It was a great evening at the San Diego Convention Center for us as performers, and for guests who just finished a day of conference lectures and presentations, to enjoy an hour of music, food, and libations! We were hired for the GridTech Connect conference, and there were around 200 people that came through the conference room, were entertained by our fun arrangements, and got to chat with their fellow conference attendees. 

Why have a wind quintet for a corporate cocktail hour? Well - there are many great reasons. First of all, it's us! We are super fun! Our over 700 unique arrangements of music spanning jazz, ragtime, pop covers, movie soundtracks, and more are a welcome sound for attendees who are looking to relax. LCQ's music just envelopes everyone with a sense of "happy" and there were so many people with smiles on their faces listening to songs like "Anything Goes" with a twist from Indiana Jones, or some of the Latin flare we put in to "Hernando's Hideaway." 

We are there mainly to provide just some background ambiance while people unwind, and while we are off to the side of the event in most cases, we still get so many people who come up between songs and share stories of how they used to play an instrument, or how a song brought up a special memory, or just how much they enjoyed what we are doing and how much we love performing together. 

LCQ really looks forward to returning to the San Diego Convention Center for more of these corporate events, and we are always so happy when event planners and organizers reach out to see what we can offer. Whether we are doing more background music for a cocktail hour like this, or performing more center-stage for a concert for attendees, or providing music for an awards dinner or gala, we are excited and ready to bring some magical music to unique spaces around San Diego. 

On Saturday January 28th, 2023, the Left Coast Quintet performed for the Carlsbad Library & Arts Foundation "Showtime @ the Shulman" series. The evening was so much fun, and we really appreciate the City of Carlsbad, the Library & Arts Foundation, and the amazing community members who came out to the show for being in attendance!

We performed a really diverse and fun lineup for music, mostly centered on fun movies and upbeat pieces. Our set list included themes from Forrest Gump, The Princess Bride, The Godfather, Monster's Inc, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and more. We also threw in some fun Habanera from Carmen, an Italian mashup of popular songs, and closed the night out with I Feel Pretty from West Side Story. Of course, we all feel very pretty with the blue light backstage! 

We can't wait to return to this beautiful auditorium and put on more concerts in the Carlsbad area. You can check out our Instagram where we'll be uploading videos from the concert over the next few weeks!

Thank you to all of our fans, community members, clients, and families who supported the LCQ through this past year! It's been such a fun time getting to perform all over San Diego County! We had 15 wedding clients, 8 corporate events, a few other random gigs sprinkled in, and performed for the Chula Vista Lemon Festival and the San Diego Art Walk in Liberty Station - definitely a successful year for the quintet. 

Of course the most exciting wedding of the year for us in 2022 was our clarinetist April, who married Benjamin at The Abbey in Bankers Hill earlier in the year. We had the quintet performing for prelude, ceremony, and cocktail hour, and it was incredibly special to be there with our dear friend and colleague at one of the most important days in her life!

We are looking forward to the upcoming 2023 performance year. We have a few exciting bookings already so far, and plans to play at new venues all over San Diego and Southern California. We'll also continue to update our blog, Instagram, Facebook, and whatever other new social media comes out so you can follow along on our adventures!

From all of us at LCQ, wishing you a safe, happy, and healthy 2023!

Talk about a beautiful location to have a wedding! We performed today at the Coronado Island Marriott Resort, right on their lawn overlooking the San Diego Bay and downtown San Diego. It was really beautiful, a small and intimate ceremony with our favorite officiant, Bethel Nathan! We started performing for prelude while guests arrived and took their seats, about thirty minutes of music with accompanying laughter of small children running around the lawns and playing with each other. Honestly it was a small concert for us, and the guests really enjoyed the music! We performed Rainbow Connection from the Muppets, a few pieces from Beauty and the Beast, When You Wish Upon a Star from Pinocchio, Storybook Love from the Princess Bride, Sound of Music, and more. 

