Julia and Joe really set the tone for our guests as they entered for our ceremony. They were very communicative, easy to work with, and very helpful throughout the planning process. They learned some new music for our ceremony even though they already had an amazing offering of music selection. I would highly recommend Heartstrings to be part of your day!
MacKenzie M.
5.0
Heartstrings provided the music for our daughter’s wedding (prelude, ceremony and cocktail hour). They were so amazing and play many instruments you can choose from to customize your celebration. We loved having them. Beautiful music!
Karen J.
5.0
About this vendor
Julia & Joe Peterson
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
Heartstrings is a wedding music service based in Minneapolis, MN. Joe and Julia Peterson are the couple that makes up the outfit, with their combined musical experience spanning over 30 years. This duo of instrumentalists is a couple themselves and they understand how important it is to create the perfect score for your special day.
Heartstrings is excited to work with you to create a rousing soundtrack for your ceremony, reception, or even cocktail hour. Joe and Julia are proficient in cello, piano, and guitar and can use any combination of these instruments to create beautiful music for your day. Their highly-skilled musicianship is sure to help you evoke a true sense of romance as you celebrate your union.
You can consult with Heartstrings regarding their diverse repertoire of songs. They are also happy to learn new arrangements should you have any special requests. They can provide both processional music, background music, and renditions with vocals. Joe and Julia are equipped with their own PA systems, ensuring that you have the best sound possible for your momentous occasion.
No business details yet
No team details yet
Details
Instruments
Cello
Guitar
Harmonica
Keyboard
Mandolin
Organ
Piano
Vocals
Music Genres
Bluegrass
Celtic
Classical
Country
Folk
Jazz
Pop
R&B
Music Services
Live Music
Wedding Activities
Rehearsals & Parties
Rehearsal Dinner
Wedding
Ceremony
Cocktail Hour
Rehearsal Dinner
Any questions?
Meet the team
Julia & Joe Peterson
Owner
Julia & Joe Peterson were each accomplished musicians in their own fields, until they met, fell in love, and were married in 2018. Julia is a classically-trained cellist with degrees from Dartmouth College and Boston University. Joe started playing professionally in Minneapolis clubs at 13 and has since toured internationally as a multi-instrumentalist. Julia and Joe have been playing weddings together since their own 3 years ago, and they have compiled a comprehensive repertoire of classical and popular songs. It is their great joy to help couples feel closer on their most memorable day.
Reviews
4.9
out of 5.0
20 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Heartstrings provided beautiful, customizable live music for ceremonies and cocktail hours, with a wide instrument selection. Reviewers praised their talent, professionalism, communication, and willingness to learn requested songs. Many highly recommend them for making ceremonies special and stress-free.
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 3
MacKenzie M
5.0
5/16/2026
Julia and Joe really set the tone for our guests as they entered for our ceremony. They were very communicative, easy to work with, and very helpful throughout the planning process...
. They learned some new music for our ceremony even though they already had an amazing offering of music selection. I would highly recommend Heartstrings to be part of your day!
Karen J
5.0
3/16/2026
Heartstrings provided the music for our daughter’s wedding (prelude, ceremony and cocktail hour). They were so amazing and play many instruments you can choose from to customize yo...
ur celebration. We loved having them. Beautiful music!
Any questions?
Angela G
5.0
3/07/2026
Heartstrings played at our wedding last September, and they made the ceremony so special and beautiful! It was such an easy process, and they even learned new songs that we wanted ...
to include during our ceremony. Highly recommend!
Betty D
3.0
1/07/2026
We booked them for our wedding ceremony. They said they have played for church ceremonies before but there were unfortunately quite a few mess-ups during the service. It was probab...
ly due to some difficulty coordinating with the vocalist who they had not played with before. They played beautifully otherwise. I would hire for other music, as just the duo, but I would not book again for a church ceremony.
Response from Heartstrings on 01/07/2026
Thanks for the feedback Betty. Yes you are absolutely right about difficulty coordinating ...
with the vocalist- we needed more rehearsal time. We will take that into account in the future. Glad you still enjoyed the duet. Congrats to you & Beau! All the best - Julia
Sara I
5.0
11/20/2025
Julia and Joe did such an amazing job at our wedding. They even learned a song for my bridal entrance. They are so talented and made our special day truly magical.
McKenzie S
5.0
6/03/2025
Heartstrings was the perfect addition to making our wedding ceremony so special and memorable. I would 100% recommend Heartstrings to any couple looking for beautiful live music to...
enhance their special day!!
Tonia M
5.0
10/20/2024
Heartstrings was great to work with. They communicated well and kept me on track for our wedding day ceremony music. The music was amazing. We had so many compliments from our g...
uests. We highly recommend Heartstrings.
