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New Haven String Quartet for Weddings & Events
Classical polish with a modern setlist, for ceremonies and cocktail hours across New Haven and the Connecticut shoreline.
Strings for a City That Knows Its Music
New Haven has a serious musical culture, and your guests will notice the difference between background music and players who really listen to each other. The Party Factor String Ensemble brings that level of musicianship to your ceremony and cocktail hour: players trained at the New England and Boston Conservatories, with a setlist that runs from Bach and Pachelbel to jazz standards, rock and current pop.
Choose a New Haven string quartet for full, rich sound, or a trio, duo or solo violinist for smaller spaces and tighter budgets. If there is a song that matters to you, ask. The ensemble can learn most songs by request.
From the Green to the Shoreline
New Haven weddings tend to move between two very different settings. Downtown, the historic churches on the New Haven Green, Yale's Gothic courtyards and hotels such as The Study at Yale and the Omni put the ceremony in the middle of the city's architecture. A few minutes away, Lighthouse Point Park, East Rock and the shoreline towns of Branford, Guilford and Madison trade stone and ivy for open water and salt air.
Strings suit both. In a church or a stone hall, a quartet fills the room without any help and the acoustics do half the work. Outdoors, the sound is softer and more intimate, so we plan placement carefully: close enough to the aisle that every guest hears the processional, positioned so the players are shaded and the instruments stay in tune.
When we plan your music we start with the space. A tall, resonant sanctuary might call for slower, sustained pieces like Air on the G String or Canon in D. A waterfront lawn often works better with brighter, lighter arrangements that carry in the open air.
Keep the New Haven Celebration Going
Strings for the ceremony and cocktail hour, then the Party Factor band to fill the dance floor at your New Haven reception. One team to plan with, from the first note to the last dance.
4 Simple Steps to an Unforgettable Event
Send us your event date and a few details.
We'll quickly confirm availability, answer your questions, and help you get started.
We'll discuss your vision, budget, and entertainment preferences.
Our team will walk you through every option with no pressure.
Once you're ready, we'll send over a simple agreement and secure your date with a deposit.
You'll also receive a planning questionnaire so we can personalize every detail.
On event day, we arrive early, coordinate everything behind the scenes, and deliver an unforgettable performance.
You enjoy the celebration while we take care of the entertainment.
Ceremony Music Timed to the Moment
The best ceremony music is the music nobody has to think about. Prelude pieces play as guests find their seats. The seating of mothers and the wedding party has its own selection. Then there is a clear change for the bride's entrance, so the room knows to stand. The players watch the aisle, not the clock, and bring each piece to a graceful close when the moment is complete instead of cutting off mid-phrase.
For the recessional, couples often choose something celebratory, like Handel's Hornpipe or Mendelssohn's Wedding March, or a string arrangement of a song that means something to them. Pop arrangements are a favorite here: a familiar melody played by a quartet gets smiles and phone cameras from every row.
If your ceremony includes a unity candle, a reading or a religious tradition, we will choose reflective music to sit underneath it. Our song list includes traditional Jewish selections, hymns and spirituals, and the ensemble can arrange other pieces on request.
