The 2009 San Diego Music Awards Winner"
"Best Jazz"
The 2009 Bridalinsider.com People's Choice
Award Winners
"Best San Diego Wedding Vendor for Live Music"
This page provides valuable information about booking any kind of entertainment for your wedding. Print it out and place it in your wedding material as a reference guide when selecting your entertainment, Even if you don't use our service, this page will help you to understand what options you can have for a very important day!
"The Soundtrack to Your Wedding"
David Patrone's Midnight Productions offers world-class professional musicians for your wedding. David Patrone continues to perform as one of Southern California's most frequently booked entertainers (almost 300 shows in the United States last year), performing Jazz Vocal standards in a style that is reminiscent of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Buble and others of the golden era of American Popular music. He brings style, class and fun to any special event and his Jazz ensembles feature the best musicians in the United States. David also pairs with popular DJ's from the hottest nightclubs to offer a unique and comprehensive entertainment package.
Why decide between a DJ and a Live Band when you can have it all?
David Patrone has performed at hundreds of weddings and knows what it takes to make it special. His philosophy comes from experience:
"One mistake that most professional entertainers make when performing a wedding is failing to focus on the family. When bands play in clubs, they're promoting themselves, the club or even some product or sponsor. Most performers aren't accustomed to tailoring the focus of the entertainment to the family. The Bride, Groom and their guests are the focus of a wedding reception. It's the entertainer's job to ensure that everything moves in the right direction."
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
- What type of entertainment options are available for my wedding?
- What are some options for Ceremony Music?
- Is solo piano enough for the wedding ceremony?
- Vocals during the cocktail hour?
- When will the band take breaks and how many will they take?
- Can you learn a specific or special song for our wedding?
- What about the stage and/or the lights?
- How specific will the contract be and what if we have to make a last minute change?
- What other services do you provide?
- What if David is already booked? Can you refer other bands?
- Entertainment Options:
Ceremony
Music:
- Solo Pianist
- Harpist
- Jazz Ensemble
- Brass Ensemble
- String Ensemble
Live background music before and during the actual ceremony. We can also provide almost any song or composition for specific times such as the Processional and the Recessional, seating of the Mother of the bride etc. Practically any song can be done
Cocktail Reception
(typically one hour)
- Jazz Ensemble
- String or Brass Ensemble
- Pianist
- Harpist
We provide a tasteful ensemble to play in the background as guests are enjoying the cocktail hour and the bridal party is being photographed. We typically keep it low-key since most of your guests are just getting acquainted and would rather talk than be entertained in a direct manner.
Dinner Reception
- Jazz Standard Combination with Vocalist
(David Patrone)
Standard instrumentation includes Piano or Keyboard, Upright Bass, Percussion and Vocals and can utilize the same musicians from the Cocktail hour to keep costs down. We often add saxophone, trumpet or a combination of other instruments to further enhance the tone of the performance. The quintet (adding saxophone or trumpet) is our most common instrumentation. With any size group, we can provide an extensive repertoire. Obviously, the more expansive the instrumentation, the more dynamic the presentation.
After Dinner:
- Jazz Ensemble with Vocalist
- Funk/Dance Band
- DJ services
We often provide a DJ to complete the night's festivities so that everyone is entertained no matter their taste in entertainment.
Is solo piano enough for the wedding ceremony?
Yes. We've provided full service entertainment for over 100 weddings in the last eight years. I've tried several approaches and I prefer a simplistic approach to ceremony music. My pianist is experienced in a wide variety of classical, spiritual and Jazz selections which are the most appropriate for the space of time before, during and immediately after the ceremony. There will be a natural break between the end of the ceremony and the cocktail reception. This will provide a sufficient time for the pianist to move his keyboard to the cocktail area where the Jazz Ensemble will be already set up. The break in background music will create a natural tendency for guests to move away from the ceremony area to the cocktail area, where the musicians will begin to play.
Wedding Ceremony Music:
Music for the pre-ceremony, ceremony and post ceremony should be subtle. If the entire event is happening in roughly the same area, we may try to set the band and sound equipment in the same place for all of the services. When we look at the location, we'll work out the best arrangement for the space and the logistics of the event.
Why not have vocals during the cocktail hour?
The cocktail hour is the first opportunity that most guest have to converse and get acquainted with each other. Vocals tend to draw more attention to the band. I think it's more appropriate for the band to provide more of a background ambiance during this time. I also like to use this time to familiarize myself with the Mother and Father of the Bride and Groom as well as the wedding party. I've experienced that it is much better to do this after the ceremony when the stressful anticipation has subsided. If I am going to announce the wedding party, I also use this time to coordinate the order of the bridal party and go over the entrance order and any potentially difficult name pronunciations.
