Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Based near Minneapolis, MN, Lake String Quartet is a music ensemble that performs at wedding ceremonies and receptions. This talented group is delighted to bring sweet string music to events in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota. From your walk down the aisle to your first dance, they can elevate your celebration with their melodic performances.
Carol Margolis, Nanette Scott Goldman, Ingrid Koller, and Daryl Carlson make up the Lake String Quartet. Together they play the violin, viola, and cello. Each musician is classically trained with years of experience playing in theaters and orchestras. Whatever you have in mind for your big day, you can rely on them to deliver a memorable performance.
Lake String Quartet can play live music for your ceremony or reception. With over 500 popular songs in their repertoire, they can help you find the perfect soundtrack for your romantic occasion. Classical, pop, rock, folk, and Jewish styles are all available. To get started on curating your personalized playlist, contact the quartet today.
Woman-owned Business
Details
Instruments
Cello
Violin
Music Genres
Celtic
Classical
Folk
Jazz
Klezmer
Pop
Rock
Music Services
Live Music
Wedding Activities
Rehearsals & Parties
Rehearsal Dinner
Wedding
Ceremony
Cocktail Hour
Reception
Rehearsal Dinner
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Reviews
4.8
out of 5.0
26 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.
The Lake String Quartet received glowing reviews for their exceptional performance at weddings. Reviewers highlighted the quartet's professionalism, flexibility, and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere of the event. From collaborating with singers to learning special songs, the quartet added a special touch to ceremonies and receptions, leaving a lasting impression on guests. The musicians’ diverse repertoire, attention to detail, and seamless communication with clients were all praised, making Lake String Quartet a highly recommended choice for couples looking to elevate their wedding day with live music.
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 5
Peter O
Highlighted review.
5.0
2/09/2026
If I could give 10 stars I would. This made such a beautiful, and massive difference in our day. It elevated our reception from good to beautiful. Nannette was so communicative and...
lovely to speak to, along with the rest of the quartet. They all were so nice to all of us and we changed a lot of details throughout our engagement, but they handled our craziness with grace and so much care. Truly was a pinnacle of the day. I would recommend time and time again.
Response from Lake String Quartet on 02/09/2026
Thank you Peter and Megan. Your beautiful wedding was a delight to be a part of. It will b...
e remembered as one of our favorites!!
Juli B
5.0
11/06/2025
This quartet was absolutely excellent! From our very first communication to the day of the wedding, everything went perfectly. They were so accommodating and willing to collaborate...
with a close friend of mine who is a singer, making my ceremony as dreamy as I had always envisioned.
Our guests couldn’t stop complimenting their beautiful music, and the song my friend performed with the quartet turned out incredible—it was truly my favorite moment of the entire wedding!
If you’re on the fence about including live music, don’t hesitate—it adds such a special touch. And if you’re considering hiring this quartet, stop second-guessing and book them! They are worth every penny and will make your wedding day absolutely unforgettable.
Response from Lake String Quartet on 11/06/2025
Thank you so much Juli. It was our pleasure to part of your beautiful wedding.
Any questions?
Davina K
5.0
9/15/2025
Beauty, atmosphere, experience, artistry, and delight are all things the Lake String Quartet will bring to your special day. Nanette was wonderful to work with and great at commun...
icating. They went above and beyond to learn two special songs for our ceremony (actually writing arrangements themselves!). We didn't have a rehearsal for the ceremony and LSQ was right on with the flow of the moment. It was so beautiful. We had them play throughout cocktail hour and dinner following the ceremony; they were not lacking for selections. So many of our guests commented on the scope of their repertoire. Everyone was impressed and loved having live musicians. We hold a high value for live music in all its styles and recommend the Lake String Quartet for anyone who shares that value. They will bring a professional level of elegance to any event!
Response from Lake String Quartet on 09/15/2025
Thank you Craig and Davina. It was a truly beautiful wedding with an abundance of special ...
elements that demonstrated the unique characters of the couple. We will remember it forever. It was our privilege.
Jessie D
5.0
1/07/2025
Lake String was recommended by many including our church where they have performed many times. Contact with Nanette was easy and advance planning efficient. We requested that they ...
do an extra piece with our soloist and it was so beautiful...guests were commenting on the music all night after the ceremony. Strings really made the ceremony special and so glad we found the Lake String Quartet. They were an important part of our day. Highly recommend.
Response from Lake String Quartet on 01/08/2025
Thanks Jessie. Your wedding was so beautiful in the intimate chapel setting. We loved play...
ing for you in that setting.
