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Standing Room Only Orchestra Reviews

Standing Room Only Orchestra

Standing Room Only Orchestra

Chicago, IL
4.9 out of 5 rating, 92 Reviews
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Reviews

4.9 out of 5 rating
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
4.9 out of 5 rating
92 Reviews
99% recommend it
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Awards

92
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2012 Winner
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    Jennifer K. Sent on 04/26/2024
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    Wedding April 2024

    Standing Room Only Orchestra is OUTSTANDING! Kara has excellent communication and made planning easy and stress-free. Our guests were on the dance floor all night and raved about how good the band was. Look no further—SRO is wickedly talented, professional, and an absolute must to have at your wedding.
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    Jane K. Sent on 04/09/2024
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    Best day ever!

    Kara and Patrick and SRO were exceptional as the entertainment for our daughter’s wedding! From our very first conversation, we knew they would be perfect for this wonderful event, and they exceeded our expectations in every way. This is a talented groups of experienced musicians who can literally accommodate every genre/style, which is essential for a wedding event where there are a wide variety of guests. Kara is an exceptional master of ceremonies, providing introductions as well as instruction for the proceedings to keep us on schedule through the evening. The orchestra has the incredible ability to read the room, and play selections to keep the crowd up and dancing….and dance they did !!! The dance floor was full, literally, from beginning to end of the event. The logistics from the day we signed the contract, up until the start of the event were professional and seamless. Coordination with the venue was effortless and they played all the songs we wanted to hear, as they do a thorough consultation with the bride and groom before to ensure their playlist reflects the couples vision of their perfect reception. A wedding reception is the finale of a great deal of planning, and there is nothing that compares to live music, performed by incredibly talented artists. THIS band is worth every penny in your budget. We are getting calls from guests to thank us for the invite, and every call mentions the “amazing” musicians! They are the perfect addition to your “BEST DAY EVER” and would be ideal for any gathering where talent, professionalism and exceptional presentation are essential to take your event to the next level! You NEED to hire SRO Orchestra!
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  • Jackie
    Jackie W. Sent on 04/08/2024
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    SRO - The Best Of The Best

    SRO is the BEST of the BEST! Truly can't speak highly enough of the entire experience start to finish! Working with Kara was an organized, easy, enjoyable, seamless experience throughout. I've never seen a dance floor more packed the entire time in my life. They kept everyone on their feet and made the experience so memorable for all! Would highly recommend SRO to anyone looking for a live band!
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    Matthew A. Sent on 12/05/2023
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    Amazing Wedding Band!

    Standing Room Only was outstanding!! They brought so much energy to our night, and we received so many compliments from our guests about how great they were! Throughout the planning process, Kara was so great to work with. She was very responsive to all of our questions. We even decided to upgrade our band from 6 piece to 9 piece after signing our original contract, and she made the process so easy! During our reception, Kara was an excellent MC, and the entire band was so fun and interactive with our guests! Some of our family members who are professional musicians were able to get up on stage and perform with the band too, which made the night even more special. We are so happy we chose Standing Room Only!
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    Paula E. Sent on 09/29/2023
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    Best night ever!

    This band knows how to keep the dance floor full all night! Our guests are still talking about Standing Room Only! Kara was a joy to work with and her band was outstanding! Truly the highlight of the reception!
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    Dillon M. Sent on 08/27/2023
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    This Band was Amazing!!!

    It is never easy and always nerve wrecking choosing a band (especially without seeing them ever in person), but we must tell you that you should have the utmost confidence when booking Standing Room Only. We booked them for our dream Chicago summer wedding at the University Club of Chicago and they exceeded our expectations. They sounded phenomenal, their set-list was perfect and they were the crowning piece to our unforgettable reception. So many people came up to us after the wedding that they had never seen a dance floor so packed throughout the entire 3 hour set which is all because of Standing Room Only’s performance. Kara made this entire process so turnkey and she was there every step of the way in making us feel comfortable and confident for the MC and Band of the reception. Adjectives can’t describe how happy we were with their performance as it was a night to remember. Some of their final songs were so incredible that some guests were still humming and singing the lyrics at brunch the next morning, including the epic Hey Jude rendition to end the evening. If you want a band for your wedding that you can depend on and that will have the people on their feet dancing the night away, Standing Room Only is the band for you.

    Thank you so much again!

    -Dillon and Katie
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    Michael H. Sent on 07/06/2023
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    SRO was fantastic!

