Brianna & Drew

“We spent our first 3 dates trying to find an Italian restaurant that Drew couldn’t quite remember the location of. Drew says by the time we found it on date #3, he knew he wanted to marry me.”

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Brianna and Drew on their wedding day. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

This month’s Couple Spotlight features Brianna and Drew. We had the great honor of performing for their wedding at the Institute of Contemporary Art back in 2019. Keep reading to learn about the music, the vendors, and the moments that made their wedding so special.

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How did you meet?

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

I was a senior at BU and Drew was a grad student at BU Med. We met through a mutual friend at the Beanpot, a college hockey tournament in Boston (we later named our first dog together Bean). Drew asked me how "someone could get a hold of me", which was not the smoothest way of asking me out, but it worked I guess! We spent our first 3 dates trying to find an Italian restaurant that Drew couldn't quite remember the location of. Drew says by the time we found it on date #3, he knew he wanted to marry me.

Do you remember the first time you danced together?

Neither of us are good dancers but we spent a lot of time [attending] concerts. There were definitely some early days (drunkenly) dancing at Lucky's and Lansdowne. One of our very early dates was at a piano bar, Howl at the Moon, in the middle of a huge snowstorm. It was actually the first night I had ever heard of Uber (2013). Drew sent me a discount code for it, since there were no taxis out, and I thought he was cool! Times have changed.. Anyway, I remember us requesting a bunch of 90's songs. One of our mutual favorites is “Mr.Jones” by the Counting Crows.

Tell us about your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception.

My godfather married us. We got married outside [at the ICA in Boston] with an amazing water view of the harbor. Cocktail hour was on the deck with a raw bar. [SpeechLess] played [acoustic] modern songs, which was a huge crowd-pleaser.

Reception was in a glass-enclosed room with awesome city views. There were lots of plants, flowers, and beautiful lighting. We had a gif booth in the elevator, bar accessories with our dog Bean on them, and late night burgers and fries.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

“We were looking for something a little more different than the cookie cutter wedding band... We loved that SpeechLess put their own spin on classics.”

We did our first dance right when we walked into the reception space to kick it all off. I think we were both still in a little disbelief that this was actually our wedding night and the band was playing our song. They did such an amazing job, it still gives me chills to think about.

We wanted the music to appeal to all ages, but still not feel cheesy. We found SpeechLess through a recommendation [by Whim Events]. We were looking for something a little more different than the cookie cutter wedding band. It was so hard to picture how a band might sound live at a wedding by listening to clips online. The band can really make or break a wedding. Fortunately, we made a great choice! We loved that SpeechLess put their own spin on classics, and they just seemed to be legit musicians.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

What advice would you give to couples who are music hunting? 

I wish I knew how quickly bands can book up! I would tell couples that finding the right band is one of the first things you should do after the wedding date is set. The music is so important for the entire vibe of the wedding. Research how big of a band you want, the style you're into, and what can fit in the space.

We had an acoustic guitar, and it gave the cool and more casual feel we were looking for. I had the help of Whim, who are such pros, there weren't any questions I feel went unanswered.

“The ladies at WHIM are seriously the best of the best. They took care of absolutely everything and are some of the kindest people I know.”

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

Any other vendors you’d like to highlight?

I truly feel like all of our vendors stood out. The ladies at WHIM are seriously the best of the best. They took care of absolutely everything and are some of the kindest people I know. They managed to make our vision of our perfect wedding even better.

Moira at WHIM also did all the florals and her arrangements were so unbelievably stunning. Elizabeth LaDuca was our photographer and she is so talented. She did such a beautiful job catching candid shots that make you feel like you're back in that moment.

Julie at Fete Collection did our paper, and she did this awesome drawing of our dog for the napkins and drink stirrers. She also drew out a leaf print for the invites that we projected onto the walls of the reception space and made it look like we were in a fairy garden. Everyone worked so well together to make the wedding cohesive and just perfect.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

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THE SOUNDTRACK

Walked down the aisle to… Somewhere Only We Know / Keane

First dance song…  Out Loud / Dispatch 

Drew and I knew pretty quickly that our first dance would be to " Out Loud" by Dispatch. For whatever the reason, it has always felt like 'our song.'

Father & Daughter song… Butterfly Kisses / Bob Carlisle

My dad and I went to the father daughter dance every year from first grade on. He always brought the cassette tape of "Butterfly Kisses" in the car and would play it to and from the dance. We both knew we would be dancing to that at my wedding some day. Having it actually happen was one of the most special moments.

Mother & Son song… I Hope You Dance / Lee Ann Womack

Drew decided on "I Hope You Dance" because he remembered his mom loving that song when he was younger.

Special request songs…

All of the above were special requests. The bridal party also entered the wedding to the Beatles, “In My Life” and [our recessional was] to “Home” by Edward Sharpe

Any other musical highlights/favorite musical moments?

I loved [SpeechLess’s] rendition of [Lil Nas X’s] “Old Town Road”!

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THE VENDORS 

Venue / ICA Boston

Planning / WHIM Events 

Catering / The Catered Affair 

Music / SpeechLess 

Florals / WHIM Events 

Photographer / Beth LaDuca Photography 

Paper / Fete Collection 

Brianna & Drew have been featured in Martha Stewart Magazine 

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth LaDuca Photography

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THANK YOU Brianna & Drew! We had a blast at your beautiful wedding and can’t wait to party with you again. If we’ve worked with you and you’d like to be featured, please email us at booking@speechlessmusic.com 

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