About this vendor
Engaging, Versatile, Flexible & Easy to Work With!
Versatile, flexible, engaging, and easy to work with to create memorable events!
Imagine what it’ll be like to hear the perfect song played on my classical guitar as you walk down the aisle on your big day. Then during the cocktail hour, you hear the relaxing yet captivating sounds of my voice and guitar playing songs you picked from my huge repertoire. During dinner, you and your guests enjoy the strains of mellow music, either instrumental or sung. Finally, it's time for the dance party! You not only get to hear and dance to your favorite songs with your closest friends and relatives, but all your guests, young and old, have a great time as well because the band plays something for everyone!
In The Way Band, we pride ourselves on being very versatile & we love to access our extensive repertoire and decades of experience in knowing what to play when, and at what volume, for the ever-changing needs of a wedding. This lets you rest easy that the right mood will be set at all times. Whether it's strictly background music or in-your-face dance music, or any shades within those extremes, we are there for you.
Our commitment to being very accommodating means you’ll find the entire process of working with us seamless and enjoyable both before and during the event. Because we are flexible, it means you can customize the details: the instrumentation, the playlist, and even tricky set-ups such as different portions of the event being in different rooms or locations, or unusual outdoor locations.
The Way Band fosters a personal atmosphere, treating you like part of our own family. Our personalized, interactive, and family-oriented approach to live music gives you confidence that we can and will play something for everyone in your group, even despite very wide age ranges. It also allows for a group of people who don’t know each other well (such as a bride & groom’s families who live in different parts of the country) to come together easily through the all-inclusive nature and wide variety of the music.
We specialize in smaller events of 50 guests or less with our core trio, so if you have a only small party and want a band that will be fun but not overwhelming, The Way is a perfect choice. Having said that, we have also played many events of 200 or more guests and we sometimes add keyboards, saxophone, trumpet, or all 3 depending on the budget and what is most musical appropriate.
What sets us apart from other wedding bands is our love of spontaneity. Unlike cookie-cutter bands, we don't plan our set lists in advance, except for specific requests made in advance. We can pivot the mood on a dime, and we love interacting with the guests by taking requests, inviting musicians or singers to join us on stage, and even doing group karaoke with our wireless mic!
We love to help people celebrate their special occasions and make them memorable for a lifetime! And we do it every single time. That, to us, is "The Way."
Details
Instruments
- Bass
- Flute
- Guitar
- Keyboard
- Percussion
- Saxophone
Music Genres
- Classical
- Dance
- Jazz
- Latin
- Pop
- R&B
Music Services
- Live Music
Wedding Activities
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
- Ceremony
- Reception
Awards and Affiliations
Pricing
See all the vendor’s pricing and services in this helpful guide.
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.028 reviews
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Dennis and his band were highly praised by multiple reviewers for their exceptional music and professionalism at weddings and other events. Guests appreciated Dennis's flexibility, talent, and vast repertoire of songs. He was commended for learning new songs and playing various music genres to cater to different parts of the event, from acoustic guitar during ceremonies to lively dance sessions. Reviewers highlighted Dennis's communication, ease of working with, and the positive atmosphere created during weddings, making him a recommended choice for event entertainment.- Top reviews
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Dennis and the Way kept our guests dancing all night! So glad we found him. Planning a wedding is stressful, but one thing we didn't worry about was the music. Dennis was extremely communicative and helpful throughout the entire process.
A quick google search for "finger lakes wedding band" will yield a number of results including Dennis. We chose him after discovering that many of the other top results were essentially businesses that contracted dozens of musicians all over the state, with many band members often meeting for the first time at an event. Knowing that Dennis was local and works with other local musicians gave us confidence in our choice and Dennis proved us right!
Response from the Vendor on 10/14/2024
Katie, thanks so much. We had an awesome time at your wedding! Your guests had so much energy for dancing that we almost forgot to take a break. :) Congratulations again and we wish you both a wonderful life together.
Dennis was a pleasure to work with. He was extremely accommodating to our small wedding. He learned 3 songs that were not part of his repertoire, and he did a wonderful job! He was able to MC our event and help us transition into different parts of our reception. Very grateful to have had him as he made our intimate wedding day so special!
Response from the Vendor on 10/09/2024
Thanks so much Kaitlyn. For a small wedding, you two really hit all the bases that big weddings do, including dancing. I really enjoyed learning some of the tunes especially "The Best Part" which is just gorgeous. I wish you both a wonderful...
life together!
