Standing Room Only Orchestra

We could not possibly recommend Kara and Standing Room Only more! From planning across the country and in a pandemic, they put us at ease and were so accommodating to our music selections. We had very specific asks and there was nothing they couldn't play. The music was BEYOND our expectations! Our guests danced all night long. Standing Room Only truly turned our wedding into an EPIC party that our friends and family are still raving about!

We are so happy we decided to have SRO perform at our wedding. We chose the 9 piece band and the added wind instruments really adds a lot to each song.

Patrick and Kara were really easy to work with and super responsive. They were able to give input on how to adjust our first dance song to make sure it fit what we wanted. The day of the wedding Patrick filled the role of the emcee and we just felt all the events flowed perfectly partly because he played the role so well.

The band was LIGHTS OUT! So many of the guests made comments about how it was the best wedding band they’ve heard. The only regret we had was that we should have made the dance floor bigger because it was packed the ENTIRE NIGHT!

Thank you Patrick and Kara for making our special day a party!

A wedding is fundamentally and most importantly about the commitments being made between two people, and their respective communities witnessing and supporting them in those commitments.
BUT:

It's also a party.

When it came to entertainment for our party, we immediately knew we wanted the unique energy of a live band. The problem (albeit a good one) is that, in Chicagoland, we're spoiled for choice.

After pushing deeper than promotional content and finding raw cell phone footage from actual wedding attendees, a clear winner emerged: Standing Room Only

The sound and vibes curated by SRO's consistent/predictable roster of musicians made our decision easy, and it's one we couldn't be happier with. SRO was also a joy to work with throughout the entire process leading up to the big day, and when the big day came, they delivered.

We received so many compliments from guests that SRO was one of the best bands and that our wedding was so much fun. Book them!!

SRO was an amazing choice for our wedding, we truly have nothing but good things to say about them! Kara is super easy to work with and was always an upbeat, positive force. We did ceremony music and a 6 piece band for the reception and both were so so good. Kara and the team were awesome at organizing a set list around our preferences, and then adjusting on the fly to match the vibes on the dance floor. 12/10!

SRO performed at a family members wedding several years ago, and again for ours. Both times the dance floor never empty. They were so amazing to work with and our guests could not stop talking about how great they were. Absolutely amazing night because of them!

If you want a wedding band that can do it all, look no further! Kara, Patrick, and the entire Standing Room Only Orchestra were the highlight of our wedding. From a beautiful piano solo during the cocktail hour to a sophisticated jazz quartet during dinner, they set the perfect tone for the entire day.

When it came to the reception, they absolutely blew us away. The dance floor was packed from the first song to the last, thanks to the bands high energy and perfectly curated setlist. What really set them apart was their willingness to accommodate special requests: our neighbor’s rockstar drum solo, a surprise chair lift, and a 'Piano Man' finale we will never forget! Months later our guests are still telling us it’s the best wedding band they’ve ever seen. We cannot recommend them highly enough!

We had the joy of having Standing Room Only perform at our wedding. We did a package with 6 band members and 2 sound engineers. Kara was our emcee and main contact. She was highly responsive to our emails, and we were able to set up a Zoom meeting to discuss our wedding vision with her. Additionally, we were provided with a comprehensive questionnaire and script to fill out to ensure every detail was perfect. We even had to make a very last minute request, during which she was very accommodating.

As guests arrived and for the wedding processional we had live piano. For our recessional song, we switched to an mp3 that is special to us, which played perfectly with no issues switching from live to recorded.

Next, during cocktail hour, we had a guitarist. It was a perfect accompaniment to the food, drinks, and conversations.

During dinner service, they played an mp3 playlist that we curated. The sound level was perfect. Kara was a wonderful emcee, she was very clear in her speech and executed the script we agreed to perfectly. She helped to move along the speeches, even with unexpected timeline interruptions.

Once the reception started, we were off! They played two 80 minute sets, and we provided an mp3 playlist for one 20 minute DJ break in between. Our first dance was performed beautifully by the band. The band members are all so skilled, and my guests were particularly in awe of the lead guitarist who SHREDDED. Each song was polished and well-executed. For our last song, we had a special request. Kara informed us that they would have to learn it, but they are happy to do so as well as they have advance notice! It was the perfect ending.

Between the communicative nature of the band, the personal details they can provide, the highly skilled members, and the fun energy this group provides, I would highly recommend Standing Room Only.

Standing Room Only was absolutely incredible! They completely tailored everything to our taste, and every single guest RAVED about how amazing they were. The talent, energy, and professionalism were unmatched — they kept the dance floor packed all night long! They even had us (the bride and groom!) come up and sing with them, which was one of the most fun and unforgettable moments of the night.

From the ceremony to the cocktail hour to the reception, every part of the music was flawless. Their MC skills were fantastic, and they made all of our detailed requests happen seamlessly. On top of being so talented, they were genuinely kind and easy to work with throughout the whole process. We loved them so much and honestly wish we could relive our day with them all over again. Cannot recommend them highly enough!

Working with Kara and SRO was the least stressful part of the wedding. They were flexible in providing the songs we wanted to hear, developed a great playlist, were cost effective, and were the highlight of the wedding. Numerous people from our wedding reached out to us afterwards to tell us how great the band was.

SRO gave a knockout performance at our wedding in Milwaukee. The brought great energy, engaged with the crowd, and had the dance floor packed. 10/10.