    SRO was the highlight of our anniversary party. I received numerous compliments from guests throughout the evening. Kara was great to work with on our booking and in putting together the music list; Patrick handled the set-up and coordinated the evening's performance, which was top-notch. We had the 9-piece band, including 3 singers, 2 saxophone players and 1 trumpet player; all were truly excellent. Other than for a couple of specific songs, we let them pick the songs, based on the genres we wanted to hear. They did not disappoint! The music selection and the high energy performance had the dance floor hopping all evening. By the last song the guests were shouting for an encore. If you select SRO for your event, you will be so glad you did.
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    Derek S. Sent on 06/13/2023
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    Standing Room Only; the whole room was dancing!

    Standing Room Only left our guests speechless and sweating for more! My wife and I had a special request for our first dance and SRO blew us away - they outdid the original. Kara kept the reception organized and moving along. Oh, and their set? It was the best wedding set I've ever heard: classics, deep cuts, and special requests. My wife and I took a short break during the band's break and were afraid we'd return to an empty dance floor. To our pleasant surprise, Standing Room Only had our guests dancing all over again. The floor was packed all night. I cannot recommend Kara and Standing Room Only enough!
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    Brett Sent on 06/07/2023
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    Above and Beyond

    From day one we knew this band would be different. Kara was welcoming and provided true guidance and consultation throughout the planning process. When it came to the day of, they delivered and went above and beyond for us. We continue to get compliments pouring in about how great our band was and could not thank SRO enough. The whole band provided an amazing experience, we would highly recommend!
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    Emma J. Sent on 03/09/2023
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    SRO Groupies

    My company has hired SRO for many years - super reliable, professional, and experienced. They know what to do and what/when to communicate, allowing you to focus on your special day. Great music and great people.
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    Gail W. Sent on 11/21/2022
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    The best wedding and dancing ever!

    Kara and all the band members of SRO:
    I cannot thank you enough for making Carrie and Jonny's simply the most fun wedding I've ever been too!!! The music was over the top good and everyone was so happy and complimentary of the evening, with the band being everyone's favorite ever. After listening to your YouTube clips, I knew you were good, and that you'd be at the base of a fabulous party, but you exceeded my expectations ten-fold! The energy was so amazing and all of our guests haven't stopped talking about how amazing the music and dancing was! Thank you for helping to make Carrie and Jonny's wedding unforgettable! I am still on Cloud 9 and my only regret is that we can't do it all again. Thank you, thank you!
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    Jonathan S. Sent on 11/16/2022
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    Highly recommend for an energetic dancefloor

    SRO was amazing! People were coming up to me throughout the night to tell me how incredible the band was. They were energetic, got everyone involved, and made the dancefloor a highlight of the night!
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    Tom Sent on 11/04/2022
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    Premier band with excellent musicianship and professionalism

    SRO was recommended to us by two separate couples who had them play at their own weddings. In short, I am glad that I took their advice and had SRO play at my own wedding! The band was simply fantastic from start to finish. SRO was extremely organized, energized and insightful which made the planning process easy. The band's flawless performance was the obvious highlight with them playing all of the songs that we had on our wish list plus more! SRO did a great job of interacting with the crowd and kept the dance floor full the entire wedding which I have never seen before! SRO will make your wedding a special memorable experience for everyone.
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    Meaghan C. Sent on 12/26/2022
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    Best wedding band around!

    Standing Room Only was the best choice for our wedding! We had so many guests tell us it was the best wedding band they have ever heard. From the start Kara was easy to communicate with and was so easy to work with. We are so happy we picked SRO for our wedding!
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    Gregory J. Sent on 10/03/2022
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    Great Band

    We hired SRO for our daughter’s wedding three weeks ago and are very happy we did! We had music all night long! They played during cocktail hour and during dinner! All wonderful! They helped keep the evening going all night at a great pace! There was a great variety of different music! They were very easy to work with! They learned a Beach Boys song! We had a ten piece orchestra and they totally rocked the dance floor all night long! Our guests danced all night long! We received so many complements on this band! If you want an exciting, fun, and dancing all night long this is the band to have!! This band is wonderful! Hire them!
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    Pat Sent on 08/24/2022
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    SRO rocks!