Dennis and his Salsa Ithacana Band were the perfect addition to our wedding ceremony and reception. Dennis worked with us throughout the process to guarantee we got the music that we wanted. He played acoustic guitar during the ceremony (including a wonderful rendition of Blink 182's "All the Small Things") and his salsa band got us in the mood for drinking cocktails. After dinner, the band played an eclectic mix of classic rock, pop, salsa, (and more) and got our guests on their feet for one of the best dance sessions I've ever seen.
I highly recommend Dennis for any of your party needs. He's an absolute professional who goes above and beyond to make your event special!
Thanks again Dennis!
Response from the Vendor on 09/29/2024
Thanks Andy, that was such a fun party. I really enjoyed the challenge of you uniting the 2 different cultures together from yours and your wife's family. It was a personally fulfilling experience and I enjoyed learning some of those requests...
like "Hasta La Raiz" etc. Many blessings to you both!
Any questions?
We thank Dennis for playing the guitar at our wedding! He thoughtfully and patiently helped us with the upfront planning, logistics, and song selection. On the wedding day, we were able to rely on Dennis and his stellar guitar skills to set a great atmosphere for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour.
Response from the Vendor on 09/29/2024
Thanks so much Alex, I enjoyed learning "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and playing some of your other requests from Bob Marley to the Eagles, etc. Many blessings to the two of you! :)
Dennis and the guys played at our wedding and were absolutely awesome! Our guests raved about their performance all night long.
Response from the Vendor on 08/28/2024
Thanks Kolene! You guys really know how to party. :)
Dennis was PHENOMENAL. Everyone loved his playing, and he really kept the “vibe” going. He learned and played our first dance and performed it better than the original artist! We could not be happier.
Response from the Vendor on 06/25/2024
Doug thank you! It was a lovely celebration and I was honored to be part of it. Many blessings to the two of you! :)
Dennis was easy to communicate with. Makes things simple...went with the flow of the wedding. And read the vibe of the event well, as far as where to stand and what music to play at what time. Got quite a few compliments on the "guitar player"!
Response from the Vendor on 06/19/2024
Thanks Gloria, it was a fun wedding. I enjoyed the different portions of the evening, playing both instrumental and vocal music. It was a beautiful venue as well and everyone was nice. Many blessings to your son & his new bride! :)
We had Dennis and The Way Band play at our wedding and it was a blast! Dennis is so professional and great to work with, he and the band have a large repertoire to choose songs from, which was the most fun part of the planning process. I'm so happy he played acoustic guitar for our ceremony and even agreed to learn a new song for my processional, it was perfect. Our guests had a blast tearing up the dance floor to their music, the band even learned 3 songs for the reception and also took requests from guests which was awesome. I highly recommend Dennis and The Way Band for your event!
Response from the Vendor on 10/30/2023
Nichole your wedding was so much fun. You and your friends and family really know how to party. :) We wish you & Jesse a wonderful life together and look forward to keeping in touch.
The Way Band was absolutely amazing! So great to deal with from start to finish and everyone had an amazing time dancing to their music!
Response from the Vendor on 09/17/2023
Thanks Hazel, you're wedding was so much fun. You guys were easy to work with and your friends were fun to engage with. I wish you and Louis a beautiful life together!
Thank you Dennis for making our wedding day so special! Your band delivered on everything we were hoping for and more. Highly recommend.
So many guests came up to us saying how impressed they were with the band, Dennis on the jazz guitar and the other band member on the sax. Since our venue only allowed two musicians, we really appreciated Dennis' flexibility with the number of band members. In addition, he has a huge repertoire of songs to choose from. He even made the trip out to Saratoga. Best of all, he was professional and respectful and an absolute pleasure to work with. Thank you again Dennis!
Response from the Vendor on 01/16/2023
Robert, that was such a fun reception. You and your guests were super-nice and a couple of them were musicians who were asking detailed questions about our instruments, etc. Many blessings to you & Ashley!
Dennis went above and beyond to be accommodating and flexible for our wedding (10.08.2022). He was friendly, professional, and incredibly talented! Many of my friends and family are musicians, and it was incredible to have so many folks approach me to mention how much they enjoyed the live music for the guest arrival, ceremony, and cocktail reception. Like many brides, I was so overwhelmed the few days leading up to the wedding and the morning of - and Dennis made everything so easy and simple for us. With very little direction, he played music that fit the mood/vibe of our wedding perfectly. I have already recommended Dennis to a close friend who is getting married this year! If you are looking for someone talented, very reasonably priced, and a joy to work with, please contact him :)
Response from the Vendor on 10/12/2022
Rebecca thanks so much. It was a wonderful ceremony & fun cocktail hour and it was an honor to help you celebrate your big day that way. Many blessings to you both!
