Soul Session

rom the very beginning, Garland took on the role of more than just bandleader — he became a true partner in the planning process. We had no idea what we were doing when it came to wedding planning, but Garland’s experience and genuine care made everything feel easy. He guided us through every step, from the ceremony to cocktail hour to the reception, with regular phone calls where he got to know us — not just our music taste, but our story, our personalities, and even the vibe of our families and guests. He literally has weddings down to a science. The ceremony music? Absolutely beautiful — there were tears the moment we heard his voice. The cocktail hour? A perfect, personalized soundtrack. The reception? Unreal. Garland also sang all of our first dances — and it was one of the most emotional, intimate parts of the night. His voice brought so much feeling and made those moments even more unforgettable. It felt personal and live in a way no recording ever could. From the second the wedding party entered, the energy was off the charts. Every single member of Soul Session is so talented — the flow, the vocals, the musicianship, the chemistry — it felt like we were at the most epic concert and the most special celebration of our lives, all in one. Everyone — young, old, and in between — was dancing all night long. We had so many guests tell us it was the best wedding they’d ever been to. Some even asked if Garland was a family member because of how connected he was to us and how personally he delivered every moment. He listened so closely to everything we shared in the planning process and wove it all into something unforgettable. Soul Session is pure magic. Garland is a genius. If you want your wedding to feel joyful, emotional, wildly fun, and completely you — hire them. It will be the best decision you make.

passion for music and bringing people together shines through in every conversation you have with him. He helped us chose the five piece band option with live music for our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, followed by a DJ set to close out the night which was perfect from start to finish. He’s a true professional who guided us through the planning process start to finish, helping us bring our personality into every part of the night. Garland and the female vocalist have amazing voices and the energy they brought kept everyone on the dance floor all night long. Our guests are still raving about them! They handled all the formalities (speeches, intros, etc) perfectly and made everything feel seamless. Working with Soul Session was honestly one of the funnest parts of wedding planning for us. We truly feel like part of the Soul Session family for life and we’re so grateful they were part of our day. Cannot recommend them enough!

bly flexible with our venue and made sure we felt heard every step of the way. The band took the time to learn our special songs and built a playlist that perfectly reflected our taste—every moment felt personal and unforgettable. The band moved effortlessly around the space, kept the energy up all night, and honestly? We’re still getting compliments on how amazing they were. We feel so lucky to have been part of the Soul Session family for our big day. It wouldn’t have been the same without them! Love always, Kerry Squared

met with a number of bands before we met with G on Zoom - we weren't 5 minutes into the call when we looked at each other and knew we had found the team we wanted to share with our friends and family. It goes without saying that Soul Session is an amazing band - they have a huge music catalog and cover a ton of genres. Before the wedding, G asked us to create specialized playlists that best describe our taste in music (our car-jacking paylists) and the resulting setlist during our wedding could not have been a more perfect blend of our favorite songs, genres and fun party songs. G worked directly with my husband to record our first dance song as a surprise to me, and the band learned a number of special songs for key moments during the wedding. Beyond the great music, G served as our unofficial wedding planner, videographer, and spiritual advisor during the wedding planning process. We had a number of calls leading up to the wedding to go over details, and it was clear his organization and his knowledge of the wedding industry was unparalleled - he knew exactly what questions to ask our venue on a site visit, and advocated for us when we didn't know what direction to go in. He offered words of wisdom, advice and was both our hype man during the wedding (from getting a 'SHOWTIME' text message first thing in the morning to pumping up the wedding party prior to the introduction) as well as our calming presence before the ceremony (checking in with me and taking a few deep breaths with me). His words of advice set the entire tone for my wedding week and really helped eliminate my nerves and stress, and reminded me to be present and excited. I feel truly blessed to have had the universe align to bring us together with Soul Session - our wedding is an evening we'll never forget and our friends and family are still talking about it. A million times, THANK YOU!!!!

the whole night. G and Tracy both have incredible pipes, and are backed up by a full band of pros. In addition to the music being amazing, Garland also keeps the energy up the whole night. They are not a band who just quietly stands there and plays music, but are constantly engaging / interacting with the party to keep the vibes up. In addition to the music (which again was amazing), G was so involved in the whole planning process and so easy / fun to work with. You can tell how much he cares about PEOPLE, not just the gig. When he says "family for life", it is so apparent that he truly means it. Thanks so much again G and Soul Session. Our wedding day was absolutely perfect, and a HUGE part of that was because of you. Love, Adam and Amanda

ed for our band's information. They performed for our ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and after party. I cannot thank them enough. They are also a great price!