Ali K
5.0
2/14/2024
Nanette and the rest of the Lake String Quartet were amazing -- easy to work with, super flexible, helpful in helping us figure out what music selections complemented our ceremony,...
and overall delightful additions to our wedding day. We wavered on whether we wanted to go with live music for our ceremony and cocktail hour, but I'm SO grateful we did. Having Nanette and her fellow musicians play our ceremony added a warmth and elevated vibe. Not to mention the incredible variety of Lake String Quartet's repertoire! I can't recommend Lake String Quartet enough -- Minneapolis couples, don't miss out on having this incredible quartet at your special day.
Response from Lake String Quartet on 02/15/2024
Ali and Grant had such a beautiful and eloquent ceremony. We were honored to be part of it...
.
Danielle P
5.0
12/14/2023
The string quartet at our wedding was an absolute highlight! Their performance created an enchanting atmosphere, elevating our ceremony to a magical level. The musicians showcased ...
incredible skill, seamlessly weaving through a diverse repertoire that perfectly captured the essence of our love story. From classical elegance to upbeat celebrations, their versatility was exceptional. Not only were they technically proficient, but their professionalism and attention to detail ensured a seamless collaboration. Our guests were thoroughly impressed, and the quartet's melodies lingered in our hearts, creating unforgettable memories. We wholeheartedly recommend Lake String Quartet for anyone seeking a musical ensemble that turns a beautiful day into an extraordinary symphony of love. Thank you for making our wedding day truly special!
Courtney F
5.0
11/12/2023
Nanette and the rest of the musicians did a fantastic job on our ceremony music. We had them arrange a personally meaningful song for the bridal processional, and they knocked it o...
ut of the park - it was exactly what I had envisioned and it was gorgeous. I had been a little frazzled in the lead-up to the wedding, but I had mentioned our prelude and recessional song choices to our coordinator and Nanette communicated with her seamlessly, so when I was in a panic reaching out to confirm song selections after I had forgotten, I was reassured that they had everything all taken care of. Truly one of our easiest vendors to work with in every regard, and the end result was incredible. We got so much positive feedback on their music and performance.
Response from Lake String Quartet on 11/13/2023
Thank you Courtney. What a lovely review. It was our pleasure to play "Far Longer than Fo...
rever" for you. It is so beautiful and has become one of our new favorites. Thank you for all of your careful planning about the music. We love it when music plays an important role on the wedding day.
Erin B
5.0
8/07/2021
We were so happy to have Lake String Quartet play at our wedding in Rochester in May 2021. Their performance was absolutely beautiful and it was exactly what we envisioned for our ...
wedding. Communicating with Nanette was very easy and thorough in the months and final days leading up to the wedding. We worked together to plan the repertoire and we were especially excited that the quartet learned one of our favorite songs just for our big day. Thank you Lake String Quartet!
Laine P
5.0
9/04/2018
I cannot say enough good things about Lake String Quartet. I have worked with them on a number of weddings in the past two years, and every single time I work with them, it is flaw...
less. The communication before the wedding is prompt and informative and when they arrive, they are on time and a pleasure to coordinate the timing and songs for the ceremony. They work closely with the clients to help in music selection and then their execution is just simply stunning. Beautiful, elegant, and reasonably priced!
Steven D
5.0
10/17/2017
I am so happy that we featured the exceptionally talented Lake String Quartet at my wedding ceremony! The music was beautiful and enchanting and it was so romantic to walk down the...
aisle to their gorgeous sound! Lake String Quartet are extremely courteous and professional and accommodated all of my own preferences as well as the protocol for our Catholic church graciously. I highly recommend the Lake String Quartet--their music made my ceremony all the more special and they are a pleasure to work with!
Laura K
5.0
11/06/2016
This was easily the most "worth-it" wedding expense from our big day! The guests at our wedding ceremony could not believe that the music they were hearing was NOT a recording beca...
use it was so impeccable. Working with Nannette was so easy....she has done so many weddings so she knew all the questions to ask prior to the wedding. The group showed up well before the ceremony, started with our song list on time as our guests arrived, and ended as the last guest left the ceremony hall. They literally made us feel like we were in a movie their music was SO beautiful and their song timing was PERFECT for our processional. You can really tell they have been working together for quite some time. They also were more than happy to accommodate our last minute request to learn Michael Buble's "Everything" for our recessional! They learned it in one month and absolutely nailed it! We couldn't have been more pleased. HIGHLY recommend!
