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Venus Ensembles - "when every note counts"

4.9

(36)

New York City and beyond, NY

About This Vendor

Only the finest classical and jazz musicians

Top-rated by New York Magazine, we provide simply the best musicians in NYC paired with the expert guidance of Juilliard graduate. With our vast repertoire, you can musically personalize your wedding any way you see fit - our classical musicians can play anything from Bach to Beyonce.

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Awards and Affiliations

Venus Ensembles - "when every note counts" Reviews

Reviewed On 10/12/2018 by Katharine S

My only regret from my wedding was not hiring a videographer to capture the brilliance of Venus Ensembles. Jessica was amazing to work with and her team is beyond talented. I was very particular about the timing of "Nessun Dorma" for my brida...

l procession and Jessica and the quartet absolutely nailed it! It was so beautiful and better than I could have ever expected (this why you leave certain things to the professionals!) Venus Ensembles is an easy choice if you ask me! Truly spectacular.

Response from the Vendor on 10/16/2018

It was such a pleasure to perform for your wedding!

Reviewed On 11/07/2016 by Pascal B

Positively spectacular! I worked with Jessica to set the tone, only giving two specific songs to play, and "overall feeling" for the rest. The ensemble NAILED it - it was exactly what I hoped for. (As an ice skater and dancer, my ears are di...

scerning! ;) I lost count of the number of guests coming up to me after the Ceremony to compliment the musicians and to say how spectacularly they played. The best part? My husband saying, emphatically, "they were AWESOME!!!" Thank you so much, Jessica, and team - I could not have asked for better music to accompany our party, myself and my father, and and my new husband and me as we were introduced - dream come true, and divine on every level! <3

Reviewed On 5/24/2015 by Alice S

Venus Ensembles musicians are worth every penny. You will get the best trained musicians in NYC. Jessica's experience was apparent in her helpful advice and suggestions.

Reviewed On 4/25/2015 by Knottie68772259

We just celebrated our daughter's wedding at the Villard Mansion @ the NY Palace. We used a string trio from Venus Ensembles to play during the cocktail hour in the Mansion's Library. They were wonderful and everyone enjoyed the eclectic mix of...

music they played. The musicians were professional, on time and excellent. One of everyone's favorites was their rendition of Star Wars. We could not have asked for a more elegant touch for the wedding. Jessica the owner was a joy to work with and her expertise was invaluable. Highly Recommend Venue Ensembles!

Reviewed On 10/27/2014 by Emily C

Jessica Meyer of Venus Ensembles is committed to making your ceremony absolutely perfect! She is beyond attentive leading up to your event and has an incredible network of musicians willing and able to play your event. The musicians were top no...

tch. I trained classically on violin for 15 years and was beyond pleased with the music at my ceremony. The musicians transformed my ceremony space into a peaceful oasis and I will always remember my ceremony music for the rest of my life. I keep replaying the songs over and over again in my mind because they were absolutely lovely! If you are looking for professional musicians, Venus Ensembles is for you. They are a bit pricier than the average wedding musician but ABSOLUTELY worth it. I wouldn't second guess this decision...act now!

Reviewed On 10/08/2014 by Meredith L

Venus ensembles was wonderful to work with and extremely talented. They made our ceremony and cocktail hour unforgettable!

Reviewed On 7/22/2014 by Charissa C

We found Venus Ensembles through a recommendation from our officiant and were so happy that we chose them for our ceremony and cocktail music. Jessica was super organized, responsive, and professional throughout every step of the planning proc...

ess. The arrangements and music were high quality and made the wedding day special and memorable. We would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat!

Reviewed On 6/11/2014 by Catherine S

Venus Ensembles was a great choice for music during our ceremony and cocktail reception. The music was beautiful and Jessica was super accommodating and helpful during the planning process. I have only positive things to say about working ...

with them and would recommend them to any bride !

Reviewed On 6/04/2014 by Knottie99871136

Venus Ensembles was an exceptional partner in bringing a string quartet experience into our backyard wedding. Jessica was a great delight to work with in advance of the event providing guidance to ensuring the type of musical experience I was ...

in search of. The string quartet arrived promptly and managed to bring the variety in music we wanted. Our guests raved about them and felt it was a highlight to the wedding. I highly recommend.

