About this vendor
String Trio / Duo / Solo
Based in Saint Paul, MN, Watercress Strings will bring beautiful and memorable live music to your wedding day. This all-women trio plays gorgeous arrangements across a wide range of genres, creating a romantic and elegant atmosphere for your celebration. Their musical talent and professional service will ensure a memorable experience for you and yours.
Anna (violinist) has built her reputation teaching and performing in the Twin Cities and plays with various ensembles, including the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and Lirica Chamber Ensemble. Ellen (violist) freelances on violin, viola, and piano and runs a private lesson studio in St. Paul. She has performed with Artistry Theater, the Apollo Club, and Michael Bublé. Hilary is the principal cellist of the St. Andrew’s Chamber Orchestra and a founding member of the Watercress Strings. She spends her time teaching cello at her home studio and touring the country with indie bands.
The versatility, musical talent, and unparalleled customer service these women bring to every event have created a beautiful atmosphere to countless amazing weddings. Couples and their guests love the elegant addition of their beautiful live string music throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour, and/or reception.
Watercress Strings offers a variety of genres and styles for you to choose from, including pop, classical, jazz, Celtic, folk, and dance. They will help you select the perfect music for your wedding.
Contact Ellen for a free consultation to discuss your musical needs!
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Instruments
- Cello
- Fiddle
- Viola
- Violin
Music Genres
- Bluegrass
- Celtic
- Classical
- Country
- Dance
- Disco
Music Services
- Live Music
- Recorded Music
Wedding Activities
- Rehearsals & Parties
- Rehearsal Dinner
- Welcome Party
- Wedding
- Ceremony
- Cocktail Hour
Awards and Affiliations
Pricing
Curious to learn more?
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.034 reviews
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
The Watercress Trio was a highlight at multiple weddings, providing beautiful music that enhanced the ceremony and cocktail hour. Reviewers praised the trio's professionalism, communication, and flexibility in accommodating song requests. Ellen, the group leader, was commended for her responsiveness and kindness, making the planning process seamless and enjoyable. Guests were impressed by the trio's talent and how they contributed to creating a special and unforgettable atmosphere. Overall, the Watercress Trio received numerous recommendations for their exceptional performance at weddings and special events.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 2
- Top reviews
- Newest first
- Oldest first
- Highest rated
- Lowest rated
Sort by
Watercress trio was one of the best vendor decisions we made! The music was absolutely beautiful and made our ceremony so special. They were also so flexible with our music needs and made everything so seamless!
The Watercress String Trio was absolutely spectacular at our wedding. Not only did they show up well in advance to get acquainted and verify ceremony details with key ceremony participants, they absolutely nailed our chosen set list. We had some custom songs for them too and they clearly went into our ceremony well rehearsed! They were the highlight of the ceremony per our many guests. They made the whole process seamless from booking, to song recommendations, to consultations. We couldn’t have been more pleased with choosing the Watercress String Trio for our wedding day.
From, the newlyweds (J & M)
Watercress Trio made our ceremony and cocktail hour so special. Ellen and her team were absolutely amazing! Great communication, music, and timeliness! Highly recommend booking them for your wedding day or other special events! :) Thank you, Ellen!!!
Response from the Vendor on 09/25/2024
Thank you, Luci! We had such a fun time celebrating you and Z! All the best to you both :) -Ellen
Any questions?
Ellen and her group were incredible. They sounded absolutely amazing and made my wedding ceremony more special and beautiful than I could have imagined.
Ellen was extremely professional, easy to communicate with, and incredibly kind. I would highly recommend Watercress Trio to anyone looking to elevate their event.
Response from the Vendor on 09/25/2024
Thank you, Courtney! We were so touched by your beautiful service. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review! Cheers to you guys!
Amazing! Excellent communication, competitive pricing, beautiful music. 10/10 would use watercress again. They made our day so special!
Response from the Vendor on 09/25/2024
Thank you, Hannah! We were so honored to be part of celebration for you and S! All the best to you guys, Ellen
Easy to communicate and work with during the planning stages. They were very flexible and accommodating with the music selection. They really made the wedding beautiful, fun, and special.
Response from the Vendor on 09/25/2024
Thank you, Tammy! We are so glad the music fit perfectly for the day. Thank you for your kind words. All the best to you and your family! Ellen
The string trio showed up on time and played beautiful music during our ceremony. Many of our guests commented on how lovely the string trio played. We are very happy with Watercress Trio and highly recommend.
