About this vendor
"You'll Never Leave the Dance Floor!"
Standing Room Only Orchestra is one of Chicago’s top wedding bands. This versatile orchestra features seasoned vocalists and superb musicians for your wedding reception, corporate event or other special party. With over 20 years of entertaining experience, Standing Room Only Orchestra has performed at some of the most prestigious wedding and corporate events in Chicago, and around the country.
Chicago's Elite Live Band Experience
We're not just another cover band, we are a group of experienced and talented musicians who have been playing together for years. Unlike other national or Chicago wedding bands, our first day meeting each other won't be on your wedding day. Our vocalists hit every note and have the best band in the industry backing them up. We love what we do and create the best live energy for your event, as a result.
Standing Room Only can perform all your favorite songs from disco and Motown to hip hop and classic rock to keep your guests on the dance floor the entire night.
No matter the size of your wedding or special event, Standing Room Only Orchestra can accommodate. Large or small, one thing is for sure - your guests will want to stay on the dance floor! The band’s high-energy performance creates a dynamic, yet sophisticated party atmosphere that ensures the success of any party.
Are you ready to have fun for hours?! Standing Room Only Orchestra features talented and inspired musicians who love to perform a wide variety of music including: Swing, 50’s and 60’s, Motown, Disco, 80’s, Top 40 hits; anything and everything you can dance to!
Choose from a ten-piece orchestra, nine-piece performance orchestra, or a six to seven piece band for non-stop dancing! For your cocktail or dinner hours...try a solo piano or solo guitar. If you prefer a larger ensemble for your cocktail and dinner hour, consider a jazz trio, quartet or even a string quartet.
Whatever your needs, Standing Room Only Orchestra welcomes your every wish. The goal is to ensure clients receive only the best for their big day. The band specializes in individualized attention, working with clients to craft the perfect event. Crazy crowd? Standing Room Only knows what to do. More sophisticated? Not to worry. The band believes your wedding is your day and we aim to please.
Standing Room Only Orchestra will guide you through the creation of your timeline, ensure all vendors are working together and emcee your entire event. Have a special song in mind for your first dance? Standing Room Only takes requests!
Standing Room Only Orchestra is available for out of town weddings and is proud to be a part of the Illinois Gay & Lesbian Friendly wedding musicians. Standing Room Only is a recipient of the Wedding Wire badge 2016 and was listed in Modern Bride’s 150 Hottest Bands in the nation.
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Instruments
- Accordion
- Bass
- Cello
- Fiddle
- Flute
- Guitar
Music Genres
- Classical
- Country
- Dance
- Folk
- Jazz
- Pop
Music Services
- Live Music
- MC Services
- Recorded Music
- Sound Equipment
Wedding Activities
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
- Ceremony
- Reception
Awards and Affiliations
Pricing
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.078 reviews
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Standing Room Only Orchestra consistently wowed wedding guests with their high-energy performances, impeccable setlists, and seamless transitions between ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception music. The band, led by Kara, accommodated special requests and last-minute changes, creating unforgettable musical experiences tailored to each couple. Guests praised the band for keeping the dance floor packed all night, transitioning smoothly between genres, and providing professional and fun MC services. SRO's professionalism, talent, and ability to engage with the audience make them a top recommendation for weddings and special events.Review photos
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We hired SRO for our wedding in August 2024, and had a great experience! Leading up to the big day, they were always quick to respond to emails, answered every question I had, and provided excellent recommendations for songs when I had trouble deciding.
On the day of the wedding, Kara was an awesome emcee, and the band was wonderful! The dance floor was packed the whole night, and many of our guests commented on how great the music was. If you're looking to book SRO, you won't be disappointed!
Having Standing Room Only as our wedding band was the best experience! It was really important to us to have an energetic and fun band to ensure the dance floor was packed all night, and they certainly delivered. That was my main priority: the dance floor! Well, they did not disappoint. They put together a great set-list with a good mix of genres based off of everything we talked about. Everyone stayed until the very end, and is still talking about how much fun the reception was!
They also did an amazing job for our ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner music. I had a few songs not on their list, as well as some last minute requests and changes to songs that they were more than happy to work with me and accommodate, and I was so appreciative. Kara was so easy to work with, which made the experience a breeze.
From beginning to end, SRO was a dream to work with. Kara was wonderful and asked about our musical tastes and what we envisioned for our wedding day. The band sounded absolutely amazing the night of our wedding. It was better than we could have ever asked for. Our guests were blown away by them and some even said that they would go to see them in concert because they were that good! As a performer myself, I can tell you that you cannot go wrong hiring SRO. The quality of musicians/vocalists and professionalism of the company can't be beat!
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Kara and Standing Room Only were amazing for our wedding. We have had multiple friends and family members comment on them and how great they were. The dance floor was packed from start to finish. Kara was great to work with during the planning process and a great emcee during the night. She worked with our day of planner throughout the night to ensure the everything went smooth and things were on time. We can’t recommend Standing Room Only enough for your wedding or big event!