We had an amazing opportunity to perform for a really unique wedding ceremony at a new venue for us, the Mingei Museum in the heart of Balboa Park! This was really a cool opportunity, completely thought out by our couple who are also musicians and wanted something totally different!

We started off the afternoon by performing while guests arrived, and it was a great variety of fun music to set the mood for the wedding ceremony. The "Married Life" theme from the movie Up, Anything Goes from Indiana Jones, Puttin' on the Ritz, and Clarinet Marmalade made their appearances while guests were finding seats.  

Once given the cue, we started our wedding ceremony with a custom arrangement of the Downton Abbey theme. Really a perfect piece of music for this beautiful space. 

The wedding ceremony was set up as a story book, with the officiant reading about the lives of our couple, how they met, dates they went on, favorite things. Each small story segment was intertwined with a live music performance from us! So, for one of their date nights, they went to see Rhapsody in Blue, and LCQ immediately burst into the beautiful opening clarinet solo of the Gershwin piece. Further along, as part of their love for opera, we performed the famous passage to Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. There were around seven different segments of music intertwined in the ceremony, where the couple, officiant, and audience got to sit back and listen to the quintet perform music that accompanied their life story up to this point. 

​We capped off the ceremony with a lively version of Hevenu Shalom Alechem, a traditional Yiddush dance performed often at Jewish wedding ceremonies. The guests were all clapping along and it was the start of an evening of celebration. 

Of course we had to take an opportunity to get a picture with the artwork of the Mingei, and this sculpture was perfect! Really looking forward to future events and weddings at this beautiful museum!

On Wednesday September 7th, we were absolutely honored to perform the United States National Anthem for the opening of the San Diego Padres game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was a really fun and memorable experience for all of us! 

We've been communicating with the San Diego Padres organization about doing this for about a year now. They have a number of musical acts that come in to perform the anthem throughout the year, mostly singers, but once in a while a musical ensemble gets to join in on the fun! Pretty sure we are the first wind quintet to bring the Star Spangled Banner to Petco Park, although many other classical musicians from local groups including the San Diego Symphony have performed here before. 

The day started pretty early with a check in at security, and being escorted to our own green room. We got to relax a bit before sound check, and then headed to the field for our warm up and to be introduced to the audio team. 

On our way to the field, we got to meet one of the Padres Pups! He was adorable. After our soundcheck, back to our greenroom, and we hopped out to grab some dinner (ballpark hotdogs, pretzels, and nachos!). Then as we approached our 5pm call time, got ready and put on our jerseys for the big show!

It was a whirlwind experience for the quintet and we are so happy we got to perform for an amazing team and awesome crowd. We have a number of videos that were sent to us, some of them have been posted up on Facebook and Instagram for you to check out (we can't upload videos in a blog). We sincerely can't wait to be invited back and hope to perform similarly for other events and teams in the San Diego area!

The quintet was delighted to play for a wedding ceremony at the historic and pink La Valencia Hotel this past weekend, and we had a blast. From custom arrangements of Israeli pop music to beautiful classical interludes, as well as a sprinkling of movie soundtrack magic, we elevated the atmosphere and put a smile on our bride, groom, and the guests!

One of the best things we can hear from people after we finish playing is how much they loved the performance. In this case, it was quite warm outside, so the guests sitting in the sun while we played prelude were sweating in their suits and dresses but still had a great time. We had people coming up, to chat between songs, lots of toe-tapping, and some really special music selections. 

La Valencia is a gorgeous location. Located right above the Pacific Ocean in the downtown village area of La Jolla, it's known as the Pink Lady for obvious reasons - it's exterior stucco color and it's charm. The hotel boasts scenic views all over the property, whether you're enjoying the restaurant, you're down in the garden, at the pool, or in the Veranda Room for cocktail hour, there are lots of places to explore. Our couple had their wedding ceremony in the Garden, or El Jardin, and you can see the setup in the above pics. A beautiful flower arch was built on the front of the Chuppah, a traditional Jewish wedding structure with a tallit hanging above that the couple gets married under. 

