Andy & Karen's Jewish Wedding with Down for the Count

Published: 11 Sep 2015   |   Written by: Mike Paul-Smith

In July 2015 we performed for the Jewish wedding of Andy and Karen at The Elvetham Hotel, Hampshire.

We had gotten to know Andy and Karen very well in the build-up to their wedding; they had seen us performing at Andy's best man's wedding the year previously, and our band manager Mike even took a few hours out of a holiday in Andy and Karen's hometown New York City to discuss plans for their wedding in detail.

Andy and Karen booked two of Down for the Count's most popular options for their wedding - our piano and cello duo for their outdoor wedding ceremony, and our 10-piece Swing & Soul band for the evening reception.

The wedding ceremony featured live classical music from the pianist and cellist. Pieces we performed included Elgar's 'Salut d'Amour' and Handel's Largo.

Whilst the guests were enjoying drinks on the lawn, we set up for the evening band in the marquee. Before long it was time for the Swing and Soul band to perform three sets of live music - starting with Andy and Karen's first dance, Dean Martin's 'Ain't That a Kick in the Head'.

Immediately after the first dance, we had the opportunity of performing The Hora, a traditional Jewish dance performed to Hava Nagila - which involves the bride and groom being lifted high in the air on chairs, and everyone else holding their breath and crossing their fingers...

The wedding was a fantastic occasion and it was a pleasure to be involved in the special day of two great people. Andy and Karen's wedding planner Kate, from Isabella Weddings, had this to say about our performance:

"Down for the Count were the band for the evening reception and they were absolutely sensational. They played swing and soul music with a few modern classics thrown in for good measure. All of the guests danced the night away with this fantastic couple and everyone had such a fabulous time."

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