Wow wow wow!! Look no further for your band! You can't do better than Standing Room Only. As we planned our wedding, our #1 goal was for our friends and family to loosen up and have a good time. Our wedding blended Lithuanian and Irish American traditions, and the band engineered the musical transitions seamlessly for us. Kara of the band MC-ed for us, explaining the traditions, and she was so natural that it almost felt like she was part of the family. Once the dancing started, it was electric, and we never slowed down. They incorporated ALL of our input regarding song preferences, even eclectic ones. Maybe the sweetest thing is that the band conspired with me (the bride) to invited Mike (the groom) to perform vocals with them. He lived out his rockstar dreams, and the crowd went wild.
It wasn’t just us who loved them. We received so many compliments from our guests. During and after the wedding, people approached us to tell us how incredible the band was. Guests also noted that the music wasn’t too loud once you stepped off the dance floor. The sound was engineered just right.
We are so grateful to SRO for their warmth, professionalism, flexibility, and musical excellence. With you, we had the absolute times of our lives.
We were so happy with our experience with SRO for our wedding band! Our guests filled the dancefloor all night, and we appreciated Kara and Patrick's detailed planning of the evening located in a more unusual venue - a tent outside an observatory! We had guests taking notes of favorite songs for their own weddings- thanks, SRO!
Response from the Vendor on 10/13/2024
Thank you Molly! What a honor to work with you all. Hope to see you on the dance floor at the next great event!
We hired Standing Room Only to be our wedding band and we could not have made a better choice! This band is absolutely incredible--the level of enthusiasm and talent they bring is unparalleled, and they had the dance floor absolutely packed the entire night. They also learned a couple songs for our special dances and did a fantastic job, and did not miss a cue or a beat when it came to ceremony music and our entrance as a couple. The members of this band are so talented, and it was a privilege to hear them play (and sing!) on our big day. Many thanks to SRO for making it an incredible evening!
SRO was PHENOMENAL! We were so excited to have live music at our wedding, and sro even surpassed our expectations. All of the music from ceremony, dinner, and dancing was excellent.
for the ceremony, I shared with Kara that I envisioned us all walking down the aisle to blink 182 music but classical- I shared an Instagram video with her and she absolutely ran with it.. it was PERFECT & truly one of my most favorite details about the day.
SRO absolutely made the dancing portion of the evening. They took all our request into account, and curated ab awesome set list of the night. we felt like we were at our own personal concert. They kept our guests dancing (& even moshing!) all night. Really cannot recommend SRO enough.
Standing Room Only far exceeded our expectations! Everything from the initial call with Kara, to curating our wedding playlists and taking on our special requests, to the flawless ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception execution, everything seamless, professional, and everything we wanted for our day. We wanted the dance floor full and energetic all night and that's exactly what SRO made sure happened. I can't recommend Kara and the entire SRO band enough!
The Standing Room Only Orchestra brought the party to life at our wedding! Their playlist was on point, keeping everyone on the dance floor all night long. From the classic hits to the modern tunes, they really knew how to keep the energy up. The band's performance truly made our reception memorable, and we're so grateful for their incredible talent.
Throughout the planning process, the communication with the team was efficient and professional. They were responsive to our inquiries and accommodating to our requests, which made the whole experience stress-free. On the day of the event, they arrived on time and set up smoothly, ensuring everything ran seamlessly.
In conclusion, Standing Room Only Orchestra exceeded our expectations by delivering a fun-filled night of dancing and entertainment. Their dedication to making our wedding day special was evident, and we're grateful for the unforgettable experience they provided. If you're looking for a talented and energetic band to bring your celebration to life, we highly recommend considering Standing Room Only Orchestra.
SRO meet all of our needs and had everyone dancing the whole time! We had so much fun and had so many people compliment how great the band is!
If you are looking for live music for your wedding, look no further than Standing Room Only! Wedding planning can be stressful at times but SRO and their band leader Kara will make your music selection stress free!! They know soooo many songs and we never had our guests leave the dance floor. People left our wedding saying it was the best wedding they've been to and SRO was a huge part of that! I cannot recommend them enough to anyone searching for a live band, and Kara was especially accommodating and amazing to work with. Book SRO you will not regret it!!
Standing Room Only Orchestra is OUTSTANDING! Kara has excellent communication and made planning easy and stress-free. Our guests were on the dance floor all night and raved about how good the band was. Look no further—SRO is wickedly talented, professional, and an absolute must to have at your wedding.
Response from the Vendor on 05/20/2024
Thank you so much for the kind review! Congratulations and good luck!
