New York wedding band reviews

From the intro call to the last song of the night, Great Family Artists went above and beyond every step of the way! We got married at Nura, a restaurant in Brooklyn, and had a very non-traditional set-up for the reception, one that involved a very tight area for the band. I was dead set on having a live band for our wedding but was concerned about the spacing, and Jonathan (owner of GFA) met me at the restaurant to put my worries at ease before I even signed the contract. From the initial call and that in-person meeting, I knew we had a great partnership on our hands. Throughout all the planning calls, we felt like GFA was genuinely listening to our wants/dreams for the big night and they were really tailoring the entertainment to our tastes. I was very adamant about not having a “cookie cutter” playlist and we wanted the music to transition as the party transitioned: from the ceremony acoustics to vibey funk at cocktail hour, then properly building the reception intensity as the guests’ energy escalated, and then eventually delivering the best Hora we’ve ever seen. GFA genuinely exceeded every expectation I ever had! I am so so so indebted to their team for giving us great guidance, incredible setlists curated for us, and delivering an unforgettable night!

The Family Band NYC was the ultimate wedding band for live music lovers like my husband and I - they BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN!! We literally danced our hearts out. They rocked so hard. Every single person we spoke to RAVED! I'm not exaggerating when I say they made our wedding, keeping the fun, energy and funk going all night long. Beyond the night itself, planning with the team was seamless and we felt so heard and taken care of. They are meticulously organized and thoughtful. We can't recommend the GFA team enough - thank you!!!

Music plays such an important role in our lives, and we always knew we wanted a live band for our wedding. After the venue, the band was our #1 priority. Jonathan and the rest of the GFR team made us feel like family from our initial consultation all the way through the big day. We met with several bands before signing with GFR, but what set them apart from the others - incredible musical talent aside - was their interest in us, our story, and curating a musical experience that was authentically us. They are the only band we met with that said they would be part of the planning process from the moment we signed until our wedding day, and this team makes you feel like you are their only client. Their responsiveness was unmatched, and when we met over the phone or via video call they were 100% present and invested in what we were working together to create. When they tell you that you are getting a customized musical performance on your wedding day, they DELIVER on what they sell. To do the team justice, we have to give credit where credit is due to everyone at GFR that helped make our wedding day the best day of our lives. With the plethora of talented wedding bands out there in the NYC metro area, GFR separated themselves from the rest.

Our first impression of GFR was established through our initial consultation and follow up conversations with Jonathan, the owner and an original band member. Not only did he make himself personally available to us for questions, to bounce ideas off of, and to incorporate changes along the way, he also took time out of his day one weekday to meet my wife and I in the city for lunch. Jonathan embodies “family” in the Great Family Artists brand. It was such a wonderful surprise when we saw him behind the curtain ahead to the ceremony. He ended up being there all the way through our private last dance (which he was kind enough to capture photos and videos of and shared them with us after).

Taylor is a wizard on the music curation side. Not only did he accommodate every last one of our song requests but he was meticulous with his execution, dictating specific arrangements, introductions, transitions to songs based on the way we envisioned them. Taylor arranged a night of music that felt all our own from the first strum of the guitar at the processional to the final symbol outro of our last dance.

Bryan and Lily’s logistical coordination was unmatched. We worked through every minute of the day from when the band arrived on site, through the rehearsal, ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. They were a sounding board for ideas, and they helped build out a structure to the day.

So what about the band?! These are PERFORMERS. Great Family Artists is not only sonically the most impressive band we’ve heard at a wedding (no bias), but they follow through with the same level professionalism and attention to detail we encountered with the planning team. They nailed every detail of the night. Throughout the evening, every time we took a moment to step back and appreciate their performance, they all looked like they were having an incredible time together. On vocals we had Emily, Wayne, and Seth. Each brought their own style and flare to the performance, while also engaging in gorgeous, seamlessly executed harmonies. Each and every instrument was ON POINT. The range of both the instrumentalists and vocalists was so impressive. Every age group was on that dance floor from the moment it opened until last call.

Great Family Artists is a top notch wedding band! Our wedding at the Greenpoint Loft on 9/7/24 was the fourth wedding in our circle of family and friends that GFA played at if that tells you anything about how good they are. We just can’t get enough.

My husband and I and our circle of friends are massive music fans, with a specific taste in jam band/funk/rock music. So the band for our wedding was one of the most important vendors for us. We didn’t even think twice about hiring GFA. We’ve had such a blast at every other wedding that we couldn’t wait to have the play at our wedding.

GFA really works with you to understand your music taste and the vibe of your wedding to craft a set list that is uniquely created for you. They start with a music survey and provide playlists of songs they can play for you to select from which makes getting started super easy. We had only a few meetings with GFA leading up to our wedding but each of them felt like we were chatting about music with our best friends. GFA was flexible and accommodating in learning songs that were not on their list and worked with us to let my husband sit in on a few songs with them and made him feel super comfortable. For a 9 piece band in NYC, they are very reasonable compared to some of the more popular wedding bands out there.

Day of they absolutely killed it. I don’t think I left the dance floor the entire time.The set lists flowed super well and they kept the energy high the entire time (which is what we asked for). Everyone left our wedding talking about the Band and saying how amazing our wedding was because of them. They really made our special day perfect! If you are looking for a wedding band that takes a song and makes it their own, can jam out the music, and keep the energy high, look no further. Also, they don’t make the party about them like some wedding bands I’ve seen. GFA has always been extremely professional and come to the wedding sounding and looking amazing. I mean, the lead singer wore a full on sparkly suit which matched our disco themed wedding perfectly.

Thank GFA for making so many weddings including ours so memorable. If you are on the fence, HIRE THEM!