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Effesenden Music Reviews

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Reviews

4.9 out of 5 rating
4.9 out of 5 rating
36 Reviews
99% recommend it
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Awards

36
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2013 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner
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    Diana Sent on 07/15/2019
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    Magical Strings (and amazing vocals too!)

    Wendy and her team of musicians were the magic that made my wedding amazing. Wendy one one of two violins and one cellist who played during my outdoor ceremony-- hymns which created sacred space, and I walked to Pachelbel's Canon in D which made my mom cry. The trio were joined by a guitarist to play my reception. We had a complete mix of classic and modern tunes-- from Waylon Jennings to Elvis to Lil Nas -- which I asked them to spotify. It was awesome. At my special request, Wendy sang vocals on the tunes which had the most meaningful lyrics to me and my fiance. It was a magical day, and I got so many compliments on the music. Thank you to Wendy and the amazing musicians at Effesenden Music!
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    Annie Sent on 11/20/2017
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    We had a fantastic experience with Wendy and Effesenden Music both in the lead-up to as well as on the day of our wedding. Wendy is very communicative, professional, and flexible, and she and her team are incredibly talented. With an extensive repertoire and willingness to accommodate custom music selections, Effesenden has such a diverse offering (and rock-star musicians), making for a beautiful and customized day-of experience. Unequivocally better than any DJ or recording. Thank you again for making our wedding day so special!

    Effesenden Music's reply:

    Thanks Annie! I really enjoyed working with you and we loved playing for your wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. The whole wedding was just stunningly beautiful! Best wishes to you guys and thanks again for choosing us to be a part of your wedding day!
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    Kristen Sent on 10/15/2017
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    Effesenden really made my ceremony go from special to amazing. I initially hired them because they had the widest repertoire of popular/alternative music string arrangements of any of the string quartets/trios in Portland, but the music they provided was even more perfect than I had originally imagined. They were incredibly professional and accommodating. They even did a special arrangement for me 3 weeks before the wedding when I changed my mind about what I wanted to walk down the aisle to. I absolutely would recommend them for any ceremony.

    Effesenden Music's reply:

    Thank you Kristen! It was a pleasure working with you and we loved your musical selections. Congratulations and best wishes.
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  • A
    Angie Sent on 07/02/2017
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    We loved working with Wendy and Effesenden Music. She was very professional, caring, helpful in designing music and flexible during the ceremony to produce a WONDERFUL experience for all.
    She coordinates a wide variety of talented musicians (instrumental and vocalists) plus has a large portfolio of music suggestions (and open to learn new). We had an outdoor wedding, Wendy/cousin sang and played guitar/violin. My favorites were her Celtic music, very beautiful, however our guests enjoyed all. We had many compliments on our ceremony music. I highly recommend Effesenden Music for any event!

    Effesenden Music's reply:

    It was so much fun playing for your wedding! Thank you for choosing us to be a part of your day and best wishes to you and your family!
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    Becky Sent on 07/10/2017
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    Wendy played the violin, and her partner played the guitar for our wedding. We got so many compliments on the music, and they both went out of the way to learn special songs we requested for the ceremony (eg: Anne of Green Gables Theme music, and Indiana Jones for our getaway.) Their music helped make our day special, and they are incredibly talented and personable. I would recommend them to everyone. Love Effesenden Music.
  • User2317313 Sent on 09/15/2015
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    EXCELLENT MUSIC, SERVICE AND WORTH THE MONEY. GUESTS LOVED IT!
  • User2318049 Sent on 09/15/2015
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    My husband and I were extremely pleased with Effesenden Music performance at our wedding reception. We had a little bit of a unique situation in that we had our cocktail hour on the buildings roof top deck and dinner in the ballroom on the main floor. Effesenden Music seamlessly accommodated our music needs in both spaces. We were impressed and pleased with their repertoire of music and their openness to suggestions. We would not only recommend them, but would use them again in a heart beat!