Kara and Patrick and SRO were exceptional as the entertainment for our daughter’s wedding! From our very first conversation, we knew they would be perfect for this wonderful event, and they exceeded our expectations in every way. This is a talented groups of experienced musicians who can literally accommodate every genre/style, which is essential for a wedding event where there are a wide variety of guests. Kara is an exceptional master of ceremonies, providing introductions as well as instruction for the proceedings to keep us on schedule through the evening. The orchestra has the incredible ability to read the room, and play selections to keep the crowd up and dancing….and dance they did !!! The dance floor was full, literally, from beginning to end of the event. The logistics from the day we signed the contract, up until the start of the event were professional and seamless. Coordination with the venue was effortless and they played all the songs we wanted to hear, as they do a thorough consultation with the bride and groom before to ensure their playlist reflects the couples vision of their perfect reception. A wedding reception is the finale of a great deal of planning, and there is nothing that compares to live music, performed by incredibly talented artists. THIS band is worth every penny in your budget. We are getting calls from guests to thank us for the invite, and every call mentions the “amazing” musicians! They are the perfect addition to your “BEST DAY EVER” and would be ideal for any gathering where talent, professionalism and exceptional presentation are essential to take your event to the next level! You NEED to hire SRO Orchestra!
Response from the Vendor on 05/20/2024
Thank you so much for the rockstar review!
FUN and flexible. Absolute joy to work with and incredibly professional. SRO has the ability to adapt to any situation, crowd and venue. HIGHLY Recommended!
THE BEST OF THE BEST! We've never seen a dance floor packed from start to finish. Truly incredible! The music and energy had the entire venue on the floor! Kara was the most wonderful person to work with. Her organization, fun personality made for the most enjoyable experience. Can't speak highly enough of SRO. Truly the best and would recommend them to any and everyone that is considering live music for any event!
Standing Room Only was outstanding!! They brought so much energy to our night, and we received so many compliments from our guests about how great they were! Throughout the planning process, Kara was so great to work with. She was very responsive to all of our questions. We even decided to upgrade our band from 6 piece to 9 piece after signing our original contract, and she made the process so easy! During our reception, Kara was an excellent MC, and the entire band was so fun and interactive with our guests! Some of our family members who are professional musicians were able to get up on stage and perform with the band too, which made the night even more special. We are so happy we chose Standing Room Only!
If you want to be on the dance floor the whole evening, please hire SRO for your event! Kara was great to work with and the band delivered an amazing night for our guests! People are still raving about them!
Response from the Vendor on 09/29/2023
Thank you Paula! Your family's wedding was a rock show!
Our wedding guests were so complimentary of Standing Room Only! We had a dry wedding, however, still had lots of dancing since SRO kept people on their feet! In the booking process, Kara was willing to negotiate with us. The only 2 hiccups were that we had to ask them to play a little softer during the dinner portion since it was hard to talk to guests over the noise. The other thing was they played our wrong first dance song on MP3- thankfully it wasn’t the completely wrong song but was instead the original version of an acoustic song we had planned to dance to. We made it work and no one knew the difference but initially took us by surprise. But all in all would recommend SRO!
It is never easy and always nerve wrecking choosing a band (especially without seeing them ever in person), but we must tell you that you should have the utmost confidence when booking Standing Room Only. We booked them for our dream Chicago summer wedding at the University Club of Chicago and they exceeded our expectations. They sounded phenomenal, their set-list was perfect and they were the crowning piece to our unforgettable reception. So many people came up to us after the wedding that they had never seen a dance floor so packed throughout the entire 3 hour set which is all because of Standing Room Only’s performance. Kara made this entire process so turnkey and she was there every step of the way in making us feel comfortable and confident for the MC and Band of the reception. Adjectives can’t describe how happy we were with their performance as it was a night to remember. Some of their final songs were so incredible that some guests were still humming and singing the lyrics at brunch the next morning, including the epic Hey Jude rendition to end the evening. If you want a band for your wedding that you can depend on and that will have the people on their feet dancing the night away, Standing Room Only is the band for you.
Thank you so much again!
-Dillon and Katie
We and our guests absolutely loved having Standing Room Only play at our wedding! They are extremely talented and have a deep setlist that kept our guests rocking all night long. We also loved working with Kara - who has very kind, fun, and professional throughout. Highly recommended!
SRO was the highlight of our anniversary party. I received numerous compliments from guests throughout the evening. Kara was great to work with on our booking and in putting together the music list; Patrick handled the set-up and coordinated the evening's performance, which was top-notch. We had the 9-piece band, including 3 singers, 2 saxophone players and 1 trumpet player; all were truly excellent. Other than for a couple of specific songs, we let them pick the songs, based on the genres we wanted to hear. They did not disappoint! The music selection and the high energy performance had the dance floor hopping all evening. By the last song the guests were shouting for an encore. If you select SRO for your event, you will be so glad you did.
Standing Room Only left our guests speechless and sweating for more! My wife and I had a special request for our first dance and SRO blew us away - they outdid the original. Kara kept the reception organized and moving along.
Oh, and their set? It was the best wedding set I've ever heard: classics, deep cuts, and special requests. My wife and I took a short break during the band's break and were afraid we'd return to an empty dance floor. To our pleasant surprise, Standing Room Only had our guests dancing all over again. The floor was packed all night. I cannot recommend Kara and Standing Room Only enough!
