If you think a live wedding orchestra is the kind of thing only Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can afford, We’ve got good news for you: a wedding orchestra doesn’t actually have to cost an arm and a leg. The key is to understand how you can get the classic orchestral sound with just two or three string instruments.
Here’s a guide to bringing the sound of strings to your wedding without having to marry a prince.
Read MoreIf you’re a creative couple on the hunt for unique wedding ideas or unusual Chicago wedding venues, chances are you may not want the traditional wedding band or DJ playing the Chicken Dance. Here are a few tips on how to scope out the best Chicago wedding musicians so you can find a group suited for your specific tastes.
Read MoreWe can't believe summer is already over and that it is time to start thinking about the holidays! We love this time of year in Chicago and are offering our music for your holiday parties and events! Whether you are planning something cozy at home with friends and family or are planning the big office party, we have the right music for you. Here is a video from one of our recent rehearsals to help get you in the spirit! Head on over to our "Holiday Party" page for more details.
Hey Everyone! How's it going?
It's hard to believe August is here already! We've been busy soaking up all the sunshine, concerts and summer in the city we can get. Playing street festivals has also been a great addition to our wedding season. Even when it thunderstorms during our set, you can always count on the great folks of Chicago to stick it out. Rain or shine, you guys are the best!
North Center Summer Concert Series
Backstage at Southport Arts Festival after a very rainy (and fun!) set
Hey Kevin!
Hey Liz!
Wedding at Heritage Prairie Farm
Be well friends! Stay tuned. We have so much more to tell you about!
Love,
Team Gussied
ROB + JAY
A styled photo shoot, real life couple and a team of multi talented midwest vendors joined forces to document some good old fashioned love. Gussied was thrilled to supply the music! The "Boys in the Bayou" themed shoot was also featured on Wedding Chicks and Equally Wed. We were certainly happy to witness the love between these two and work with such creative vendors! Congrats to Rob and Jay on your ever after!
These gorgeous photos by Matushek Photography say it all! A complete list of everyone involved is at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!
Credits, kudos and applause to the fabulous:
Planning and Design: A Splendid Occasion
Photography: Matushek Photography
Flowers: Becca Blue Flowers
Cake: Caroline Magnuson Sweets
Hair & Makeup: Nika Vaughan Bridal Artists
Groom’s Attire: Apartment Number 9
Prop/Furniture Rentals: Marthette Vintage Rentals
Concept, Design, Stationary & Video: Amelia St. Studio
Place Settings & Dessert Serving Ware: Vintage Place Settings
Chiavari Chairs: Prestige Wedding Decoration
Band: Gussied
Officiant: Kate Miller
Have you ever wanted to crash a wedding? The NotWedding is the perfect opportunity! In fact, it's encouraged! A big fat fake wedding complete with real couple, ceremony and reception is where area vendors come together to show engaged couples the latest trends and wedding services. We thought it was a genius idea and were super excited to be part of it. In case you missed out, here's a recap via the lovely folks at Ruffled Wedding Blog.
Here are some of our personal favorites too!
Stationary by Chykalophia Design | Booth Photographics
Wedding Coordinators Ryan Alexander Events | Booth Photographics
Rings by Simply Wood Rings | John Dart Photography
Food by Pure Kitchen Catering | Booth Photographics
Doodles! By Jana @ Doodlebooth | Booth Photographics
Dress by Dame Couture | John Dart Photography
Stephen and Stephanie Booth Booth Photographics
Oh yea... and this band!
Music by Gussied | Booth Photographics
For a complete list of stellar vendors at this event, please see below.
