Tag: wedding covers

Live Violin and Cello Cover of “10:35” by Tiësto & Tate McRae — Drinks Reception at Rauceby Hall

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Every now and then a couple asks for something that makes us grin — a song no one expects to hear on strings. 10:35 by Tiësto and Tate McRae is exactly that: a full-blown dance anthem, reimagined for violin and cello and played live at the drinks reception at Rauceby Hall, outdoors in the gardens.

About the song

10:35 was released in November 2022 as a single from Tiësto’s album Drive, featuring vocals from Canadian pop star Tate McRae. A dance-pop and EDM track that pairs McRae’s easy vocals with Tiësto’s bassy drop, it became a global hit and went multi-platinum in several countries. It’s about the moment day turns to night — when the pressures of the day fall away.

Why it works so well on strings

This is the kind of arrangement that really shows what a string duo can do. Rather than the polished production of the original, everything comes from two instruments: the cello carries the pulse and the energy of the drop, while the violin takes the vocal melody up top. Played live and acoustic in a country garden, that big club sound becomes something intimate and unexpected — and it’s a fantastic mood-lifter for a drinks reception, especially for couples who want their day to lean more party than tradition.

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 gorgeous setting for an outdoor celebration — and the open gardens are ideal for live strings drifting across a drinks reception on a sunny day.

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 there’s a song you love — however unexpected — that you’d like to hear on strings, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at chapelhillduo.co.uk.

Live Violin and Cello Cover of “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” — Outdoor Ceremony Exit at Norwood Park

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There are exit songs, and then there’s This Will Be. When the vows are done and this one kicks in on live strings, the whole celebration lifts — it’s the fastest way we know to turn a ceremony into a party. Playing it outdoors, under open sky, only makes it better.

About the song

Natalie Cole released This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) in 1975 as her debut single, and it won her a Grammy the following year. More than fifty years on, it’s still one of the most joyful recordings in soul music — which is exactly why it’s become such a staple of wedding ceremonies. It’s short, it’s punchy, and it’s impossible not to smile through.

Why it works so well on strings

Stripped back to violin and cello, the song loses none of its energy. The cello locks into the groove of the original rhythm section while the violin takes the vocal line, and because it’s live, we can stretch it out or bring it home depending on how long the walk back down the aisle takes. It’s a brilliant choice for an outdoor ceremony exit, a drinks reception opener, or an upbeat first dance for couples who’d rather dance than sway.

About Norwood Park

Norwood Park is an exclusive-use country estate in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, where wedding ceremonies and celebrations have been held since the 1650s. For couples wanting to marry outdoors, the Starkey Bandstand is a wonderfully romantic spot — with its swirled balustrades, slender columns and classic carousel-shaped roof, set against the Georgian country house and surrounded by nature. It’s exactly the kind of open-air setting where a song like This Will Be feels completely at home, with the sound carrying out across the grounds.

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 Norwood Park or anywhere in Nottinghamshire and This Will Be sounds like your kind of exit music, we’d love to hear from you — get in touch at chapelhillduo.co.uk.

Live Violin and Cello Cover of “Are You Ready for Love” by Elton John — Drinks Reception at Rauceby Hall

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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.

Live Violin and Cello Cover of “Latch” by Sam Smith — Wedding Ceremony at Bassmead Manor Barns

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Prelude music is the part of a ceremony most couples don’t think about — and it’s the first thing every guest hears. Get it right and the room settles into exactly the right mood before the couple even appears. For this wedding we played Latch by Sam Smith, live on violin and cello, as guests took their seats in the Rickety Barn at Bassmead Manor Barns.

About the song

Latch was Sam Smith’s breakthrough — originally a 2012 collaboration with Disclosure, before Smith’s own star rose. Beneath the dancefloor production sits a genuinely gorgeous melody and one of the most memorable vocal hooks of the last decade, which is exactly what makes it such rich material for a string arrangement.

Why it works so well on strings

Stripped back to violin and cello, Latch trades its club energy for something more intimate and emotional. The cello holds a steady pulse while the violin takes that soaring vocal line, and the result is a piece that fills a space without overwhelming it — ideal for the seating and prelude section of a ceremony, when you want atmosphere rather than a showstopper. It works equally well during the signing of the register.

About Bassmead Manor Barns

Bassmead Manor Barns is an exclusive-use wedding venue set in the Cambridgeshire countryside, surrounded by its own moat. Ceremonies take place in the 300-year-old Rickety Barn, a lovingly restored timber barn with solid oak beams, wooden floors and wrought iron chandeliers, softened by twinkling fairy lights. It even has a unique upper-level ‘nook’ designed to house musicians — a wonderful spot for live strings to carry out over a seated room. With its warmth and character, it’s one of the most romantic barn settings we’ve had the pleasure of playing in.

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 Bassmead Manor Barns or anywhere in Cambridgeshire and Latch sounds like your kind of ceremony music, we’d love to hear from you — get in touch at chapelhillduo.co.uk.

Live Violin and Cello Cover of “Belong Together” by Mark Ambor — Drinks Reception at Rauceby Hall

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Every so often a song comes along that just belongs at weddings, and Belong Together is one of them. This couple loved it so much that they had us play it twice on the day — first as the recessional as they walked out of the church, and then in full again during the drinks reception at Rauceby Hall. The video here is that full drinks reception performance, outdoors in the gardens.

About the song

Belong Together was released in February 2024 and became Mark Ambor’s breakout hit after going viral, charting across Europe and reaching the UK top 20. Leaning into folk and Americana with its breezy acoustic guitar and singalong hook, it’s a joyful song about finding happiness in the company of the people you love — which is exactly why it resonates so strongly at weddings.

A song worth playing twice

When a couple feels strongly about a song, we love finding more than one place for it in the day. Belong Together works beautifully as a church recessional — its uplifting bounce is the perfect send-off as the newlyweds head back down the aisle — and just as well reprised in full during the drinks reception, where it becomes a warm, relaxed celebration piece. Bookending the day with a song that means a lot to you is a lovely thing to do.

Why it works so well on strings

The charm of Belong Together is in its bounce, and that translates beautifully to violin and cello. The cello keeps the gentle, skipping rhythm ticking along while the violin carries the melody and the hook. It’s warm, uplifting and instantly recognisable — equally at home filling a church for a recessional and drifting across a garden at a drinks reception.

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 gorgeous setting for an outdoor celebration — and the open gardens are ideal for live strings drifting across a drinks reception on a sunny day.

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 and there’s a song you love enough to hear more than once, we’d love to hear from you — get in touch at chapelhillduo.co.uk.