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Occasional Brass & Strings Reviews

Occasional Brass & Strings

Occasional Brass & Strings

Boston, MA
5.0 out of 5 rating, 121 Reviews
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Reviews

5.0 out of 5 rating
121 Reviews
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97% Recommended by couples

Awards

121
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2013 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2011 Winner
  • Corey Field
    Corey F. Sent on 06/25/2023
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    Perfect in Every Way

    We used Occasional Brass and Strings for our ceremony music and our cocktail hour at our wedding and were blown away by the musicianship they provided. They came as a recommendation from a good friend and did not disappoint. They provided the audio system for our ceremony, too! We had a flute and keyboard for our ceremony and were able to pick great songs from their selections as we and our bridal parties walked down the aisle. For the cocktail hour we had a jazz combo that was just delightful.

    Bryan was a joy to work with and I would highly recommend choosing them for your wedding needs! Planning was a breeze and they had every detail lined up when the day of the wedding came! Super recommend!
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    S.c. H. Sent on 05/10/2023
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    Superb music and total professionalism!

    We had a lovely church service at our family wedding with the most perfect music to accompany it! One cannot go wrong choosing them!
    We are so happy we chose OB! They were absolutely magnificent!
    Thank you from us all!



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    Victoria H. Sent on 02/02/2023
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    Great Party Addition

    We hired a string trio for my MIL’s 70th birthday party. It was great entertainment. The team had a huge song library and were open to playing a big variety at the party. Very fun! Will definitely recommend them and likely use again.
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    Natalia Z. Sent on 09/28/2022
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    Best addition to my church ceremony!

    When planning my wedding, I decided to add string music to perform the ceremony music at the church. It gave that extra special touch to my ceremony and was told by many guests how beautifully the music was performed.

    Bryan (the founder of OBS) was so easy to communicate with through both email and phone. He answered all my questions promptly. Once the deposit was completed to secure my date, I was emailed a worksheet to fill out ahead of time and choose my song selections from their extensive list.

    I went with the trio choice made up of a violin, viola, and cello. I wanted to have music playing in the church early before the ceremony, so that as guests arrived they wouldn't sit in silence.

    The string trio arrived early to set up and were dressed very nicely in all black.

    The music provided by OBS was beautiful. I would definitely recommend to add this special touch to your day if considering it!
  • Matt
    Matt L. Sent on 08/11/2022
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    Excellent musicians and a classy touch!

    We hired OB&S to play at our cocktail hour for our wedding. From the first contact, they were incredibly professional and flexible. As for the service, they delivered! The musicians were talented and created a special ambiance for our cocktail hour that truly elevated it to another level. Highly highly recommended! An exceptional experience from start to finish.
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    Maria B. Sent on 02/05/2023
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    the music was amazing!! it was perfect!!

    I contacted Bryan to get some musicians for my wedding in Vermont. The process was very easy, he sent me a list of songs to choose from. The musicians were very kind and professional and the music was perfect!! I found a great value for 3 musicians. Bryan was also super responsive. It was perfect and it was the best of the night!
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    Jessica M. Sent on 12/10/2021
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    Occasional Brass & Strings is incredible!

    We highly recommend Occasional Brass & Strings! We had a string trio play at our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour at Saltwater Farm Vineyard in October 2021. The musicians were very talented and professional. They can literally play anything from classical to hip hop, and we had it all! It gave such a beautiful touch to our wedding and our guests were blown away. Bryan was easy to work with and coordinated everything for us. Thank you Occasional Brass & Strings for making our big day even more special!
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    Annie Sent on 12/28/2021
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    Amazing Brass Group!

    We were so glad we stumbled across Bryan and the Occasional Brass group on the Knot leading up to our wedding! My (now) husband and I love music, and were really thoughtful about the music during our wedding ceremony. Once we thought of hiring a brass quintet, we knew that would be just so much fun AND incredibly ceremonial for our wedding. The list of potential songs that Occasional Brass can play is *extensive* and their list of recommended wedding songs is really helpful in thinking through music selection. They also went the extra mile and learned new songs for us, including one that my dad composed years ago and I walked down the aisle to. It was incredibly incredibly moving and special, all thanks to Bryan and team! We highly recommend Occasional Brass to any and all couples!
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    Courtney S. Sent on 11/22/2021
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    Occasional Brass and strings is great!

    Occasional Brass and Strings was an amazing addition to our wedding day! We had a string trio for our wedding ceremony that was absolutely beautiful. The band then transitioned to a 3 person brass band + drummer for our cocktail hour, as well as our wedding parade from our ceremony to our reception venue! It was an absolute blast! We wanted a wedding parade like the New Orleans wedding parade and Bryan and his team made it happen! It was so much fun and having the live band really added to our day! Occasional brass and strings was very reasonably priced, flexible, and professional. We would highly recommend occasional brass and strings for any wedding or event and we will definitely hire them again for our future parties!
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    Liam S. Sent on 01/23/2020
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    Occasional Brass was wonderful

    Hired them for a retirement party for our CEO, and they elevated the party and added to the ambiance. We had a piano, bass and sax. I had several people ask where I found the band, and many others said they were playing the perfect set of songs. They were set up early and broke down very quietly. I want to plan another party, just so I can hire them again.
  • Kate
    Kate M. Sent on 09/01/2021
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    fantastic job

