A beautiful summer wedding, live cello and piano, and a garden full of butterflies.
Weronika and Matthew’s wedding at Woodlands Hotel in Leeds was a lovely example of how live music can shape the atmosphere of a wedding day from the very first moment. Set in the gardens of this elegant Yorkshire venue, their ceremony and drinks reception took place outside, with JAM Duo performing from one location beneath the shade of a tree before moving inside to the Orangery for the wedding breakfast.
With around 40 guests, a white and blush pink colour scheme, and a relaxed garden setting, this was a wonderfully personal wedding day. The outdoor space at Woodlands Hotel gave the ceremony a gentle, intimate feel, and the summer gardens added something rather special. During the ceremony and drinks reception there were butterflies moving through the flowers, giving the whole occasion a beautifully calm and natural atmosphere.
Live Music for an Outdoor Ceremony
For the ceremony, we were positioned at the rear, close to the doors and steps, which worked perfectly for both the processional music and the guest experience. Being in one position for the ceremony and drinks reception also meant the music could continue naturally after the couple’s exit, without any interruption while guests gathered for drinks and canapés.
Weronika and Matthew chose a carefully planned sequence of music for the ceremony, with different moments given their own character.
Before the ceremony, guests arrived to a selection of music including:
Accidentally in Love
I Will Always Love You
Yellow
I Get to Love You
Can You Feel the Love Tonight
Once everyone was seated, Matthew’s parents, Weronika’s mum, Danny the best man, and Matthew himself entered to A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. This is always a popular choice for weddings and works beautifully for cello and piano, giving the moment a romantic and familiar feel without being too overpowering.
There was also a wonderfully fun moment as the ring boys, Szymon and Alex, entered together to the James Bond theme. These small personal touches are often what make a wedding ceremony memorable, and live music allows us to shape the timing so each entrance feels natural.
For the bridesmaids, flower girls and Weronika’s entrance with her dad, the couple chose Can’t Help Falling in Love, inspired by the Brooklyn Duo arrangement. This is a particularly lovely choice for cello and piano, with the cello carrying the warmth of the melody while the piano supports the movement and timing of the bridal entrance.
During the signing, we played If I Could Fly by One Direction, before Weronika and Matthew made their exit to Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede. It was a brilliant contrast: romantic and gentle for the ceremony itself, then upbeat and joyful for the moment everyone celebrated them as a married couple.
Drinks Reception in the Gardens
After the ceremony, guests stayed outside for drinks and canapés in the gardens. Because we were already set up in the same location, the music could continue straight away, helping the transition from ceremony to reception feel seamless.
The couple had given us a broad musical brief for the drinks reception, including One Direction, Taylor Swift, Disney, Justin Bieber, classical music, pop, slower songs and more upbeat favourites. This is exactly the sort of mixture that works well for a drinks reception, where the music needs to be present and enjoyable without taking over conversation.
Their suggested pieces included:
Love Story
Wildest Dreams
Angels
Unwritten
Halo
Forever Young
Perfect
Like a Prayer
How Long Will I Love You
For cello and piano, this kind of set gives us plenty of variety. We can move between romantic pop, Disney melodies, lighter classical pieces and more upbeat songs, shaping the atmosphere as guests chat, enjoy drinks, take photographs and spend time with the couple.
The gardens at Woodlands Hotel made a particularly lovely setting for this part of the day. From our position under the tree, we could see the guests enjoying the outdoor space, with butterflies moving through the garden throughout the ceremony and drinks reception. It was one of those details that cannot be planned, but adds something very special to the memory of the day.
Moving Inside for the Wedding Breakfast
After the drinks reception, guests moved inside to the Orangery for speeches and the wedding breakfast. We then relocated our instruments indoors so that live music could continue during the meal.
The Orangery gave the wedding breakfast a brighter, more formal setting after the relaxed garden reception. This is one of the reasons live music works so well across different parts of a wedding day. The same instruments can provide continuity, while the style and energy of the music can be adjusted for each setting.
For the meal, Weronika and Matthew again gave us freedom to choose from a mixture of music, including One Direction, Taylor Swift, Disney, Justin Bieber, classical, pop, slower songs and upbeat favourites. During a wedding breakfast, we usually keep the music elegant and relaxed, giving guests something enjoyable to listen to while still allowing conversation around the tables.
With speeches taking place before the meal, the wedding breakfast itself had a lovely settled atmosphere, and live cello and piano provided a gentle backdrop as guests enjoyed the afternoon.
Outdoor Wedding Music with Cello and Piano
Outdoor weddings can be very beautiful, but they do require experience from the musicians. Shade, positioning, power, guest layout and the movement of the day all matter. For Weronika and Matthew’s wedding, being able to perform from one shaded location for both the ceremony and drinks reception worked extremely well.
At JAM Duo, we regularly perform for outdoor ceremonies and drinks receptions, and we always think carefully about how the music will work in the real setting. The aim is not simply to play the right songs, but to make each transition feel smooth: guest arrival, wedding party entrance, signing, exit, drinks reception and then the move into the wedding breakfast.
For this wedding, the combination of an outdoor ceremony, garden drinks reception and indoor Orangery wedding breakfast created a lovely flow through the day.
Live Wedding Music at Woodlands Hotel Leeds
Woodlands Hotel is a beautiful wedding venue for couples looking for a garden setting with elegant indoor spaces. Weronika and Matthew’s wedding made full use of both, beginning outside in the gardens before moving into the Orangery for the meal.
It was a pleasure for JAM Duo to provide live cello and piano music for their ceremony, drinks reception and wedding breakfast. From A Thousand Years and Can’t Help Falling in Love to the James Bond theme, One Direction, Taylor Swift, Disney and upbeat pop favourites, their music choices helped make the day feel personal, relaxed and full of character.
Congratulations to Weronika and Matthew, and thank you for choosing JAM Duo to be part of your wedding day at Woodlands Hotel.