Tyler R
5.0
9/16/2024
"We couldn't have been happier with Heartstrings! Their music was absolutely incredible, setting the perfect atmosphere for every moment of our special day. Not only are they supe...
r talented ,but they were so easy to work with professional, accommodating,and flexible with all our requests. They made the entire process seamless and stress free. We highly recommend them to anyone looking to elevate their event with beautiful music!"
Response from Heartstrings on 09/16/2024
Thanks Tyler! Lovely to meet you and congrats!
Julia & Joe
Autumn W
5.0
12/11/2023
Heartstrings played absolutely beautifully for our wedding. We were so happy to have chosen Julia & Joe on cello and guitar as it added so much to our ceremony. They were also so...
easy to work with and very organized. We'd highly recommend them!
Kristina C
5.0
10/24/2023
Heartstrings did a wonderful job with our ceremony music. They were very easy to work with and gave us ample time to pick the music we wanted. They helped us understand which instr...
uments would work for the songs we picked. Our ceremony felt very special with the live music they played.
Marcie L
5.0
10/20/2023
We hired them for our ceremony and cocktail hour, and we chose to have them play cello and violin. Julia and Joe were professional, talented, and easy to work with. We had a quick ...
meeting with Julia before our wedding to go through some timing details, and she knew exactly what to do. Their music was beautiful and perfect for our wedding venue (Sunken Gardens at the Como Zoo), and both of us nearly cried when we heard their first piece lol (Howl's Moving Castle theme). I'd recommend them to anyone—we're both super happy with their performance!!
Kevin F
5.0
6/24/2023
Worth every penny – Easy to work with, Joe and Julia provided the perfect ambiance for our wedding reception. We received so many compliments on the musical selection, and they eve...
n learned a few new pieces that were special to us. Heartstrings is a must have to elevate an event with perfect, light background music to accompany dinner and conversation.
Response from Heartstrings on 06/25/2023
Thank you Kevin! Glad you enjoyed it. Congrats!
Rebecca H
5.0
5/01/2023
Thinking about our ceremony music makes me tear up all over again! Julia and Joe converted 2 songs for us (Moving Forward by Colony House and What is Life by George Harrison) to a ...
cello/guitar duet, and it was phenomenal. They set up quickly, played stellar music, and packed up quickly. I wouldn't have chosen anyone else.
Response from Heartstrings on 05/01/2023
Thank you for having us Rebecca! What a great venue. Congrats to you both.
Julia B
5.0
4/02/2023
Julia and Joe from Heartstrings were such a joy to work with, and we absolutely loved the beautiful music they provided for our wedding ceremony! We even had a custom song request ...
for our processional that they learned and played for no extra fee; they also had great suggestions for song choices and a very extensive set list to choose from. They were quick to respond to emails and we had such a pleasant experience working with them- we would definitely recommend to other couples!
Sam C
5.0
10/17/2022
Thank you so much to Julia and Joe! They did an amazing job and were so easy to work with!!
Emily P
5.0
10/03/2022
Best wedding pre-lude/ceremony duo band I could have asked for. SO easy to work with, very accommodating song choice wise as they learned 3 new songs for us, and it all sounded bea...
utiful on the day! very reasonably priced too. Everyone should book them!! thank you!
Susan N
5.0
4/18/2022
Julia and Joe did a great job playing for our wedding. They were easy to work with, and we got many compliments! I highly recommended using their services. :)
Adriana G
5.0
9/07/2021
I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND HEARTSTRINGS!
I had very specific requests. My mom passed away in June 2020. For my wedding on 8-21-21, I asked heartstrings if they would be able to p...
lay TOM PETTY songs for our ceremony (tom petty was my mom's favorite)- they mentioned they had never played tom petty, but would learn it for my day. I was absolutely blown away. This part of the wedding meant so entirely much to me- ans heartstrings helped me pick out which songs would work. Not only did this mean a lot to me, so many of my guests were impressed with the music that stayed throughout the cocktail hour.
Thank you so much for an exprience and piece of the wedding I will NEVER forget.
Adriana & Tyler, 8.21.21
Response from Heartstrings on 09/07/2021
Thanks for asking us to play! What a gorgeous wedding. Congrats to you both!
Kathleen F
5.0
1/07/2021
The Heartstrings were an amazing musical duo for our wedding. They are thoughtful and creative which means they can find the absolute best music for your wedding that fits you perf...
ectly. We spoke with them about our preferences and what type of style we were going for. They were able to both choose a procession song that was perfect as well as arranging a recessional song that we chose but they had to adapt to cello and piano. I have heard them perform at other events and weddings as well. They are a joy to work with and incredibly talented which means they can figure out pretty much anything you ask of them! You won't be disappointed if Heartstrings is part of your special day!
Jacklyn W
5.0
1/06/2021
Having Heartstrings play at our wedding was one of my favorite details. They made my walk down our makeshift aisle feel like magic and I will cherish that feeling forever. They we...
re super easy to work with and brought a beautiful energy to the music itself. Highly recommend!