Reviewed On 6/02/2014 by Marissa Z

We hired Venus Ensembles to provide a string quartet for the wedding ceremony music and they could not have been more perfect. We requested a mix of classical songs with a few contemporary songs mixed in - and they played every song beautifully...

. Our guests loved listening to them play as everyone arrived and took their seats. Jessica was extremely professional, knowledgeable, responsive and overall very easy to work with. I'm so glad we chose to work with Venus Ensembles as they were the perfect addition to our NYC wedding.

Reviewed On 11/17/2013 by heatherk620

I just re-watched my wedding video over the weekend, and can't say enough how happy I am that we chose Venus Ensembles. Jessica was extremely helpful and responsive during the planning phase, all of the instrumentalists arrived on time and wer...

e elegantly dressed, the amplification was just right for our 500+ person wedding, and the song selections were perfect. My biggest regret was not being able to listen to the quartet play during the actual wedding - I was too busy getting ready upstairs to hear much of it. Thank goodness for the wedding video!

Reviewed On 10/29/2013 by Claira K

We had a violin/cello duo for the ceremony and a jazz trio for our reception and the musicians were amazing. It set the perfect tone for the elegant setting. Jessica helped me pick the right combination of musicians/instruments and she could ...

not be any nicer as well as very professional. All around amazing experience.

Reviewed On 10/20/2013 by Olivia C

Being an alternative couple, we loved the fact that Venus specializes in contemporary music. My wedding party walked down the aisle to The Cure, I to Radiohead and the recessional was a Smashing Pumpkins song. All meaningful songs to us, but s...

et on strings was beautiful to all ears. My husband was in charge of booking all music and said Jessica was fabulous to work with. Excellent communication and service! Highly recommend!

Reviewed On 10/15/2013 by a member

I cannot express how amazing Jessica and the Venus Ensembles musicians are. I looked at many different arrangements for our pre-ceremony and ceremony music, however Venus was the most professional, friendly, and talented group I have ever come ...

across in my experience in the event/wedding industry. Every interaction - from the phone to our wedding day - impressed me and exceeded my expectations. My husband and I wanted contemporary songs played on strings, and upon first speaking to Jessica, she had shared ideas that were exactly in line with what we were looking for. My husband's name is Jesse, and although it wasn't on their repertoire list, she assured me they would be able to play "Jesse's Girl" on our wedding day. They played the song FLAWLESSLY, with timing that couldn't have been more perfect. As stated above, Venus provided the perfect soundtrack for the most special day of our lives, and I couldn't be more thankful to them for their work. I highly recommend Jessica and the Venue Ensembles team to anyone and everyone... Thank you so much again for making our wedding ceremony so special. I can't wait to see the video to hear "Jesse's Girl" again!

Reviewed On 10/08/2013 by marisa k

We had a last minute change in plans for our wedding and I no longer wanted the organist for the church to play at our wedding. I then began scrambling for a violinist or duo/trio to play at our ceremony only. I came across the Venus Ensembles ...

on theknot.com and read their reviews and began communicating with Jessica. She was incredibly helpful and quick to respond and got us all set up and organized. She even was very helpful to my Uncle who sang for the bridal party's entrance. I would definitely recommend them.

Reviewed On 9/23/2013 by Dina T

We hired Venus Ensembles for our ceremony and pre-ceremony music. Jessica was very professional, even met with me in person before booking to answer all of my questions. The musicians on the day of were great, and worked hand in hand with my DJ...

because I wanted my processional played from a recording and everything else to be by Venus Ensembles. Everyone said afterwards that they did a great job and LOVED their rendition of Get Lucky! I would not hesitate to hire Venus Ensembles for your wedding or any other special event!

Reviewed On 9/23/2013 by dina t

Reviewed On 9/19/2013 by Andrea O

Jessica and her ensemble did a wonderful job performing at the service.The music was beautiful and made for a very elegant ceremony. It was a pleasure listening to the music. Many guests came over to me and complimented the ensemble. They thoug...

ht the music was simply beautiful, and made the ceremony,as did I. Thank you for being so professional, I know we got you on short notice. I would gladly recommend you to others.

