twentysomethings at Matt & Tenille’s Wedding

twentysomethings are our most recently signed act and they’ve been making a seriously huge impression since we started working with them in early 2014. A 4-piece outfit consisting of lead vocals/keys, guitar, bass and drums, these guys have a flexibility and sound affiliated with a much larger lineup; owing majorly to front woman Tash’s masterful handle on both lead vocals and keys, and additional backing vocals from the rest of the band. Their dynamic, Like A Version style take on current Top 40s tunes and retro favourites conveys both an edginess and a fresh, exuberant energy totally unlike anything else on the Sydney covers scene; culminating in non-stop dance floor vibes. Subsequently, when Tenille and Matt approached us with the brief for their wedding reception – a good mix of classic and modern tracks that would keep their guests pumped and moving – we knew twentysomethings would be a perfect fit.

Having selected a range of  both new and vintage soul-funk style hits to be played on the night  (including Uptown Funk, Cosmic Girl, The Way You Make Me Feel, I Want You Back, Signed Sealed Delivered and Get Lucky), as well as a cheeky cameo of Living On A Prayer, Matt and Tenille managed to provide something for every demographic in attendance. The couple also chose the following songs for a few stand out moments in the night:

Bridal Waltz: Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran. Matt and Tenille put a personal spin on this current wedding darling by having Matt’s sister sing lead with the band. A very nice touch!

Bouquet Toss: Single Ladies – Beyonce. Everyone knows that this one was made for the bouquet toss!

Garter Toss: Like I Love You – Justin Timberlake. With its noughties-nostalgic r n’ b dance groove, this was a great track to finish the night on.

Congratulations Tenille and Matt! We had a blast working with you guys in the lead up to the big day, and we’re absolutely thrilled that you loved the band!

All the best,

The Funkified Team

Congratulations Kristy & Ben!

What a lovely couple  Kristy and Ben are! We had so much fun collaborating with them in the lead up to their wedding at The Boathouse in Palm Beach. As a member of the wedding industry (currently working as part of the wonderful team at WEOA), Kristy found us after watching our MD Gus give a talk at The Wedding Planner Workshop – apparently his presentation on our live acts, namely The Usual Suspects, made her rethink her decision to book a DJ for her entertainment!

The brief Kristy gave us was for her guests to have ‘an amazing time and be up all night dancing! I really want it to be an ABBA and John Farnham free zone’ – which with TUS was certainly something we were able to deliver. Ben and Kristy chose the following songs for their special moments:

Bridal Party Entrance: Feel So Close – Calvin Harris. That drop never fails to get the party started.

Bridal Waltz: The One I Love – David Gray. A personal favourite of the bride and groom.

Farewell Song: Everlong – The Foo Fighters. The lyrics ‘And I wonder/When I sing along with you/If everything could ever feel this real forever/If anything could ever be this good again’ convey a beautiful message of togetherness, as well as so much love and positive hope for Ben and Kristy’s future together. After the official farewell, Kristy came back into the venue to request a cheeky last-minute encore of Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson. This feel-good crowd pleaser was the perfect high to end the night on – when the groom ends up crowd surfing, you know it’s been a good gig!

On the monday following the event, Kristy sent through a little note that absolutely made our day. Our whole month even.

Let me just start by saying….. WOW – WHAT A BAND!!!!!!!

We had the most incredible time last weekend, the dance floor was packed all night, I have had countless people ask me who the band were and how I found them, followed by ‘best band ever!’. From the very beginning TUS had people on the dance floor and many never left – there was one point where I walked away for a second and when I came back I couldn’t even find room on the dance floor – lucky for me though I was the bride so was able to kick people out of the way ha! 

So many people have said it was the best, most fun, wedding they have ever been to – and I honestly believe if it weren’t for the The Usual Suspects the feedback wouldn’t have been so amazing. I don’t know what else to say but thank you, I am almost disappointed I won’t be getting married again, but if I do I will be sure to book The Usual Suspects haha! Ben would say the same thing so I don’t feel bad 🙂 

Again, thank you – the usual suspects helped make our wedding day one of the most memorable, amazingly fun and best days of our lives.

Thanks Kristy and Ben! It’s been so fantastic getting to know you guys and it was a complete pleasure working with you both!

All the best,

The Funkified team

Salt Strings in the Maldives!

We’re ridiculously excited to announce that we’re about to undertake our second international gig in 6 months! This New Years Eve, Salt Strings will be playing at the exclusive Velaa Private Island in the Maldives – check out these photos. Heaven on Earth!

Looking forward to this incredible collaboration! May there be several more to come. Stay tuned in the upcoming months for news and pics from the girls trip – we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

With love from the team at Funkified Entertainment

Ellipsis at NRL Grand Final Day!