The quintet did a prelude selection of movie music from films like Cinema Paradiso, An American Tail, and Fiddler on the Roof, as well as pop covers of the Beatles & the Beach Boys. We hit some classical notes with Debussy's Petite Suite, and some Israeli/Jewish music including Yerushalyim Shel Zahav and Erev Shel Shoshanim, both beautiful melodies that set the tone for the day as one of wonder, beauty, and excitement. 

If you're reading our blog and searching for wedding inspiration, I hope you check out La Valencia and the La Jolla area, there is so much to do and no one needs a car. Lots of parks, museums, stores, amazing restaurants, and of course the views of the Pacific during sunset, all make for a great event weekend for family and friends! 

The Left Coast Quintet had the pleasure of returning again to Ethereal Gardens, north of Escondido, for a beautiful July 4th wedding ceremony. We performed for prelude, processional, and recessional, and had some custom music arranged from the Twilight movies specifically for the bride. 

Ethereal Gardens is a lovely place to get married! A large 40 acre private estate, the gardens include lush landscaping, private suites to get ready, numerous fountains, an indoor bar/lounge, a large outdoor party tent, and space for lawn games. It is truly an all-in-one wedding venue where your guests can come, celebrate, and enjoy themselves. 

Our quintet fit in perfectly here. We don't need amplification to easily be heard across the lawns and the seating areas, and we performed many fun arrangements while guests arrived including music from West Side Story, The Little Mermaid, How to Train Your Dragon, Lady & the Tramp, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Romeo & Juliet, and many others. For recessional, another custom arrangement for our group of Born to be Yours by Imagine Dragons & Kygo set the mood for the rest of the festivities. 
​

Many thanks to Jim George for subbing in on clarinet! Jim has played with the quintet and our trio on numerous occasions and is a fantastic musician and doubler - he's actually able to fill in for us on either clarinet or flute, so you may see him at future gigs in either roll. 

Also a thank you to our fabulous couple who were so easy to work with and so cheerful! They even gave us this beautiful thank you card when we finished which was the icing on the cake!

Our own clarinetist April tied the knot recently, and we couldn't have been happier to celebrate with her and her new husband at the beautiful Abbey on Fifth! Performing with April is always a blast, and getting to plan with her all of the music for her own ceremony was easy and fun. 

The Abbey is a historic building right in the heart of San Diego, in a really cool neighborhood called Bankers Hill. This vibrant district is just north of Downtown, offers a ton of amazing food and entertainment options, and is just one block from Balboa Park - so it's a perfect location for celebrations and gatherings. The vaulted cathedral ceilings, wood paneling, and amazing stained glass windows harken to a royal stately type of feel for a venue. There is even a music balcony right there above the alter where our quintet fits perfectly!

The quintet performed for prelude, and got to play for April and her wedding party while they were getting ready and still doing final touches before guests arrived. We played some meaningful music for the ceremony, and stayed up in the music loft to do an hour while cocktails were being served. LCQs wide range of music styles blended perfectly here for this event, sticking with mostly classical and softer music while guests arrived, and then more upbeat movie and jazz music for the reception. 

If you're still searching for a unique and beautiful location for a wedding, corporate event, or holiday party, look no further than the Abbey on Fifth - and give us a ring to provide some of that musical ambiance!

Let's say you are planning an event for your company and thinking of hiring a musician. That is a great idea!

Companies hire musicians for various types of events – holiday parties, sponsorship appreciation, business anniversaries, retirements – the list goes on.

Before getting bogged down in researching / trying to book the right music group for your event, consider your strategic objectives and some of the practical considerations.

