Accidentally in Love (Counting Crows) – Violin & Cello Cover, Live at Hanbury Barns

Nobody expects the string duo to play Shrek 2. That’s exactly why we love this one. Here’s our violin and cello cover of Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows, the song from the opening of Shrek 2, filmed live at a wedding at Hanbury Barns in Staffordshire last summer.

Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows, arranged and played by The Chapel Hill Duo at Hanbury Barns

Playing at Hanbury Barns

Hanbury Barns is a family-run wedding venue near Burton upon Trent, tucked away in the National Forest. Think red brick barns with exposed timber beams, a lake, and an outdoor pavilion for ceremonies. It’s a relaxed, countryside kind of venue, and bright, feel-good songs like this one suit it down to the ground.

Why Accidentally in Love works at a wedding

It was written for one, more or less. Counting Crows wrote it for the opening of Shrek 2, when Shrek and Fiona are off on their honeymoon, so it’s been a newlywed song from the very start.

It’s also bright, bouncy and instantly recognisable. If you grew up in the 2000s, there’s a good chance you watched Shrek 2 more times than you’d care to admit, and it goes down just as well with the little ones as it does with the grown-ups who know every word.

Then there’s the title. If your relationship started by accident (a wrong turn, a friend’s party, a dating app you only downloaded as a joke), it’s hard to think of a better fit.

It makes a brilliant walk-out song after the ceremony and a great pick for the drinks reception. If you’re feeling brave, it’s a pretty joyful way to walk down the aisle too.

Film songs, arranged our way

At The Chapel Hill Duo, we arrange everything we play ourselves, so the film song you’ve always secretly wanted at your wedding can absolutely happen. We’ve done Studio Ghibli, and now we’ve done Shrek 2, so there’s not much we’d rule out.

Getting married at Hanbury Barns, elsewhere in Staffordshire or anywhere in the UK? Get in touch with your date and the songs you’d love to hear, however silly, and let’s get planning.

Live Violin and Cello Cover of “I Get To Love You” — Guests Arrival at Bassmead Manor Barns

One of the moments we love most at any wedding is the guests arrival. It’s easy to overlook — all the focus tends to fall on the processional, the vows, the first dance — but that ten or fifteen minutes before the ceremony begins has a magic all of its own. People are finding their seats, greeting each other, taking in the room. The right music during that window doesn’t just fill silence — it tells everyone, without a word, that something meaningful is about to happen.

At this particular wedding at Bassmead Manor Barns in Cambridgeshire, the couple had chosen “I Get To Love You” by Ruelle as one of their guests arrival pieces, and it was a gorgeous choice.

Why the guests arrival matters

Think about the last wedding you attended. You probably remember walking in, looking around, soaking up the atmosphere. If there was live music playing, it shaped your entire first impression of the day. That’s what the guests arrival does — it sets the emotional tone before anything else has happened.

A song like “I Get To Love You” is ideal for this moment. It’s warm and unhurried, with a melody that rises gently without ever rushing. On violin and cello it becomes something almost hymn-like — intimate enough for a small gathering, but with enough depth to fill a larger space.

About Bassmead Manor Barns

Bassmead Manor Barns is a family-owned barn wedding venue near St Neots in Cambridgeshire, nestled within the medieval moat of an ancient manor. The ceremony space in the Rickety Barn is 300 years old, with original oak beams, wooden floors, and wrought iron chandeliers strung with fairy lights. It’s the kind of room where strings feel completely at home — the natural timber and the warm acoustics do half the work for you.

The venue also features the Bridge Barn for wedding breakfasts, landscaped gardens with a moat, and even resident peacocks. It’s one of those rare venues where rustic character and modern elegance sit comfortably side by side, and it’s a joy to play in.

Choosing your guests arrival music

If you’re not sure where to start with pre-ceremony music, here are a few things worth thinking about. The arrival set usually runs for around fifteen to twenty minutes, so you want three or four pieces that share a similar mood — gentle, reflective, building quietly towards the processional. This is the moment to use songs that mean something to you as a couple but don’t need the spotlight of the aisle walk. Save your biggest emotional hit for the entrance; let the arrival music be the slow, beautiful warm-up.

We’re always happy to help couples put together a set that flows naturally from arrival through to the ceremony itself.

Book us for your wedding

If you’re planning a wedding at Bassmead Manor Barns or anywhere in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, or the surrounding counties, we’d love to be part of your day. We tailor every set to the couple — from ceremony to drinks reception to wedding breakfast — across any genre you like.

The Perfect Summer Wedding

Outdoor wedding ceremony at Brookfield barn. View of Cellist Sarah James picture taken from the viewpoint of Jaya Hanley Violinist.
a Violinist’s-eye view of the perfect outdoor Ceremony at Brookfield Barn.

Living in the UK we can’t always expect the weather to be sunny, especially in Summer! We always have a contingency plan, just in case the weather turns grim at the last second! However, today was not one of those days. We had the pleasure of returning to Brookfield Barn to play at – what we would call – a perfect summer wedding.

Continue reading “The Perfect Summer Wedding”