So great to collaborate with the NRL again for Grand Final Day! Huge Congrats to the bunnies – what a game! Here’s a few of our fave snaps from the Ellipsis boys view of ANZ Stadium from The Legend’s Room:

Awesome snap of bass player Steve with Dragons star Johnny Raper!

Fantastic day! Thanks for having us!

Congratulations Sineva & Jim!

Sineva and Jim’s reception was a truly unique and awesomely festive affair; combining elements from their Samoan heritage with The Usual Suspects’ go-to set list of current Top 40 tunes and old-school classics. They opted to further personalise their night with a traditional solo dance by the bride to ‘Tama Samoa’ – written in 1991 during the Rugby World Cup, inspired by the performance of the Manu Samoa Rugby Team – and by having her cousin Jennie sing ‘Le Manu Tagi e’ – another Samoan favourite – as a dedication to Sineva’s late father. When interspersed with The Usual Suspects renditions of party tracks such as ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ (Whitney Houston) and ‘Get Lucky’ (Daft Punk), there was a really fantastic vibe in the room – the overall aura of love, warmth and fun really something special!

Sineva and Jim chose the following songs for the other formal moments of the evening:

Bride & Groom’s Entrance: Happy – Pharrell Williams. ‘Happy’ has become a hugely popular choice for entrances of late, and it’s no mystery why. Its infectiously upbeat nature sets a great tone and it’s just the perfect introduction to the celebratory section of the night!

Cake Cutting: Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars. Romantic and heartfelt, this is a great accompaniment to what is always a rather poignant moment.

Bridal Waltz: Kisses In The Moonlight – George Benson. When it comes to your first dance, you can’t go wrong picking a personal favourite!

It was really wonderful to work with Sineva and Jim, and it really made our day when Sineva sent us this beautiful note after the wedding:

“We wanted to send a quick note THANK YOU and TUS sooooooooooooooo much for making our wedding an amazing one.

 

 Our family and friends haven’t stopped raving on about TUS and me, Jim and my sister Ivona were beyond impressed and so proud to have TUS play at our day!!!!!!. We were blown away when we heard your demo’s but you exceeded our expectations on the night. The team were absolute professionals, really warm and friendly and unbelievably talented . WOW!!!! Awesome, amazing! We can’t stop smiling.“

Congratulations guys! All the best for your lives together – if the wedding was any indication, they’re going to be absolutely filled with love and smiles! X

Congratulations Tanya & Matt!

Tanya’s biggest priority for her wedding was that people would dance. She wanted a band with an energy and repertoire that would guarantee that the dance floor was never quiet and her reception would be one that her guests would never forget. Fortunately, a work friend put her on to The Usual Suspects, and a vision was fulfilled.

Tanya and Matt had very definite ideas about what they wanted to hear on the night and brought a whole lot of suggestions to the band in the lead up to the big day. Must-haves included The Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Daft Punk and Michael Jackson – once we saw these names, we knew we were going to love working with them; and that The Usual Suspects would indeed be a perfect fit! For the special moments in the evening, the happy couple chose the following:

Bridal Party Entrance: September – Earth, Wind & Fire. Starting the party with a disco classic!

Bride and Groom’s Entrance: Finally – Cece Peniston. Showing their sense of humour with a subtle bit of tongue-in-cheek. ‘Finally’ is not only a hilarious choice for weddings, but a go-to dance floor hit.

Cake Cutting: Everything I Do I Do It For You – Brian Adams. A sentimental option always works well to heighten the moment.

Bridal Waltz: At Last – Etta James. Effortlessly beautiful and so romantic – this classic is a bridal waltz favourite for a reason.

Farewell Song: Hit The Road Jack – Ray Charles. Ending the night on yet another humorous note!

Congratulations Tanya and Matt! It was a pleasure to be involved in such a wonderful celebration, and we hope your night was everything you envisioned and more!

The Vogue Australia & Argyle Pink Diamonds 2014 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender

Vogue Australia and Argyle Pink Diamonds are synonymous with several things – luxury, beauty, elegance, to name a mere few. As such it goes without saying that The Vogue Australia & Argyle Pink Diamonds 2014 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender was a perfect depiction of these enchanting qualities. Hosted in the Shangri-La Sydney’s Altitude Restaurant, the event utilised the venues glittering harbour views to compliment and perfectly enhance the gems on display. Luscious arrangements of cream and blush roses and enormous, pearly white orchids continued on the luxury theme; and guests were serenaded by Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos and Mozart’s Divertimento’s, courtesy of Salt String Quartet. Displaying the central traits of the Classical Style – clarity and balance – these pieces, Bach’s in particular, are known for their parity of individual melodic, rhythmic and harmonious elements; rendering them a natural accompaniment to the diamonds that are described as one of the Earths most mysterious, captivating and miraculous natural treasures.

