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About

About Red Velvet:

Red Velvet is a premier New York-based music and entertainment company, offering exquisite musical experiences for a wide range of events. As an expansion of the renowned Velveteen Ensemble, which has been providing exceptional string ensembles for the past decade, Red Velvet represents the culmination of our expertise and the evolution of our services.

Experience and Recognition:

Red Velvet has garnered acclaim within the industry and beyond. Our talented musicians have performed in esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall and embarked on an international tour in Asia. We are honored to have been featured in the celebrated Candlelight series, captivating audiences worldwide. Our commitment to excellence has earned us recognition on popular platforms like Carats and Cake, as well as being esteemed as a top preferred vendor on WeddingWire and The Knot.

Specialized Musical Talent:

While our roots lie in classical music, our repertoire has expanded to encompass a vast array of genres. With thousands of selections, including pop, Broadway, indie, Jewish, and more, our musicians possess the versatility to create the perfect ambiance for any occasion. Red Velvet now offers a symphony orchestra, featuring exceptionally talented singers, presenting a unique and captivating alternative to traditional pop bands.

Comprehensive Services for Whole-Day Events:

Red Velvet prides itself on providing elite entertainment for the entirety of your event. Whether it's a wedding or any other special occasion, we ensure a seamless musical journey from start to finish. Our offerings encompass music for guest seating, ceremonies, cocktail hours, and receptions. We cater to diverse budgets, offering an array of options to meet your specific needs. From intimate outdoor farm-to-table weddings, where our symphony orchestra blends harmoniously with the surroundings, to energetic pop bands and DJs for late-night celebrations, we curate unforgettable experiences tailored to your event's atmosphere and style.

Specialized Events and Cultural Offerings:

Red Velvet embraces the diversity of celebrations and offers specialized music for Indian weddings/events and Jewish celebrations. Our team understands the significance of cultural traditions and ensures an authentic and memorable experience that honors the essence of each occasion.

Additional Services and Travel:

In addition to our exceptional musicians, Red Velvet provides all the necessary equipment for live music, including staging, microphones, and speakers. For sophisticated lighting, we collaborate with a dedicated visual team to design and create stunning ambiances. Our services extend beyond the vibrant city of New York, as we are willing to travel anywhere to enhance your special event. Please note that additional fees may apply for destinations outside of NYC beyond a 25-mile radius

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Reviews of Velveteen Ensemble

C
Caroline Sent on 09/16/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible musicians

This was the 3rd time I worked with Velveteen Ensemble, and I should've written a review earlier! Marcelle is really professional, incredibly talented, and very easy to work with. We had their string duo for our wedding (based purely on the space of our small venue because otherwise we would've loved for a larger group), but even with two musicians, they filled the room with beautiful, flawless music, all according to cue, and had an extensive library to choose from. They were fantastic!
Nicole
Nicole Sent on 05/23/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Dream string quartet! Still have the chills!

My husband, our families, and I cannot thank Marcel and Velveteen Ensemble enough for everything. Velveteen Ensemble was recommended by our wedding planner, Jeff Stillwell of Stillwell Events (give him a call, he's the BEST!!!) for our wedding at the Metropolitan Club in NYC that took place this past Saturday, May 18, 2024 and we couldn't have been happier.

Marcel and his team are top-notch. They have a HUGE catalogue of songs you can choose from to play for your wedding. They also take meticulous notes and know all the ins and outs of playing string music for an event.

Walking with our parents at the same time down the two joining aisles to “Canon in D” by Pachelbel is a moment we will treasure forever and EVER. I cried the happiest tears. 🩷 I still have the chills!!! The other selections for the prelude and ceremony were so lovely. All the pieces flowed so seamlessly together to create the perfect soundtrack to one of the most important moments of our lives.

My husband and I heard snippets of the pieces played during cocktail hour (we were inside the library enjoying some food & beverages post-ceremony until we walked down the stairs of the Great Hall for our first dance) and everything sounded so, so wonderful.

