Downtime was in Ballwin, Missouri at Meadowbrook Country Club on September 3rd to perform for Nicholas and Marina Sigmund’s wedding reception. The band’s jazz trio began the evening by playing while the wedding guests ate dinner. When the meal ended, the happy couple danced for the first time as man and wife to John Lennon’s “Woman.” Then, the party went into full swing! With the dance floor full, a special guest arrived on stage. The bride’s father, Sal Ferranto, had been a performer in a wedding band and sang “Celebration” with Downtime. What a celebration it was!
Downtime wants to thank you to Elana Hertel and the entire Meadowbrook staff for always making the band feel very welcome!
Congratulations to Nicholas and Marina!
On Saturday, August 27, Ryan and Melissa Hill tied the knot and celebrated their very special day at the City Museum. With a venue like that, guests knew this would not be an ordinary reception! City Museum has a reputation for being St. Louis’ most eclectic venue.The couple requested Downtime’s piano player for their guests during cocktail hour and for dinner entertainment. Downtime set up as a 7-piece band on the third floor in an area known as “Architecture Hall.” Once the band began to play, the dance floor remained packed for three straight hours. Downtime dedicated their last song of the night to Ryan and Melissa: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours.” 
Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Hill!
On Saturday, August 6th, Downtime had the pleasure of playing at Lisa and Mark Pratzel’s wedding reception. The reception, held at the beautiful Lumen Private Event Space, was quite a party! When the guests arrived at Lumen, Downtime’s jazz trio (consisting of sax, piano and bass) played as everyone enjoyed a cocktail reception. When the bridal party arrived, the bride and groom were introduced as the band played “You Are The Best Thing,” and Mark and Lisa immediately cut the cake. They danced their first dance to Ben Harper’s “Forever.” The jazz trio returned to playing during dinner, and Downtime kicked the party off after dinner and kept the dancing going all night!
Lisa e-mailed the band to thank them and wrote: “You guys kept everybody up and dancing the entire night—exactly what we wanted!”
Special thanks to Sarah Sordo and the wonderful staff at Lumen for everything. Lumen’s 600 guest event space is always a pleasure to play due to the location, gorgeous space and the people who work there.
Congratulations to Lisa and Mark! We thoroughly enjoyed playing for your special day!
On Saturday, July 23rd, Downtime hit the road and headed to Jefferson City, Missouri to provide music for Ben and Morgan Costello’s wedding reception. Ben and Morgan chose to have their reception at the gorgeous Capitol Plaza Hotel located in the heart of the city. The bride and groom’s guests were ready to party as soon as they entered through the ballroom doors!. The band’s jazz trio provided dinner music, and Downtime’s 8-piece band started the celebration with “Fly Me To The Moon,” the couple’s first dance as husband and wife. The rest of the night, Downtime played songs from every genre of music imaginable as the crowd danced and begged for more.
The band would like to thank Sacha from Whimsical Weddings & Events for all of their help with this event.
Congratulations to Ben and Morgan! Thank you for having Downtime play at for your very special day!
Downtime was up and at ‘em early on Saturday, July 16th, as they had to leave at 6:45am in order to make it to Dan and Laura Achtor’s reception on time! Dan and Laura hired the band to play for their reception at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis, MN. The venue was amazing! Mill City Museum was built from the ruins of a flour mill, at one time the world’s largest flour mill, and made into a museum and event space. Located on the Mississippi River, the historic look and feel to the place added a beautiful backdrop to the party atmosphere Downtime helped create. The trip to get there was one of Downtime’s longest road trips, minus their 2010 Florida trip (but they didn’t have to drive to that one!). After leaving in the early hours to make it to Minneapolis, the band drove 9 hours and played the Achtor’s reception from 8pm to 1am. The crowd let them know how appreciative they were for the long drive by dancing all night and to every song!
Downtime’s jazz trio provided dinner music and the bride and groom chose “Lucky” for their first dance. The party kicked into gear after that!
Downtime’s accommodations were amazing. They stayed in a very contemporary hotel called “Aloft” before returning to St. Louis the next day.
Congratulations to Dan and Laura and thank you for having Downtime play for your reception.