Dennis was an absolute perfect addition for our 60+ at home outdoor wedding. His selection was perfect and he truly cared about what we wanted as a couple and also what the guests wanted.
Response from the Vendor on 08/02/2022
Thanks Alex, and many blessings to you & Brennan! It was a beautiful ceremony and I especially liked learning L-O-V-E on the fly as a last minute request :)
Dennis and his band were amazing for our wedding band! They put so much time and effort into learning our songs and putting together a playlist our guests loved. People were dancing all night! Also Dennis, the band leader is great to work with and knowledgable about music. Picking them for our wedding band was such a great decision. The music sounded so great all night long!
Response from the Vendor on 07/05/2022
Thanks Maggie! I knew it was going to be a fun wedding right from the beginning when I was announcing the names of folks in the wedding party and each came in doing a unique and attention-grabbing dance! You and your guests were so much fun t...
o play for and we loved having everyone up and dancing so much, we just kept playing song after song non-stop, which is the way I love it to be. Many blessings to you and JP!
Hi Dennis, you guys were awesome! The music was perfect and our guests raved about the band. It was everything we wanted and more. Thank you for helping to make the day a stress-free breeze. You're the utmost professional and I appreciate how you needed nothing from me on the wedding day. I showed up and you were there and it was so easy! My only wish is that we spent more of the cocktail hour outside to really enjoy the music! Thank you for learning Frank Sinatra's My Way, Elton John's Rocket Man and Roxette's, Listen To Your Heart. We loved the songs and you did an amazing job with them. I wish I could go back and relive the whole day all over again!
Response from the Vendor on 06/21/2022
Heather thank you very much! Because it was such a small, intimate gathering we felt honored and blessed to be the musical host. I am super-grateful that you liked the music so much. Many blessings to both of you and congratulations once aga...
in!
I am a wedding planner in NYC and my clients hired Dennis for a rehearsal dinner at Dutch Harvest Farm up in the Fingerlakes. Throughout the process he was quick to reply and very easy to work with! Dennis brought a fun energy to the event and the guests were raving about how great the band was. They did more of a jazz style ensemble for the welcome hour then played some easy listening hits for the rest of the evening. Our initial goal wasn't to strike up a dance party but a few guests couldn't help themselves because the band was just so great!
Highly recommend Dennis & any of his groups for your events!!
Response from the Vendor on 06/14/2022
Rachel you are a terrific wedding planner. Look forward to working with you again. :) I didn't get any video of the rock cover band indoors, but your assistant took a minute of us doing jazz outdoors at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOsbaC2...
OWlQ
Dennis did a wonderful wedding. He played the guitar for our ceremony and what I did hear sounded beautiful. The guests spoke very highly or his music and enjoyed the instrumental music while they were sitting and waiting. Dennis is easy to work with, good with communication, and talented. Highly recommend using him for any part of your wedding!
Response from the Vendor on 05/23/2022
Thanks so much Megan it was a beautiful ceremony and I was honored to help you guys celebrate. May you two have a wonderful life together.
Dennis and his band provided one of the most memorable evenings for us. The jazz trio really brought the night alive. Everyone still talks about how great the party was and how excellent the music. Dennis and his band went above and beyond to learn a couple special requests as well. Thank you Dennis!!
Response from the Vendor on 12/17/2021
Thanks Matt, it was a fun party and look forward to keeping in touch.
Dennis and his crew were so amazing and accommodating. They learned songs like two weeks before the big day because of some changes and did not even blink an eye. They had so many songs to choose from and they all sounded great! Highly recommend this band.
Response from the Vendor on 10/07/2021
Thank you Heather! Your wedding was so much fun. You, the groom and all the guests were all super chill.
Muscally, I love when we get to do the whole event start to finish: from the instrumental Prelude music and special requests during th...
e ceremony to the solo guitar and voice of the cocktail hour, to dinner and then dance party with the band, I love every part of it.
So thanks for booking The Way Band and look forward to keep me in touch. All the best to you and Colby.
We hired Dennis and his band for our reception on The Judge on Skaneateles Lake. Dennis was extremely professional, accommodating and fun to work with. The music was perfect for our evening of dancing, with our guests' ages ranging from 21 to 92!! Everyone has a blast and remarked on how great the music was!! I would definitely hire them again.
Response from the Vendor on 09/24/2021
Katie, that was a wonderful celebration. It was a beautiful night with a nice sunset, then a full moon. I hadn't played a cruise like that since I lived in Manhattan decades ago. Your group was super nice and your husband even helped us car...
ry our gear up the very narrow staircase. Good man you got there! :) Many blessings to both of you.