    I hired a cellist/violinist duo, and they were fantastic!! Couldn't say enough great things about them. I was given a music selection to choose from, and was able to send over my suggested song list. I also let them pic what they wanted to play for cocktail hour. No supervision needed, and they looked great together! Well dressed with a great attitude. Thank you so much and I can't wait to use you in the future.
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    Stephanie A. Sent on 08/15/2021
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    Trumpet Walk & Cello

    Bryan and his team are absolutely amazing! He is so responsive during the planning stage and accommodating with all wedding plans. I talked with many brass, sting and band vendors prior to Bryan. After speaking we instantly clicked and I knew that they were the best in the business. Bryan performed a phenomenal trumpet walk to escort our entire wedding from the church to the reception. It was a highlight of the day. We had strings during the cocktail hour and it made the event effortlessly beautiful. I cannot recommend Occasional Brass & Strings enough.
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    Betsy S. Sent on 07/03/2021
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    Kevn Scollins - guitarist

    Kevin Scollins was on time, sympathetic, flexible and talented. He gave us more than we asked for, cheerfully.
  • Marty
    Marty B. Sent on 06/17/2021
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    Beatrice-Ivey Wedding Newburyport, MA

    Phenomenal, Exquisite, Professional Musicians. Bryan is great to work with and flexible through all this Covid stuff. I would hire Occasional Brass and Strings again and again. The church ceremony and cocktail hour was simply beautiful with their music. Thanks again for a special day OBS!
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    Mary H. Sent on 04/26/2021
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    Nothing short of Amazing!

    Cannot recommend Occasional Brass & Strings enough. We had a string duo for our April 10th wedding and they were extremely professional and personable. Their music was absolutely wonderful and added such an awesome dynamic to the day.
  • Karissa
    Karissa D. Sent on 11/21/2020
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    Look no further for music!!!

    I contacted Bryan as both my fiancé and I were very interested in having a string band at our ceremony. Bryan was professional and responsive every time I had a question. I am so glad we decided to go with the quartet for our outdoor wedding. The musicians are so talented!!! Definitely worth the money and very affordable to boot! I will definitely recommending occasional brass and strings to friends and family! Thank you for making our pandemic wedding special!!!
  • Sarah
    Sarah P. Sent on 11/12/2021
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    OB&S = Perfection!

    We booked OB&S for our ceremony/cocktail music and officiant sound. Everything was incredible. Our ceremony went off without a hitch. The sound for our officiant was perfect, and Zoia and Sara (on violin and cello, respectively) expertly played our processional and recessional selections. Guests raved about the music, which played throughout our cocktail hour too. Bryan was extremely responsive, flexible, fun, and easy to work with. Do not hesitate to use OB&S for your wedding or next formal event – they are truly amazing!!
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    Maggie B. Sent on 10/07/2019
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    So Easy to Work With!

    Bryan was incredibly easy to work with. I knew I could count on him every step of the way. The music at our wedding was beautiful, and they even did a great job of accommodating a request. It was a wonderful experience, and I would recommend them to anyone!
  • Sully
    Sully Sent on 11/09/2019
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    Easy To Reserve

    They are very professional and responsive when it comes to reserving and booking. We’re looking forward to having a string trio at our wedding and know exactly who will be there.
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    Kati Sent on 04/30/2020
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    Occasional Brass & Strings

    A very professional and talented group. So glad we found them to help celebrate our parents 50th anniversary. I look forward to to the opportunity to recommend their services to friends and family.
  • Jessica
    Jessica M. Sent on 11/01/2019
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    The easiest part of our wedding planning!

    We hired Bryan and three of his string musicians to play at our Wedding in Warwick, RI. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the musicians and our guests were very impressed with the variety of music played. Bryan was very well organized throughout the process. He arrived early and when we met him it seemed as if we had known him all along. His friendly and pleasant manner made him a pleasure to work with. We would definitely book them for any future events!
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    Charlotte Sent on 10/08/2019
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    Beautiful music, custom arrangements

    We hired a trumpet, violin, cello trio from Occasional Brass & Strings for my daughter's recent wedding at the Hyatt in Cambridge. The group has an extensive list of songs (more than most musicians in the area). In addition, we asked for multiple custom arrangements for lesser known songs on their list.
    The director Bryan Hilliard was so helpful in making this happen. The arrangements were beautiful and made the day feel perfect and special for my daughter and her new husband. We could not be happier with the music. I definitely recommend Occasional Brass & Strings.
  • Hanoch
    Hanoch L. Sent on 10/08/2019
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    Outstanding performance

    Bryan from OBS was very flexible and accommodating in setting up the music program for the wedding. He was willing to prepare arrangements for many (13) extra music pieces, based on sheet music we provided, in addition to selections from the existing repertory of OBS. The performance of the OBS trio was outstanding, and many of our guests praised it highly.
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    Heather Sent on 09/27/2019
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    Excellent!

    This strong trio was wonderful! They were the perfect touch to our Ceremony and cocktail hour. They did such a great job and has a wide variety of music to choose from.
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    Robert M. Sent on 09/30/2019
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    Beautiful, Classy and Flexible!

    They really set the tone for a beautiful and classy wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. The musicians were extremely talented and professional and played all of our requests beautifully. When it began to rain during our cocktail hour, they packed up and moved inside and continued playing without a hitch.
    Bryan was incredibly easy to plan with and made a lot of good suggestions. He was responsive, professional, and made everything extremely easy on us. I am so happy with the decision to hire Occasional Brass and Strings for our ceremony and cocktail hour.
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