From day one we knew this band would be different. Kara was welcoming and provided true guidance and consultation throughout the planning process. When it came to the day of, they delivered and went above and beyond for us. We continue to get compliments pouring in about how great our band was and could not thank SRO enough. The whole band provided an amazing experience, we would highly recommend!
My company has hired SRO for many years - super reliable, professional, and experienced. They know what to do and what/when to communicate, allowing you to focus on your special day. Great music and great people.
Standing Room Only was the best choice for our wedding! We had so many guests tell us it was the best wedding band they have ever heard. From the start Kara was easy to communicate with and was so easy to work with. We are so happy we picked SRO for our wedding!
Kara & Standing Room Only was a first-rate wedding band with the utmost professionalism and groove. We were beyond impressed with their talent, sound, and flexibility to fit in where we needed them at our venue. Our wedding day would not have been as fun as it was without them. They truly are the best live band we have ever heard at a wedding and we have been to several! Hire them if you have the chance and you won't be disappointed.
Kara and all the band members of SRO:
I cannot thank you enough for making Carrie and Jonny's simply the most fun wedding I've ever been too!!! The music was over the top good and everyone was so happy and complimentary of the evening, with the band being everyone's favorite ever. After listening to your YouTube clips, I knew you were good, and that you'd be at the base of a fabulous party, but you exceeded my expectations ten-fold! The energy was so amazing and all of our guests haven't stopped talking about how amazing the music and dancing was! Thank you for helping to make Carrie and Jonny's wedding unforgettable! I am still on Cloud 9 and my only regret is that we can't do it all again. Thank you, thank you!
SRO was amazing! People were coming up to me throughout the night to tell me how incredible the band was. They were energetic, got everyone involved, and made the dancefloor a highlight of the night!
SRO was recommended to us by two separate couples who had them play at their own weddings. In short, I am glad that I took their advice and had SRO play at my own wedding! The band was simply fantastic from start to finish. SRO was extremely organized, energized and insightful which made the planning process easy. The band's flawless performance was the obvious highlight with them playing all of the songs that we had on our wish list plus more! SRO did a great job of interacting with the crowd and kept the dance floor full the entire wedding which I have never seen before! SRO will make your wedding a special memorable experience for everyone.
We hired SRO for our daughter’s wedding three weeks ago and are very happy we did! We had music all night long! They played during cocktail hour and during dinner! All wonderful! They helped keep the evening going all night at a great pace! There was a great variety of different music! They were very easy to work with! They learned a Beach Boys song! We had a ten piece orchestra and they totally rocked the dance floor all night long! Our guests danced all night long! We received so many complements on this band! If you want an exciting, fun, and dancing all night long this is the band to have!! This band is wonderful! Hire them!
Standing Room Only absolutely ROCKED our wedding. Kara was so easy to work with and professional from beginning to end. She incorporated our specific asks while creating a set list that kept the dance floor going the WHOLE time. If you want your guests up dancing rather than sitting and watching, this is the band for you! We received countless compliments from our guests (old and young) that the band was the best they have ever seen at a wedding. They even traveled to the Lake Geneva area where we got married, no problem. I will definitely be recommending SRO to anyone I come across looking for a professional, fun, and rocking wedding band for their special day. Thanks, Kara & SRO!
Our organization hired the Standing Room Only Orchestra for an event, and we couldn't be happier to have done so! All of our interactions were extremely professional, and the band members could not have been more polite and helpful. They knew the perfect mix of music to keep people on the dance floor, and they were really talented musicians, as well. Fun was had by all, and we will definitely hire them to play for our next big event!
We chose Standing Room Only Orchestra to perform at our wedding and from the first conversation with Kara I knew we made the best choice. So easy to work with, professional, responsive and reliable, the whole process was smooth and worry free. SRO provided live ceremony music, live cocktail hour music as well as the full reception. The versatility and range of services was perfect and the expertise in working with us to understand and complete our vision was outstanding. The performance was second to none, the dance floor was packed the entire night, they brought great energy and the guests couldn't stop raving about them! I can't express enough how much a fantastic live band adds to the entire experience and SRO is a perfect 10.
My initial encounter with SRO was at a friends wedding many years ago. (My wedding was 2 weeks prior to theirs.) After the wedding, I enjoyed them so much I booked them to perform at our company holiday event and have used them ever since. They have a really great presence with a variety of genres appealing to all the guests who will certainly flood your dance floor! Kara is professional & fun and will ensure the execution of your event is flawless.
Standing Room Only (SRO) was a fantastic addition to our wedding day. My older sister used this band a few years ago and I was excited to be able to work with them for our wedding. Kara and the whole team was organized and quick to respond. She made sure she had (and followed) our preferences, but she took on the bulk of planning and made the process so easy!
On our wedding day, SRO did a great job of MCing and then opened the dance floor for 3 hours of rocking! We would highly recommend working with SRO and are so grateful that they were a part of our day!
WOW! What a night!! We could not possibly recommend Kara and Standing Room Only more! From planning across the country and in a pandemic, they put us at ease and were so accommodating to our music selections. We had very specific asks and there was nothing they couldn't play. The music was BEYOND our expectations! Our guests danced all night long. Standing Room Only truly turned our wedding into an EPIC party that our friends and family are still raving about!