    Effesenden Music's reply:

    So glad that you enjoyed our music! The event was awesome with so many people clearly having a great time and it was fun playing with such an incredible view of the Portland skyline in front of us! Congrats on a wonderful event.
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    Anna Sent on 11/09/2014
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    Wendy and the other musicians from Effesenden were amazing and so talented. We hired Wendy and her group for our ceremony and cocktail hour. From the start, Wendy was very responsive and easy to work with. We told her what vibe we wanted, and she nailed it. The music was amazing and one of our favorite parts of the wedding. We made a few special music requests, including accompanying my cousin so he could sing during our unity candle lighting. They were very accommodating and everything turned out wonderfully. We received so many compliments on the live music from our guests. We couldn't be happier with choosing Effesenden and highly recommend them.
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    Barbara Sent on 11/18/2014
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    Wendy from Effesenden was delightful to work with. She was terrific at listening to our needs and guiding us with decisions while giving us a style of our own. Wendy was able to put together an excellent quartet for my daughters wedding with relatively short notice. One of the musicians was also a vocalist for a song during the ceremony and had a wonderful voice. The live music was a beautiful addition to our garden wedding and we couldn't be happier with the quality and professionalism of the quartet. Everything ran so smoothly! Thank-you Effesenden!
  • User1922076 Sent on 11/14/2014
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    Wendy and team did such a great job at our wedding. The music was perfect. During the planning process she was very prompt in responding to any questions I had and also had great suggestions. Would highly recommend Effesenden Music to everyone!
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    Julie Sent on 08/22/2014
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    We hired Wendy and Effesenden for our ceremony and cocktail hour. I think they were my favorite detail of the ceremony. From the get-go, Wendy was knowledgeable and understood exactly what we were looking for. We wanted some Celtic music and she was so willing to take on our vision. Then for the cocktail hour, they switched to old Hollywood songs (like Frank Sinatra). It all seamlessly as our DJ took over for the reception. They executed it perfectly and it was beautiful. The musicians were so professional and talented. I just cannot say enough wonderful things about them!
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    Jessica Sent on 08/05/2014
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    Effesenden created the perfect atmosphere for our ceremony! Wendy was a dream to work with and had so many wonderful suggestions to help us craft our ideal program. All of our guests commented on how lovely the music was and Wendy was very flexible with our requests. She went above and beyond. I highly recommend Effesenden!
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    Sean Sent on 11/09/2014
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    Wendy and company are incredibly warm, organized, and responsive —and of course talented! Her and a guitarist played for our event and many of our guests, young and old, gave us glowing reviews of them. With just a few brief correspondences about the type of event we wanted, they nailed the tone and feel perfectly. They have a great repertoire, professional top notch skills, and are totally down to earth. I would highly recommend them and would hire them for all sorts of events.
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    E Sent on 08/20/2013
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    Wendy and her quartet at Effesenden music added an extra special element to our wedding. A few times, they had me close to tears with your beautiful renditions of modern love songs. (i.e. Damien Rice "I can't take my eyes off of you") Guests came up to me at different parts of the wedding and the next day asking how I found them and how much they enjoyed hearing tunes they new and could swing or sing along.
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    Cynthia Sent on 02/07/2014
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    Wendy and the musicians from Effesenden were stunning to work with. We lived quite a distance from Portland and Wendy was so kind to talk with us over the phone at length to truly get a feel for what our vision was. My husband's only request for the wedding was to have a string trio and Effesenden more than made that come true! They arranged some special pieces for us and I was even able to surprise my husband by walking down the aisle to a favorite song of ours.
    Thanks so much to Wendy and Effesenden for making are beautiful wedding at the Resort at the Mountain in Welches Oregon even more breathtaking. Best, mike and cynthia
  • User1266543 Sent on 07/31/2013
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    Efessenden did a wonderful job at our wedding! We had our ceremony in Hoyt Arboretum, precluding us from having any electricity or amplification. Luckily we had Efessenden and Wendy to provide some gorgeous acoustic music! Sadly I was running around prepping for the ceremony and did not hear as much as I wanted, but what I did catch was absolutely beautiful and set the tone perfectly. They had a huge repertoire and also learned a new song for us which was really special. They added so much to the ceremony. Wendy is very laid back and easy to work with and even offered advice and recommendations on ceremony timing, etc. Book them today!
  • User1400447 Sent on 10/25/2013
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    Wendy Goodwin was very helpful and responsive during the planning and preparation for my daughter's wedding. Effesenden provided the music for both the wedding and reception - absolutely one of the best decisions we made for the event. The music was fabulous - including Wendy's vocals. We received many compliments. Effesenden would be at the top of my list if I were planning another wedding or event.
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    Diane Sent on 08/25/2013
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    Wendy was great to work with while planning the wedding and was very flexible. The ceremony music was beautiful and exactly what we wanted!!
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    Julie Sent on 12/04/2012
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    I knew they were going to be great, but I didn't realize just how great until I heard them play live at my wedding! Just wow! And all our other vendors, who attend weddings for a living and hear lots of bands and DJs, were beyond impressed with Effesenden. Everyone asked me for their business card.