Response from the Vendor on 07/30/2024
Thank you so much, Jennifer. We are so thrilled you and your guests enjoyed the music. Cheers! Ellen
Ellen & the Watercress String Trio are amazing! They are communicative, professional, and as a wedding planner very fun and easy to work with!
Response from the Vendor on 07/30/2024
Thank you, Kallan! We love working with you and hope to see you soon! All the best, Ellen
The Watercress Trio played for my daughter’s wedding (both the ceremony and cocktail hour). They were fabulous. They met every expectation, played every requested song. Great communication. They were an intricate part of an amazing day! Thank you so much! Would highly recommend!
Response from the Vendor on 07/30/2024
Hi Joneen! Thank you so much for your kind words. We wish you and your family all the best. Warmly, Ellen
The Watercress String Trio played for our wedding a few weeks ago and I couldn’t be happier that they did! Not only did we get TONS of compliments about them, had the most beautiful music throughout our ceremony, but also got to complete a dream of ours by having live music at our wedding. The trio is also the kindest and coolest group ever, seriously enjoyed talking to them as much as I enjoyed their playing. Communication with Ellen was so easy and she’s super responsive and helpful! HIGHLY recommend!!
Response from the Vendor on 06/11/2024
Thank you so much, Sydney! You and Seth are so cute together :) We loved playing for your beautiful ceremony. All the best to you both! Ellen
The music for both our wedding and the “hour of happy” was lovely and this was by far the most attentive and responsive vendor that we used!
Response from the Vendor on 10/22/2023
Thank you so much, Carla. We had a wonderful time playing for K&S -- it was a beautiful day! All the best to you and your family, Ellen
Watercress Trio provided us with the most gorgeous ceremony music we could have ever imagined. They were incredibly professional but not detached - their performance felt intimate, connected, and was genuinely brilliant. They were responsive, flexible, and kind and worked together with us to ensure we had the perfect music selections for our day, contributing greatly to a ceremony that we will never forget!
Response from the Vendor on 10/16/2023
Clay--thank you so much for this incredibly kind review. We loved the music you and K chose for the ceremony and were honored to collaborate with some friends for special music during the ceremony! Thank you for inviting us to be part of your s...
pecial day. All the best to you both! Ellen
The Watercree Trio really made our ceremony feel special. It was beautiful hearing the music that my partner and I had chosen for our ceremony. Ellen was lovely and helpful to work with. I would recommend for ceremony and cocktail hour!
Response from the Vendor on 10/04/2023
Thank you for your kind words, Elizabeth! Your wedding was so beautiful and we were honored to be a part of it. All the best to you both --Ellen
From the beginning we had great communication with Ellen. She answered any and all questions we had. We set up time to chat when it got closer to go over the details. Watercress String Trio was able to play all the songs we wanted. There was a small $20 - $25 fee for certain songs but it was well worth it. Fast forward to the day, our guests had nothing but great things to say. I really wish I was a guest at our wedding to just sit there and listen to the music but I have a short clip of one song to listen to. They made our day special and the music was lovely. I can't thank them enough for driving to our location to be there with us! Thank you so much ladies, you are magical!
Response from the Vendor on 10/04/2023
Thank you so much, Jennifer! We loved all your musical selections -- we were singing them all on the way back to the Twin Cities! Cheers to you both --Ellen
Ellen was absolutely fabulous to work with! She responded promptly and was really accommodating with our special requests! I only heard good things about the music from my guests after the ceremony!
Response from the Vendor on 09/18/2023
Thank you, Sydney! I loved helping you plan the perfect music for your special day. All the best to you both! -Ellen
We are so incredibly happy we had the watercress string trio at our wedding. Ellen was so quick and easy to coordinate with. We had specific songs we wanted during our ceremony and they were willing to make them all happen, even a hip hop song! Each song was beautiful and perfect. We could hear it all even with our outdoor wedding. They are reasonably priced and absolutely well worth it. Go with Watercress string trio for your wedding or any event you want live strings for! Thank you so much you made our day so special and it will always be a highlight for us
Response from the Vendor on 09/15/2023
Thank you, Amy! We loved your musical selections! We really appreciate your kind words. All the best to you and your family. -Ellen
Highly recommend booking Watercress String Trio for your wedding! We received so many compliments on how beautiful the music was during our wedding ceremony. They are all so talented and helped to set the perfect mood as guests arrived and throughout the ceremony. Ellen was so easy to work with and extremely communicative throughout the booking / planning process – everything you could hope for in a wedding vendor!