 

It was truly our pleasure to work on such an outrageously gorgeous event. As an added perk, the Salt Strings ladies were delighted to learn that they would be dressed by Carla Zampatti for the day. As far as luxury goes, I’m not sure it gets much better than that.

 

Thanks for having us Vogue Australia and Argyle Pink Diamonds! Looking forward to more collaborations in the future.

The Usual Suspects at Amanda & Sam’s Wedding

So, so much love for these snaps from Amanda & Sam’s Gunners’ Barracks wedding! Absolutely stunning work by Lisa & Pete from And A Day. Take a look:

Such a party! In honour of the occasion, The Usual Suspects rolled out the following requests:

Bridesmaid’s Entrance: Run The World (Girls) – Beyonce

Groomsmen’s Entrance: Do Ya Think I’m Sexy – Tom Jones

Bride & Groom’s Entrance: Another One Bites The Dust – Queen

An upbeat party song is exactly what you want for your entrances. It sets the tone for the whole reception and gets everyone pumped for the night ahead. Amanda & Sam opted for tunes that were a little cheeky & sassy, which really helped to get their guests into the party mindset (as you can see below!)

Cake Cutting: Better Together – Jack Johnson. This is a great choice for cake cutting. It’s romantic & sweet, but mellow enough to simply compliment -rather then dominate- the moment.

Bridal Waltz: Everlong – The Foo Fighters. Amanda & Sam really demonstrated that you can never go wrong with a personal favourite for this special dance. It’s purely about the two of you – if you can choose something you both love then you’re on to a winner!

Farewell Song: I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston. Ending the night on a high with a dance floor classic! Flawless.

And there you have it. Just a few of many beautiful memories from a very special night 🙂

A few pics from Samee and Danny’s wedding

At Funkified, we love hearing from our newlyweds! Case in point, here are a few pictures Samee and Danny recently sent us from their beautiful ceremony in the Rose Garden at Oatlands House last April.

The couple booked our gorgeous Salt Strings Quartet to play the following:

Processional: “Canon in D” – Pachelbel.

A traditional and romantic favourite.

Signing: Signed, Sealed, Delivered – Stevie Wonder.
A popular request and bit of tongue-in-cheek!

Recessional: “Wedding March” – Mendelssohn.
Adding that extra bit of drama and excitement, this was the perfect note to close on!

We can’t thank Samee enough for the heartwarming testimonial she sent us after returning from their honeymoon in The Maldives:

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“We would also like to say a big thank you to you and to the string band for making our ceremony perfect. You were all helpful from the start and professional till the end. The ladies were so lovely! 

Funkified’s positive can do attitude and professionalism will be remembered and will be recommend to many. I’m so glad that I found you online :)”

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Thanks a lot Samee and Danny for this wonderful feedback. The Funkified team wishes you all the best!

Now that Funkified Entertainment has created an Instagram account, we are always looking for new images to post! If you are a former client of ours who is willing to share any of your favourite wedding shots, please send them through at info@funkified.com.au (we’ll credit you and your wedding of course!).

 

Jay and Simon’s wedding

Nightingales Wedding Designers are renowned for creating absolutely sensational events, but they really outdid themselves last weekend with Simon & Jay’s!

The couple celebrated their reception at Opera Point Marquee, overlooking the glittering Sydney Harbour. A particular talking point throughout the evening was the massive ice sculpture, inscribed with the couples names and decorated with delectable offerings of fresh oysters and sashimi! A perfect compliment to the waterside location and balmy weather.

The Usual Suspects (with guest vocalist Jessica Lingotti) and DJ Damo were on dance-floor duty; a collaboration that absolutely wowed the room! Everyone was on their feet until closing time.

Here’s a couple of Simon & Jay’s top picks for the night:

Bridemaid’s entrance : “Crazy in Love” – Beyonce.
An absolute show-stopper of a song that never fails to make an impression on the crowd.

 

Bride and Groom’s entrance : “Feels so close” – Calvin Harris.
Ditto the above! Also a particular favourite of The Usual Suspects to play.

 

Cake cutting : “At Last” – Etta James.
A beautiful song that is a perfect accompaniment to the sentiment of the moment.

 

Bride Waltz : “If I Lose Myself” – Alesso vs One Republic, played by the DJ.
Not a traditional choice for a bridal waltz, but a great way for Jay & Simon to show their personalities and have a little fun 🙂

Jay was kind enough to send us this little note a few days later:

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“Thanks for a great night guys! We received many many many compliments on how awesome you guys were 🙂“

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We were absolutely touched to receive such lovely feedback. Thanks Jay! We wish you and Simon all the best!