Venue: City View Loft / Catering: Pure Kitchen Catering / Rehearsal Dinner: City View Loft / Event Rentals and Specialty Linens: Ultrapom Event Rental / Photography: Megan Saul Photography, Booth Photographics, John Dart Photography / Save the Date Video + Stationery: Amelia Street Studio / Day-Of Coordination: Canvas Weddings / Floral + Event Design: Tables 2, 5 and Head Table: Ryan Alexander Events / Floral + Event Design: Tables 1, 4 and Ceremony Backdrop: The Bread & Butterfly: Handcrafted Weddings / Floral + Event Design: Tables 3 and 6: Naturally Yours Events / Invitations: Chykalophia Design / Programs: OrangeBeautiful / Menus + Catering Cards: Sugar Pear Design / Wedding Dress: Dame Couture / Bridesmaid Attire: Rent the Runway / Groomsmen Attire: Menguin / Hair + Makeup: Bride Style Beauty / Accessories: The Left Bank Jewelry & Bridal Finery / Jewelry: Simply Wood Rings / Entertainment: Gussied / Ceremony Music: Neil Dixon Smith, Guitarist / Photobooth: Magnolia Photo Booth Company / Doodlebooth: Doodlebooth / Poetry/Guest Book: Poemgrown / Wedding Cake + Desserts: Courageous Bakery / Tabletop Vintage Rentals: re:find Joy / Wedding Website Builder: Squarespace / National Travel Vendor: Bliss by Luxury Concierge Travel/ National Linen Vendor:LinenTablecloth / National Sparkling Wine Sponsor: Ferrari / National Magazine Media Partner: Flower Magazine, The Knot, Modern Weddings, Modern Luxury Brides (CS), Bouquet Catcher
If you haven't heard, we're pretty excited to be performing at Chicago's 1st NotWedding this Thursday evening at the City View Lofts. We think its going to be a very magical evening and can't wait to meet all the guests.
Yesterday, the save the date photos for the event were featured on the NotWedding blog and they are stunning! Congrats to all the vendors who were involved.
Photography: Megan Saul Photography | Stationery: Chykalophia | Floral Hair Piece: The Bread & Butterfly | Engagement Ring: Gustav Reyes of Simply Wood Rings | Models: Ashley + Brian
It's here! It's here! Wedding season 2014 is in full swing, and we had a blast kicking things off at Heritage Prairie Farm's Tasting Event. While guests dined, Gussied provided a musical sampling.
We love playing this venue, and think you should know about it, so here's a list of of our favorite things about Heritage Prairie!
1. THE FOOD. Quite literally farm to table, the menu at HP features sustainable and locally sourced ingredients. Beer braised pulled pork, creamy polenta and a variety of heirloom veggies were just some of the yumminess we were able to enjoy. Pass the hors d'oeuvres please!
This chef is a rockstar.
Place setting: Wallflower Design
2. DRINKS. Custom cocktails enhanced with Heritage Prairie Honey, craft brews and mason jars. Check out this cute honey pot favor!
Heritage Prairie Honey
3. ATMOSPHERE. Looking for a rustic, outdoor setting? You don't need to haul your party too far from Chicago! Elburn, IL is just 40 mins outside of the city.
4. THE DETAILS. A bridal parlor outfitted with an antique settee and vanity is perfect for a pre-wedding photo op. The wide open spaces, bonfire, and animal residents of the farm are a sweet addition.
5. PEOPLE. The staff at Heritage Prairie are there to make sure your day goes off with out a hitch. They don't disappoint! Also, we were delighted to be working along such fantastic vendors for this event. Heritage Prairie has a fantastic list of preferred vendors to choose from!
Wallflower Design
Confections: Noble Pie
Vintage Rental: Pedal Play | Floral Design: Violet and Pearl
All photos by Esenam Photography.
Cake. Whiskey. There aren't many things that could make a person happier. The Den Theater was hopping as Gussied provided the evening's music at the Cake and Whiskey club's "Cakeopoly" party. Throwing down on bluegrass versions of Michael Jackson, AC/DC, and The Alabama Shakes, people danced to 6 different cake tasting rooms along with whiskey from Koval, Few Spirits, Maker's Mark, Knob Creek, 2 Gingers and Laphroaig. The end of the night turned into a massive dance party and Gussied was very happy to support the numerous charities that this even benefitted.
What better way to explore your wedding day vendor options than by attending a BIG FAKE wedding?! Gussied will be performing at the NotWedding reception August 14th, 2014. Want tickets? More information available here.
Hey all,
Lots of things have been moving fast in the world of Gussied! We've been very busy with playing lots of events over this summer and fall, rehearsing new interpretations of some amazing songs that you're gonna get down to, as well as getting ready for a large number of upcoming weddings set for this spring and summer.
Last week we shot a new music video with Mike Hendzel of Hendzel Productions, assisted by Mikel Pickett of Rooftop Sessions Chicago. We've got a couple of tricks up our sleeve for this video, so stay tuned to our Facebook page to see the video go live. In the meantime, check out more of our videos here.
In other wonderful news, our banjo-mandolin-fiddle-multi-instrumentalist-total-secret-weapon-will-play-anything-extremely-well member of the band, Mr. Randy Mollner, welcomed his new daughter, Roberta, into the world on December 15th! She is unbelievably adorable and we're all extremely excited for him!