Since LCQ has performed a numerous events around San Diego, and having provided musical entertainment for all kinds of companies, we feel qualified to:
​

• Explain why your initial instinct to hire a live musician over a DJ or other recorded music was a good one – and why it makes business sense;
• Illustrate why hiring a musician is a great choice compared with hiring other types of entertainers;
• Offer you some tips for getting the most out of your booking.

We kicked off our 2022 gig season with a really fun wedding at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park last weekend. Our couple chose to have their ceremony at the Lagoon Overlook, and then move the reception up to the Sambutan Longhouse at Tiger Trail. 

For prelude, we played many arrangements of music either with Disney themes or with some kind of animal theme, since we were at a zoo! This included Monsters Inc, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, Lion King, Hercules, and more. The wedding guests really loved it, and so did many of the Safari Park guests who were passing by before the ceremony. 

The bride requested a custom arrangement of Eye of the Tiger for her processional which went perfectly - we finished the last chord just as she was arriving to meet her new husband. After a short and sweet ceremony, we performed the Hogwarts March from Harry Potter for their recessional, and stayed on to play a few more pieces while guests left and some pictures were taken. 

The reception and dinner were held at the other end of the Safari Park, in the Sambutan Longhouse at the Tiger Trail. We provided emcee and background music for the evening, and got this great tiger picture from just outside where guests were eating. It is really a remarkable venue and looks great at night with all of the market lights. 

Definitely looking forward to returning to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park again in the future for more weddings and events!

Here is to a happy holiday season! We had some really fun holiday gigs this December: at a few private residences, a park, a winery, and on KUSI Good Morning San Diego! 

We aren't taking on any more gigs this year, but for next year - get ahold of us early if you'd like some lively holiday music at your company party, a house event, or a community gathering. We are more than happy to spread some cheer through live music with you!

The Left Coast Quintet had the pleasure of providing music for the wedding of good friends JR and Elise at the Bahia last weekend, and we always enjoy returning to this beautiful and very "San Diego" venue. Located right on Mission Bay, the resort boasts a number of private bungalows right on the sand, and has their own private beaches. Many amenities in this hotel are perfect for your wedding, including numerous beachside or garden sites, large indoor ballrooms, and even their own boat, the Bahia Belle!

The quintet entertained guests as they arrived, playing a number of fun tunes from Broadway shows, movies, and light jazz. For the processional, we started off with a special request from the groom for the Police Academy March, and the bride wanted to keep it traditional with Canon in D. The recessional was the upbeat Happy Together by The Turtles. Post ceremony, we played for cocktail hour still on the sand while guests mingled and had appetizers and drinks. 

Always happy to return to the Bahia or any of the other beautiful Mission Bay venues - and ready to provide recommendations on our services and the other great wedding professionals that we work with!

Over the past one and a half years since COVID-19 hit, when all the events were on hold, all the venues were quiet, and most everyone stayed home, we came together (6 feet apart) to practice and have a sense of normalcy in our lives. Our very own RB Anthony has arranged well over 150 new pieces for wind quintet during the course of the pandemic, and along with other arrangements we've procured we needed an outlet to have some fun, try out new pieces, and keep our sanity. Enter the "open rehearsal" where we have set up in parks around town, brought out new and favorite pieces of music, and invited our friends and families to some live entertainment - something which has been sorely lacking for a while now. 

The Left Coast Quintet performed for a beautiful wedding ceremony at Green Gables Wedding Estate on Thursday evening. It was our first time on the property, and we were very impressed with just how gorgeous it is. Mature trees provide plenty of shade, there are beautiful green lawns, well manicured patios - really it is an oasis in North County San Diego that transports you away to a different world. 

Our couple loves all things Disney, and we did a prelude full of Disney music, including Lion King, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Pinocchio, and more. The wedding ceremony processional even included a little Star Wars - Imperial March, and for the recessional, we got this custom arrangement of Marry You by Bruno Mars which is lively and upbeat, perfect for everyone clapping for the newly married couple. 

