The truth is, we heard the band at another friend's wedding in Southern Maine thirteen months before our own nuptials - and a month before we were even engaged - and it might as well have been at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Immediately, booking the band was a priority. Well, that and Seamus buying me an engagement ring.

From the moment we inquired about availability to the last number of the evening, Bob, Cindy and the rest of the band were interested in making the evening about Seamus and me - getting to know us, our families, and our priorities. My parents requested a Sam & Dave number - mid-wedding - that the band probably hadn't played in years (if ever), and made it the last dance of the evening - subsequently making my parents' day. Bob Charest has a way of reading a crowd, and all of our guests - from the youngest cousins to our parents' friends - were dancing. I am sure Cindy has the photos to prove it.

Although the band was willing to learn any song for our first dance, we hoped to feature our brother-in-law, Dan, on guitar and vocals for this piece. Bob was beyond accommodating in this sense, and was in touch with Dan to organize and provide back-ups to the Jack Johnson number. Dan reported that this was the “best wedding band he had ever heard” and was honored to play beside them.

The group deserves as much praise for their communication and preparations leading up the performance as they do the performance itself. Their easy-to-navigate website is full of photographs, biographies, and music samples, as well as a "Check Availability" feature (I recommend working around Bob's schedule as you consider setting your date!) In addition, Cindy was quick to respond to email and phone inquiries and I so enjoyed getting to know her in our multiple conversations. Bob and Cindy also invited Seamus and me into their cozy home a few months prior to our wedding, and we discussed details for the event over snacks and wine. Weddings are personal, and the band's energy spent preparing for our event (and undoubtedly every other event) really helped make it even more so.

We truly can't thank Bob, Cindy, Lori, Mat, Andrew, Eric, Stewart, Geoff, and Luc (is that everyone?) enough!

talented group that spent time in advance learning some of the music we liked and learned about us as a couple before they performed. The result--three generations and two very different cultures--Indian and American--came together on the dance floor because the music lured us on. For a top notch band full of class and delight--I highly recommend the Bob Charest Band.