Hi friends! Amber here. 
Today I'd like to review a new(ish) venue in Atlanta: The Carlyle. I can't remember exactly when it opened, but if my memory serves, it was late 2019. We've played numerous weddings at The Carlyle over the past couple of years, and I'd love to share my thoughts with y'all.

All of the photos in this post were supplied by the lovely and talented Laura Watson. Y'all go check her out at www.LauraAnneWatson.com

Let's talk about 2 more things I love: the lighting (I mean, look at how Laura was able to use the natural lighting in the photos above!) and the acoustics. The openness of the spaces and the high ceilings make for really great acoustics. The sound is naturally amplified and carries really well. Good acoustics are a plus in my book!

I really hope y'all enjoyed my review of the Carlyle in Atlanta, GA. Let me know if there's another venue you'd like me to review!

Lots of love,
Amber

Hi everyone, Amber here!
It's been quite literally an eternity since I wrote a blog post, and my only defense is just "life craziness!" But I'm back with another honest venue review from the point of view of a vendor. This time, I'll be reviewing one of our favorite venues, Barnsley Gardens.

Scroll all the way to the end to read about why this couple is one of my very favorite couples of 2019. Hint, it has to do with my undying love of Chick-Fil-A and those delicious chicken sandwiches. If you ever want to buy me a present, send me a CFA gift card, LOL!

All photos in this post are courtesy of Jessica Williams, who is FANTASTIC. Go check her out!

PROS:
Overall, Barnsley Gardens gets high scores from me.

• Really cool historic ruins that you won't find anywhere else
• Tons of great places for photos. We've played literally tons of weddings at Barnsley Gardens, and the photos are always stunning and unique. Again, the ruins are so interesting and beautiful--they make for a great backdrop and unique photos. Check out the photos in this post to see how beautiful the ruins are for portraits.
• Ceremony is usually held outside at the ruins or in the field under a beautiful, gigantic tree, both of which are beautiful.
• Cocktail Hour is usually held in the ruins, which again makes for a really cool and interesting space. Most people bring in sofas, chairs, and even small tables to make it feel warm and inviting.
• The reception is typically outside behind the ruins, but it is often tented, which is great if there's a threat of rain.
• Guests can stay on-site in the Barnsley Gardens cabins and villas. This is super convenient for destination weddings or out-of-town guests
• Lots to do besides have a wedding: they have horseback riding and other fun outdoor activities. You can even take a historical tour of the grounds to learn about the ruins and other neat historical facts about the area. Again, this makes it extra fun for guests who are in from out-of-town. You can make a whole weekend of it!
• The venue has golf carts to transport guests across the grounds--this is convenient since it's such a large property.
• PET FRIENDLY!! As a self-proclaimed "crazy dog lady," this is a big plus for me. I LOVE seeing doggy ringbearers at weddings! Please have your dog in your wedding, and please invite me to play violin so that I can hug your dog. Please and thanks.
• Free parking! Y'all know this is huge to me. Nothing makes me more frustrated than when parking is expensive and inconvenient at a venue.

I MEAN, LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL THESE RUINS ARE. AND THE TREES OMG.

There aren't a lot of cons for me, but the few that I do have are listed below!
CONS:

• The weather issue. It should be stated that Barnsley DOES have indoor options in case of rain. The ceremony and reception can all be moved indoors (often into Georgian Hall, although they have other indoor spaces as well) in case of bad weather. However, in my experience, many people choose Barnsley purely based on the beautiful-ness of the ruins. So this is one of many venues in which you're really taking a risk in terms of the weather. Yes, it can be moved inside if it rains. No, it's not going to look the same. This is purely one gal's opinion, but to me there are so few venues in existence who have indoor/outdoor options that are of equal beautiful-ness. So it's a risk, but depending on the time of year, it's a risk worth taking! (p.s., please don't have an outdoor wedding from November through Feb/March. Your guests absolutely will freeze to death, and there's a high chance of rain, sleet, ice, etc. Please!! haha)
• Large property: while this is a "pro" if you're a guest, it can be a challenge if you're a vendor. We often have to carry large amounts of gear a great distance, which can be tiring.
• Load-in can be a tiny bit challenging. Sometimes we are allowed to drive our cars closer to the ruins to unload our gear, and sometimes we aren't. As a vendor, we have to think about these things. We have to keep in mind load-in time when we are planning our arrival time.
• Distance: I personally don't mind the drive at all. I grew up in the country, so curvy roads and country livin' don't bother me one bit. But for some guests, this venue might be a trek from the city. And of course, sometimes you're battling weak cell service, weak gps, etc. You're also not super close to "civilization" in terms of restaurants and such. I personally love the fact that it's a secluded venue. I love the peace and quiet! None of this bothers me at all, but it's something to keep in mind as you choose your venue. Be sure to ask your vendors about their travel radius and mileage fees!
• This is super random, but if your wedding is out in the field, the only bathroom is in the basement of the ruins, which is a super long walk away. So keep this in mind for your older and younger guests! (and myself, because I tend to drink too much water, lol)