    From the beginning Wendy was thorough with the details and planning process. She understood well the vibe my husband and I were going for, both during our ceremony and reception. I felt confident in letting Wendy and Effesenden run with what they do best and I didn't feel the need to over plan. She was professional and responsive and an absolute pleasure to work with.

    The sound they projected during our wedding ceremony was so powerful and beautiful. It was such a highlight for me, hearing them play acoustically in the lodge where we held our ceremony. And I loved their song selection during the cocktail hour. It was such a treat to have live musicians play. Later in the evening, they transitioned into playing recorded music for those of us wanting to get our grove going on the dance floor. It was the best of both worlds - live and recorded music.

    And finally, they learned a new song and performed it live for our first dance. It was just gorgeous and gave me chills to hear it live. I cannot say enough great things about Effesenden and the overall feeling their music provided during our wedding. Hearing them play was an absolute joy!
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    Samantha Sent on 10/16/2012
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    Effesenden really made our wedding at Atticus Vineyard extra special. We had several special requests - like Culture Club, Nirvana, & The Foo Fighters - that Wendi and her team had no qualms about learning perfectly. They are very accommodating, extremely professional, and incredibly talented musicians! Everyone loved them at our wedding... especially us. Their music really helped create a beautiful ambiance for all our guests to really enjoy. Thank you so much!
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    Brandi Sent on 10/08/2012
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    We were lucky to have a string trio from Effesenden play during our ceremony. They were absolutely perfect! We received so many compliments from our guests, I would highly recommend them!
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    Jessica Sent on 03/23/2013
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    Effesenden provided us with absolutely beautiful ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception music. Our musical choices were really eclectic - from Chinese music (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and traditional Irish folk songs, to oldies, classic rock, and soul. They executed everything so well. Our guests had a lot of fun dancing during the reception.

    I had great experiences working with Wendy during the planning process. She was very organized, professional, and clear about what to expect.

    I highly, highly recommend working with Effesenden for an unforgettable wedding!
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    Nicole Sent on 10/31/2012
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    Effesenden gets 5 stars across the board! They were a pleasure to work with from our first visit with Wendy. We hired a guitarist and violinist for our vineyard wedding ceremony and cocktail hour and they were amazing. They learned two of our favorite Ben Harper songs which sounded like they had been playing them for years. My husband told me after the ceremony that he took extra time pouring the sand during our sand ceremony so that he could keep enjoying the musicians. Effesendens music made our wedding extra special and it added such a special touch!
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    Jonathan Sent on 04/27/2012
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    Effesenden music was AMAZING! They were the easy to work with, creative, fun, and truly an inspiration. Wendy when above and beyond to make our day special. I am honored that they played at our wedding. They are true artists.
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    Walt Sent on 04/07/2012
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    From the very beginning of our contact with Effesenden we were impressed with Wendy's willingness to work within our somewhat unique requirements, and to provide exactly what we wanted. The best tribute I can give is to say that every one of the guests that we've talked to since the wedding has been effusive in their praise for the music. It was wonderful to not have to worry or supervise in any way, but to be able to leave the music in their hands and not give it a second thought. From setup to take-down at the end of the day, they were completely professional.
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