Definitely looking forward to returning to this venue - we have another wedding there in the fall where we will perform for prelude, ceremony, and cocktail hour, so a little more time to get more pictures and videos. Until then - have a great weekend!

We had a fun time yesterday at a beautiful wedding at Cuvier Park in La Jolla, also known as The Wedding Bowl. This is such an iconic San Diego wedding spot, a sunken park right on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Just looking at the picture above gives you a hint on how amazing this spot really is. What is even more amazing is that this is available to anyone - it's a public park! All you need is a permit from the City of San Diego, and you're set. Of course, you'll need to rent chairs, bring in flowers, secure an arch, and set up any other equipment you want there. Basically, it's a blank canvas for you to set up in whatever vision you have.

That's us over in the far left, we bring our own umbrellas to outdoor events because direct sunlight can harm our instruments. 

Music, of course, is incredibly important during wedding ceremonies. You already know that, but just think about how your guests feel and how the mood changes when you hear that live music starting up. It bring amazing ambiance to the space. Our wind quintet really is perfect for The Wedding Bowl, we need no amplification to easily be heard by guests, who can still mingle and catch up while waiting for the ceremony to start. 

Our bride requested almost all Disney & movie music both for the prelude and the ceremony. We played through hits from Aladdin, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones, the Lion King, and many others. The little kids were loving it, and the kids at heart (adults) were whistling and tapping their feet too. 

One of the benefits to hiring LCQ is that we bring along a fully wireless, battery powered audio system. No, we don't need it for the musicians, but in this case at the Wedding Bowl, it's perfect for the officiant and for vows. There are ZERO plugs or power available at this park, so having a battery option is required. Even with small weddings, it's a good idea to have a small sound system to help the officiant project, since you're right on the water and it can sometimes be loud there. 

Some things to think about when having a ceremony at Cuvier Park is where guests will park. There is a lot of free street parking (2 hour time limit), but especially in the summer and on weekends it can be difficult to park close by. Possibly having a bus for guests coming from a hotel would be convenient. There are also many hotels in the La Jolla area that guests can stay at if they want to ditch the car for the weekend and walk around, La Jolla has a small town feel with numerous restaurants, shops, and activities. 

Also important to keep in mind that only the wedding ceremony can occur at the Wedding Bowl. You will need to find another location for the reception afterwards, and there are plenty of places close by in La Jolla that are walking distance: La Valencia Hotel, the Cuvier Club, the La Jolla Women's Club, and many more. 

If you'd like more tips and info on outdoor weddings, beachside San Diego ceremonies, or specifically on Cuvier Park and having live music, feel free to reach out and send us email to leftcoastquintet@gmail.com - always happy to help and answer any questions.

Have you had a wedding at Cuvier Park? What tips would you provide to others thinking about this spot? Who did you use for rentals? Where did you get ready? There are always couples asking for info here, it'd be great to help them out!

The Left Coast Quintet had the honor to provide live wedding music once again in Temecula, this time at the Galway Downs. An absolutely stunning location, very typical of Temecula with beautiful lakes and water features, huge shade trees, a large barn/reception area, and just the nicest staff. 

We set up early and ran through a few new songs arranged by our hornist RB, including a beautiful rendition of Simple Gifts. Guests started trickling in and taking their seats in the ceremony spot, which overlooks a beautiful lake and is surrounded by gentle creeks and fun pedestrian bridges and walkways. We continued with prelude music for about 30 minutes while everyone was seated, and then got our cue to start the wedding ceremony. 

Yes there was a "best dog" ! After a beautiful and touching ceremony, we played "Our Love is Here to Stay" for the recessional, as the wedding party and guests started exiting the ceremony site and headed over for cocktail hour. We moved as well, over in front of a beautiful barn with a fun grass area, set up with lawn games and belly top tables. The kids and dog played around while we provided upbeat jazz, pop, and movie music, and the wedding party was off taking pictures. We ended just before the grand entrances and left everyone to a wonderful night of celebrating!

