South Portland String Ensemble for Weddings

Ceremony and cocktail hour strings with Casco Bay views, lighthouses, and the Portland skyline as your backdrop.

Live Strings on Casco Bay

The SweetBeats String Ensemble is a South Portland string ensemble option for couples who want live, conservatory-trained musicians at their ceremony and cocktail hour. Our players come from the New England Conservatory and the Boston Conservatory.

Choose a solo violin, a duo, a trio, or a full quartet. Our repertoire covers baroque and classical favorites, jazz, and string arrangements of rock and pop, and we can learn most songs on request.

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SweetBeats String Ensemble performance video

Planning Around Maine Weather

Weather on the water can change quickly, and string instruments are sensitive to sun, wind, damp air, and cold. For outdoor ceremonies we ask for a shaded, covered spot for the musicians and an indoor or tented backup.

We also bring clips to hold music in place in the breeze. A little planning keeps the instruments in tune and the music steady from the prelude to the final note.

Strings’ Packages for Ceremony and Cocktail

String Ensemble

String Quartet (2 violins, cello, viola)

String Trio (2 violins, cello)

String Duo (violin, cello)

Solo Violin

Book Package Book

South Portland String Ensemble Song List

For Seating of Mothers and Attendants Processional

Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach)
Canon in D (Pachelbel)
Air on G-String (Bach)
Water Music Suites (Handel)
Arioso (Bach)
Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach)
Ode to Joy (Beethoven)
“Air” from Water Music Suite (Handel)
Xerxes.Largo (Handel)
St. Anthony Chorale (Haydn)
“One Hand, One Heart” (Bernstein)
“Nocturne” from Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mendelssohn)
Wachet Auf (Bach)
“Winter” from Four Seasons (Vivaldi)
Ave Maria ( Schubert)
“Waltz” (Tchaikovsky)
“Pavane”( Faure)
Messiah. Hallelujah Chorus (Handel)
Over The Rainbow (Harburg)
You Raise Me Up (Lovland)
What a Wonderful World (Weiss)

For Unity Candle, Communion, Reflection

Air on G-String (Bach)
Ave Maria (Schubert)
Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart)
Andante from String Quartet in A minor (Schubert)
Largo in D (Handel)
Amazing Grace (Traditional)
The Heavens Are Telling (Haydn)
Be Thou My Vision (Traditional Irish Melody)
Children’s Prayer ( Humperdinck)
Deep River ( Spiritual)
Go Tell it on the Mountain ( Spiritual)
He’s Got the Whole World ( Spiritual)
Meditation from Thais (Massenet)
My Heart Ever Faithful (Bach)
On Wings of Song (Mendelssohn)

For The Bride’s Entrance

Trumpet Voluntary (Clark, Purcell)
Te Deum (Charpentier)
Bridal Chorus “Here Comes the Bride” (Wagner)
Trumpet Tune (Purcell)
Canon in D (Pachelbel)
Ave Verum Corpus ( Mozart)
Flower Duet (Delibes)
Panis Angelicus (Franck)
Ave Maria ( Bach)
I can’t stop falling in love (Presley)
All you need is Love ( McCartney)
Tenderly ( Gross)
Only You (The Platters)

Traditional Jewish Music Selections

Dodi Li (Bridal Procession)
Erev Shel Shoshanim (Processional)
Simon Tov and Chosen Kalle Mazel Tov (Recessional)
Od Yeshoma
“Sunrise, Sunset”
Oif’n Pripetshok
Hatikva ( The Hope)
Bashana (Traditional Jewish)
Yedid Nefesh ( Wedding Processional)
Have Nagila
Tsena Tsena
Jerusalem of Gold ( Traditional Jewish)

For The Recessional

“Hornpipe” from Water Music (Handel)
Wedding March (Mendelssohn)
La Rejouissance from Royal Fireworks Music (Handel)
Brandenburg Concerto #3 (Bach)
“Spring” from Four Seasons (Vivaldi)
Entrance of Queen of Sheba (Handel)
I can’t stop falling in love (Presley)
All you need is Love (McCartney)
Tenderly (Gross)
Only You (The Platters)
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Yellow (Coldplay)
Palladio (Jenkins)
Rocky Top (Osborne Brothers)

Sample Selections available for Prelude

Water Music Suite- (Handel)
“Rondeau”-Theme from Masterpiece Theatre (Mouret)
Meditation from “Thais” (Massenet)
All I Ask of You (Webber)
Ashokan Farewell (Ungar)
Brandenburg Concerto #3 (Bach)
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart)
Minuet in G (Beethoven)
Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni)
Divertimenti (Mozart)
Shaker Melody “Simple Gifts” (Copland)
Ave Maria (Gounod-Bach)
Humoresque (Dvorak)
Salut d’ Amore (Elgar)
The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (Debussy)
Nocturne in E flat Major (Chopin)
Finale from Sonatina in g (Dvorak)
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Handel)
Greensleeves (Traditional)
Pierre a Notre-Dame (Boellman)
Vivaldi. Concerti from L’Estro Armonico

Booking Made Simple: 4 Steps to a Flawless Event

Step 1. Check Your Date

Reach out to see if your date is open.
We’ll respond quickly to confirm and answer any initial questions.

Make an Inquiry

Step 2. Get Expert Guidance

Talk directly with our team — no middlemen.

We’ll help you choose the right band and provide honest advice tailored to your event.

Once you're ready, we’ll finalize the booking with a simple contract and deposit to lock in your date.

Step 3. Plan with Confidence

Once booked, you’ll receive a personalized planning form.

This covers your timeline, music preferences, names, and any special requests — making sure everything is perfectly customized.

Step 4. Enjoy Flawless Execution

On the big day, we arrive early, fully prepared, and ready to perform.

Every song, cue, and moment is handled so you can relax and enjoy.

Music for Every Part of the Ceremony

We play a prelude as guests arrive, then the pieces you pick for the wedding party, your entrance, and the recessional. Couples often choose Bach’s Air on the G String, Canon in D, or an arrangement of a favorite song like “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”

After the ceremony, we can stay on for the cocktail hour with lighter classical pieces, jazz, and pop melodies that let guests talk and celebrate.

Lighthouses, Beaches, and Skyline Views

South Portland has some of the best views in Greater Portland. Bug Light Park and Spring Point Ledge Light look across the water toward the city, and Willard Beach gives a relaxed, neighborhood feel. Couples come here for ceremonies, portraits, and small celebrations with the bay in the background.

Strings suit that setting well. A violin and cello duo is easy to place on a small site, while a trio or quartet gives a larger outdoor ceremony a fuller sound.

Celebrating in Portland After the Ceremony?

Book strings for the ceremony and cocktail hour, then The SweetBeats Band for a reception in South Portland or across the bridge in Portland.

Meet The SweetBeats Band See The Band

Do you play weddings in South Portland, Maine?

Yes. We are based in Boston and perform throughout Greater Portland, including South Portland, Portland, and Cape Elizabeth.

Can strings play at an outdoor ceremony near the water?

Yes, with a shaded, covered spot for the musicians and a backup plan in case of rain, wind, or cold. Check with the city or venue about permits for public parks.

What sizes of string ensemble do you offer?

Solo violin, duo (violin and cello), trio (two violins and cello), and quartet (two violins, viola, and cello).

Can you learn a song that is not on your list?

Yes. Our musicians can learn most songs on request, from classical pieces to pop and rock arrangements.

Can we book the band for the reception as well?

Yes. Many couples book the String Ensemble for the ceremony and cocktail hour and The SweetBeats Band for the reception.