When we heard SRO playing at another wedding a few years ago, my now-husband and I knew we had to book them for our wedding. This was one of the best decisions we made. SRO kept the dance floor packed and everyone loved the set list. We even had Kara play live music for our ceremony.
We had to reschedule our wedding due to COVID and SRO worked continued to work with us. Anytime we had a question, they were always quick to respond and were great and were extremely helpful with the timeline of the reception.
Even though our wedding was a few weeks ago, we are still getting compliments on how great SRO was. You will not go wrong with having SRO at your wedding!
Kara Kesselring and the band were absolutely amazing! If you are looking for a band that will get your guests up and moving, tapping their feet, and singing along, SRO is the band to hire. Our guests ranged from children to seniors and everyone in between. Everyone was on the dance floor enjoying their beautiful music. Kara is a gem. She is incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, patient and kind in helping you with song selection, reception itinerary, and timing. The band made it happen. Their voices and instruments blended into perfect harmony. We had guest after guest ask where we had found this wonderful band… and this was only the six-piece ensemble. You won’t ever regret booking SRO!
Our wedding was a few weeks ago now, and still the first thing I hear from our guests is how awesome the band was! Kara and the rest of SRO kept the dance floor completely packed all night, at some points there wasn't enough space for everybody on the dance floor. They have a great variety of music old and new and are willing to learn anything that they may not already know. I was thoroughly impressed by how they kept energy high by stringing songs together and flowing from one to the next without slowing down.
On top of a great performance the day of the wedding, Kara made everything music related fun and easy all the way leading up. They provided music for us throughout the entire evening from the cocktail hour through dinner, down to the very last song. They made no fuss going between playlists and live music and curated everything we asked for.
In addition Kara was a great MC all night for the entire event through all of the speeches and everything else.
I could not give a higher recommendation for Kara and the rest of Standing Room Only Orchestra. If you want great music and a fun easy experience, book them straight away!
The most AMAZING band!! As a bride, one of your biggest hopes is that your guests will dance their butts off all night long at your wedding, and SRO made it happen!! We had a diverse mix of people of all ages and I received compliments from EVERYONE about what an outstanding band we had. Perfect mix of classic and contemporary songs, wonderful singers, and just a dynamic group overall. I truly can't say enough good things about them. If you are looking for unbelievable sound with a huge range of songs to choose from, SRO is your band.
As the band leader, Kara especially blew us away. She went out of her way to meet with me, my (now) husband, and my mom months before the big day to go over every single detail, from ceremony music to cocktail hour to toasts to reception. Kara was on top of every detail and helped make the night so beautiful. THANK YOU!!
SRO was our top band choice for our wedding!!! SRO played at many other weddings and we were so excited to hear that they were open on our wedding day! People were on the dance floor the whole night, they had great song selections and many good crowd pleasers - they really got the crowd going. Kara was awesome to work with!!! SRO was extremely responsive through the process and very easy to work with! As the bride and the groom, we felt like we were in good hands with the SRO team.
I have absolutely no words for how fantastic Kara and SRO are. Guests all night we’re coming up to us asking where we had found them. The dance floor was never empty, the songs choices were always bopping, and Kara kept the schedule of the evening going so we never had to worry. Can not recommend highly enough!
The whole process working with this band was fun and easy and always stress-free! We heard through friends who danced all night at a wedding using this band-as it was for my daughter’s wedding. Guests loved dancing all night to this band.
They are so attentive in their clients' needs! We love them!
SRO was amazing at our wedding! The introductions were very smooth and made that part of the night amazing. All of their transitions throughout the nights various events were spot on and well-timed. And of course, the dance floor was always packed and the band brought so much energy. They are a very talented group with several impressive singers. What a night it was!
SRO made our nonprofit event even better! Kara was great to work with, and our conference attendees really enjoyed the music and entertainment. If you're looking for a professional, talented and overall great entertainment for your event, I can't recommend Standing Room Only highly enough.
We booked SRO for our wedding reception and HOLY COW were they amazing! And I know we weren't just being biased because even now we still have wedding guests telling us how much they loved our reception band and how amazing the music was. The whole band was exceptionally talented, professional and organized. 10/10 would recommend booking them for your wedding / event!!!
My Dad insisted I work with my sister’s band from a decade ago! I however wasn’t so sure... It’s been a decade and did I really want my sister’s wedding band to play?! Heck yes I did! Working with Kara and the rest of standing room only was in the end one of my most confident decisions I made for my wedding day. Kara was there for me in the process and her and I worked on an extra special project for my groom. Thank you Standing Room Only for making my wedding day So Much FUN! You guys blew all of my guests out of the water that they keep talking about the night weeks later! They were such a pleasure to have we loved every moment!
