The drinks reception is where a wedding day exhales. The ceremony’s done, everyone’s got a glass in hand, and the atmosphere shifts from anticipation to celebration. It’s one of our favourite parts of the day to play — and for this one, we opened with Elton John’s Are You Ready for Love, live on violin and cello, outdoors in the gardens at Rauceby Hall.
About the song
Are You Ready for Love was originally recorded by Elton John in the late 1970s, but it found a whole new life when it was re-released and topped the UK charts in 2003. With its Philadelphia soul influence and irresistible groove, it’s pure feel-good energy — exactly the kind of track that sets the tone for a party.
Why it works so well on strings
There’s a lot going on in the original — lush strings, a driving rhythm section, that soaring vocal — and stripping it back to just violin and cello lets the melody and the groove shine. The cello carries the pulse while the violin sings the top line, and because it’s live, we can lean into the energy of the room. Outdoors at a drinks reception, it fills the space without ever feeling like background music.
About Rauceby Hall
Rauceby Hall is a Grade II listed, mid-19th-century Jacobethan revival house set in acres of parkland and gardens near Sleaford, Lincolnshire. With its 4-acre garden and 71 acres of surrounding parkland, it’s a wonderfully atmospheric spot for an outdoor celebration — and a beautiful backdrop for live strings drifting across the lawns during a drinks reception.
Book us for your wedding
We’re The Chapel Hill Duo, a violin and cello duo based in the UK, playing ceremonies, drinks receptions and wedding breakfasts anywhere in the country. If you’re planning your day at Rauceby Hall or anywhere in Lincolnshire and Are You Ready for Love sounds like your kind of song, we’d love to hear from you — get in touch at chapelhillduo.co.uk.