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2023
Thank you, Leah! We loved your song selections and had a great time celebrating you both! Thank you for your kind words. All the best, Ellen
We absolutely loved working with Watercress Trio for our wedding. Having them play during our ceremony and cocktail hour added so much class, fun, and excitement to our day. They are extremely talented musicians! We enjoyed the process of working with Ellen from early on in our wedding planning through the day of- she is extremely kind and professional and helped us to define our tastes for the day (because we were pretty clueless!). I would absolutely recommend this trio to others for their special occasion. They are amazing!
Response from the Vendor on 09/11/2023
Thank you, Maggie! We loved your meaningful service and had a blast playing during your cocktail hour--especially for all the little ones dancing along! All the best, Ellen
We highly recommend Watercress Trio for your wedding !!! This dazzling trio of gifted musicians played their viola, violin, and cello with excellence , and brought the perfect mood to our wedding ceremony and reception! Their talent is top-nothch! Ellen is very organized and clear to communicate with! We would recommend them to everyone for weddings and beyond! Reneé and Ted
Response from the Vendor on 08/02/2023
Thank you, Reneé and Ted! We loved your musical choices and had a wonderful time playing for your beautiful wedding. All the best to you both, Ellen
The Watercress String Trio played at our wedding reception at both the cocktail hour and during the meal. They were super easy to work with, very professional, flexible, and most importantly, the music was great. Highly recommend them!
Response from the Vendor on 06/27/2023
Thank you, Tricia! We really enjoyed playing for your beautiful reception. Cheers! -Ellen
The Watercress Trio played at our wedding ceremony and they were amazing - highly highly recommend! We received many compliments about them from our guests. The process of choosing the songs we would like to be played was super easy and they were very accommodating to our requests!
Response from the Vendor on 06/16/2023
Thank you, Carla, for your kind words. We loved your musical choices :) All the best to you both! -Ellen
Very professional group! Easy to work with, communication leading up to ceremony was excellent. They were flexible when we had to move our ceremony inside due to rain. Music before/after ceremony was lovely. Highly recommend!!
Response from the Vendor on 06/15/2023
Thank you, Laura! We had a blast playing for your beautiful ceremony. Thank you for your kind words! -Ellen
Ellen was the violinist at our wedding and it was absolutely stunning. She was accompanied by a family friend who is a pianist and they were an absolute dream together. Ellen had good communication skills and was a complete professional.
Response from the Vendor on 06/10/2023
Thank you, Erin! I had such a great time performing for your beautiful wedding. Congratulations to you and C :)
I recently officiated at a beautiful wedding, made more so by the magnificent playing of the Watercress String Trio. They were a highlight of the ceremony, adding just the right note of distinction and beauty for our bride and groom. I recommend them highly for this sort of event, or any other where a high-quality classical ensemble would be desirable.
Response from the Vendor on 06/01/2023
Thank you so much, Reverend! We were honored to be a part of C&R's ceremony and we loved working with you! Thank you for your kind words.
Watercress String Trio made my ceremony, and cocktail hour extremely special. I worked with them directly to cater the playlist to our musical tastes. Even though it has been months since my wedding, the music stands out in my memory as one of my favorite parts of our special day! They even learned a specific Queen song for us! Their attention to detail, the thought that went into the playlist, and their tremendous musical abilities make them a "must-book" for your wedding or event!
Response from the Vendor on 02/16/2023
Thank you so much, Sara! We had such a blast celebrating you and B back in August. All the best to you both--I hope to see you at the 331 again :)
Ellen
Their beautiful, elegant music added a lot to the wedding and reception. In addition, they perfectly accompanied me as I played guitar and sang to my wife as she walked down the aisle. They were very easy to work with and seamlessly joined in and collaborated on how I wanted it to sound. Highly recommend, very professional, punctual, and skilled.
Response from the Vendor on 02/05/2023
Thank you so much, Mike! It was incredibly special to play with you while you sang to your amazing bride. We appreciate your kind review. All the best to you and L!
Watercress String trio played for our son’s wedding and created a beautiful atmosphere throughout the event. They were punctual, professional and in every way a pleasure to work with. Ellen was very quick to respond to our inquiries and provided clear communication. This trio made a special day even more magical.