The first Wedding Open House of the Year for us! Vineyard Hacienda did not disappoint with an amazing property tour, some delicious food vendors, and good company. This was our first time checking out this wedding venue in Spring Valley, and it is a place we hope we return to often. From gorgeous lawns, a beautiful pond/fountain, historic architecture, beautiful oak trees, and a really unique hotel space, Vineyard Hacienda would make a beautiful location for a weekend retreat, wedding ceremony, or friends trip. 

The exterior of the property is surrounded by rolling hills, large trees, and is just a quiet peaceful spot. The main building was built in the 1920s, and boasts 5 guests rooms, a large dining room, an amazing pool/hot tub, a bachelors paradise game room, and a huge kitchen. There is a perfect lawn spot right in front of the pond/fountain for wedding ceremonies, and a large patio underneath huge oak trees to dance the night away and enjoy dinner and drinks. 

There is a surprise under ground, with a fully appointed and charming wine vault! A great location for a late night wine & cheese pairing, and we are looking forward to trying out a live recording down there, the acoustics seem amazing!

Overall, just a great experience all around at the wedding open house. It was great to meet the event managers and owners of the property, who are down to earth nice people and will make sure to make your event an awesome experience. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions for a vendor perspective!

There is really no building more iconic to Southern California than the Hotel del Coronado, and it's beachside location with beautiful grounds and views makes it a dream wedding destination spot in the San Diego area. "The Del" as it's lovingly referred to is the pinnacle of luxury, beach vibes, and grandeur, it is no wonder that Hollywood royalty have visited and filmed here for over 100 years (https://hoteldel.com/press/hollywood-connection/).

Holding a wedding or special occasion at Hotel del Coronado is really the perfect way to be a part of the magic and history of the location. Just a 10 minute ride from San Diego International Airport, the hotel sits on the west edge of the City of Coronado, and guests have opportunities to walk to all of the great shops and restaurants there. The Del also has it's own private beach, with numerous beachside activities like fire pits, volleyball, and sun bathing. You get to basically have a relaxing vacation at an all inclusive resort while enjoying time with family and friends and celebrating your wedding!

There are many spots to hold these celebrations all over the Hotel del Coronado property, both indoors and outside. One of the really great amenities they have are small patios right on the sand, where you can get a traditional "beach side wedding" while still not getting sand in your shoes. You can see from the pictures above, we really appreciated the deck and chairs so that we could still play comfortably but were less than a foot from the beach sand. 

Inside the hotel are historic and gorgeous ballrooms of different sizes, so depending on how many people you're having or what type of vibe, you can certainly find it here. We are, of course, happy to assist in discussing music and what type of ensemble is right for the occasion you're planning. I think it is easy to say that incorporating live music in to your Hotel del Coronado wedding just allows you to keep that really classic feel going throughout the event. 

You know what's great about being outside in San Diego? The weather! It is perfect here almost year round - with the exception of some really hot days last month. We've taken full advantage of the beautiful night time cooler weather to do a little outdoor rehearsals in some local parks, happily going through plenty of new arrangements of music while also providing some entertainment for families who were enjoying their time. 

No, these weren't "concerts" persay, as we didn't really advertise them, and we were going over brand new arrangements mainly put together by our French hornist RB. But we still found places to safely distance and have a concert experience. Civita Park, pictured above, has a beautiful bandshell and built in amphitheater (minus the construction tape behind us blocking off some chairs), and Harry Griffin Park, pictured below, was a great secluded spot where kids and dogs could run around and enjoy the music! 

Check in on our Facebook or Instagram pages to keep up to date on when our next open rehearsal is. Bring a picnic dinner and laugh along with us as we muddle through new arrangements!

So, looks like our last blog post was in mid March, at a beautiful wedding at Fruitcraft Distillery in Hillcrest. Wow, has the world changed since then!!! Obviously there haven't been many events as of late, although we are starting to see the return of some wedding ceremonies with a socially-distanced flare. The picture above is actually from a very nice, small wedding we performed at in mid-July at St. Margarets Church in Oceanside. It was so nice to get back out there. 