to bring our vision to life. They accommodated so many requests and were so collaborative, including a surprise first dance song I made for my now husband! We had a diverse crowd from young kids to grandparents, and everyone raved about the incredible music. Garland truly cares about each couple he works with and made this process so easy for us. We can't thank you enough, G!

mazing, entertaining day for us and our guests. Garland was the Officiant for our ceremony, and members of his team performed for our ceremony, cocktail hour, and then we had the full band for our reception. We received sooo many compliments, and Soul Session kept the party going all night long. We had so many conversations with Garland so that he fully understood the vibe we were looking for, and boy did they deliver! They blew sh*t up as Garland loves to say. Do yourself and your guests a favor and book Soul Session!

him visiting our venue and booking them was the best decision my wife and I made. I could not recommend more. Our crowd rocked out all night and I cannot wait to see the video he takes of the whole event! Thank you so much! Fred

op dancing the whole night. You cannot go wrong. Thank you Garland and band members for an unbelievable night!

to finish. The compliments we received on our wedding day about Soul Session felt endless. They truly helped make our wedding day the best day of our lives! Thank you Soul Session!!!!

may be bias since we have seen the band perform in several settings publicly and at a previous wedding but we knew this is THE BEST band in the area!! He immediately makes you feel like family, and is very flexible based on what your looking for. His ability to flawlessly manage, coordinate, offer insightful professional advise, and thoughtfully curate music & entertainment tailored to your desires is top notch! Throughout our entire event, the band seamlessly kept the energy and vibe rolling! We received countless positive feedback from our guests and know that everyone danced their feet off. From a musical perspective, the band is extremely talented and all members have their own unique highlights. Depending on your taste, Soul Session has the ability to deliver and exceed your expectations in any genre. Would highly recommend Soul Session or Garland for any setting in which you are looking for musical entertainment that is sure to be a huge crowd pleaser! We thank you and your team for performing at our special day - ya'll absolutely crushed it!

ng time member of this epic extended musical family. We wouldn't have trusted anyone else with the tall task of unmatched musical talent, MCing, managing the entire reception flow, technical skill/production and throwing the party of our lives! And G and the band delivered beyond measure. Our special crowd of Saratoga family musicians participated in the evening tastefully but really all got to relax, celebrate with us, and enjoy just being straight up entertained by loving, talented professionals. G was with us throughout the entire lead up to the wedding to accommodate our special song requests (endless thanks to the band for learning them), handle the ceremony sound (G made an EXTRA trip to our venue to ensure we had sound at the rehearsal!), make sure we were both feeling comfortable with the plans and "ready to blow it up," and even pulled off a secret musical surprise from me to the groom on the night of. Sheer perfection, and we will be forever grateful. Best in the business, plain and simple! We love you G!!!!

ly they were the band I wanted at my wedding. From the start, Garland makes you feel like family and that your wedding is his top priority. He is not just a musician but a wedding guru! He ensures the timeline of the night flows and makes amazing suggestions that you would never even think of. He wants to make sure that the event is a true reflection of who the couple is and that all the guests leave feeling like they were apart of something special. The band kept our guests dancing from the minute the reception started and we can't thank Garland and his team enough!!!

eel like you were family. When it got to the day of we were not prepared for how much this band would blow us and our guests away. Everyone had such an amazing time at the wedding and that was in large part to the energy and vibe that the band brought to the night. So much love to Garland and Soul Session for everything that they did to make the day so special.

cannot be matched. All our guests raved about Soul Session, and they definitely get everyone on the dance floor!