LOOK at this ceremony site with the ruins in the background!! We always play to the right hand side, on the porch of that blue house. That way we are super close to the action, but we are covered from the hot sun, wind, etc. It works out great!

How beautiful are the ruins set up for the cocktail hour?! So breathtaking.

You'll see we've positioned ourselves in a great place to play fun music for the cocktail hour!

This is the reception space behind the ruins. I love that it's covered, and I love that the grass is fake (astro-turf,) so that it looks amazing year-round and won't get torn up with folks dancing on it.

NOW THEN. We have to talk about why this couple is the best. They had CFA sandwiches catered for their reception, AND they had the CFA cow there breaking it down on the dance floor. I mean. ​I never thought I would have clients who love CFA even more than me. 

I'm laughing so hard at this cow dancing, I truly cannot breathe. I'm so glad Jessica captured all of this fun! I should've thought to have a CFA cow at my wedding, lol!

It's time to get back to practicing for me, but if someone wants to send me a CFA sandwich, waffle fry, and a Dr. Pepper, that would be great. ;)

Barnsley Gardens:
Overall score: 8.5 out of 10. I love the beauty and seclusion of Barnsley Gardens, and I love everything this venue has to offer. My only deduction is because of weather considerations and the fact that you'd have to give up the gorgeous outdoor views if it rains!

Take a look at that view though!!!!! 

I CANNOT HANDLE THE CUTENESS OF THIS BRIDAL PARTY. 

This wedding was awesome for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that there was a tiny weenie dog and I got to pet her. The tragedy is that I forgot to get a picture. But trust me, she was adorable. One of the goals of my professional life is to play more weddings with doggie ring bearers. Any other crazy dog people out there?

Ok. Now that you all think I'm a little bonkers, let's move on to the many non-dog reasons that this wedding was great. 

First of all, the photos are spectacular. All of the photos in this post were shared curtesy of River West Photography (riverwest.co) I will apologize in advance that there are so many photos, but believe me, I wanted to post about 50 more. 

This wedding tok place at The Foundry at Puritan Mill, which is an awesome venue. It's got a cool, industrial feel, but it still feels warm and romantic. 

Have you ever seen such a precious bride? 

This wedding was coordinated by one of our very FAV planners, Kristen J Scott of Kristen J Scott events. She is hands down one of the most meticulous, organized, and thoughtful planners that we have the privilege of working with. 

We also really enjoyed the music for this wedding. They chose a mix of classical tunes and modern, romantic songs.

If you look closely, you'll see that we are playing a classical tune called "Traumerei," which means "dreaming" in English. This wedding really was like a dream!

Brb, I'm dying.

How stunning are these florals by Gertie Mae's Florals?!

All in all, this was a stunningly beautiful and romantic day. The next time there's a dog, I'll be sure to take a picture!! :)

Vendors:
Planning: Kristen J Scott Events
Photography: River West Photography
Venue: The Foundry at Puritan Mill
Bridal: Sweet Elegance Bridal
Dresses: Anthro
Tuxes: The Black Tux
Floral: Gertie Mae's Floral
Hair/Makeup: BrushWorx
Catering: Endive Catering
Video: Active Prod.
Linens: BBJ Linen
Stationary: Swoozies

Do y'all love the olympics as much as I do? Summer, Winter, I love them both. But when the winter olympics come around, I LOVE to watch figure skating. Figure skating is awesome enough, but the music selections are what I really love. And the 2018 Peongchang olympics were no exception. I watched every minute of figure skating that I could, and I was beyond thrilled to hear so many string-heavy selections. There were so many great songs, but I'm going to round up a few of my favorites below. So crank up your Spotify or YouTube, because you're going to want to listen to these tunes!

photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty

First up we have probably my #1 favorite song of the games, which was selected by Mirai Nagasu of the USA. (GO USA!!!) She skated to Nocturne no. 20 in c#minor by Chopin. Originally written for piano, it has been adapted for violin and is now part of standard violin literature. PLEASE go listen to this piece! Your heart will break of beautifulness.