New Haven String Ensemble Song List
Canon in D (Pachelbel)
Air on G-String (Bach)
Water Music Suites (Handel)
Arioso (Bach)
Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach)
Ode to Joy (Beethoven)
“Air” from Water Music Suite (Handel)
Xerxes.Largo (Handel)
St. Anthony Chorale (Haydn)
“One Hand, One Heart” (Bernstein)
“Nocturne” from Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mendelssohn)
Wachet Auf (Bach)
“Winter” from Four Seasons (Vivaldi)
Ave Maria ( Schubert)
“Waltz” (Tchaikovsky)
“Pavane”( Faure)
Messiah. Hallelujah Chorus (Handel)
Over The Rainbow (Harburg)
You Raise Me Up (Lovland)
What a Wonderful World (Weiss)
Ave Maria (Schubert)
Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart)
Andante from String Quartet in A minor (Schubert)
Largo in D (Handel)
Amazing Grace (Traditional)
The Heavens Are Telling (Haydn)
Be Thou My Vision (Traditional Irish Melody)
Children’s Prayer ( Humperdinck)
Deep River ( Spiritual)
Go Tell it on the Mountain ( Spiritual)
He’s Got the Whole World ( Spiritual)
Meditation from Thais (Massenet)
My Heart Ever Faithful (Bach)
On Wings of Song (Mendelssohn)
Te Deum (Charpentier)
Bridal Chorus “Here Comes the Bride” (Wagner)
Trumpet Tune (Purcell)
Canon in D (Pachelbel)
Ave Verum Corpus ( Mozart)
Flower Duet (Delibes)
Panis Angelicus (Franck)
Ave Maria ( Bach)
I can’t stop falling in love (Presley)
All you need is Love ( McCartney)
Tenderly ( Gross)
Only You (The Platters)
Erev Shel Shoshanim (Processional)
Simon Tov and Chosen Kalle Mazel Tov (Recessional)
Od Yeshoma
“Sunrise, Sunset”
Oif’n Pripetshok
Hatikva ( The Hope)
Bashana (Traditional Jewish)
Yedid Nefesh ( Wedding Processional)
Have Nagila
Tsena Tsena
Jerusalem of Gold ( Traditional Jewish)
Wedding March (Mendelssohn)
La Rejouissance from Royal Fireworks Music (Handel)
Brandenburg Concerto #3 (Bach)
“Spring” from Four Seasons (Vivaldi)
Entrance of Queen of Sheba (Handel)
I can’t stop falling in love (Presley)
All you need is Love (McCartney)
Tenderly (Gross)
Only You (The Platters)
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Yellow (Coldplay)
Palladio (Jenkins)
Rocky Top (Osborne Brothers)
“Rondeau”-Theme from Masterpiece Theatre (Mouret)
Meditation from “Thais” (Massenet)
All I Ask of You (Webber)
Ashokan Farewell (Ungar)
Brandenburg Concerto #3 (Bach)
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart)
Minuet in G (Beethoven)
Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni)
Divertimenti (Mozart)
Shaker Melody “Simple Gifts” (Copland)
Ave Maria (Gounod-Bach)
Humoresque (Dvorak)
Salut d’ Amore (Elgar)
The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (Debussy)
Nocturne in E flat Major (Chopin)
Finale from Sonatina in g (Dvorak)
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Handel)
Greensleeves (Traditional)
Pierre a Notre-Dame (Boellman)
Vivaldi. Concerti from L’Estro Armonico
A Cocktail Hour Your Guests Will Talk About
Cocktail hour is where a string ensemble really shows its range. While the wedding party is off taking photos, your guests get a relaxed, elegant set that moves from classical favorites to jazz standards to string versions of songs they will recognize from the radio. It sets the tone for the evening without competing with conversation.
New Haven guest lists often bring together people from New York, Boston and all over Connecticut. A quartet playing Coldplay next to Vivaldi is one of the easiest ways to make a mixed crowd feel at home. It also bridges the gap between a traditional ceremony and a high-energy reception.
You can book the String Ensemble for the ceremony and cocktail hour and the Party Factor band for the reception, so one team plans the music for the whole day. The strings are also available on their own.
Strings’ Packages for Ceremony and Cocktail
Yes. The Party Factor String Ensemble performs throughout New Haven and the surrounding area, including the shoreline towns from West Haven to Madison. Tell us your venue and date and we will confirm availability.
A quartet (two violins, viola and cello) has the fullest sound and suits larger churches, ballrooms and guest counts. A trio or duo works beautifully for smaller ceremonies and cocktail hours. A solo violinist is a lovely choice for an intimate ceremony. We are happy to recommend a size based on your venue.
In most cases, yes. The ensemble can learn most songs by request, whether it is a pop song for the processional or a family favorite for the recessional. Let us know as early as you can so there is time to prepare the arrangement.
Yes. For outdoor ceremonies the players need shade and a flat, stable spot, and a covered backup plan in case of rain. Direct sun and damp air are hard on string instruments, so we will talk through placement with you and your venue ahead of time.
Yes. You can book the String Ensemble for the ceremony and cocktail hour and the Party Factor band for the reception. You get one point of contact and music that flows from one part of the day to the next.
Your Party Starts Here