to be the most important aspect to our big day/weekend. We went back and forth trying to decide who we wanted, when my wife came across Garland Nelson and his merry band of pranksters, Soul Session. I was very impressed with the videos I watched, as the band sounded tight and together, funky and loose, all at the same time. We reached out to Garland … and it was the absolute best wedding decision we made. Throughout the process, Garland met with us a few times in Saratoga and had several hours’ long phone conferences with us, where he explained how we could have the most kick-ass wedding ever. We took all his advice. Not only did he gain a huge understanding of what our musical preferences are, but he took so much time getting to know us each individually, and how we function as a couple. That right there was the key for us. Initially, I wanted a bunch of Phish and Grateful Dead throughout the night, but Garland laid it out for me with no BS: doing a show that way would likely alienate a lot of the attendees. Garland was a major support to us throughout the process, which anyone who’s gotten married can attest to being very stressful. He developed backup plans in case what we chose was not working with the audience, and gave us so many great song ideas. Going into the wedding, we did not know the order of songs aside from the opening dances, which played into our personality as a couple. We like improvisational rock music where we do not know what is coming next. Well, Garland and Soul Session delivered on a level I cannot accurately put into words. During the cake cutting, the band burst into “Tweezer Reprise” by Phish without telling us beforehand, and that turned into another dance with just my wife and I on the floor (their guitarist is a big Phish fan, and I have to shout him out here. He absolutely NAILED everything, and had me in tears once with one of his solos). The band got the entire venue up and rocking with a stellar rendition of “Shakedown Street” by the Grateful Dead, with people who are not Deadheads dancing their faces off. Garland then went into the Phish ballad, “Waste,” a song we considered for our first dance, making my wife and I jump up and onto the dancefloor for yet another special moment we will forever remember. By the time our wedding was done, just about all of our guests came up to us and told us how that was the best band they’ve ever seen at a wedding. Many more commented on how it was the most fun wedding they have ever attended, and all of them nodded to Garland and Soul Session as big parts of the reason why. It has been nearly a month since our wedding and Garland still texts me to ask how we are doing and that’s not something he has to do. He does it because he genuinely cares about the people he performs for, and he made us feel a part of his huge extended family. If you are on the fence about Soul Session, jump off right now and dial Garland’s number. It will be the best wedding decision you ever make.

involved in our wedding. I say "involved in our wedding" rather than "play our wedding" because G did more than just perform on the day of. He lifted our spirits throughout the process. He treated us like family. He helped us through issues with the venue and the photographers and a bunch of other headaches. He customized EVERYTHING about the wedding. Most of all, G and Soul Session absolutely TORE THE HOUSE DOWN, RE-BUILT IT, THEN TORE IT DOWN AGAIN. It was an absolute blessing to work with his band. Soul Session played my sister's wedding 10 years ago and at the time it was the best wedding performance I had ever seen. 10 years later, somehow, they topped it. I know what you're thinking... I'm biased, right? No. I've had dozens of friends and family members exclaim the same sentiment with utter joy. "WHO WAS THAT GUY? WHERE DID YOU FIND HIM?" Thank you Garland. Thank you Soul Session. You've changed our lives.

a gift from above that rings in our ears as we think of our wedding day. From the processional songs, to the reception, he not only set the tone for our wedding celebration, but he felt like family throughout the process. G gave us so much more than unforgettable ceremonial music and a fun reception! He gave us professional opinion and creatively guided us through planning out the music and vibe for our wedding day. He facilitated unforgettable memories through the sound of his music. He was always open to hearing our ideas and was so flexible working with our family to make our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception truly a dream come true. His words of wisdom the months and days leading up to our wedding, will never be forgotten. Thank you, G, and all of Soul Session, for sharing your musical talents with us and for setting the vibe that we dreamed of for the best day of our lives!! Can’t thank you enough, family!

our guests UP to celebrate! Incredibly professional, so easy to work and so much fun. They tailor every single moment of your wedding to you and how you want it sound/feel/vibe. They set the scene for your whole night and take it up into another universe. I am serious. I cannot recommend this group enough. KILLED IT!

minute! You won't be disappointed at this band or with Garland. 🥳👍🏻💃🕺❤

he cocktail hour/dinner/first dances and had Garland DJ during the reception/dancing. Garland definitely knows how to get the party started and going all night! Our friends and family keep raving about how much fun they had at our wedding and a lot of that had to do with the vibe Garland created for the night. We have seen Garland perform at our venue other times as well on Saturday nights so we already knew he would do a great job. He is very versatile and is well organized ahead of time planning and ensuring he captures the vibe of the bride and groom as well as all of the guests.

day so special. The majority of our guests were from out of state and are still raving about the show they put on! We can't thank them enough for getting my husband up with them playing the saxaphone. Garland was so fun to work with and from start to finish, made our day incredible. Thank you all!

our wedding experience with them. You will never find anyone better from a performance, energy or leadership perspective. Out of the gate Garland was so generous with his time, walking us through every detail and creatively thinking how he could deliver on the vision of our day. Garland's emotional intelligence is so tuned in that at times we were just nodding in agreeance over the phone. We were a long distance wedding and for a full year conducted everything via phone and email. We had never even seen Garland or the band perform live until the day of our wedding. But from our phone calls and emails we knew they would be perfect. Soul Sessions was the best thing we ever did for our wedding. Garland thought through every detail from timing, to play lists and adapted to any change on his feet. Our entire family and several guests came up to us asking WHERE DID YOU FIND THEM? Our venue has even thought to book them for their own events going forward. There is no questioning this one, if you can book them!