Shannon T
3.0
7/30/2016
We hired Lake String for music while guests arrived and the ceremony. We had an outdoor weeding planed and it rained so the quartet originally set up inside to play. About 20 minu...
tes before the ceremony the rain stopped and we made the decision to have the wedding outside. The quartet refused to play if it was raining, which we totally understood as their instruments are expensive. About 10 minutes before the wedding we asked the quarter to move outside and there was NO rain and they refused saying it was "misting" . There was NO mist, just left over rain and condensation on the windows for the previous rain. My husband had to have a talk with them about 5 minutes before the ceremony as there was no rain or mist. I honestly don't think they would have played if my husband wouldn't have talked with them. They didn't seem to care much and I don't think they cared if the wedding was special or not. We also had a guitar pled separate from the quartet to play a song during the ceremony and cocktail you and they didn't have a problem playing outside as their was no rain or mist. When they played the music was beautiful, but I would think twice about hiring this vendor again as they didn't seem to care much about making my daughter's wedding special, and cared more about getting to the next wedding on time.
Lthompson- MOB
Response from Lake String Quartet on 07/30/2016
We sincerely appreciate the comments about the quality of the music. We do our best to mak...
e every wedding as unique and beautiful as possible. That is our highest responsibility. The unfortunate circumstances of that day were due in sum to the unpredictability and storminess of the weather. We are quite flexible and eager to work within the conditions that exist. The father of the bride graciously helped us arrive at plan B on the spot, which was to play inside for the guests while it rained and then at the agreed upon time to move all of our equipment outside (a 10 minute process with stands, music, chairs, instruments) as quickly as possible to play the processionals and recessionals. It is true that we need to protect our extremely expensive instruments from the rain. This would be true for any high quality string quartet. In accordance with this rain-altered plan we set up outside 10 minutes before the ceremony started and completed what we thought was a lovely ceremony outside.
Katie R
4.0
9/05/2013
I was so pleased with our ceremony music from Lake String Quartet. They were so easy to work with and create a customized song list for our special day. They were excellent perform...
ers and really enhanced the tone and feel of our ceremony
Stephanie F
5.0
7/07/2013
I didn't get to hear them play much since I was the last to walk in, but many people mentioned how well they played.
Kelsey S
5.0
6/25/2013
Lake String Quartet played for our ceremony and cocktail hour (we loved their popular music repertoire), and did a lovely job. We've had so many compliments on the music, and it ad...
ded such a special touch to our wedding day. They were easy to work with, really helpful in providing guidance for our song selection, and did a fantastic job. They needed very little direction and were total pros. We'd recommend them to anyone!
Anna J
5.0
10/26/2012
Lake String Quartet provided our ceremony music, and we could not be happier. They were quick to respond to e-mails and had a fabulous repertoire to select music choices from. We ...
received many compliments from our guests on the quality of the music.
Jenna T
5.0
7/30/2012
This group is so wonderful to work with. They were so willing to work with our music selection for our wedding and answered all of my emails and phone calls in a timely fashion. We...
had to reroute our ceremony last minute and they had no problems changing the time. They were amazing and we feel so blessed to have them apart of our day. We will definitely use them again in the future for another special event.
Heidi G
5.0
4/24/2012
Lake String Quartet played at the Como Conservatory for my wedding ceremony in St. Paul, MN. They were fabulous! So many of our guests commented about the wonderful music by the ...
quartet. Lake String Quartet learned a special song for my husband to be played during our ceremony "The Story" by Brandi Carslile. My husband was so surprised and we loved the song when they played it. Nanette and the group were so easy to work with in picking out our ceremony music. I would highly recommend them to all brides!
Patricia C
5.0
8/04/2011
Their music was beautifully executed! They were very helpful with selections and very professional throughout the whole process.
Carly H
5.0
11/05/2010
10
Lisa W
5.0
5/10/2010
The musicians provided an elegance to the wedding that I was striving for. Well worth the money!
Laura B
4.0
9/24/2008
Easy to work with and sounded great
Diana B
5.0
10/06/2007
Very large repertoire. Valeu--priced below other in equal class. Professional, dress well, etc.
Matt G
5.0
9/21/2007
Easy to work with, open to suggestions, professional, beautiful sound, punctual, huge repertoire, very nice. Added a lot to the ceremony.
Susie P
5.0
8/27/2007
Lake Strings Quartet was very easy to work with. They helped me pick out the music I wanted, and did a wonderful job during the wedding!
Use this secure form to reach out and share your wedding vision.
Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.
By clicking "Request quote," you accept our Terms of Use and agree to The Knot creating an account for you. Your messages may be monitored for quality, safety, and security according to our Acceptable Content Policy. See our Privacy Policy to learn how we handle your data.