Kara and the rest of the band were a joy. She stayed on the phone for over an hour during our initial meeting to learn everything she could about what we wanted. They played our unusual request playlist to great aplomb, and great compliments from our guests at the end of the night. Never did we feel like we were just another gig to them, and their variety of package options make it so that they can accommodate most couples looking for a live band. I happily recommend them.
SRO was a terrific group of musician. I cannot say enough good things about them. The musicians were terrific, the vocalists superb, and they were so friendly and helpful before and during their performance. we had special request for the music to be played for an older group as this was a 40th Anniversary Party and the crowd was older than most. However, they were able to do a very wide range of music and I have no doubt they can play any type of music desired. They played music that played to the crowd and everyone danced all evening and enjoyed every minute of their performance.
Standing Room Only was the hit of our wedding! The 4 piece Club Band played our reception and we could not have been happier with our choice. Kara was amazing to work with from start to finish and made what could have been an overwhelming process so easy. "The band was amazing" is the comment we have gotten from literally every guest that we have talked to since the wedding. There was a crowd on the dance floor the entire night ranging from high school age to my 85 year old father-in-law! If you want everyone at your wedding to have a blast, you cannot go wrong with SRO!
Standing Room Only was an outstanding choice for our wedding! Kara was extremely responsive and flexible. We were able to work with the band on songs we wanted to include or exclude - they were so easy to work with. The level of musicianship was very high, as well. We could tell they have all played together for a long time. Nearly everyone was on the dance floor until the final song. I highly recommend this band - you will not be disappointed! Thank you so much, SRO!
Standing Room Only was awesome! They did a great job playing at our wedding, and we got multiple compliments from guests about them! Kara was very responsive and helpful throughout the wedding process. We would highly recommend them to anyone!
I cannot say enough great things about Standing Room Only, they absolutely crushed it at our wedding! My husband and I had one goal for our wedding when it came to the music: we want everyone on the dance floor the entire night, and that certainly was the case! Having Standing Room Only at our wedding was one of the main highlights for us-- our guests were raving about them and are still talking about it to this day. Every member in the band is incredibly talented and brought great energy to our wedding. If you can, add on the full horn section as it was an amazing addition. Furthermore, Kara was a pleasure to work with. My husband and I had a few special requests and nuances we were hoping SRO could execute on and they did flawlessly. Kara had every detail and request taken care of. Best band ever!
Words cannot describe how happy we were to have them part of our wedding day. Standing Room Only was one of the best decisions we made during the wedding planning process. Kara was so easy to work with. We had severe storms during our reception and lost power for a few minutes. Thankfully the band kept the party going and we forgot all about it! We also opted for an extended bar package and had Standing Room Only DJ for us at the very end. They are so talented, have a good song selection, willing to learn new songs, and very reasonably priced. We still have guests asking about the band as everyone loved them!!!! If you are in the market for music, look no further because they are perfect!
This is your band! SRO has played at two weddings my husband and I have attended, they were the easy choice to be our 9 piece band for our wedding on 9/22/18. Our guests were raving about the band and how well they kept the energy of the night going. They also played piano during the cocktail hour and seamlessly completed all introductions of the wedding party. Very easy to work with and was simply a great experience!
You guys. Stop here! Look no further. Standing Room Only was one of the BEST decisions we made for our wedding and I would choose them again in a heartbeat! The dance floor was packed from beginning to end with people of all ages! They absolutely killed it. I don’t think many of my college friends left the dance floor the entire night. Family and friends called us after the wedding to say they have never seen that many people still on the dance floor at midnight. There was hardly a break between songs - they just kept rolling! Amazing!!
In addition to the reception, we used SRO for ceremony music and cocktail hour music. There were multiple options to choose from for both - we went with an acoustic guitar and violin for the ceremony and the jazz trio for the cocktail hour. I would HIGHLY recommend these options!! I distinctly remember hearing the processional song I chose as I walked down the aisle and thinking how beautiful it was. Kara was fantastic to work with throughout the whole process. She was quick to respond to emails and accommodated ALL of our requests! The band learned songs for the ceremony and the reception that we requested, and they performed them perfectly.
Many people told us that was the best wedding they have ever been to, and I think SRO was a huge part of that. My parents told the venue manager to recommend SRO to anyone else who gets married there. I've had friends call me over the past few weeks to get the band info so that they can use them of recommend to other friends. I am SOOOOO happy that we chose Standing Room Only!!
I recently had the pleasure of working with Kara and Standing Room Only for my wedding ceremony, cocktail hour and reception at Danada House and would highly recommend their services. They provided excellent communication, great music and professional entertainment for our guest.
Kara who is the main contact is not only knowledgeable, but an expert in the wedding and music industry. Kara helped plan our event from day one and was very detail oriented throughout the entire process . She understood our vision and helped that dream become a reality. Standing Room Only handled all the arrangements for sound equipment, coordinated with our caterer, and managed setup and tear-down, so that we were able to truly enjoy our event.
On the day of our event her team successfully executed the plan with minimal guidance and offered outstanding entertainment that kept our 170+ guest on the dance floor all evening. Kara and her team are truly professionals and we are so very thankful.
