Smitty Dee's as a ceremony band

ferfer15

Has anyone used Smitty Dee's Brass Band for their band for the actual ceremony? We're going to use them for our second line and cocktail hour, and they've offered to play the ceremony as well. The only video we've found of them playing a ceremony wasn't impressive.

Thanks!

Novena2014

I think a brass band for the ceremony is challenging in general because their sound is so naturally powerful, and for a ceremony you probably want something more subdued. 

laurenclarea

I used them for our second line, and they were terrible. The music was monotonous, they didn't play the song they promised to play as our first song while we exited the church, the band left without the bride and groom (so we had to run 0.25 miles to catch up with our whole wedding crowd and band), and once we caught up with them the marshall stopped dancing and waving his feathers. The manager was apologetic and nice, but it was a HUGE let down for our wedding. We had so many out of town guests come wanting to experience a great New Orleans wedding, adn the second line is such a huge part of this. Besides all the mess ups, the biggest thing was just that their music was unexciting, droning, and lacked energy. 

MissRachelJean

Look up the Pin Stripe Brass Band. They look great! Here is a YouTube clip from a wedding second-line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp2tYpPBPro

bezelpup

I had Kinfolk do my ceremony and second line, and it was perfect!  I didn't have them play "wedding" music for my ceremony though. I can't remember the prelude songs but I had them play "Give me a Kiss to Build a Dream On" and "Hello Dolly" for going up the aisle and back.  I can't wait to get my video so I can hear the music again.

dreamgal8

Smitty Dee's performed a second line at my wedding. I found out a year after my wedding that my wedding guests had to pay them several hundred dollars out of pocket when they were threatening to leave before performing (bc a guest passed out in the middle of the ceremony and 911 had to be called; the band got tired of waiting). They didn't play the song that was requested to be played upon the bride and groom exiting St. Louis Cathedral. They LEFT THE BRIDE AND GROOM and proceeded down the street, leaving my husband and I to have to RUN several blocks in our wedding attire to catch up with them!!?!? Then once we caught up, they stopped dancing. They literally WALKED the rest of the way to the reception venue. ALL of their music was monotonous and not exciting. They were the part of our wedding we were most looking forward to showing out out of town guests to give them a NOLA wedding experience. They were the WORST part of our wedding! DO NOT BOOK THEM FOR ANYTHING! They were by far the worst decision I made for my wedding. 

I felt like I had to update my previous review, as a year later I just found out about guests having to return to St. Louis Cathedral and ask around to pool money together to get Smitty Dees to stay and do the second line….

missnc77

@knotporscha Is there anything you can do? Dreamgal8 just dug up a million old threads because she had an ax to grind with a vendor. This forum is already so slow.