Curt and Shannon Searcy were wed on Friday, July 15th in the South Ballroom of the Coronado Ballroom. Downtime provided a string quartet to play music during the beautiful ceremony. After the wedding, guests were moved into the lobby for a cocktail reception, accompanied by Downtime’s piano player. After the cocktail hour ended, guests then headed into the North Ballroom, where they were met by Downtime’s jazz trio who played during dinner. After dinner, it was time to party!
The bride and groom danced their first dance to “In My Life” by the Beatles. Downtime followed all the special dances with “My Girl,” and the dance floor was immediately crowded! The dance floor remained full until the last song and everyone, including the band, had a great time.
Shannon sent the band a thank you note. It read: : “Thank you so much for all your efficiency and talents! The Downtime Band made our wedding such a memorable evening. We received so many compliments that our guests felt you were the best band at a wedding ever! Thanks again for all your work and I only hope that we have the pleasure of working with you in the future.”
Special thanks to Jaci Burgess and the amazing staff at the Coronado Ballroom. Downtime always has a great time working with them. And Congratulations and very special thanks to Curt and Shannon Searcy!
Eric and Katie Becker were married on Saturday, July 9th. Downtime was honored to perform for their reception at the Ritz Carlton in St. Louis. The couple hired Downtime’s 7-piece band for their reception music and Downtime’s jazz trio to provide dinner music. Eric and Katie were introduced before dinner and they immediately danced their first dance as husband and wife to “Come Rain or Shine.” The newlyweds hand selected several songs from Downtime’s repertoire and the guests danced the night away. The evening ended with “Dream A Little Dream” from the Mamas and the Papas.
Congratulations to Eric and Katie! Thank you for making Downtime a party of your special day.
On Saturday, July 2nd, Maggie and Micah Lansford were wed at the Nicken’s Family Farm in Richland, MO. Although Downtime had to travel to get there, their travels did not compare to the bride and groom’s trek, and most of the family members in attendance, as they are all from Texas! The couple chose an outdoor venue, and the weather greeted them Texas style: it was very hot! This did not deter the guests from dancing all night and celebrating Maggie and Micah’s wedding.
The bride and groom’s first dance was “At Last,” and a very close friend of theirs sat in to sing the beautiful song for them. Downtime was happy to share the stage with their special friend and talented performer. Downtime’s 8-piece band played until 12am. The guests loved the band so much they were asked to play for an extra half hour!
Downtime would like to thank Exclusive Events for the wonderful stage and their lighting expertise inside the reception tent. Kristin Weis of Kristin Ashley Events made this entire event possible and Downtime is grateful for the amazing job she did of keeping everything together.
Congratulations to Maggie and Micah!
Congratulations to Alex and Jessica Anderson!
They were wed on June 24th and Downtime was honored to play at their reception. The celebration was held at the Norman K. Probstein Golf Course in Forest Park and Downtime provided both a jazz trio during dinner and a full band when the guests were ready to party! The bride and groom danced their first dance to “The Way You Look Tonight” and, after the song ended, the dance floor filled and remained packed until the last song: “Brown Eyed Girl.”
When the newlyweds left, the guests lined up in two rows for the couple to pass between them. Alex and Jessica walked through their friends and family and everyone lit sparklers in honor of the bride and groom! It was a special end to an amazing day.
Thank you to Kelly Park Photography and to Amy Milne and the staff at the golf course. Another thank you goes out to Alex and Jessica Anderson – and another congratulations as well!
Another road trip for Downtime – this time to Kentucky! On June 25th, the band traveled to Covington, KY to help celebrate the wedding of Kevin and Cara Hurley. The bride and groom both live in St. Louis, and they decided they wanted to bring some of St. Louis’ finest musicians with them to the reception: Downtime!
The weather was perfect and Downtime’s jazz trio performed for the couple’s outdoor cocktail reception. The guests dined indoors, and Downtime provided a solo pianist to accompany the great food. Once dinner ended, it was time for the party to begin! Kevin and Cara danced for the first time as husband and wife to Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home.” After the first dance, Downtime’s 7-piece band took the stage and the guests danced all night long.
The band had a 24 hour turn-around time for this reception and each member agreed it was well worth it. A special thank you to the staff at the Drees Pavilion and a very big congratulations to Kevin and Cara Hurley!