Next Sunday, January 26th, we'll be performing at City Winery Chicago for their Bubbly Brunch from 11:30 to 2:30. Admission gets you a glass of champagne and they have a wonderful brunch menu. The weekend following, on Sunday, February 1st, Gussied will be a part of the Indie Wed wedding expo at the Ravenswood Event Center. We'll have a booth where we'll be able to answer any questions you have regarding the band, and later in the day we'll be doing a live performance for the attendees! Finally, a band for lovers wouldn't be complete without a show for lovers, so on Valentine's Day, February 14th, we'll be performing at The Wire in Berwyn. The "Pick Banjos, Not Fights!" show will be alongside Liza Day and Hayward.
We're a bunch of busy Gussieds, but we're having fun while we're at it! See you soon!
Wearing winter coats, scarves and gloves, Gussied performs bluegrass-tinged pop songs for a harvest dinner at Logan Square's Bang! Bang! Pie Shop to benefit the Chicago Rarities Orchard Project. CROP is a non-profit organization founded to establish community rare-fruit orchards in Chicago. These orchards, designed for reclaimed spaces, are dedicated to preserving a few of the thousands of varieties of tree fruit that aren't commonly commercially grown, while providing open space and educational opportunities to Chicagoans.
Gussied had a fun night at this wedding. A really fun night. Laura and Matt got married at the Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa in Galena, IL in late September. We loaded up at around 5am, grabbed a pot of coffee and made the 160 mile drive off to the little town on the Eastern side of the Mississippi.
Griff here: This is what it looked like on my roof at 5 am. No, I'm not complaining.
We arrived at the resort, loaded in all of our equipment and got ready for what was soon to be an amazing evening. As we do with all of our brides and grooms, we had the requests that they wanted us to learn and "Gussied" them up with our bluegrass feel.
photo from StudioNoveau.com
The bride, Laura, was from Wisconsin, and the groom, Matt, was was from the UK. Two families from opposite sides of the globe came together with crazy dance moves and lots of energy! The end of the night turned into a sing-a-long as Matt yelled out that he wanted to hear some Oasis. After pulling out an acoustic guitar and a melodica, we were happy to oblige. Matt grabbed the mic and closed out the party with a memorable rendition of "Wonder Wall" by Oasis. Such fun beautiful evening. Congrats Laura and Matt!
Summer comes to a close. The sun is blazing, and Gussied braves the heat in celebration of the life of manager and friend, Matthew Suhar. How do you best honor the one known for being the life of the party? You sing. You dance. You remember. You reflect. There’s nothing but happiness and gratitude pictured above. His life was cut short, but his smiling face and contagious enthusiasm will be with us forever.
We are so grateful to M@, his family and the community of people who made this celebration possible.
Photo Credit: Todd Allison
You’ll always have a special place in our hearts Matt Suhar.
Love,
Gussied
There is no better reason to leave Chicago than to drink some bubbly, play some twang and nosh on the local goodness provided by Heritage Prairie Farm. Not only is Heritage Prairie the perfect place to forget Chicago’s hustle and bustle, but its top notch service paired with rustic charm equals a swoon worthy wedding location.
Gussied was thrilled to provide music for the event. Cocktail hour began with a quiet fiddle and guitar duet, followed by several jazz standards and folk renditions of songs like “I’m a Believer”, “Do Right Woman” and concluded with detectable murmurs of guests singing along.
Following cocktails, we were graciously invited to the table for a vegetable feast, which was an absolute treat.
Gussied closed out the evening after sunset, bidding guests adieu to our version of “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk.
Shirley, smiling widely after visiting the goats at Heritage Prairie Farm.
Guests were treated to a tablescape featuring local honey, sweet cherry tomatoes and mason jars for water glasses.
Sunset. Beautiful.
Gussied was lucky enough to be a part of the Summer 2013 Indie Wed bridal show held in the Bridgeport area of downtown Chicago. While guests waited in line for the doors to open to this extremely fun event, Kevin (guitar) and Randy (fiddle) entertained the brides and grooms to be as they were led into the expo. With our kissing booth set up and pictures being posted to our Instagram account, dozens of couples came by to talk with us, eager to see our music videos and to watch the band perform later that afternoon. We had a great time at the beautiful Zhou B Arts Center and a blast playing for everyone!
