I knew from the moment that I spoke to this bride that she was a lovely person, and she was indeed such a delight to work with! This couple in their 50’s hired my flute and violin duo to accompany their wedding ceremony and cocktail hour with classical and popular music to give a mood of understated and classy elegance.

We played classical music selections as guests arrived and to set the mood for the ceremony to follow. For the processional of the wedding party and the bride, we played “Don’t Stop Belivin’” by Coldplay, a special music arrangement for flute and violin that I made specially for the couple. The bride said that the moment she heard us play, she just knew that our music was the most perfect choice for her wedding, and it brought happy tears to her eyes. The happy tears continued as the couple was joyfully united in marriage.

Imagine my surprise when I recognized the bride’s sister when she walked up to do a reading! She was the mom of one of my former flute students. My student and her mom were equally surprised to recognize me as the one playing the flute, and we had a brief and happy reunion.

Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens, Flute and Violin Wedding Ceremony Music at the Arrabelle at Vail Square in Vail, Colorado

Wedding Processional Music:
Wedding Party and Bride’s Processional: Don’t Stop Belivin’ (Coldplay)
Recessional: All You Need is Love (Beatles)

Sample from Wedding Prelude Music:
Air from Suite No. 3 (Bach), Flower Duet from Lakme (Delibes), Allegro from Spring (Vivaldi), Arioso (Bach), River Flows in You (Yiruma)

After the ceremony was over, we continued to play for cocktails out on the patio of the Arrabelle.

Sample from Cocktail Hour Music:
Rigaudon from Water Music (Handel), Blackbird (Beatles), Minuets I & II (Devienne), I Will (Beatles), Intermezzo (Mascagni)

From the Bride:

“One week post-wedding and we and our guests are still singing the praises of Flute and Strings by Christen. Christen was the only musician I spoke with, unlike the myriad of vendors I spoke with virtually every other aspect of her wedding, instinctively I felt she was exactly what we were looking for. Boy was I correct. She is first and foremost an exceptionally talented musician, which you can hear from her music samples. She also offered a wide variety of music to choose from for both the ceremony and reception, and were flexible and accommodating to my own processional selection. She was quick to respond to my questions, highly organized and professional and showed up early on the big day. And then they played. It was WONDERFUL!!! Having beautiful live music during the ceremony was important to us and to have it played so well really made the day extra perfect. I can't say enough about Christen.” Bobbi B.

Add a touch of class and elegance to your wedding ceremony with the lovely combination of flute and violin. You can listen to music samples here.

Wedding Vendors:
Ceremony and Cocktail Music: Flute and Strings by Christen Stephens - Flute and Violin Duo
Planner: Glitter and Bliss Weddings
Venue: The Arrabelle at Vail Square
Photography: Daniel Alfonzo Photography
Flowers: Petals and Pours

String trio wedding and reception music at the Arrabelle in Vail Square

In late July, I played cello with my string trio for a classy wedding ceremony and reception at the Arrabelle in Vail. Since we played for both the ceremony and reception, we were there for about five hours, which rivals my longest performance ever! Instead of having to leave right after the ceremony, it was wonderful to have the extra time to spend playing our music and getting to know and enjoy the guests.

As we arrived, the weather was a little iffy, and it looked like it might rain. We hoped for the best and set up with our instruments on the beautiful balcony just outside the Arrabelle Great Room. The balcony overlooked the green Vail ski slopes and a part of charming Vail Village. Just as we were ready to start playing the prelude music, it began to storm, and the ceremony had to be moved indoors.

Our string trio played peaceful classical prelude music, as requested by the bride. The bride walked down the aisle to "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri, and the couple was married in front of grand fireplace in the Great Room.

Once the ceremony was over, the guests enjoyed cocktails and dinner as we played a set of modern pop and rock songs. It was fun because when we started playing each song, various guests would pay attention as they recognized their a favorite tune. The acoustics in the room worked beautifully for our trio and we didn't overpower the small room.

When there's no dancing, our live music is perfect for your entire wedding ceremony, cocktails, and reception. That way, you only need to book one group! We can start your ceremony and welcome your guests with lovely classical music and then switch to more contemporary music or lively classical music for your cocktails and reception. We can even add amplification if needed. For this couple, it was such an elegant touch to have our string trio play for the entire event, and our music created a beautiful ambiance for the entire evening.

From the Bride:
"We had an intimate wedding in Vail and Christen and her string trio team played for both our ceremony and reception. They did such a great job! Christen was so helpful and accommodating with our vision and timeline while planning the music for our day. Her website provides many great samples of music to choose from. She also worked on and added more music to her string trio repertoire in order to accommodate both our ceremony and reception. We received several compliments from guests on how much they enjoyed their music. They appreciated the elegant touch it added and the fact that they could easily converse with one another while they were playing. She was very responsive and so easy to work with. I would highly recommend her and her team for any special occasion or event! Thank you Christen!"

Experience classical and pop music with the elegance of strings for your wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception with my string trio.

Selections from Prelude Music:
Air from Water Music (Handel), Wedding Song (Peter, Paul, and Mary), Andantino (Mozart), Romanza from Eine Kline Nachtmusik (Mozart), Arioso from Cantata #156 (Bach)

Wedding Ceremony Music:
A Thousand Years (Christina Perri) - Bride's Processional
Allegro from Spring (Vivaldi) - Recessional

Dinner Reception Music (a small sample):
Moon River (from Breakfast at Tiffany's), Accidentally in Love (Counting Crows), Romantic Flight (from How to Train Your Dragon), The Wedding (from the Legends of the Fall), A Sky Full of Stars (Coldplay), Yellow (Coldplay), Anything Goes (Cole Porter), Don't Stop Believin' (Journey), Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol), Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter), Imagine (Beatles)

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Flute and Violin Duo Wedding Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music at the Arrabelle in Vail

From the Bride:

String Trio Wedding Ceremony and Reception Music at the Arrabelle in Vail