my favorite part of this special ceremony was the flower girl. (In the photo below, she is sitting on her grandma's lap on the front row, behind the bridesmaid in yellow.) She walked down the aisle just ahead of the bride and ceremoniously dropped all her flower petals right in front of the minister. Then, as the bride stepped over the petals and took her place alongside her groom, the little lady said in a proud not-whisper, "I dropped my flowers for you!" When the bride smiled and nodded, she continued, "Why do you have to walk on flowers?" At this point, she wanted to keep having a conversation with the bride, but everyone was trying to shush her, which made her innocent little lip stick out and her chin quiver. After being consoled by the bridesmaid in the yellow dress, she went to sit with her grandma, and she seemed to enjoy the rest of the ceremony.

After the minister finished asking the bride and groom if they would take the other as their lover, partner and friend, she addressed the flower girl, who walked to the front. The minister asked her if she would accept Allison as part of her family. She happily replied that she would. Then the minister asked the same of Allison, who agreed. This is the part of the ceremony that brought a tear to my eye. I hadn't realized she was the groom's daughter until then. It was so sweet.

Heather & John

Today was a special day for us; we played two weddings! The first was a festive outdoor wedding ceremony at a cute residence in Millcreek. The decorations were playful. The chocolate fountain, which was sitting about 2 feet behind us, was fragrant and tempting. And the ceremony was quick!