John Paul DeCesare Reviews
Reviews
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![Yotam]()
Yotam Sent on 09/15/2022Perfect classical guitar for a wedding
We hired John for our wedding and we could not be more pleased. He was friendly, easy to work with, professional, and his playing sounds amazing! He took the time to write a custom arrangement of a song that we requested for our ceremony, which we absolutely loved. He was exactly what we wanted, and at a good value. Would strongly recommend. -
![Jillian]()
Jillian Sent on 11/13/2023Excellent Musician
John was excellent to work with. He provided prompt responses to emails and was easy to coordinate with. He was able to learn a song I requested that was not already in his repertoire. He played before the ceremony, during the ceremony and the cocktail hour. It really added to the event and made it feel even more special. I received many complements from the guests who really enjoyed John's playing. -
![Lesley]()
Lesley Sent on 08/27/2023Incredible Guitarist!
We hired John to play guitar for our outdoor ceremony, and he exceeded our expectations! He is talented, flexible, and professional. We had a couple of hiccups during our ceremony that we didn't discuss beforehand, and John was able to go with the flow.
John has a great selection of songs but is willing to learn new ones if given enough time. Thankfully, one of the songs I was considering (Taylor Swift's "Lover") was already on his list of songs. He also condensed the song when I walked down the aisle since it's a lengthier song.
My husband and I did a first look with private vows before the ceremony, and John's music was the perfect background soundtrack. It felt like we were in a romantic movie.
We are so thankful for John's talent and flexibility! He really helped set the tone for the ceremony. :) -
Beth Sent on 05/29/2023
Thoroughly professional and reliable
We were very grateful to John for his beautiful guitar playing at our wedding. More than that, we had a bit of a disaster before the ceremony even began and John had to suddenly and unexpectedly move to a different part of our large outdoor venue. John had to change all the written and oral directions I had given him regarding where to set up before the ceremony; when I emerged from the bridal dressing room--there he was--completely set up in the new location and playing for guests entering the venue. John also brought and set up his own sound equipment to amplify his guitar upon our request for a minimal extra cost. Most importantly, he was willing to accompany our niece who was singing an Israeli song that John had to learn on guitar. He did a beautiful accompaniment.
He arrived looking very professional in his dress and manner. Simply put, John was a gem of a find and we are so grateful and glad we hired him. He seemed to be a very kind and genial person as well as a fine guitarist. -
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![Brittany]()
Brittany Sent on 05/08/2023My Best Vendor, easily.
John was so easy to work with and was my easiest vendor to book, communicate with, provided an impactful service with a great price. He arrived early, played songs beautifully, picked up that there was a gap in the ceremony and started playing light music, and was overall my bridesmaids absolute favorite vendor hands down. None of them could stop talking about John the next day. The music was the perfect romantic touch.
Brittany -
![Paul]()
Paul Sent on 03/23/2023Such a hit for our ceremony and cocktail hour!
John was one of our first vendors chosen for our October 2022 wedding. And by far, the best person we had on our special day. John incapsulated everything we had envisioned and more with his music at both the ceremony and cocktail hour. But more importantly, John was just an awesome guy TJ be around for our day. We couldn’t imagine such a special day without him doing everything and more to make sure we could focus on each other. Please trust me when I say if you are reading this review that you found the one. Thanks John for making Camila and I’s wedding a forever memory with your music. -
Rose Sent on 09/24/2022
Great communication & flexibility
John played our wedding ceremony in Alexandria. He was extremely responsive, professional, and friendly. He had great song options and learned an additional song for our recessional. I would definitely hire him again! -
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![Taylor]()
Taylor Sent on 09/19/2022AMAZING experience working with John!
John was amazing to work with from start to finish! He was responsive to all emails and questions throughout the whole process. He had tons of songs to pick from that he knew and offered to learn any that he didn’t already know! 10/10 would recommend John for your wedding or any other event! -
![Katharine]()
Katharine Sent on 10/31/2021Fabulous addition to our wedding!