Our group has still been in constant contact, because we are, of course, friends as well as fellow musicians. RB, our horn player and arranger extrodinare, has been passing time by creating some incredible new arrangements for the group, including themes from Bugs Bunny, a tune featuring many of the themes heard at Disneyland, movie music from Kung Fu Panda, a fun mix of Italian themes that we look forward to recording in Little Italy some day, and more. 

We've also done two socially-distanced community concerts at Liberty Station, just to bring some live music and cheer to people. There are a lot of videos that we took and posted up on our YouTube channel, which you can visit and subscribe to below. We'd love more likes, comments, and shares of these videos - yes they aren't the most amazing quality, but the music is fun to listen to and we enjoyed the performance. 

Most of our weddings that we had planned on for this summer have of course postponed, and we are so sorry for our couples who have done all the planning and preparing only to have to wait until next year to celebrate again. But, we totally believe #loveisnotcancelled and are here for you all and can't wait until we can be with you in person. 

Anyway, this is getting long worded and you all have other posts to check out too, but of course we'd love a "hi hello" message below just to know what you're up to, and we hope you're well! 

​Cheers! - Dan and the LCQ team

It was our first time at the event space at Fruitcraft, a fermentary, distillery, cidery and kombuchery (and many other ery's) in Hillcrest, a central business district of San Diego. Walking in off the street, you're welcomed into a large, open-concept type of event space, where you can pretty much pick your design. Of course, this is a beverage joint, so there is a large bar ready to serve guests. 

There are plants everywhere, and the light from the patio draws your attention out back, where the wedding ceremony was held. 

Our ensemble fit right in on the side of the ceremony site, and we could easily be heard by everyone. Providing live music for a Fruitcraft wedding is really a nice touch, since everything there is so intimate. Just a shout out and thank you to our couple Brendan and Michelle for having us there, and supporting live music! We can't wait to return to this venue in the future.

As a member of Weddings of Distinction, I have an awesome opportunity to travel all over San Diego and experience highlights of wedding and event venues. For our February meeting, we visited Stone Brewery in Escondido, and I was blown away by their property. I highly recommend checking this place out if you are looking for any number of the following attributes:

• Brewery wedding
• Garden wedding
• Rustic/industrial architecture
• Great food & drinks
• Awesome spaces
• Plenty of parking

It had been probably upwards of 10 years since my last visit to Stone Escondido. Having been married myself 3 years ago at Stone Liberty Station, that was the place I normally returned to, even if infrequently. I just don't like beer...and Stone has amazing beer (so I'm told) but I've never had much of a taste for alcohol. 

The Weddings of Distinction group met in their upstairs event space, which is indoors but has it's own secluded patio as well, and I believe they can seat around 80 people up there. The upstairs overlooks the gardens from the patio, and has this really cool view into the tasting room from the top of the stairs:

Since inquiring minds want to know, I've provided a short list of a timeline for hiring wedding musicians at your event. You should know, though, that a lot of time and effort has already gone into creating a perfect wedding ceremony music list for you before we've even met! Our team has spent decades rehearsing, collecting music, selecting the best instruments, & studying, all to produce the best sound.

