Skylark Music

Q: What do you wear?

Grey suits, unless given a different request.

Q: Do you learn new songs?

Yes! We're happy to learn new songs for the ceremony. We also have a huge repertoire list to choose from for the prelude and cocktail music.

Q: What makes you different from other musicians?

As instrumentalists, we're highly trained and experienced with very high standards. Especially for ceremony music, you can be sure it will be played perfectly. As a DJ, Justin brings experience from weddings and being a professional musician for over twenty years. He also teaches a music appreciation college course, so his knowledge of artists and genres is vast.

Q: Do you take music requests?

Yes! We're happy to learn any songs you want for the ceremony, and Justin has couples make dinner and dancing playlists to point him in the right direction. You can be very specific, or leave more of the music choices to him.

Q: Do you provide music for wedding ceremonies or cocktail receptions?

We can provide all your music! We usually play live as a duo for the ceremony and cocktail hour, and Justin DJ's the reception.

Q: Can you provide specialty, religious, or ethnic musicians?

Yes, we can hire specialty musicians. We also have experience playing music from many different cultures and religions.

Q: Are you fully insured?

Yes, we can provide COI's for us as an ensemble and Justin as a DJ.

Q: Do you provide other services, such as lighting or photo booths?

Justin provides uplighting with his DJ setup, which helps add to to the party vibes for the reception. We don't have a photo booth (yet).

Q: What is your travel and break down fee?

If you're within 1.5 hours of us, there's no travel fee and we don't charge a setup or breakdown fee.

Q: Have you worked at our venue before?

Probably! We've been at about 70 different venues at this point. But our setup is so flexible and adaptable, we almost never run into an issue when we're at a place that's new to us.

Packages

Category: Live Band or Ensemble

Type: Mixed chamber ensemble

Genres: Americana

+14 genres

About Skylark Music

Skylark Music

Jesse and Justin have been playing music together since they met performing in a band at Disneyland in 2001. After moving to Beacon, NY around the same time, it made sense to start an official wedding music business to share their love of music with some of the many happy couples getting married in the Hudson Valley. One thing they love about playing music for weddings is the variety that is required of them. Every gig is different and they all happen on one of the happiest days of the clients' lives!

Jesse and Justin pride themselves in their broad repertoire of styles from classical, to pop, to folk, to jazz. Between the two of them they play piano, guitar, banjo, sax, clarinet, flute, ukulele., and Justin is a great singer. Justin also loves stepping into the DJ/MC role for receptions, so they can provide music for the whole day. Also, their clients don't have to pay or deal with an agency. This makes them able to provide direct communication and lower pricing to all their couples.

Performance samples

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Services

Ceremony microphones and sound
Dancefloor lighting
Learning new songs
Master of ceremonies
Multiple location support
Music during breaks
Sound system capability audience <300 -
Sparklers
Stage design
Uplighting

Musical genres

Americana
Blues
Classical
Country/Folk
Disco/Funk
EDM/House
Gospel/Christian
Jazz
Latin
Motown/Soul
Pop/Top 40s
R&B
Rap/Hip Hop
Reggae
Rock

Event types

After party
Cocktail hour
Couples luncheon
Elopement
Engagement party
Farewell brunch
Other
Rehearsal dinner
Wedding ceremony
Wedding reception
Wedding shower
Welcome party

Skylark Music packages

The Works

Price$2,500

Description

We play live as a duo for the ceremony and cocktail hour, then Justin DJ's the reception. Note that the price can vary slightly based on the date and location.

What’s included

Live ceremony music
Live cocktail music
DJed reception
All sound gear, including ceremony PA

Reviews

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5.0 out of 5

40 reviews

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The Best of Both Worlds: Live Band DJ Perfection
•Verified review
•Kelsey L.•Dec 12
We could not have been happier with Skylark Music they were incredible to work with! From the very beginning, Justin spent months helping us think through every detail—offering great suggestions and thoughtful input that really helped set the tone for each part of the day. For our wedding, we had the Skylark ensemble play live music during the ceremony and cocktail hour, and they were absolutely fantastic. The live jazz and covers created the perfect atmosphere—elegant but still relaxed and fun. When it was time for dinner and the reception, Justin seamlessly transitioned to his DJ setup, keeping the energy flowing with an amazing mix of songs that got everyone on the dance floor. Having both live music and a DJ through Skylark was one of the best decisions we made—it gave us the best of both worlds and made the whole evening feel special and dynamic. We can’t recommend Justin and Skylark Music enough!
The best decision of our wedding
•Verified review
•Timo R.•Dec 12
If you are currently wedding planning and debating between the elegance of live musicians or the versatility of a DJ, stop looking and hire Justin and Skylark Music immediately. Working with Justin was hands down one of the best decisions we made for our big day. With Skylark, we effectively "had our cake and ate it too." We were initially torn because we wanted the romantic atmosphere of live instruments, but we also wanted a high-energy party with our specific favorite songs (which a band is often limited by). Plus, full bands are insanely expensive. Justin offered the perfect hybrid solution. We were able to have a stunning guitar, violin, and cello trio for our ceremony and cocktail hour, and then transition to Justin DJing the reception. It was the best of both worlds—we saved on the cost of a 10-piece band but sacrificed absolutely nothing in terms of quality or vibe. Beyond the music itself, Justin’s professionalism is unmatched. He walked us through every step of the planning process. But the true test of a vendor is how they handle stress. A couple of months before our wedding, our venue suddenly updated their outdoor music guidelines. We were in a total panic, thinking our ceremony plans were ruined. We let Justin know, and he responded immediately with a calm, "can-do" attitude. He adjusted the instrumentation to meet the new rules quickly and sorted it out without us having to lift a finger. He also went above and beyond to personalize the evening. We have a close friend who is a singer, and we wanted her to perform a couple of songs during the reception. Justin didn't hesitate; he coordinated directly with her to ensure the audio levels were perfect and the logistics were seamless. It ended up being such a special moment, and Justin made it happen effortlessly. And then, there was the party. Justin transitioned to MC/DJ duties and read the crowd perfectly. Because we chose the DJ route for the reception, we got to hear the original versions of all our favorite tracks. The dance floor was absolutely wild all night long. The energy was so high that at one point, while we were taking portraits outside, our photographer actually stopped and told us, “There is literally a rave going on inside.” From the elegant strings and the special guest performance to the absolute rager at the end, Justin executed everything perfectly. If you want a stress-free experience and a vendor who truly cares about your day, hire Skylark Music!
Highly recommend!
•Verified review
•Avery•Jun 14, 2025
We hired Skylark Music for our wedding and can't recommend them enough! Justin was super helpful during the planning process, answered all our questions, and took the time to develop a detailed plan with us. Justin and Jesse played beautiful acoustic music for our ceremony and cocktail hour, which added the sentimental and elevated touches we were looking for. Justin then DJed our reception. He worked with the playlists we provided and kept the dance floor full the whole night.
10/10 recommend!
•Verified review
•Jaquelyn M.•Jan 17, 2025
We loved working with Skylark Music. All communications were smooth leading up to the wedding day. They did an incredible job throughout the event and made our day so memorable for our guests. So many guests commented to us and our family that they loved our live band throughout the evening. It created a fun yet sophisticated vibe mixing contemporary, jazz, latin, and swing music.

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