Nicole Schott of Germany skated to the theme from the movie Schindler's List by John Williams. Possibly one of the most beautiful melodies ever written, it was famously recorded by one of the greatest violinists alive today, Itzhak Perlman. Seriously, look up his performance on YouTube and tell me how much your soul could not contain the gorgeousness.

Elizabet Tursynbaeva of Kazhakstan skated to Carmen Fantasie as performed by the violinist David Gerrett. Garrett is a very popular violinist who often gives a modern twist to classical favorites. Requiring technical skill of virtuosic proportions, this piece is super exciting and worth a listen.

photo: nbc olympics

Finishing first overall and earning herself a gold medal, Alina Zagitova skated to Don Quixote, which is a very famous ballet. It was exciting to hear so many classical standards played at these games! There were a lot of selections from operas and famous ballets during these Olympic games, like Tchaokovsky's Swan Lake. Yay classical music!!!

Michael Christian Martinez of the Philipines skated to a song that really took me back to my childhood. He chose Emerald Tiger by the fusion violinist Vanessa Mae. I absolutely LOVED Vanessa Mae when I was young. She is a "fusion" violinist, meaning that she combines classical training with non-classical music. I was super inspired by her when I was young, and I listened to her cds until they were warped. Her music is so fun and worth a listen!

photo: nbc olympics

Una Shoma of Japan finished 2nd overall and earned a silver medal. He skated to a VERY famous classical piece: Winter from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi. The Four Seasons was written in 4 parts, with each part representing a different season. We frequently perform movements from each season, and Winter is actually one of my favorites!

Dmitri Aliev of the OAR skated to another famous classical selection: Masquerade Waltz by Khatchaturian. Masquerade Waltz is a very fun and exciting piece written for orchestra. Khatchaturian is also famous for writing an awesome violin concerto, which I also highly recommend for listening fun.

This brings me to another one of my VERY FAV tunes. (Although I feel like I keep saying that each one is my favorite, haha. But this time I'm serious!) Misha Ge of Uzbekistan skated to Massanet's Meditation from Thais. I cannot overstate how much I love this piece. We play this piece every chance we get because it is just that beautiful. It features violin melody lines that are so beautiful your ears will be in a constant state of disbelief. If we have ever played your wedding, there is a good chance we played this at some point. It's so pretty!!

I could ramble on for hours about all the great string and orchestral music I heard during the 2018 olympic figure skating events, but I will wrap it up with my favorite from pairs skating. Astakhova/Rogonov of the OAR skated to a medley, but it began with one of my all-time favorite pieces of music: Adagio for Strings by Barber. If you have never heard it, I highly, HIGHLY recommend you look it up. It's one of those songs that is so beautiful but tragically sad at the same time. But mostly it's just soul crushingly beautiful.

Thanks for reading along! Let me know if you fall in love with any of these tunes. Yay strings!!!!!

I'm already excited for Beijing 2022!

Go USA!

It's Throwback Thursday! And that means we are throwing it back to one of the gorgeous weddings we've played recently. Today we want to share Molly and Joe's wedding, which took place at The Estate in Buckhead back in October. This wedding was beyond elegant, but with some unexpected twists! All of the images in this post were shared with us curtesy of Sandra with Picture This Photography. (We've done quite a few weddings with Sandra and she's always awesome!) Keep scrolling to view the beautifulness. 

These two...I mean just look how beautiful their portraits are! So sweet. The Estate really provides some beautiful spots to take wedding photos.

The elegance of this wedding is obvious. But what I loved is that Molly and Joe put their own personal twist on their wedding. Their music selections were some of my favorite of this whole year.

Molly asked me to write music for a few of their favorite songs to be played during their wedding. She requested "Little Talks" by Of Mice and Men, and "Stubborn Love" by The Lumineers. I had so much fun arranging these songs for strings! I especially loved "Little Talks," which they used as their recessional song. It's so fun when our clients ask us to learn new music, because then their wedding is really a reflection of them and their personal tastes. When details of a wedding are customized, it really adds a special touch.

