On a bright September day, JAM Duo were delighted to perform for the wedding of Kai and Jemma at Friern Manor in Essex. This was our first time at this beautiful venue, and it was a day full of joy, laughter, and of course, live music.
As always, we arrived in plenty of time — navigating the M25 requires a healthy buffer! In fact, on our way we happened to bump into the groom, Kai, at a local Starbucks where we stopped for a coffee before heading on to the venue. It was a lovely surprise to meet him in such an unexpected setting before the celebrations began.
Friern Manor – A New Venue for JAM Duo
Friern Manor is a Georgian manor house set in stunning landscaped gardens, offering couples an elegant and romantic backdrop for their wedding. While the venue does have some sound restrictions for live musicians, these were no problem for us. With our versatile setup, we were able to fully comply and still deliver the complete JAM Duo experience for Kai and Jemma’s day.
We were thrilled to provide music throughout the ceremony, drinks reception, and wedding breakfast — creating a live soundtrack for every stage of the celebration.
Ceremony Music
The ceremony was full of personal touches, with Kai and Jemma choosing songs that reflected their personalities and story together.
Pre-Ceremony
- Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
- Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow – The Wizard of Oz
- Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
- Until I Found You – Stephen Sanchez
Entrance of the Bridal Party
- Flower “Friends” walked in to the chorus of I’ll Be There For You (theme from Friends)
- This blended seamlessly into Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers, for the bridesmaids and Jemma’s entrance.
Signing of the Register
- I Say a Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin
- At Last – Etta James
Couple’s Exit
- Home – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
The mix of timeless classics, soulful ballads, and playful moments made the ceremony both moving and memorable.
Drinks Reception
After the ceremony, guests enjoyed drinks and canapés while we provided a lively and varied set of contemporary and timeless songs:
- Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
- Kiss Me – Sixpence None the Richer
- Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Frankie Valli
- Walking on Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves
- Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
- Dancing in the Moonlight – Toploader
- My Girl – The Temptations
- Fly Me to the Moon – Frank Sinatra
- Simply the Best – Tina Turner
- New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
- Pure Imagination – Willy Wonka
- Can You Feel the Love Tonight – Elton John
Alongside these requests, we added a selection of classic JAM Duo favourites, ensuring the perfect atmosphere as guests mingled and celebrated.
Wedding Breakfast
The celebrations continued into the wedding breakfast, beginning with the couple’s walking-in song:
- This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Natalie Cole
We then performed a mix of upbeat and romantic numbers, keeping the mood celebratory while guests enjoyed their meal:
- Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
- All the Small Things – Blink-182
- Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan (Jemma’s favourite!)
- Halo – Beyoncé
- Dance Monkey – Tones and I
- Lost – Dermot Kennedy
- Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
- Mr Brightside – The Killers
- Shallow – A Star is Born
- Accidentally in Love – Shrek
- Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses
- If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys
- Love Story – Taylor Swift
- Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac
It was a joy to see how much guests enjoyed recognising the songs — sometimes even singing along at their tables!
A Memorable First Visit to Friern Manor
Kai and Jemma created a truly wonderful day, full of warmth and personality. We’d like to thank them not only for choosing JAM Duo but also for the lovely meal they kindly provided for us during the day — much appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed.
We look forward to returning to Friern Manor again soon. It’s a venue full of charm and elegance, and it was a privilege to be part of Kai and Jemma’s celebration there.
At JAM Duo, all our music is performed live. We never use backing tracks, and we bring our own instruments and professional sound system to every wedding. That way, each couple gets a bespoke, personal soundtrack to their day.
Congratulations once again to Kai and Jemma — and thank you for allowing us to be part of your wedding.
🎶 Discover more about JAM Duo and explore our full repertoire here: jamduo.com/listen