Reviewed On 9/19/2013 by Julie H

My husband and I were married at the Chanler in Newport, RI on September 1, 2013. We started our planning process on July 5, 2013, almost 7 weeks prior to the date. Our wedding planner True Event connected us with Venus Ensembles, and quickly J...

essica engaged with us for the event and we began the decision process for the musical program. Jessica made the decision process painless with lists for both classical and contemporary music. She also agreed to perform a special song not on their list which made our day very special!We used the string trio with classical for the ceremony and contemporary for the reception hour. The music was beautiful! I highly recommend Venus Ensembles for exceptional service and beautiful music!

Reviewed On 9/18/2013 by Briiiiiiiiii

Venus was amazing. Professional, helpful, and talented. The perfect background for a perfect day!

Reviewed On 9/16/2013 by jabrahamaolcom

Venus Ensemble looked and performed with such professionalism. I was really proud to have them as part of our wedding. When I found out that our church required live music as any recorded music betrayed copywright laws i didnt know if we could ...

find a group who could play our very specific music. And there was Venus ensemble, and they played the exact arrangement we wanted. They were very good with us in helping us find something within our budget as well.

Reviewed On 7/15/2013 by Maria W

We had Venus Ensembles trio play for our ceremony and cocktail hour. They were outstanding. I highly recommend them to anyone. They have a diverse repertoire of music; classical, jazz, rock, pop... We had fun mixing up our tunes to change t...

he tone. Well in advance of the wedding, we put it a special request and they played it expertly. Seems like they can play anything beautifully. Before the wedding day, and the day of, we felt assured by their confidence and professionalism.

Reviewed On 5/29/2013 by Jeri M

Venus Ensembles offers many types of music for your ceremony and/or cocktail hour. I was really happy with the options they had. As the bride I couldn't hear much of the music before I was walking down the aisle, but I was happy with what I did...

hear. One thing I would say is they recommended three musicians for our crowd of 110, but I was told it was a little hard to hear them at some points, so one more musician may have helped.

Reviewed On 8/26/2012 by Paul C

We were extremely pleased with how Venus Ensembles came through for us both before and on our wedding day. Since they were recommended to us by a trusted friend, I was pretty confident going into it that they would deliver for us. Jessica was...

really on top of things administratively in terms of asking details about the date, venue, our music choices, etc. without being overly burdensome. And on what was a clearly busy and somewhat stressful time before our ceremony, I appreciated Jessica's low key approach to meeting me beforehand and working out the last minute logistical details given the late start and somewhat erratic and inclement weather. I also thought it was marvelous how the quartet stretched the music when I signaled Jessica that the processional was taking a little longer than planned. I think our guest were also quite impressed – a few friends asked about you and complimented your tasteful performance. Venus Ensembles also clearly won over my father (who is no slouch when it comes to classical music) as evidenced by his coming over to meet you after the ceremony. Venus Ensembles really is the sine qua non for couples who want to have outstanding music at their wedding.

Reviewed On 8/17/2012 by Amanda H

My husband love music and wanted a mix of classical and contemporary music during our ceremony. The ensemble did a spectacular job with Can't Help Falling in Love for the bridal processional and for an extra fee they were willing to learn a Si...

gur Ros song to play during the family processional. It couldn't have been more perfect! Jessica was a pleasure to work with, offering her advice when needed and responding promptly to my emails.

Reviewed On 8/10/2012 by Emily S

Jessica did a beautiful job at my daughter's wedding, assembling a montage of music and managing the day, from pre-ceremony through cocktail hour, with grace and professionalism. My daughter had very specific ideas about what she wanted, includ...

ing pieces of music I thought would stump any musical ensemble, but Jessica went to work finding sheet music for every request. When we weren't sure which types of musicians to include, she offered several ideas, never trying to grab more money than necessary to make the day lovely. The wedding took place on a scorching, humid day just past noon. I feared Jessica and her musicians might melt, along with the bride. But she handled every detail with not a single complaint and managed to move the musicians from a park-like setting to the indoor reception with grace. I highly recommend Venus Ensembles. You will not have to worry about a thing, where music is concerned!