• Way Before the Ceremony, 3+ months out:
  • We (you the couple and me the bassoonist) get together to discuss your vision! Basically, not to brag, but we know a lot about music, so we aren't going to suggest something inappropriate for the time and location! Once we get to know each other, we can come up with playlists for each part of the ceremony and figure out what you want to hear. During this time, the quintet is arranging new music and holding rehearsals on anything new in our library. 
  • Our music can be entirely customizable. Many couples stick with the classical favorites like Wagner, Pachelbel, Handel, etc, but we also have pop covers in our repertoire, or if you want to be a Double Agent or an evil Dark-Side master, we have music from the best of Hollywood that will completely make your day!
• Almost There, 3 weeks out:
  • A few weeks prior to the big day, I'm having discussions with the coordinator, venue, and anyone else on your team that needs our information. They usually ask us for our arrival times, any equipment needs like chairs or shade, our insurance papers (yes we are insured!), those types of things. I already know many coordinators in town, so the conversation is usually just of us catching up, but I promise we'll talk about you too!
• Before the Ceremony, 1 hour out:
  • LCQ sets up early to prepare for your guest arrivals, and I typically find myself having final detail meetings with your planner, officiant, and photographer to recheck timelines and figure out cues.
  • About 15-20 minutes before show time, the prelude music begins. What we see most often are our couples choosing to put together an eclectic mix of favorite songs, or songs that have special meaning to them. We can also choose the music here to fit with the setting and what we know will be enjoyed by everyone there.
• Cue the Processional, it's go time:
  • This is where you're nervously pacing in the back of the room while the cute ring bearer dog gets distracted by a squirrel in a tree (yep, that happened!), but we're out there and we have you covered. As soon as you hear that beautiful arrangement we've been discussing and working on, you'll be smiling and getting your isle walking shoes ready! But, don't walk too fast - we want to play more music!
• Music in the Middle:
  • Interlude music is perfect in the background while taking a break from the ceremony for a candle lighting, sand sculpturing, or knot tying ceremony. It's like your own personal soundtrack - haven't you always wanted a live ensemble to play while you accomplish goals?
• Get Out of There!
  • Your recessional music should be upbeat and festive! You just got married, lets party! We want to celebrate you with music, so we will probably suggest something that your guests can clap to while applauding you out!
• Cocktail Hour:
  • You might not hear us playing during cocktail hour if your photographer steals you, your immediate family, the bridal party, your great aunt once removed, Harriet from reception, and the next door neighbors gardener off to do pre-planned pictures, but your other 'non-picture important' guests will be pleased to drink, eat hors d'oeuvres, and listen to a fun live concert! And while you might not be there, we still want to fit your style, so our music selection can include classical, pop arrangements and movie themes, upbeat jazzy favorites, and other enjoyable tunes.
• Grand Entrances, First Dances, and Dinner Entertainment:
  • We can't stress enough about how important music is to celebrating happy occasions like weddings, and since we'll already be there for the ceremony, having us stick around for reception entertainment is an easy decision. Our possibilities are endless, and if you want us to bring our full sound system, we can have most of the evenings entertainment covered, including the hilarious best-man & maid-of-honor speeches!

So, sometimes we get the chance to stick around for cocktail hour, or dinner, or even first dances - we LOVE first dances! But most of the time once the processional is over, we start to pack up and depart. There is only one more thing that we ask of you on your wedding day - we'd absolutely love a picture with the happy couple! It is so cool to post pictures of our couples with the musicians, and the photographers love it too!

Finally, you'll receive an email a day or so afterwards, sometimes with a picture we snuck in during the ceremony, mainly just to say thanks again for having us and hoping that our paths cross again. I'll probably sneak in some review links too, no rush or anything, but there is nothing that promotes us more than the glowing words of our clients, and we'd love for you to share on as many platforms as possible, so that other couples will find us when searching for their musicians. 

That's it! Did I leave anything out? Anything else to discuss? Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

        ​​-Dan Weiss, LCQ Bassoonist & Artistic Director

The Left Coast Quintet held an open rehearsal, as we call it, during the wedding open house and venue grand opening of The Point in Pacific Beach / Mission Bay. This spot, completely surrounded by beautiful water, is an exceptional location to have that "San Diego" wedding feel. Imagine small sail boats floating by while saying your vows, or the feel of the ocean air cooling you off after dancing at your party!

This is mostly a picture post, we had a great time and met some great friendors, so pictures of them are included. We hope to see you at an event at The Point soon!