April & Jeremy
I hired the String of Sounds trio for my ceremony/cocktail hour and a DJ for the reception! Everything was phenomenal! I am a very type-A bride, and they exceeded my expectations in every way. They were very patient with me throughout the process and had great song selections. Adam the DJ was a pleasure to work with!
WOW - this band has it ALL!
My husband and I wanted a band, but didn't budget to pay the typical 10K+ for the Chicago market. Thankfully Matt found SRO, who believes that good music should be affordable. Great price, great band! Not only do they sound fantastic, but easy to work with and read the crowd perfectly. People we on the dance floor ALL night.
Can't say enough great things about this band!
My husband and I recently booked Standing Room Only for our wedding and they were FABULOUS! The dance floor was packed all evening long. They truly catered their playlist to what our guests wanted to hear throughout the evening, and we received SO many compliments on their sound throughout the night and even after the big day. Kara and her team are professional, responsive, talented, and fun. FIVE STARS AND TWO THUMBS UP!
This band was the bomb!!!I hired them for my daughter’s wedding and I would do it a million times over! they had everybody on the floor from the beginning and didn’t quit till the end. the energy was fantastic . Look no further. Great musicians and really nice people too!
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMEND Standing Room Only for your wedding music needs! Truly made our event great!
We needed Live Piano Music & accompaniment for our cocktail hour, dinner and a live cabaret (talented bride & bridesmaids had to sing their toasts!) And then a DJ to support dancing after dinner.
Now this is not their traditional offering:
Standing Room Only is an amazing BAND in their own right, but the fact that they were able to support our reception's unique needs was INCREDIBLE! Truly amazing talent, great people, very organized, value on the investment we spent.
Both Chuck, piano and Pat, DJ were both incredible assets to our evening. We needed a bit of thinking on the fly (as things happen with life things didn't go exactly as planned) and both Chuck and Pat were able to accommodate in above and beyond ways!
Example: our First Dance was supposed to be Ella Fitzgerald's Always in the bar/cocktail area played on the DJ equipment...well the guests decided they were ready to sit down to eat and to get them back into the bar would have been a nightmare. AHH !!! Well I asked Chuck if he knew Always and he was on it! Voila Plan B hatched and executed in the moment and no one but us knew that wasn't the plan all along.
Pat, played the best uptempo high energy music that really made our party a blast.
We loved them and highly recommend them for great value and expert talent!
SRO played our wedding in July 2017 at Prairie Production. Their String of Sound Trio did our ceremony music, we did the solo guitar during cocktail hour, and then the seven piece band for the reception.
All were AMAZING. The band killed it! Dance floor was packed the entire night and our guests were constantly coming up to us asking about how we found the band and raving about how much fun they were. Throughout the planning process, SRO was very responsive and kept in close contact with us. Kara was so helpful and always responded quickly when we had questions. She was such a pleasure to work with! In addition to how awesome the band was, we were also very pleased with the price. So worth it! Thank you for making our wedding so fun, SRO!
From a musician....These guys and gals were phenomenal! Every single guest who thanked me for the invitation, commented on the fabulous band. "What is their name? Where did you find them? Best wedding reception music I've been to this summer!" Their set list was incredibly comprehensive - from Motown to 70's, 80's, or 90's pop to Sinatra and Torme to rap, and current hits. They always had the perfect mix of instrumentation and vocals.
They had a guy in the crowd constantly monitoring the sound from each instrument and speaker and constantly adjusting the mix wirelessly. Not too loud, just perfect sound. Upbeat, easy to work with.
The orchestra package included three brass (a must!) and the trio's music during the dinner was perfect - a bass, a guitar, and a fantastic saxophonist. Would hire them again in a heartbeat! Our kids were so happy.
SRO was amazing!!! They made our wedding reception a night to remember! The dance floor was packed, and they were amazing!!! Can't imagine having our reception any other way! Thank you SRO!
They are super talented and fun! A lot of our guests were musicians and they all were impressed with the quality of their music. Mike and his team were great to work with and we couldn’t have imagined a better entertainment choice for our wedding. We have contemplated for a while between DJ and a band (because of the cost), but decided on the band at the end and we don’t regret it for a minute, it was worth every dollar we spend! Everyone told us how amazing they were and they kept the dance floor full all night. They are very accommodating too, they let our friend use their PA for a first dance song and welcomed any special requests we had with no issues. Do not hesitate to hire them, it will be the best decision you make!
I can honestly say that the band made our wedding a hit! Mike was so easy to work with, and was able to accommodate all requests. We had a live jazz guitar during the cocktail hour and the 7 piece band during the reception. The jazz guitar was very classy and perfect for cocktail hour! They also sang all of the songs that we requested from their playlist, and put them in an order that transitioned really well. Mike and the band also kept all aspects of the event on time, and did an awesome job with all of the announcements. Mike also went over all name pronunciations in advance, and it showed during the reception! We had so many guests comment during and after the event on how impressed they were by the band. We really cannot thank Standing Room enough for making our reception a great experience!