Dennis Winge performed at our private party. He was professional, responsive and beyond talented. His music was the perfect background for our garden party. I highly recommend him!!!
Response from the Vendor on 08/31/2021
Thanks Rosanna! You have a beautiful home & nice friends. The sax player, bassist and I really enjoyed playing at your party. Look forward to keeping in touch.
Dennis was so easy to work with! He is very friendly and knowledgeable. We hired him and his band for a backyard party and they did such a great job, we received many compliments. They also learned a new song just for the occasion!! Highly recommend Dennis and The Way Band!
Response from the Vendor on 08/16/2021
Kristen thank you. That was a lovely party and you two and your guests really seem like good people who made us feel welcome and appreciated. Many blessings to you all.
Have already hired him multiple times. Great music and great guy. Highly recommend!
Response from the Vendor on 08/10/2021
Thanks Mike your events were so much fun. Everyone loved that picture I posted on FB of the big American Eagle-man looking down at me fiercely and I captioned it with "ok, ok I'll play American Pie" :)
Dennis is an incredible musician and person. He was quick to respond on emails, flexible during our pandemic postponement scheduling process, and willing to take our special requests for music. We received so many compliments from guests on Dennis' acoustic guitar during our ceremony and the band's renditions of hits from Van Morrison, Grateful Dead, and Eric Clapton during our cocktail hour. I would hire Dennis and his band again in a heartbeat. Here is a video of music highlights during our wedding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1uCQJ3dDCI
Response from the Vendor on 07/08/2021
Erika thanks very much and many blessings to you & Chris! You two are a lovely couple and we were honored to help you celebrate.
We hired Dennis and his band, The Way, for our party and they did not disappoint!! Super talented!! The variety of music was great, he was very engaging with the crowd and super nice!!
Response from the Vendor on 07/07/2021
Robin thanks - that was so much fun! I loved having you sit in and sing with us. Looking forward to next year! :)
We couldn't be happier with booking Dennis Winge as a one man band for a surprise 40th birthday party a couple weeks ago. Dennis is an extremely talented musician who played four hours' worth of the guest of honor's favorite songs, including learning about 10 new songs, solely because Dennis knew they were the birthday boy's absolute favorites! We would absolutely book Dennis again for a future event - he is talented, professional, easy going, and an all around joy to work with. Thank you for a great night, Dennis!
Response from the Vendor on 09/24/2021
That was a super-fun party, Kim. You guys were very nice and the songs you picked were all good ones so I decided to add them all to the repertoire. All the best to all of you, Dennis
Dennis played acoustic guitar and sang for our event. He was the perfect addition to the party. Everyone enjoyed listening to his music and singing along. He had an extensive list of songs to choose from and he did his best to fit in all the requests. We would not hesitate to invite him back to another event
Response from the Vendor on 05/26/2021
Thank you Shannon that was a really fun event! :)
We hired Dennis for my daughters wedding (a-grand total of 11 in attendance). I were uncertain of the time frame I needed him, he allotted me the day although I was only charged for his play time. He was most pleasant to work with and plays beautifully!
Response from the Vendor on 12/01/2020
Thank you Cindy it was a lot of fun! I wish Tori & Adam many happy years together and many blessing to the whole family.
It was a little nerve wracking to hire a musician for my wedding - but Dennis exceeded all my expectations. I would rate him 10/10 and recommend to ANYONE looking for a wedding musician. Everyone at the wedding loved the music. Thank you for making our day awesome!
Here are the following reasons Dennis is fantastic:
1) Great communication
2) Friendly & easy-going
3) Flexible with requests (especially considering the current state of COVID19.)
4) Professional in both conduct and technical skill.
5) Detailed personal website and many samples on Youtube
Response from the Vendor on 12/01/2020
Amy thank you very much! I wish you and John many blessings in your new life together.
Contact
2 Douglas Rd, Newfield, NY | Finger Lakes (Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca, Binghamton, etc.)
Interested?
Meet the team
Dennis Winge
Owner
Dennis Winge is a professional guitarist living in Ithaca, NY who is actively involved in teaching and performing in a variety of musical settings throughout the Finger Lakes. For live musical entertainment at parties, weddings, cocktail hours, and events of all kinds, Dennis brings:
– decades of musical experience
– a genuine desire to create a win/win situation for venues, patrons, and musicians
– a wide versatility of styles/ bands/ musicians so that he can customize the perfect musical setting for each event/ venue
– the know-how to create those situations
– a free consultation offered
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Starting Cost: $$ – Affordable
Dennis Winge
OWNER
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