Wow, just wow. Marcel, you were such a pleasure to work with, and we are so grateful that Jeff connected us!! You and your team are amazing.

Thank you, again, Marcel, for being part of our DREAM team!!! 🩷
T
Tristan Sent on 07/01/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Highly recommend Velveteen Ensemble

Velveteen Ensemble performed at our wedding in May 2023. They were spectacular. Marcel was timely in his responses and clearly a professional. All our requests were easily accommodated and executed perfectly. We highly recommend Velveteen Ensemble for your wedding!
V
Veronica Sent on 06/23/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible String Quartet

We loved working with Velveteen Ensemble. They provided the perfect music for our ceremony and cocktail hour. They offered a great variety of music to chose from and were able to help us make a complete playlist that really added something special to our day, and we received so many compliments on their music! Marcel was so easy to work with and very helpful throughout the planning process. We would absolutely recommend Velveteen Ensemble to anyone looking to add live music to their wedding.
Emily
Emily Sent on 09/14/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing & so talented!

My husband and I hired the Velveteen Ensemble for our June 2022 wedding and we are so beyond happy that we did! I always knew I wanted a string quartet for my wedding ceremony, and the Velveteen Ensemble certainly delivered and more! Working with Marcel was seamless -- he is so friendly and responsive and I could tell we were in great hands from the beginning. We had them come 30 or so minutes before the ceremony started to play while our guests sipped on champagne and mingled, and everyone was raving about how great they were. Marcel was so gracious and came over to say goodbye to us before they left our venue, which was so sweet and professional. We would absolutely hire them again for another event without hesitation -- thank you Marcel & team!
Caitlin
Caitlin Sent on 12/12/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Simply Excellent, Best Special Touch for Wedding

I highly recommend Marcel & the velveteen ensemble for your wedding. I was on the fence if I should hire a strings group for my wedding, but finally decided I would love that extra touch for the ceremony & cocktail hour since we had a DJ for the reception. I hired them sort of last minute, and they jumped right in! I was impressed by the long list of songs he sent me, both classical and modern. I appreciated that I had the option to send requests, but also that they would make their own recommendations, which I appreciated and loved for the ceremony. Very professional, easy to work with, and added the special, magical, moment to such an exciting day. Highly recommend!
J
John Sent on 07/22/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Huge Hit For Ceremony and Cocktails

Marcel and team were a gigantic hit at the event - we had dozens of people coming up to us raving about the music. They were able to perform anything from classical to pop and also unique soundtrack music from Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Wish we could listen to them play every weekend!
J
Jessica Sent on 04/24/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Highly Recommended!!!

We can’t thank Marcel and his team enough for making our wedding day so special! Not only is he so kind, professional, and constantly checking in leading to our wedding day. But Marcel and his team are extremely talented and play each song so beautifully! Everyone couldn’t stop talking about how amazing the music was and we are beyond thrilled with how everything went! We highly recommend using his company!!
J
Jocelyn Sent on 04/08/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful and professional vendor

We worked with Marcel for our wedding at the Palace last October. Marcel was responsive and presented a good amount of options to fit our budget and preferences. The harpist, Liann, was amazing the day of, and our guests were blown away by how well she played. Many thanks to Marcel and Liann!
Sarah
Sarah Sent on 12/25/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful Ensemble

Marcel and his team were great to work with and played incredibly beautiful music throughout our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour.

Leading up to the wedding, Marcel was very responsive and invited us to some upcoming shows so that we could experience the music before our wedding day. On the day of, everyone raved about how great the Velveteen Ensemble was.

I would absolutely recommend hiring them!
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Awards

47
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

1 Endorsement
Pearl Event Planning Pearl Event Planning Wedding Planners

I had the privilege of working with Velveteen Ensemble at a NYC wedding this weekend and could not have been happier. The quartet was there early, set up quickly, dressed impeccably, played flawlessly, and followed direction very well. I never had to tell them something twice. I very much look forward to working with them again. Don't hesitate to hire these talented artists for your event!

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