The band was great! We thought they were outstanding, and our guests still talk about them months later.
More than anything, we wanted our wedding to be a giant dance party. We were dead set on having live music and are so happy with choice of bands! Mike was responsive, professional, and flexible in working with our venue, our budget, and our timeline for the night.
They learned a new song for our first dance, and they killed it. It was exactly what we wanted it to be!
We also loved their easy online form that lists everything they play and lets you request specific songs, specify ones to avoid, and give general notes about what you’re looking for. However, we were a little disappointed with some of their song choices. If you’re like us, you might want to request going over the set list in advance with them.
All that being said, we were still thrilled with Standing Room Only, and we would highly recommend them to anyone!
I honest to God can't say enough about working with SRO. First of all, it was super easy - we saw all of the good reviews online and listened to some of the music on their website. That was it - that was all that we did. It could have gone horribly wrong but it didn't - the reviews are not here to lead you astray - they were a fantastic wedding band.
The dance floor was packed all night (which is the only thing that my husband and I wanted. Literally -the only piece of the party we cared about). At one point, several people came up to me to tell me that they thought they were lip-synching because THAT'S how good they sounded. If you're reading this review and trying to decide just stop right now and make SRO your choice. You won't regret it.
We can't say enough about this band, they truly made our night. Don't get me wrong, we would have gotten married either way and I'm sure had a great time, but Standing Room Only made it an unforgettable night for us and our guests. You know the band is good when you're on the dance floor and you forget there's a band playing because it sounds like so much like the actual artist. We had so many guests telling us that it was the most fun wedding they'd been to in a long long time. I have to give most of the credit for that to SRO. Obviously not all, my wife and I are pretty fun... They really know how to keep the party going and how to work a room. All our aunts and uncles and even our grandma's were on the dance floor at one point. That's pretty impressive. The picture on their website is not a fluke, if you hire this band the dance floor will be packed all night. I'm sure we could have gotten a band for less money but I couldn't be happier with the job they did. They deserve every star I gave them in this review. The contact process was easy and they got back to us right away. There were some songs that we wanted them to play that weren't on their song list, that was no problem they learned them before the wedding. Very professional and their value, in my opinion, is through the roof. I highly recommend Standing Room Only, and you will too if you hire them. Thanks again for making our day that much better guys, really do appreciate everything.
Dave and Rachel
such talented musicians. We featured a three piece jazz trio for our cocktail hour outside in the courtyard of the ivy room. The music was so lovely and just what we wanted for this part of the day!
Standing Room Only did the most incredible job at our wedding. The entire evening was so much fun, which was largely due to SRO. The music selection was perfect for all ages, and the dance floor was packed the entire time. They had such a great energy. All of our guests are still telling us how amazing the band was.
It's been 5 months since my wedding, and guests from the wedding still bring up how amazing the band was. When I started planning the wedding, I hadn't really thought it would make a big difference to have a band or a DJ, but now that I've been to a few weddings I realize what a huge different a great band can make. The dance floor was packed the whole night - we had to actually kick people out at the end! They were great about communicating with us throughout the planning, learning a few songs that we cared about, putting together a set list based on what we did and didn't want played, and giving us recommendations when we weren't sure. They also hosted the reception - introducing speeches, toasts, etc., and did a great job. All in all, I just could not recommend them more highly!
Hire Standing Room Only Orchestra for your wedding! Mike was awesome to work with- so nice, accommodating, and always available to answer questions/offer suggestions. The music is great- sounds just like the original artists! They play such a wide variety of music-- something for everyone! Seriously one of the best bands I've ever heard! Worth every penny!
What an amazing band. I heard them at my friends wedding and snatched them up right away. I've seen them now at 3 different functions and can't get enough of them. They played everything from 50's to recent pop hits. They kept everyone on the dance floor the whole night. I was worried we were going to have to take my cousin out on a stretcher from exhaustion (he refused to leave the dance floor.) I forgot to tell them that I needed their help getting a string quartet for my ceremony. Sure enough Mike pulled through 2 weeks before and locked someone in for us. A friend of the family's company is going to use them for future corporate events. I wish we had added an extra hour onto our package just so I could keep dancing. (Someone might have had to carry me out of there!!) Hire them - you'd be a fool not to.
This band is great! They sound very much like the artists of the songs they sing. Mike is great to work with and really keeps the night flowing well. People were on the floor all night!
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Chicago and Burbs and Midwest Region
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Meet the team
Kara Kesselring
Owner
Kara Kesselring has been the keyboard player & vocalist of Standing Room Only Orchestra for over 22 years. Kara is a proud female business owner in the Chicago live entertainment & event industry. She and the SRO team bring cohesive musicianship to every event. From the first client inquiry to the last wrap of a microphone cable, Kara's hands on approach to each and every performance insures the upmost quality of music, emcee & sound. In addition to being a veteran of the SRO band, Kara has been an accomplished freelance musician on the Chicago music and theater scene for over twenty years.
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Standing Room Only Orchestra
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