When will the band take breaks and how many will they take?
The entertainment will normally break during times when the band wouldn't play anyway (during toasts, announcements, cake cutting, speeches or video presentations). If the band has been playing for about an hour with no break, I will usually give them a fifteen minute break. During this time we provide a programmed background music selection. The transition is seamless.
Can you learn a specific or special song for our wedding?
YES. Learning new songs is the everyday routine for any great musician. We'll learn and perform any song that you want for a special occasion. Make sure that you mention this so that we have time to learn and adapt the song to our style. Obviously we're not going to erupt into a rendition of a heavy metal favorite but we'll do our best to incorporate your favorite into a rendition that we can perform in a way that honestly represents our style.
What about the stage and/or the lights?
We can provide any level of service you desire. We provide a basic lighting LED array which has fading colors etc... In most wedding venues, lighting is provided by the venue and additional band lighting is not necessary. Staging is usually not necessary but in some instances it makes a substantial improvement in the presentation. For our style of music we don't usually need an elaborate lighting presentation or stage, although it certainly can make a difference. Our DJs can provide special lighting (strobes, flashers and fog) in order to create a dance-floor atmosphere. In most wedding situations, the reception room is not equipped with, nor will it need an elaborate nightclub style lighting array. If we think it would be beneficial to provide this, we will discuss it with you and demonstrate the difference in service. Venues that are already equipped with extensive lighting equipment will usually provide their own lighting technicians. All of these aspects are enhancements to the entertainment and might incur an additional expense.
The Contract:
We're flexible because we know that schedules often change at the last minute. We don't want you to feel like we're going to force you to stick to specific times if there are changes on the day of the event. Basically, we are there to provide a full service whether your wedding is on schedule or not. Times on our agreements tend to be vague so that we can facilitate any changes without having to rewrite and re-sign contracts every time there is a major change. Timing isn't a big factor for nighttime events since we don't plan on making another commitment at midnight. Conversely, events that conclude in the afternoon or early evening tend to be more specific because we'll often have another event later that night. We'll often offer continued services for an additional fee if you desire to extend your event for a significant amount of time (45min or more). This is uncommon for weddings; but, not unusual for corporate or other private events.
What other services do you provide?
Other services are unlimited; however, one of the more common additions that we provide include professional dance lessons for the Bride and Groom (or even the entire wedding party). Many a Bride and Groom have amazed the room with a special dance after secretly taking a few lessons from one of our favorite instructors http://www.2togroove.com . We can also add performance dancers or dance instructors during the event. There are many types of presentations that we offer; from tribal fire dancers to a fully choreographed swing sessions. Special performances from any of the many dance troupes in Southern California can uniquely energize your event and tantalize your guests to "get outside the box". You can imagine the photo opportunities that this provides!
Referrals to other vendors:
We also offer references to other wedding service providers that we have worked with. After playing hundreds of weddings, a few specialists tend to distinguish themselves over and over. We'll get you in touch with the ones that have impressed us. Even if you don't hire us, we'll point you in the right direction. We know how confusing it can be to sort through the endless barrage of marketing. We know the vendors who consistently deliver the best services.
Midnight Productions also represents other musicians:
We're dedicated to bringing the highest quality musicians to any special event. We know that we're providing "The Soundtrack to Your Wedding." We focus on representing professional, talented musicians who consistently provide top quality entertainment. David is serious about providing the best entertainment available:
“When selecting a band or DJ for a wedding or special event, it's essential to utilize an experienced leader. I've found that even an excellent band isn't a guarantee for a great performance when dealing with the complicated dynamics of a wedding. Experienced wedding coordinators and entertainers know the type of last-minute changes that typically arise during these events. Midnight Productions meticulously selects seasoned entertainers and musicians who understand this concept and possess the flexibility and expertise to flow with a dynamic environment."
For a Basic Price List, go to www.davidpatrone.com/PriceList.htm
Please feel free to give us a call and we will ensure that you have the best entertainment possible for your wedding. Outstanding references are available upon request. We also accept Visa, MasterCard, The Discover Card, American Express, and E-Checks online through PayPal.
David Patrone
Entertainment Coordinator
booking@davidpatrone.com
Midnight Productions
PO Box 12070
San Diego, CA 92112-3070
booking@davidpatrone.com
1-877-PATRONE
877.728.7663
619.517.2719
If you'd like to hear David's show or talk to him personally, we recommend that you check out the schedule (Please call ahead in case we have another event scheduled on that date. We’re often performing for weddings and special events and must hire other bands to cover us on those days, especially Saturday)
For a great preview check our Schedule and introduce yourself at any show