After the wedding, we headed upstairs to play the cocktail hour. The Estate is really cool because it has so many different areas. We kept the set list for the cocktail hour fun with lots of modern, upbeat songs!

Don't mind me, I'm just casually dying over these florals and tablescapes. <insert crying face emoji>

I mean! I can not get over these lights. All the heart eyes for this reception.

What a fun day! It really doesn't get any better than when a client combines classical elegance with modern, fun twists. Congrats to Molly and Joe!

Vendors:
Venue, catering, bar, & florals: The Estate, Michele Lend with Legendary Events
Planning: Suzanne with We Tie the Knots
Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music: yours truly, Cobalt Strings!
Photography: Sandra with Picture This! Photography
Video: Matthew Baxter
Band: Atlanta Showstoppers
Hair & Makeup: Brushworx
Transportation: Atlantic Limo

Hey friends, Amber here! Happy Throwback Thursday! Today we are throwing it back to a beautiful wedding we played back in August at the always beautiful Big Canoe! All of the photos in this post were shared with us by Frank Gibson, one of the sweetest photographers around! You can find more of his work at www.frankgibson.com

We were lucky enough to have gorgeous weather for the wedding, and then moments after the ceremony ended, the bottom fell out. But I think the rain made for some gorgeous photos! Big Canoe is always so pretty, but I think the misty skies are especially beautiful.

For the prelude music, we played a mix of hymns and modern, romantic songs.

Frank caught us laughing about something or other. ;)

I mean, let's talk about that view. How breathtaking are those trees with the lake in the background?!

Mary Catherine and Jim were such a precious couple. We are so lucky to have great clients!

I love all these gorgeous detail shots that Frank snapped of our instruments!!!

Congrats to MC and Jim!

Vendors:
Venue: The Chimneys at Big Canoe
Planner: Winey Blonde Events
Ceremony Musicians: yours truly!
Florist: Kasey Currie
Caterer: Talk of the Town
Cake: Sweet Treats by Leigh
Hair/Makeup: Tammy Frye
DJ: Pirone Entertainment
Photography: Frank Gibson Photography
​Rentals: Party Time Rentals

It's Throwback Thursday, and we are throwing it back to a stunningly beautiful wedding we played at Foxhall Resort back in March! This wedding was filled with stunning details, which were all captured by the amazing Sarah Ingram (www.sarah-ingram.com) All of the photos in this post were taken by Sarah, except the few that were taken with my cell phone. ;)

We love playing at Foxhall Resort! We have played many weddings there, and it's always so beautiful. For Cori and Michael's wedding, we played as a string trio, providing the music for the prelude and ceremony.

Gushing over these detail shots that Sarah took! How breathtaking are these florals done by Forage & Fleur?!

Cori walked down the aisle to Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me" arranged for string trio! The rest of her set list was filled with love songs. :)

Taylor Dawn (taylordawndesigns.com) designed and planned this wedding and it was so great to have her at the helm!

Congrats to Cori and Michael! We were so honored to provide wedding strings for your special day!

Vendor List:
Planner + Designer: Taylor Dawn 
Photographer: Sarah Ingram
Florals : Forage & Fleur
Venue: Foxhall Resort
Cake: Lush Cakery
Hair + Makeup :  Taylor Sellers
Dress :  http://www.weddingangels.com/
Bridesmaid dresses: Adriana Papel  +  Jenny Yoo
Catering : http://simplycatering.org/
DJ : http://www.djqtip.com/

Hey ya'll, Amber here. It's throwback Thursday! So we are throwing it back to last month, when we traveled to North Carolina for a gorgeous wedding.

Tom and Chelsey's wedding was held at The Farm at Old Edwards Inn in Highlands, NC. What a stunning venue! Huge thanks to our gals at Chancey Charm Weddings for planning and coordinating an absolutely beautiful day!

Summer storms couldn't put a damper on this beautiful wedding.

The couple had a special request for us to include the benediction from their church. They asked if one of us could sing it, so I offered to sing, and I arranged it for viola and cello so Sarah Beth and Alana could play the backup music. It turned out really beautiful!

We played the cocktail hour under one of these breezeways next to the building where the reception would take place. 

You can find a video clip from the cocktail hour on our instagram account, @cobaltstrings. :)

Look at those mountains! So beautiful. Can't wait until the next time we get to play here!