    Standing Room Only absolutely ROCKED our wedding. Kara was so easy to work with and professional from beginning to end. She incorporated our specific asks while creating a set list that kept the dance floor going the WHOLE time. If you want your guests up dancing rather than sitting and watching, this is the band for you! We received countless compliments from our guests (old and young) that the band was the best they have ever seen at a wedding. They even traveled to the Lake Geneva area where we got married, no problem. I will definitely be recommending SRO to anyone I come across looking for a professional, fun, and rocking wedding band for their special day. Thanks, Kara & SRO!
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    Green L. Sent on 08/02/2022
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    Talented & fun musicians who are a delight to work with

    Our organization hired the Standing Room Only Orchestra for an event, and we couldn't be happier to have done so! All of our interactions were extremely professional, and the band members could not have been more polite and helpful. They knew the perfect mix of music to keep people on the dance floor, and they were really talented musicians, as well. Fun was had by all, and we will definitely hire them to play for our next big event!
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    Emily D. Sent on 12/10/2022
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    Standing Room Only Lives Up To The Name

    Kara & Standing Room Only was a first-rate wedding band with the utmost professionalism and groove. We were beyond impressed with their talent, sound and flexibility to fit in where we needed them at our venue. Our wedding day would not have been as fun as it was without them. They truly are the best live band we have ever heard at a wedding and we have been to several! Hire them if you have the chance and you won't be disappointed.
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    Tony H. Sent on 04/29/2022
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    Absolutely Amazing

    They kept the dance floor full and the crowd moving for three solid hours. Their song selection was great, and they are supremely talented musicians. Our guests raved about how wonderful the Standing Room Only Orchestra was!
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    Shawn B. Sent on 01/12/2022
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    The best choice for wedding entertainment

    We chose Standing Room Only Orchestra to perform at our wedding and from the first conversation with Kara I knew we made the best choice. So easy to work with, professional, responsive and reliable, the whole process was smooth and worry free. SRO provided live ceremony music, live cocktail hour music as well as the full reception. The versatility and range of services was perfect and the expertise in working with us to understand and complete our vision was outstanding. The performance was second to none, the dance floor was packed the entire night, they brought great energy and the guests couldn't stop raving about them! I can't express enough how much a fantastic live band adds to the entire experience and SRO is a perfect 10.
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    Mary P. Sent on 11/01/2021
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    SRO Rocked the Dance Floor

    Standing Room Only (SRO) was a fantastic addition to our wedding day. My older sister used this band a few years ago and I was excited to be able to work with them for our wedding. Kara and the whole team was organized and quick to respond. She made sure she had (and followed) our preferences, but she took on the bulk of planning and made the process so easy!

    On our wedding day, SRO did a great job of MCing and then opened the dance floor for 3 hours of rocking! We would highly recommend working with SRO and are so grateful that they were a part of our day!
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    Flo M. Sent on 09/01/2021
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    SRO is amazing!

    Kara Kesselring and the band were absolutely amazing! If you are looking for a band that will get your guests up and moving, tapping their feet, and singing along, SRO is the band to hire. Our guests ranged from children to seniors and everyone in between. Everyone was on the dance floor enjoying their beautiful music. Kara is a gem. She is incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, patient and kind in helping you with song selection, reception itinerary, and timing. The band made it happen. Their voices and instruments blended into perfect harmony. We had guest after guest ask where we had found this wonderful band… and this was only the six-piece ensemble. You won’t ever regret booking SRO!
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    Abigail Sent on 06/11/2021
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    Amazing Wedding Band

    Kara was so helpful throughout our entire wedding planning process. We booked SRO before Covid and when we realized that our wedding was going to half the size as originally planned, Kara was extremely flexible when we asked to make changes to contract.

    She also provided a ton of guidance when my husband and I couldn't decide on song choices. We knew she was the expert so we told her we wanted music to keep people on the dance floor and trusted her with the rest!

    I've gotten nothing but compliments from my guests about SRO - our wedding was the first big event since the beginning of Covid and they made it a total blast!
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    Mark D. Sent on 03/03/2020
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    Incredible experience from planning all the way to the last song.

    Our wedding was a few weeks ago now, and still the first thing I hear from our guests is how awesome the band was! Kara and the rest of SRO kept the dance floor completely packed all night, at some points there wasn't enough space for everybody on the dance floor. They have a great variety of music old and new and are willing to learn anything that they may not already know. I was thoroughly impressed by how they kept energy high by stringing songs together and flowing from one to the next without slowing down.
    On top of a great performance the day of the wedding, Kara made everything music related fun and easy all the way leading up. They provided music for us throughout the entire evening from the cocktail hour through dinner, down to the very last song. They made no fuss going between playlists and live music and curated everything we asked for.
    In addition Kara was a great MC all night for the entire event through all of the speeches and everything else.
    I could not give a higher recommendation for Kara and the rest of Standing Room Only Orchestra. If you want great music and a fun easy experience, book them straight away!
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