Response from the Vendor on 02/05/2023
Thank you, Carla! What a special afternoon for an amazing family! Thank you for taking the time to write us a review.
Watercress String Trio was professional, very accommodating and played beautifully at my daughter's wedding ceremony! We listened to several groups before selecting Watercress. My daughter has a trained ear, and she loved this trio as soon as she heard them. Their music filled the venue perfectly. We made an excellent decision to add this group to her ceremony. I would highly recommend Watercress String Trio.
Response from the Vendor on 01/24/2023
Thank you, Felicity! We had a wonderful time playing for A&L. Thank you for having us be a part of the special day. All the best!
The Watercress Trio was a true joy to work with for our wedding. Not only were they incredibly talented musicians, but they were also incredibly accommodating and happy to collaborate with my brother-in-law to play traditional Jewish songs during the ceremony. Their performance was absolutely beautiful and elevated our special day to new heights. They were the definition of professional, arriving early and making sure everything was just perfect. We couldn't have asked for a better experience, and we will be forever grateful for the memories they helped create. I would highly recommend the Watercress Trio to anyone looking for a top-notch string trio for their special event. They exceeded all of our expectations!
Response from the Vendor on 01/19/2023
Thanks so much, Jenna! It was a pleasure performing for your wedding and we had a blast playing with Josh! All the best to you and your family.
From start to finish working with the Watercress String Trio was an great experience. Before the wedding, they went above and beyond helping us decide which music would match the mood we were looking for. On the day of the wedding, they arrived early, were extremely professional, and made the ceremony one that my wife and I will never forget.
Response from the Vendor on 01/19/2023
Thank you, Tommy! It was an honor to be a part of such a special evening--and at such a picturesque location! Thank you for the kind words, and all the best to you and J.
We hired Watercress String Trio to play at my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration and they were absolutely amazing! They offered a wide range of music genres and were very accommodating and helpful with creating a plan to fit our occasion. Ellen was great to work with, was very professional , punctual and a great communicator. I plan on recommending Watercress String Trio to any friends or family looking for a string trio in the future!
The trio arrived ready to go ahead of time. They performed beautifully and looked acted professional.
Very quick to respond to questions and emails.
Watercress Trio was absolutely amazing! We had them play during our ceremony and for cocktail hour before dinner. The ceremony was outside on a grass lawn and their sound was perfect. Their beautiful music really set a wonderful romantic and classy environment. We pictured an outside cocktail hour – but, because it was so hot, everyone moved inside. Watercress trio was so flexible, they moved to inside the venue to play. Ellen was so easy, friendly, and supportive to work with. I would absolutely book them again!
Response from the Vendor on 08/21/2018
Thank you, Martha! We had a blast playing for your beautiful ceremony.
Fantastic from the start of the wedding ceremony planning process to the day of performance. Large selection of music (from classical to Disney to today’s hits) to choose from along with guidance in creating the perfect repertoire for our wedding day. Working with Green was an absolute joy! Very professional, incredibly prompt and clear with communication, very easy to get ahold of, and the trio provided a truly wonderful performance on our wedding day. So very pleased we chose to work with Watercress Trio!
Response from the Vendor on 08/21/2018
Thank you, Libby! It was a joy to play for you and Andy. Cheers to an amazing future for you both!
Contact
Minnesota and surrounding states
Interested?
Meet the team
Ellen Hacker
Manager
Hi couples! I'm Ellen, Violist and Manager for Watercress. Musicians are asked to play all different kinds of events, but weddings are some of my favorite gigs of the year. I enjoy getting to know each couple and tailoring the music to perfectly match the vibe of the day. No two weddings are the same and that's what makes them so fun!
Anna, Hilary and I are all professional musicians, but more importantly, we share in your excitement for the day. We are flexible, warm, prompt (and fun!) musicians, and we feel lucky to share our music with our community. Contact me for a free consultation!
Message vendor
*=Required
Starting Cost: $$ – Affordable
Ellen Hacker
MANAGER
Typically responds within 24h
- Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
- Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
- Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
- For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.
By clicking 'Request Quote', you agree to The Knot creating an account for you, if you don't have one, and to our Terms of Use. See our Privacy Policy to learn what data we collect and how we use it.
- Wedding Vendors/
- Ensembles + Soloists/
- Minnesota Ensembles + Soloists/
- Saint Paul Ensembles + Soloists/
Watercress String Trio's photos