John Paul was a pleasure to work with and helped make our wedding day extra special! John Paul is talented, responsive, professional, and accommodating. John Paul was even kind enough to learn a new song that was special to my husband and I for our wedding! -
![Katherine]()
Katherine Sent on 09/27/2021Above and beyond
John Paul went above and beyond on what he delivered. My partner and I dealt with many unresponsive, disorganized wedding vendors (that caused us immense stress), but John Paul was the exact opposite of those vendors. A few personal anecdotes: (1) We provided him with the songs we wanted him to play during the processional, and he understood the logistics better than our own wedding coordinator was able to. We even had a hiccup with an unintended pair walking down the aisle, but he caught on and continued to play – no one even noticed the mistake! (2) After our ceremony, he moved all his own equipment over to our reception venue without any help (and only going off my email instructions to him); (3) We requested a custom song last minute (less than 2 weeks prior), and he was willing and able to accommodate our request; and (4) he stayed ~40 minutes past his contract time to let us borrow his microphone for our toasts.
Overall, John Paul is not only incredibly talented, but also professional and kind. We highly recommend hiring him! -
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Eric Sent on 06/28/2021
Your Go-To Guy for a Great Party!
We were replanning our wedding and looking for a musician to play classical / spanish guitar tunes during the ceremony and reception. I found John on wedding wire and really liked the music he had on YouTube and his website. Upon reaching out, John was quick to respond and accommodating of any request we had.
John ended up playing from 6pm - 9pm, and it could not have been a better set! The ceremony music was beautiful & original; beautiful classical guitar classics and new hits combined. John's repertoire is extensive and he helped us keep the party going during the cocktail hour, dinner, and first dances with ease - all while entertaining some of our younger guests who wanted to be "in his act" :).
I cannot recommend John enough to anyone who is looking for a musician that will take your event to the next level with grace, elegance, and professionalism. -
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![Elizabeth]()
Liz D. Sent on 06/15/2021Perfect Addition to Our Ceremony & Cocktail Hour!
We are SO glad that we hired John to play guitar during our ceremony and cocktail hour. He is a brilliant musician and a kind person. John went above and beyond to learn a song that I wanted to have played while I walked down the aisle. His style is classic, elegant, yet light and fun. A perfect fit for the vibe of our big day! I thought I wouldn't cry on my wedding day, but when I heard John playing before I walked down the aisle...it felt real and the tears started rolling. So beautiful! Guests loved his 60s/70s classic rock acoustic mix played during cocktail hour...it provided such a fun and relaxed atmosphere. He was easy to work with throughout the whole planning process and showed up right on time. 11/10 would recommend him for your big day. Thank you so much, John! -
![Candice]()
Candice Sent on 05/04/2021Wonderful to work with!
We originally hired John just for our cocktail hour, but as with many things this year we had to change plans and ended up with a new venue and an onsite ceremony as well. John was super flexible and helpful through the entire process, and all of the changes. He offered helpful guidance with our song choices for the ceremony and everything worked out perfectly. The music was beautiful and everyone loved it. John helped create a unique and magical atmosphere for both ceremony and cocktail hour. Would highly recommend his services! -
![Darcy]()
Darcy Sent on 04/01/2021John was great!!
My fiancé (now husband) and I postponed our larger wedding due to the current pandemic and we instead held a small intimate ceremony in MD. We hired John to perform music prior to the ceremony (about 20 minutes), the wedding processional, and recessional. He was wonderful! He was extremely responsive and helpful. When I met him day-of, he was super friendly and such a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend John! -
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![Shannon]()
Shannon Sent on 03/02/2021Amazing and professional
John was absolutely perfect for our wedding! He was able to learn my mother’s favorite song for our unity candle ceremony which meant the world to us. He was on time, professional, and flawless, and his style of music really brought the right vibe to our special day. We are so grateful! -
![Amit]()
Amit Sent on 01/24/2021Amazing guitar and vocals at surprise proposal!
I hired John to play acoustic guitar and sing at my surprise proposal to my girlfriend, and it was so magical. I asked John to play some Prince songs and translate them to acoustic, and a Beatles song, and John did just amazing. His guitar playing was so impressive (even in 20 degree wind chill!) and his singing was beautiful.
John was great to work with as well. He was great to communicate with in advance, and he arrived early on the day-of and killed the performance. My partner and I both said John's performance was 10/10 in all ways and made our day so special.
From my partner: "Kiss by Prince is my absolute favorite song. Having it played live at my proposal made my life."
I would definitely recommend working with John for any special occasion. We are so grateful for his work! -
![Michelle]()
Michelle Sent on 10/13/2020John Paul was great!