ht fun. Garland really took the time in the months and weeks before our wedding day to get a sense of what we were looking for, and oh man did he deliver. I have never seen a band leader who was better at reading the crowd, getting people on the dance floor, and keeping the energy high. I cannot begin to count how many of our guests have told us “that was the best wedding band we’ve ever seen.” We truly consider Garland and the band part of the family. What a show.

to and be around. Everyone who attended our wedding cannot stop talking about our band. We've received nothing but compliments and we owe it all to Garland. Everything from creating beautiful song during our ceremony and learning Ripple, by The Grateful Dead upon my request to walk down the aisle to. The most beautiful jazz standard was played during our cocktail hour and they straight crushed our reception - I could not thank him enough...seriously. We have nothing but positiive things to say - our wedding was AMAZING!! Love and thank you Garland!

ur big day. We were thrilled they were available and even willing to make the trip to Philadelphia for the wedding. Garland was incredible to work with throughout the entire planning process. He took the time to listen and understand what we were about, graciously collaborate on the ceremony music with our cousins (who performed vocals at the ceremony), and absolutely CRUSHED the reception. Our family and friends still rave about it 6 months later. Not to mention, the week of our wedding as Garland and I were going over last minute details, he gave me some great words of wisdom to calm my nerves and sang a few notes of the song from my Father Daughter dance. All around incredible people and talent. We are so thankful!

r been to. Soul Session kept our dance floor packed the entire night, playing the perfect variety of songs. We didn't leave the dance floor the entire night and could have continued dancing for hours when the reception ended. Garland is also one of the most amazing people to help plan a wedding ceremony and reception. We spent many evenings on the phone with him talking through logistics, the flow of the evening and ideas for how to make each moment special. We didn't have to think about anything for a second once we hit our reception - Garland kept the evening flowing perfectly. We couldn't have done it without him.

ake-side ceremony, Garland provided a flawless sound system. He was very helpful and accommodating to our choice of classical music for the ceremony. We had a guest flutist join his pianist, who commented that “Garland was a pleasure to work with, had great ideas and is a fantastic musician. So is the rest of his band”. At cocktail hour, Soul Session’s musicians and singer performed jazz pieces that were the perfect background and warm-up for the evening. Soul Session’s performance at the reception was amazing. Garland’s timing and direction of the evening’s events (bride/groom dances, toasts, Hora, cutting of cake, etc.) made everything flow smoothly – and his energy and enthusiasm were immediately contagious. The band’s performance was exceptional – such talented musicians and singers! Our guests continually commented on the band (“Amazing!”, “So talented!”, “Phenomenal!”), and the dance floor was completely packed throughout the reception. The evening ended with our guests chanting “ONE MORE SONG, ONE MORE SONG!!!” We cannot thank Soul Session enough for making our ceremony and reception so memorable – and so much fun! Thank you, Garland – and thank you to the entire Soul Session team!

e floor was never empty. They played every type of music from all different genres. People still talk about our band and we got married in July of 2012. Hands down been to a lot of weddings with a lot of bands and they are the best.

e person commented on how amazing they were. Working with Garland was such a pleasure, and he was the ultimate professional throughout the entire process. They did the music for our ceremony, cocktail hour, reception AND after party and it was all absolutely flawless. I can't recommend Garland & the Soul Session crew enough. They made our wedding. My husband and I can't stop talking about how awesome they were!! Would highly highly highly recommend to anyone. Anywhere. Seriously - fly them in. They're worth it :)

dding as soon as the reception started and kept it going all night long...they were absolutely AMAZING...My husband and I couldn't have been more happy! Garland Nelson knows how to have a good party!!!

ant aspects of the wedding. We wanted an energetic, fun, lively, involved band. We hit the jackpot! These guys played everything from Pink floyd to trace adkins to adele to Jay z. All night long everyone was asking me where i found this band! They made our wedding night one we will never forget. Mission accomplished!

floor was packed ALL night, we danced to oldies, classics, trendy/modern songs! Every song was perfect! I did not dare exit the dance floor all night afraid I was going to miss out on something! Garland and his band also played jazz music during the cocktail hour which was really elegant and exactly what we were looking for again. He also did a great job with keeping the flow of the night going and making sure all of the important pieces to make a wedding night perfect were in place! I could not reccommend them more!

. You won't have the dance floor empty for a minute.