Weddings > Planner

My Big Fat ___Wedding

Musical nods to heritage, whichever yours may be.

By Elizabeth Cline
Published Summer 2008

Bagpipers at a summer wedding in Long Island.

(Photo: Laurie Lambrecht)

SCOTTISH
He’s opened the Stock Exchange, so expect professionalism from Piper Jerry Dixon—not to mention a squawkingly pitch-perfect bridal march on bagpipes (from $200; 646-642-2020).

ENGLISH
Strawberry Fields’s members (who actually look a lot like George, John, Paul, and Ringo) were cast in Broadway’s Beatlemania. They’ll play in full Sgt. Pepper-era regalia, and nail “I Saw Her Standing There” for the first dance (from $5,000; 917-669-9072).

INDIAN
Roger Lipson’s musicians are trained on the shehnai (Indian oboe), tabla, and sitar (from $800; 917-270-0537).

IRISH
Padraig Allen & the Whole Shebang play Celtic folk and Irish rock using the accordion, fiddle, bass, and guitar. Their motto: “True drinkers we are out to entertain and have as much fun doing so as possible” (from $1,500; 914-686-6940).

MEXICAN
Mariachi Tapatio De Alvaro Paulino and his band perform at Brooklyn’s annual Santa Cecilia Celebration (from $500; 917-709-3885). Or, hire Luis Benavides of Mariachi Mama Mexico, the chain’s house band (from $350; 347-731-1991).

ISRAELI
The Klezmer Connection offers four-to-ten piece conservatory-trained bands, specializing in festive Israeli, klezmer, Yiddish, and Sephardic music (from $800 per musician; 914-328-3408).

CUBAN
Dressed in authentic guayabera (or tuxes), Yrving Yeras’ band, YerSon, plays tunes from Buena Vista Social Club as well as traditional songs by Sylvio Rodríguez (from $900; 201-362-6053).

ROMANIAN
Nine-piece band Romashka plays Gypsy dance-party music with accordions, trumpets, tubas, and fiddles; their vocalist is an Edith Piaf soundalike ($5,000; 917-670-6119).

CARIBBEAN
Sewaa Codrington runs KowTeff African Dance Company, which provides African and Afro-Caribbean drummers and dancers (from $500; 347-232-7834).