John Paul added a special touch to our intimate wedding. Because of COVID, we had to scale back our wedding plans and provide a virtual experience for most of our guests. We opened the zoom event to beautiful guitar music. John Paul learned two of our favorite songs even though they were unfamiliar to him. He is talented, professional, easy to work with and very responsive. I am so glad we found him on WeddingWire. -
Karen Sent on 08/24/2020
Perfect for Wedding- style and class
John provided music for our intimate wedding gathering, ceremony and cocktail hour! COVID safe- absolutely attentive to precautions with great flexibility to adjust to the multiple changes! John played with ease and expertise and was willing to learn new songs to accommodate our request! John was an absolute highlight of the evening for all those attending. Very pleasant and professional. Highly recommend John. -
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James Sent on 05/03/2020
The perfect touch to the perfect day!
I had no hesitation in choosing John to perform at my daughters wedding. Having heard John play locally there was no doubt we wanted him to be a part of this special day. Not only is his playing abilities beyond compare, his professionalism and awesome personality were a joy to be around on the day of the wedding. Don't stress over the songs you think you want. Just leave it to John to select the perfect songs for the ceremony. John's choice and mix of songs were exactly what was needed to cater to the wide range of age and likes of the guests. I can't recommend John enough! Thank you John, your the best choice for any special event! -
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Tori Sent on 11/16/2019
Wonderful...
John did a great job and we are so happy that he helped make our day so special. He played a list of songs he had curated himself and it was perfect. Couldn’t have been happier. -
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![Dan]()
Dan L. Sent on 11/15/2019Highly Recommend
John was awesome! As the father of the bride, I didn't really get to hear him play prior to the ceremony, but our guests raved. My only regret is that we didn't have him play during the cocktail hour at the reception. -
![Scott]()
Scott Sent on 11/11/2019Talented and Professional
We found John here on WeddingWire, and after reading other reviews and listening to his music samples, we knew we wanted him to play at our wedding. John did a phenomenal job with our ceremony music, even going as far as learning “A Whole New World” for us to walk down the aisle to! We also had him play guitar for our cocktail hour, which added a layer of intimacy and class that we were looking for. John was very easy to reach when we had questions, and responded to every email and message promptly. John is a true talent, and if you’re looking for someone to play guitar at your wedding, do yourself a favor and hire him! I promise you won’t regret it! Thank you, John! -
![Clarissa]()
Clarissa Sent on 09/29/2019Wonderful music for both our ceremony and cocktail hour!
John was great to work with! Even though I was a bit late in organizing our ceremony music, he made some really helpful suggestions and put together a wonderful playlist so quickly! He also played a wonderful range of songs during our cocktail hour. He came with all of his own equipment and his music was so beautiful! I highly recommend him! -
![Ann]()
Ann B. Sent on 09/14/2019Wonderful addition to our wedding
John was absolutely fabulous! Leading up to the wedding, John was very responsive and even had a phone call with us a week before our wedding to go over all the final details. We asked John to play a song outside of his portfolio during our wedding ceremony. He learned to play this song for our ceremony, it absolutely made our ceremony that much more special and unique to us. Beyond our ceremony John played during our cocktail hour, his music created a really beautiful and intimate environment for our guests. After the wedding many of our guests told us how much they loved John's music and how much they enjoyed him. I would rehire John in a heartbeat. He exceeded all of our expectations...he was amazing. -
![Lauren]()
Lauren Sent on 07/09/2019Wonderful music!
We hired John to perform our ceremony and cocktail hour. He did an amazing job with both, and played beautiful music during the ceremony, adding his touch to some classic songs. He also played during our cocktail hour, providing a great backdrop to the pre-dinner time. We definitely would recommend John to anybody! -
![Kate]()
Kate Sent on 10/12/2022Great musician and easy to work with!
John was great - thorough communication ahead of the wedding (he was very prompt to respond to emails, answer questions, etc.), played the songs we requested, and sounded lovely. He played during our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour, and I would hire him again for another event. -
![anitacafe]()
Annie Sent on 10/11/2020Quality musician
John was great with playing the songs we requested, including learning one for our processional. He also bought a battery-powered amp when we found out there wasn’t an electrical connection at the venue. He arrived and got set up plenty early, which was great given our concerns about limited parking. The only downside was that he packed up and left right after the ceremony instead of playing for another half hour (during our receiving line) as we had expected, but to be fair we didn’t discuss this with him explicitly beforehand. Overall, he sounded great and we would recommend him to others.
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