Reviewed On 11/22/2011 by Ryan Ann C

Venus Ensembles were excellent! Jessica went above and beyond to make my wedding day special and put much effort into dealing with the music director of my Church. She sought out sheet music and keep in constant communication with me and the "n...

ot so easy to deal with" church limitations . I don't think many others would have the type of patience that Jessica displayed throughout the entire planning process! On the day of, the musicians were professional and the music was beautiful; we're still getting compliments on the ceremony music!

Reviewed On 11/02/2011 by Selena M

We couldn't be happier with how well the wedding day went and Venus Ensembles played an extremely important role in that. Jessica was a pleasure to work with from the start and extremely patient. We left some of our final decisions for the ce...

remony and cocktail hour music until the last minute, but the quartet was able to execute flawlessly even when we decided to choose some songs (all pop/rock songs!) that weren't a part of their current repertoire. I was very impressed with their musical range and professionalism and would love the opportunity to refer them to anyone looking for an amazing group of musicians for their event.

Reviewed On 10/26/2011 by Allison L

Working with Jessica has been nothing but wonderful from start to finish. She was extremely professional and helped me with any questions I had during the planning process. At the last minute, I decided to change some things around and she was ...

(again) wonderful and able to accomodate us. Our wedding ceremony sounded amazing - we couldn't have been happier with Venus Ensembles! 5 stars for sure!

Reviewed On 10/08/2011 by joy C

Jessica was so helpful in picking the music for the wedding!! We had a flute and viola at our ceremony in the Brooklyn botanical gardens and it was just perfect! They were able to play modern music such as Coldplay & Jason mraz! Everything was ...

just perfect and I highhhlyyyy recommend Venus Ensembles!!

Reviewed On 10/08/2011 by Christine M

My experience with Venus Ensembles was absolutely great. They were top notch musicians who added another level of class to our wedding. Jessica made planning our affair as simple as can be and when Hurricane Irene forced us to reschedule our ...

wedding, she was as understanding as possible in helping us make that change. We had a great variety of music- light classical for people arriving and hospitality, classical wedding standards during the ceremony, and rock/pop/jazz tunes for cocktail. A great mix overall that set a beautiful tone for our ceremony and reception. I would gladly recommend Venus Ensembles to anyone looking for the best musicians with the most experience.

Reviewed On 10/05/2011 by Rosie T

Venus Ensembles saved my day, as I was worried about using an IPOD for my ceremony music. The owner, Jessica Meyer, was super-nice and helpful. Jessica put my mind at ease. Even though the idea of having live music was important to me from t...

he beginning, I didn't think it was possible, but didn't know for sure up until 2 weeks before my wedding. I humbly asked Jessica if she could help me again; luckily for me, she accepted. I'm eternally grateful. Jessica took my tastes and my budget into account. I hired a flutist and violaist (because from listening to my complementary CD, those were the instruments I enjoyed the most and that would work in my smaller venue); they were both warm and very professional! Everyone loved having them perform. It was relaxing to have live music that I selected play before and during my ceremony and it made my special day so much more spectacular having musicians from Venus Ensembles play. Book them!

Reviewed On 9/22/2011 by Rebecca Y

I had an awesome time at my wedding - and the musicians were outstanding!! Everyone kept complimenting them on how professional and pleasant they were, especially since they kept playing until I arrived (20 min late!!). Jessica was a huge h...

elp from the beginning, and truly an easy person to work with. The musicians were professionals and did not need much instruction - which was such a relief. They knew exactly what & when to play. Our music ranged from Coldplay to Con te Partiro... I would highly recommend Venus Ensembles to everyone! They were kind, professional, and best of all - very affordable! My warmest regards & THANKS to Jessica & staff at VE. RM

Reviewed On 8/16/2011 by Marisa F

Venus offers a wide array of musical styles. For us, we wanted classic rock for our all of our ceremony music, including the prelude songs. We had the string quartet play Wonderful Tonight, Hallelujah and All You Need Is Love for our ceremony m...

usic and it was perfect. Everyone told us how beautiful the music was. I found Jessica to be really easy to work with and her prices fair.

Reviewed On 9/08/2007 by Barbara B

;They are very serious about not playing outside if it even looks like it MIGHT drizzle...so have a backup plan.

Reviewed On 8/18/2007 by JOANY C

These musicians were well experienced. They were able to play any request we had. we had them play at the rehearsal dinner, ceremony and cocktail hour. the range of music was extrordinary.